Atlanta leaders are working on fighting crime across the city. Statistics show mixed results compared to last year.
Homicides are up 4% but other categories like aggravated assault are down 5%. Robberies are down 11%. Those statistics are according to APD’s latest crime report.
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In a 1-on-1 interview with Channel 2′s Dave Huddleston, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum talked about protecting the city, not only around the sports stadiums and Buckhead, but in all of Atlanta’s 245 neighborhoods.
“You have men and women on three stories of this building that go out everyday and are fighting crime all across Atlanta,” he said. “We bring the entire Atlanta Police Department to bare as we continue to grow our police department more and more resources will be brought to bare.”
Schierbaum says those resources will also be used to try and keep the state’s best trained officers from jumping to smaller more lucrative departments in North Fulton or Cobb counties.
“The corner stone of growing the police department is retaining the officers we have and that’s assuring the officers know they’re appreciated and supported. We’re giving them the cars they need, the facility they need and the training center that they deserve,” Schierbaum said.
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The police chief told Huddleston that part of his safety strategy is using technology and crime data to move his officers to crime hotspots, knowing the bad guys are mobile. So he does the same: moving resources to where the activity is. He says he tracks the crime numbers every morning.
“First thing I do when I wake up is go through the overnight reports,” Schierbaum said.
It’s all to keep people protected.
“You look at the vibrancy of our city and you partake in what is great about Atlanta to know how you feel safe,” the chief said. “This is a great city. I live in it, I’m out in the city every single night. And most of the time out of uniform out and about so, I know it to be a safe city.”
The 20-year Atlanta police veteran who was recently named chief says he’s honored and looks forward to protecting and serving the people of Atlanta.
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