Midtown's Baton Bob threatened, called gay slur

The City of Atlanta’s Community Services Division will conduct a community safety seminar on Tuesday, June 26, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., at The Evolution Project located at 583 Juniper Street.

The seminar is open to anyone, but will focus primarily on discussions specific to the LGBT community.

The Department’s LGBT liaisons, Officer Brian Sharp and Officer Kristin Knight, will provide information on basic safety tips on proactive crime prevention. They will also be joined by Crime Prevention Inspector Selena Swoope. All three work in the Department’s Community Oriented Policing Section, created to bring citizens and APD officers together in a proactive, collaborative and solutions-oriented approach to fighting crime.

“It is important to update and educate the LGBT community on current crime trends affecting it,” said Deputy Chief Renee Propes in a statement. ”Providing proactive crime prevention information will hopefully offer the tools to prevent victimization.” Topics will include:

• Robbery Prevention and Personal Security.

• The “See Something, Say Something” campaign, which encourages citizens to call 911 to report suspicious activity.

• The “Clean Car” campaign, which aims to prevent vehicle break-ins by encouraging the removal of valuables.

A full-service police agency, the department has adopted a community-oriented policing philosophy and relies heavily upon community input and collaborative problem-solving strategies. It is through heightened community involvement in public safety matters that the Atlanta Police Department will most effectively address its many priorities, including, but not limited to youth-related crime, domestic violence and the fight against crime in Atlanta.

Meanwhile, Atlanta Magazine reported Friday that Midtown’s beloved street performer, Baton Bob, was threatened and called a gay slur this week off of Cheshire Bridge Road. Bob, a.k.a. 60-year-old Bob Jamerson, was dressed in his familiar drum majorette costume and spreading his unique brand of entertainment when a black male got in his face and began taunting him.

Baton Bob, who anounced his celebratory return to Midtown to Midtown Patch last month, told the magazine: “I was into my thing and when I turned around, he was six inches from my face, yelling 'Damn faggot!' and threatening to kill me."

Bob ultimately called 911 and filled out an incident report. See more of the Atlanta Magazine piece here.