Night in Blue Celebration at the Buckhead Theatre

In celebration of the Atlanta Police Department’s 150th anniversary, more than 600 people came together on November 4th for A Night in Blue at the Buckhead Theatre. The event was hosted by the Atlanta Police Foundation and the Buckhead Coalition was the presenting sponsor.

Mayor Dickens, Chief Schierbaum, Eric Tanenblatt and Jim Durett of the Buckhead Coalition, and the Buckhead Safety Alliance joined the Atlanta Police Foundation and some 300 APD officers and their spouses and partners.

During that celebration, Tanenblatt and Durrett spoke in recognition of the work that APD, the Buckhead CID, and others have been doing for the last 3 years, noting that crime in Buckhead was down 3% so far in 2023, making it the 3rd year in a row to see a reduction in crime in Zone 2. Recognition was also given to the Buckhead Safety Alliance, which is an outgrowth of the 2020 Buckhead Security Plan.

The Alliance has placed fully operational police vehicles, operated by off-duty police officers to patrol the commercial corridors throughout Buckhead. The Buckhead Safety Alliance is headed by Debra Wathen, who is also chair of the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods.

Tanenblatt and Durret presented Wathen with the keys to the third charger, donated by the Atlanta Police Foundation to add to the patrols of the Buckhead Safety Alliance. The two existing cars operate in the commercial corridors from about 10 in the morning till 7 in the evening. This third car will be operating from 3:30 in the afternoon to 11:30 at night.

Wathen thanked the coalition for their support while noting the effort is 100% funded by donations and their members stepped up to give generously. Additional donations are needed to keep the Alliance cars out patrolling and they can be made through the Atlanta Police Foundation and designating the BSA.

The Night in Blue celebration culminated with the concert by Brothers Osborne and remarks from Mayor Andre Dickens.