An Atlanta city councilman – who is aiming to be the city's next mayor – had his car stolen by children in broad daylight Wednesday, according to reports. 

Councilman Antonio Brown was attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony at an event in northeast Atlanta around noon when at least four kids jumped into his car and took off, FOX 5 of Atlanta reported. 

The incident occurred amid a recent crime wave in the city. Brown, who joined the city's mayoral race less than three weeks ago, is running on a campaign of "reimagining public safety," the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported. 

Last year, he voted in support of an ordinance to withhold $73 million from the budget of the Atlanta Police Department. The ordinance was narrowly voted down. 

Brown said the thieves jumped in his vehicle Wednesday after he got out to speak with community leader Ben Norman. His white Mercedes-Benz coupe has keyless push-to-start ignition and he failed to realize it had been started, reports said.

Brown doesn't plan on filing charges against the kids, who he says acted out of desperation, Atlanta's WSB-TV reported.