---
title: "Atlanta Police Chief’s Plea to Motorists: Stop Leaving Guns in Cars"
description: "With 100,000 people expected at college football championship game, city's top law enforcement officer urges attendees to use common sense."
date: "2018-01-05"
modified: "2018-01-05"
authors:
  - name: "Kate Gibson"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kate-gibson"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/article/17406/atlanta-police-chiefs-plea-to-motorists-stop-leaving-guns-in-cars"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "atlanta"
  - "college football"
  - "College Football Championships"
  - "Football Game"
  - "Guns"
  - "New York"
---

# Atlanta Police Chief’s Plea to Motorists: Stop Leaving Guns in Cars

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/01/gettyimages-51616497-e1515182471301.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

A presidential motorcade and college football championship game on Monday in Atlanta, Georgia has law enforcement in the city worried about more than traffic.

At a multi-agency news conference Thursday, the city's police chief urged the more than 100,000 people expected at the stadium to leave their [guns at home.](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/17160/nascar-team-owner-richard-childress-shoots-at-home-invaders-police-say>)

"Please, please execute the highest regard and greatest level of common sense. We cannot have folks continuing to bring guns and leaving them in their cars," Chief Erika Shields [reportedly](<https://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2018/01/atlanta_police_dont_leave_guns.html>) said at a multi-agency news conference Thursday.

The appeal to the public comes ahead of Monday night's College Football Playoff Championship game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama at a stadium in downtown Atlanta.

The Atlanta police department did not immediately respond to requests for information on how big of a problem the city has with weapons left in cars.

However, the problem is not a new one, and past events make clear why Shields used the word "continuing" when bringing up the issue. A news [segment](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLapT8v_27w>) from 2016 details over a thousand larcenies from vehicles during a 28-day period where 115 firearms were stolen.

"My concern is where the guns are going, whether it's here or it's New York I don't feel any better about it," Shields, then the deputy chief said. "They are on the street illegally, so we have to think it's not for a promising purpose."

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