ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - MARTA's police chief said the transit agency needs state lawmakers to allow a gun ban on buses and trains to improve public safety, but Georgia's open carry law prevents such restrictions.

 We should be able to restrict weapons, and as it stands right now, the state legislature doesn't allow us to do that, so we're going to have to work within those parameters and that law to make it as safe as possible,  said MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher.

 I believe that we can make it a safe system without people carrying guns. 

The call for a gun ban comes as MARTA defends itself against state and federal investigations into safety protocols following two violent attacks on trains in recent weeks. A 17-year-old track athlete was shot on June 5 and is recovering. A 66-year-old woman, Margaret Swan, was stabbed to death in late May.

In a letter dated Tuesday to state legislative leaders, MARTA Interim General Manager Jonathan Hunt formally requested the General Assembly consider legislation to prohibit weapons on the transit system for non-law enforcement personnel.

 Prohibiting weapons on MARTA trains, buses, and in our stations would provide law enforcement with a clearer legal framework to address threatening situations and enhance the sense of safety and security for the millions of patrons who depend on the system daily,  Hunt wrote.

In the letter responding to lawmakers' June 7 inquiry, MARTA leaders recognized the recent spike in violence but said the system is safer year-over-year. The agency said overall crime is down 8 percent as of June 10 compared to 2025.

MARTA reported violent crime decreased significantly in 2025, with aggravated assaults down 27 percent, robbery down 35 percent and overall crime down 25 percent compared to 2024. Since 2020, MARTA has reduced Part 1 Crimes defined by the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program by 45 percent, according to the letter.

 While we are experiencing a recent spike in crime due to senseless acts of random violence, these incidents remain outliers on a system that continues to be among the safest transit i

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