ATLANTA — Georgia’s governor is promising new efforts to fight against violent gangs, after an Atlanta police officer was shot in the line of duty.
The officer is still in the hospital, and a GoFundMe account has raised nearly $20,000 for him.
Gov. Brian Kemp said he is keeping in close contact with the Atlanta Police Department, sending his prayers and wishing Officer David Rodgers a speedy recovery.
Rodgers was shot six times while attempting to arrest a well-known gang member earlier this week.
Before the governor made those comments, he was in a big meeting, listening to possible solutions for tackling Georgia’s gang problem.
“This is an everyday problem for us. We’re literally battling this every day all across the state,” Kemp said. “It’s outrageous. Our men and women are literally on the front lines every single day getting shot it and they’re chasing very bad people.”
Kemp was part of the meeting where local, state and federal law enforcement agents met for several hours sharing intelligence and confidential information about some of the most notorious gangs in our state.
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“Over 60% of all violent crime in Georgia is gang-affiliated. It’s all about making money right now. Selling guns, drug, human beings, cybercrime and even stealing peoples benefits,” Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said.
Kemp said law enforcement is only one part of the solution.
“We need more people in the fight against this, including these judges that are just turning these people back out,” Kemp said.
“It’s not just an Atlanta issue,” Carr said.
The Georgia Gang Investigators Association conducted a survey with law enforcement agencies and their findings were pretty stunning.
More than 70,000 gang members and associates live in Georgia. It also showed that all but two counties reported documented gang activity.
Also, 155 of Georgia’s 159 counties reported gang activity in schools.
“As Director of the bureau now, I see it in small rural areas of South Georgia, middle Georgia and north Georgia,” Georgia Bureau of Investigation director Vic Reynolds said.
Reynolds served as Cobb County District Attorney before being appointed to the GBI.
“I think we are starting to see the citizenry and elected officials, and let enforcement folks around the state realize, that not only is there a problem here but we have to do something about it,” Reynolds said.
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