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'MARTA is safe,' chief tells Atlanta City Council
MARTA’s police chief says violent crime is down on the transit system, and it is ready for next summer's FIFA World Cup. The safety presentation came after some city council members expressed concern following an elevator incident and a shooting at one of the stations.
ATLANTA - MARTA’s police chief says violent crime on the transit system is down by half compared to 2019, and the agency is preparing to keep riders safe during next summer’s FIFA World Cup.
MARTA PD chief address Atlanta City County
What they're saying:
Police Chief Scott Kreher told the Atlanta City Council’s transportation committee Tuesday that MARTA has 250 sworn officers with more recruits in the pipeline.
He said the department is rolling out a Goldstar Drone program and relying on more than 3,000 cameras to monitor stations.
"I want to be clear. MARTA is safe," Kreher said, adding that a tabletop exercise with the Transportation Security Administration is scheduled for next month.
The presentation came after council members raised concerns over recent safety incidents, including a shooting at a station and an escalator malfunction at Vine City during a Beyoncé concert that left riders hurt.
Interim CEO Jonathan Hunt said the escalator had been inspected just five days before the mishap. He explained that a sudden passenger load caused the escalator to speed up, separate from its mechanisms and trigger the emergency brakes. Hunt apologized for the agency’s delay in providing answers.
"It should not have taken a resolution or this amount of time to get this information," Hunt said. "And I apologize on behalf of MARTA."
The other side:
Councilmember Marci Collier Overstreet, who pressed for answers after the concert incident, said she was pleased with the explanation and looked forward to working with the transit agency.
Cowboy Carter MARTA escalator incident
The backstory:
MARTA has come under intensified scrutiny in 2025, amid a spate of safety concerns and operational missteps, the most serious of which occurred following the final "Cowboy Carter" concert by Beyoncé.
In the early hours of July 15, concertgoers disembarking at Vine City station were met with chaos as an escalator malfunction left several people injured, including one person with a broken ankle and others sustaining cuts and scrapes.
The Source: FOX 5's Aungelique Proctor attended the Atlanta City Council Public Safety Commission meeting for this report. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting was also used.