FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: May 30, 2026
Contact: Katherine Hamoudah, khamoudah@schr.org  

Mayor Dickens Is Wrong—PAD Did Not Abandon the Center for Diversion & Services, the City Forced PAD Out 

Atlanta, GA—The Communities Over Cages Coalition rejects Mayor Andre Dickens’ claim that the Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative (PAD) “abandoned” the Center for Diversion and Services. Records show something very different: City officials used contract delays, payment pressure, and unauthorized scope-of-work changes to push PAD out of the Center. 

Emails obtained through open records show that PAD sought a straightforward renewal of its agreement, City officials pressured Grady, as the contractor for the Center, to attempt to impose major changes that would strip PAD of core responsibilities, including community and officer engagement, planning, and key care-navigation practices. PAD repeatedly raised that these changes were inconsistent with the governing structure of the Center and should be addressed through the Justice Policy Board, rather than forced through procurement pressure. 

In a February 4 email, a Grady employee referenced the City of Atlanta’s interference with PAD’s subcontract by writing: 

“Good morning, I wanted to alert you that PAD has refused to sign their subaward renewal that contains proposed changes to their scope of work (attached). We have not proposed any change to the upper dollar amount but did make changes to the work to remove areas that were pre-opening tasks and tasks in line with the City’s request that police use the Center for Diversions and not call PAD to the scene. At this time, we’ve asked our City partners to give us their thoughts on how to proceed and to work with the County, as co-funders. Moki has asked that this be brought to the Justice Policy Board but I do not think it will help to litigate this with 20 people.” 

The timeline is clear.  

• On January 30, PAD requested renewal. By early February, Grady had proposed revised terms removing important functions from PAD’s scope of work and pressuring PAD to adopt a new staffing model. 
• On February 11, PAD was told it had to accept the revised terms within days or Grady would “move forward with another plan” because “the City must finalize the contract.” 
• On February 18, the City acknowledged that the contract process was being held up because of disagreement over the scope of work. 
• By March, City officials were pushing for a vote on that revised scope, and when PAD refused to sign away its role, it was left with no viable path to continue operating under those conditions. 

This series of events is not abandonment. It is coercion. PAD did not walk away; PAD was pressured out after the City used its contractor to redefine PAD’s role without lawful authority.  

The consequences of Mayor Dickens’ smoke and mirrors are serious. PAD helped build Atlanta’s pre-arrest diversion model over more than a decade and brought specialized expertise in consent-based, person-centered support for people facing arrest, homelessness, poverty, behavioral health needs, and system contact. Pushing PAD out weakens the integrity of diversion services and undermines public trust in the City’s commitment to community-based safety strategies. 

The Communities Over Cages Coalition calls on Mayor Dickens and City leadership to stop misleading the public and allow PAD to do its work. Atlanta residents deserve the truth: PAD was not the party that abandoned the Center for Diversion & Services. The City created conditions that forced PAD out, which ultimately means the Dickens administration abandoned the community. 

For a complete file of email records obtained related to this issue, contact khamoudah@schr.org.