Atlanta Police frustrated after documented gang member arrested, released after 1 day

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A known juvenile gang member who police said has committed multiple crimes across the city was arrested, pleaded guilty, and released the next day.

"We're locking up the people who need to be locked up only to see them get back out," said Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Jeff Glazier.

Deputy Chief Glazier said this is nothing new, but it's still irritating.

"I don't know how you can justify this decision but I've seen decisions like this for 26 years and they continue, so either the judges aren't getting the message or the system needs to be completely overhauled," said Chief Glazier.

Police said it's frustrating to see this teen and other criminals back on the streets, and they vented about it on the Atlanta Police Facebook page.

Part of the post reads "Cases like these are frustrating to our officers and investigators. They work hard on the street to arrest criminals who prey on the law-abiding, but routinely encounter inexplicable leniency afforded to repeat offenders such as this juvenile".

Deputy Chief Glazier said there has to be a way to get these kids off the street and redirect them before they get older and their crimes get more violent.

"I'm not saying you can't fix them once they're in, but you've got to hold on to them," said Deputy Chief Glazier.

Fulton County Juvenile Court released a statement which reads, "We share the concerns of the community.  However, Fulton County Juvenile Court doesn't comment on cases.  We sincerely appreciate the work of the Atlanta Police Department and we understand the officers' frustration with the Juvenile Justice System, but singling out an unidentified teenager online using APD's official Facebook serves no purpose".

The Facebook post has gotten hundreds of comments, the vast majority of them supporting the officers.