Atlanta’s alternative to 911 has helped hundreds. Now for the hard road ahead

Preston Marshall outside the Midtown Hotel at a bench where he found a woman struggling and called 311.

Lisa Hagen / WABE

Preston Marshall works in an art-deco fantasy called Atlanta’s Hotel Midtown. Lots of gold, giant floral wallpaper and furniture that looks like it’s from the set of “Mad Men.”

Marshall runs loss prevention at the hotel, and in his line of work, keeping the fantasy intact sometimes means keeping people out.

“Well in the past, the only option we had was calling 911 and calling the police,” said Marshall.