APD Safety Report for Second Half of 2014
January 21,2015
Downtown continues to be one of the safest places within one of the safest large urban cities in the country” according to Chief George Turner, Atlanta Police Department. Although some of the offense numbers are up for the six month period, some offenses are down for the year. Offenses are still below the average experienced just a few years ago, with the most recent two years reflecting record lows.
Activities in Downtown Atlanta have significantly increased in the last couple of years, but particularly 2014, was a banner year for special events and conventions. The majority of offenses in Downtown involve Larcenies from Autos. This is driven by the shear high volume of vehicles in Downtown for the various events, and mostly involve out of town visitors leaving high demand/value items in plain view. Our challenge continues to be to educate the public, particularly the visiting public on Clean Car Campaign practices preferably prior to their arrival. Efforts are ongoing to address the Repeat Offender issues that continue to impact enforcement and mitigation of the minor crimes prevailing, and the counter measures being put forth.
There is a strong collaboration of public and private partners that strive to coordinate events and public safety measures that enhance the quality of life and the Downtown experience.