LoompaLand

Link The AJC, reporting on a presser with Atlanta Police Chief Pennington, reports that the police acknowledge that mistakes were made. Indeed, police converged on the courthouse, as the killer had already fled the area. They still give no reason why the garage where the Honda was later found was not searched. They do claim that MARTA was notified, but given the extra MARTA security for the tournament, it seems that notification was worthless. This guy was only wearing a jacket and no shirt, so why didn't he attract any attention? MARTA claims they were searching for a Honda, too, but MARTA could not have searched for any car except in parking lots and the stations downtown essentially have no lots that are patrolled by MARTA. So what were they searching for - a car.. on the rail tracks? The story put forth by officials so far seems to be a semi-plausible attempt to paper over the most obvious problems in the search, but the explanations only raise more questions.

Officials say he was wandering the streets around the mall, and that they don't believe that he entered the mall. So why was he not noticed by any pedestrians on busy Buckhead streets, who by then probably knew of the search from media reports, or by police on patrol for that matter? The red herring of the green Honda apparently shut the eyes of patrol officers to sidewalks. Lenox Mall has security cameras, so they should be able to make a definitive statement that he did not enter the mall. They gave themselves some wiggle room.

Every explanation put forth by authorities so far seems to try to protect the integrity of establishments that are vital to Atlanta's business and tourist industries. The responses seem to be geared toward trying to placate citizens and tourists that are coming to Atlanta that using MARTA or visiting our malls is safe. Do you think the people who traveled MARTA that morning feel better? Or the shoppers at the mall?

I repeat, I don't go downtown or even to Buckhead unless I absolutely have to...I have that belief, and many people I know do too, and that belief makes the movers and shakers worry.