Cobb County officials addressed the community’s safety concerns March 12 after fights erupted, ending with a teen being shot by police at Six Flags Over Georgia.
Michael Owens, the mayor of Mableton, held a meeting at the Riverside EpiCenter with other city and county leaders according to an Atlanta News First article.
Owens said that he wants to ensure safety, but not only because of this event.
“I’m going to make this really simple, what we intend to do is ensure the safety of our community not only because of this one incident but to ensure that we’re looking forward as a new city,” Owens said.
Stuart VanHoozer, Cobb County Police Chief, who was present at the meeting, noted that this meeting is crucial to create change, but said that police have been working with the park for years.
This meeting is not the first of its kind after the Six Flags incident. According to Mike Register, Cobb County Public Safety Director, there were at least five meetings pertaining to that night.
“The week after the incident, I know public safety had at least five to six meetings pertaining to that night so we could critique that night and prepare for the next weekend,” Register said.
According to a WSBTV article, there was also a “public safety meeting closed to the public.”
Owens discussed crowd control, lighting, signage and a possible chaperone policy for in and outside the park. Six Flags was said to be on board with the suggestions.
The issue was also said to be bigger than Six Flags.
“This is not just a Six Flags issue,” said Owens. “This is an issue we want to encompass for the entire city and this part of the county.”
Changes to and around the park are said to happen, but there is no timeframe specified.