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Crime & Safety

APD Launches 60-Day Strategic Crime Supression Detail in Midtown

The goal is to increase contact with citizens and reduce crime, with a particular focus on robberies, burglaries, auto thefts and larcenies from vehicles.

The Atlanta Police Department (APD) has selected four key areas in the city, including the Peachtree Street corridor in Midtown, for a strategic, 60-day crime suppression detail that began Thursday, Aug. 2 and is made possible with federal Justice Assistance Grant money.

A portion of the $500,000 received through the grant will go towards officer overtime, allowing the Department to increase its resources and personnel in the evenings and overnights, from Aug. 2-Oct. 1. The following areas were carefully selected based on statistical analysis of recent crime trends:

  • Atlanta University Center Corridor (Emphasis on Beckwith St. and Greensferry Ave.)
  • Peachtree Street Corridor (from Midtown through Buckhead)
  • The Mall West End Corridor (Including Oak St., Lee St. and Oglethorpe Ave.)
  • Old Fourth Ward/Virginia Highlands/Inman and Candler Park (Including Auburn Ave., Boulevard, N. Highland Ave. and Euclid Ave.)

Citizens can expect to see an increased officer presence in those areas, including units on bicycles and motorcycles, on foot and in patrol cars. The goal is to increase contact with citizens and reduce crime, with a particular focus on robberies, burglaries, auto thefts and larcenies from vehicles.

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The APD will also be deploying officers to enforce traffic, quality of life and code enforcement violations. The overtime detail will augment, not replace, the Department’s 24-hour presence throughout the City of Atlanta.

With fall semester around the corner, the APD is also working closely with police at Georgia Tech and Georgia State to ensure increased patrols for student safety.

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”This is a multi-faceted, comprehensive approach to crime-fighting that we anticipate will make a significant dent in crime over the next two months,” said Atlanta Police Chief George Turner in a release. “While we have had great success in reducing crime in the past few years, our work isn’t done until everyone in the City feels safe – in their homes, on the streets or visiting any one of our great attractions.”

Chief Turner noted that major crime is down four percent in the City of Atlanta this year, compared to this time last year. Major crimes are down 17 percent since this time in 2009.

“We’re grateful to have this federal assistance to further achieve our crime-fighting goals,” said City Chief Operating Officer Duriya Farooqui in a statement. “We also expect a tangible improvement in our community relations and quality of life, as we hope citizens will see and feel the immediate impact of a strategic and comprehensive detail.”

A full-service police agency, the Department has adopted a community-oriented policing philosophy and relies heavily upon community input and collaborative problem-solving strategies. It is through heightened community involvement in public safety matters that the APD will most effectively address its many priorities, including, but not limited to youth-related crime, domestic violence and the fight against crime in Atlanta.

In related public safety news, The APD reminds you to follow the rules of our Clean Car Campaign. Never leave valuables in your car in plain sight. By doing this, you can prevent one of the most common crimes; theft of property from motor vehicles.

Keeping a Clean Car means making sure all items such as tablet computers, laptops, cell phones, purses, wallets and other valuables are removed when your vehicle is unattended. Leave those valuables at home, or lock them in the trunk.

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