A look at Atlanta mayoral candidate Andre Dickens
This year, there will be 14 candidates on the ballot for Atlanta mayor. In this article, we’ll introduce you to one of the 14 candidates: Andre Dickens.
Who is Andre Dickens?
Andre Dickens is currently an Atlanta city council member, representing the city at-large in the Post 3 seat. He is currently chairman of the Transportation committee, which deals with city streets, bridges, sidewalks, paths and the airport. In 2017, he was the chair of the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee.
Andre is the Chief Development Officer for a nonprofit called Techbridge. In 2018, he co-founded the Technology Career Program to provide free technology training for unemployed individuals.
Andre is from Atlanta and grew up attending Atlanta Public Schools. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in public administration in economic development from Georgia State University.
What are some of Andre’s top priorities if elected?
Community Development: Andre wants to address Buckhead’s attempts to leave the city through policing, saying “what we are hearing from Buckhead is that Buckhead wants to feel safe.” He plans to improve Atlanta’s transit further after leading the creation of the city’s Department of Transportation to oversee transportation-related activities, planning and management. As a city council member, he created the John Lewis Memorial Task Force, which added John Lewis’ name to the Freedom Parkway and installed the “Good Trouble” mural at the airport.
Public Safety: Andre promises to hire 250 additional police officers in his first year in office and 400 more in his second year. He also wants to increase the number of security cameras and license plate readers in the city. He wants to increase community policing efforts, arrest gang leaders and create a strike force to focus on gun trafficking and illegal guns in the city. He also proposes hiring first responders from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to increase cultural sensitivity. As a city council member in 2020, he voted to withhold $73 million from the city’s police budget to get reform, saying he wanted to begin “reimagining policing in Atlanta,” but he has since said he does not support defunding the police.
How can I learn more?
To find out more about Andre’s positions on other issues, you can visit his full profile at www.branch.vote.
You can also use Branch to view information on other candidates running for Atlanta Mayor by clicking here.
Branch is here to help you feel more confident and informed when you walk into your polling place on November 2nd.
Branch is a nonpartisan Georgia startup with a mission to make state and local government more approachable. You can find quality information about your next election by visiting www.branch.vote.
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