We who sign this petition are worried about the serious increase in crime we are experiencing across Atlanta’s neighborhoods. Added to our worries is the frustration and the anger that, rather than rising up to meet the public safety challenges we face, you, our city officials, have made things worse with ill-conceived furloughs that have effectively reduced our police force by nearly 20%. We come from all parts of Atlanta. We are experiencing more crime in our homes, our businesses and our neighborhoods, and we are demanding action from you. The public safety of the people of Atlanta cannot be compromised by short-sighted, money-saving measures that reduce our already limited police force. Research by the Atlanta Police Foundation confirms that our police force is already alarmingly understaffed compared to forces in other major cities in the US. Furloughs, obviously, have made things worse. We cannot accept this situation and even less any inaction on your part. Doing nothing in the face of rising crime is unacceptable. We demand that the City restore the funds necessary to end the current furloughs and, further, that you find a way to balance the coming budget without any consideration of further public safety furloughs. Longer term, we urge you to identify and set aside the funds necessary to renew previous efforts to increase our police force.