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Atlanta Police Department said it counted more than 100 reports in its database, containing key words like “water boy,” since 2021 .
ATLANTA — They sell water bottles at busy intersections, but what happens when law enforcement shows up?
Earlier this year, 11Alive obtained two body-worn camera videos and various incident reports from the Atlanta Police Department via public records requests.
11Alive wanted to know more about the the interactions youth and police have, as part of its continuing coverage of kids and teens selling water in the city – known as the “water boys.”
“You’re playing with my money right now,” a teen is heard telling APD officers on the footage after being stopped for selling water by a busy intersection.
“I’m telling you [to leave] – I’m not asking you,” another APD officer told a younger child while trying to contact their guardian in a separate incident.
Although not always the case, both videos show how tension between both groups can quickly escalate from harmless to handcuffs.
“My response is a complete failure of the system,” civil rights attorney and Georgia NAACP President Gerald Griggs told 11Alive’s Neima Abdulahi during an interview.
He also said tense interactions between the community and law enforcement can be damaging in the long run.
“Leave me alone, let me go,” a 19-year-old detainee told officers while being placed into the back of the patrol car.
“You’re [expletive] my life,” the teen can be heard screaming later in the video.
“This particular young person is telling the law enforcement, ‘you ruined my life.’ And they actually are, because if he’s charged with obstruction, felony obstruction or any of the other offenses, it’s going to go on his record and then he won’t be able to do other things,” Griggs said while reviewing the video.
11Alive asked APD to sit down for an interview this summer to discuss public safety concerns, community outreach, handling youth involved with water sales, and more.
They declined, so we asked other Metro Atlanta law enforcement agencies for their perspective too.
None of the agencies we reached out to agreed to sit down for an interview about youth water sales.
In Atlanta, anyone selling food or beverages needs a permit.
Viral moments on social media from youth selling water have sparked debates about safety for commuters who get approached aggressively, as well as the safety of the children.
Griggs told 11Alive that escalating incidents between officers and youth, which result in charges, can start a cycle of placing their names into the system — leading to bigger problems.
“If I’m going to get a record for selling water for a dollar, I might as well sell something else for large amounts of money,” he said.
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