Atlanta Police Department: Atlanta Police Department Response To Attrition And Crime

Atlanta GA

19 July, 2021

4:06 PM

Description

Press release from the Atlanta Police Department: 07/19/2021 Crime numbers, police department staffing levels and police officer morale issues continue be front and center topics for news agencies as well as many in our communities. Members of the Atlanta Police Department share the concerns many have regarding safety in their communities. We are parents, children, brothers and sisters and we all have a vested interest in public safety. The job we chose is rarely an easy one and we have been dealing with extreme challenges for more than a year now. We have seen good officers leave this department and have seen incidents of violent crime increase city wide. We know this is a concern for everyone and it is deeply concerning to us as well. We have seen plenty of news stories covering each of these topics, but what isn't covered is that while some good officers did choose to leave the APD, the vast majority of our officers chose to stay here and continue their work in your communities. The number of officers leaving the APD has stabilized and our recruitment numbers continue to improve. Our new leadership is well aware of the damage done to officer morale and while there is no quick fix, Chief Bryant is committed addressing the issue.  Violent crime continues to be our number one concern. The officers at the APD remain committed to providing the highest level of public safety possible in each of our communities. Our officers continue making great arrests, apprehending violent criminals a short time after their crime and discouraging criminal activity through increased patrols in problem areas. Our investigators are among the best in the business and their efforts have removed more than 80 criminals from our streets in the past month, with 60 of those being violent criminals, wanted for aggravated assault or murder.   The Atlanta Police Department is only one piece of this puzzle. We must ensure our courts are appropriately handling all cases involving violent criminals and we must encourage everyone in our communities to be a part of the solution. Violence begins long before law enforcement becomes involved. The solution begins with ensuring we, and our children, know how to properly handle conflict and anger. Learning these skills and teaching these skills to our youth will have a lasting impact on the world we live in. We need people to make better choices and we must hold accountable those who choose to prey on our communities. The Atlanta Police Department will be here and we will continue working to improve the quality of life for those in our communities. This press release was produced by the Atlanta Police Department. The views expressed here are the author's own.