Atlanta police need to fill more than 250 positions, records show

ATLANTA — It has been a longtime problem facing the public safety for the city of Atlanta – not having a full force to patrol the city streets.

Channel 2 Action News has learned that the authorized strength for the city of Atlanta police force is 2,026 officers.

Right now, the Atlanta Police Department currently has 1,762 positions filled, including a class of 71 recruits currently going through the academy.

That leaves 264 open spots on the force.

In a new Channel 2 Action News Investigation, Channel 2 investigative reporter Nicole Carr found several APD recruits have been fired from the force for issues ranging from their involvement in a shooting investigation to smoking marijuana. 

In a Channel 2 Action News Investigation from November, Atlanta police told us fewer candidates are making it past the first round of training, and police are now traveling to other cities to recruit.

“We are having a hard time hiring police. I think you can turn on TV and see the challenges. Right now, there (is) a lot of scrutiny on police,” Atlanta Police Deputy Chief of Support Services Stacie Gibbs told us at the time.

On top of that, through an Open Records Request, Channel 2 Action News has learned that of the 362 recruits on the payroll in 2016 and 2017, 63 were dismissed or resigned. That is 17 percent of the class.

Staffing a full force has been a problem reaching back to the previous police chief, George Turner.

"Recruiting is a challenge for all of us at this point, not because of anything one particular agency is doing or not doing. I think it's because of the atmosphere we find ourselves in, in public safety," Turner told us in August 2016.

Cox Media Group