Free Republic

An exclusive Atlanta neighborhood plagued with a rash of violent crimes has reportedly decided to separate from the sprawling Georgia capital and create its own police force. Bill White, chairman and CEO of the Buckhead City Committee, told Fox News on Thursday that the decision to split was made as crime in Atlanta has skyrocketed while police are underfunded. “We filed our divorce papers at the city of Atlanta — and our divorce is final,” White told hold Bill Hemmer, adding: “We have two bills in the Georgia legislature dropping in January to decide this referendum ballot.”

When U.S. law enforcement officials last month busted a Mexican drug cartel moving tons of dope and millions of dollars, they announced it in Atlanta. The distribution ring stretched from Colombia to New York to Italy, but the operation’s key hub was Atlanta. Long a commerce and transportation center for giants like UPS and Delta Air Lines, Atlanta tags itself as an “international city.” This time, it embodied that definition in an illicit way. Federal drug agent Jack Killorin calls Atlanta “the new Southwest border.” ... Mexican distribution rings supply about 90 percent of the cocaine, 80 percent of the...