DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Crime has plummeted in DeKalb County, to the point that there has been a more than 30% drop in homicides.
Surprisingly, people staying home during the pandemic is not the reason.
Channel 2′s Sophia Choi talked to DeKalb County Police Chief Mirtha Ramos, who has been on the job for less than a year and is the county’s first female chief.
Murder rates dropped in the county by 37% in the first six months of 2020 compared to a year ago.
Ramos said she believes the lower crime rates are due to more proactive officers because of improved police morale, pay increases and time-and-a-half and hazard pay during the pandemic.
“I don’t believe that COVID numbers helped us, because most people were not staying in,” Ramos said. “And we’ve been spending a lot more time with our friend and our family, and we’ve discovered we don’t like them as much as we thought we did. So you know, our homicides tend to be mainly acquaintances.”
“The extra money of course is great, it definitely helps make ends meet,” Van Hees said. “But it’s more than that. It indicates a commitment and proof that you’re validated and needed.”
The county also credits new programs that put officers in neighborhoods, like holding roll call in public places, and more recently, officers helping neighbors by handing out masks, sanitizers and free food.
DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said it's going to take residents, officers and communities working across county lines to stop crime.
“Literally, we are all in this together,” Thurmond said. “Crime and criminals don’t respect geographical boundaries. And so ultimately we all have to work together.”
DeKalb officials said right now, every paid police position is filled. That’s quite a difference from a few years ago when retention and recruitment were big problems.
Cox Media Group
