ATLANTA — In a Channel 2 Action News exclusive, we spoke with law enforcement about Atlanta’s struggle with repeat offenders.
A new report shows repeat offenders with three or more felony convictions are committing fewer crimes across Atlanta.
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It happens all over metro Atlanta, where convicted felons are armed with guns.
Earlier this month, body camera video recorded the moment Atlanta police arrested Kevin Gunn, a convicted felon with more than 50 arrest cycles.
“Our mission is very simple and straightforward and that is to create a safe city,” said Dave Wilkinson told Channel 2′s Michael Seiden.
Wilkinson is the president of the Atlanta Police Foundation, a nonprofit organization that launched the Atlanta Repeat Offender Commission in 2015.
Since then, APF has worked with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to crack down on repeat offenders.
“These are individuals that are having a disproportionate impact on the safety of the 245 neighborhoods of our city and our county,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said.
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According to the 2023 annual report, just over 1,000 people arrested by APD accounted for 24% of the department’s felony cases.
One hundred and fifty of the repeat offenders identified as gang members and 27% involved a firearm. It was 33% in 2022.
“What it is is checks and balances for ourselves. I know that we have seen improvements that we will and have to make,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said.
The Repeat Offender Tracking Unit, which was created in 2022, has also played an important role in keeping Atlanta safe. But, this group believes an increase in funding and manpower would make a significant difference.
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