Atlanta crime down by 11% overall, Atlanta police chief announces
Homicides down, robberies up in Atlanta
Although homicides and car thefts are down, robberies, aggravated assaults and rapes are up in the City of Atlanta, according to the Atlanta police chief.
ATLANTA - Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum shared new crime statistics with reporters Tuesday, showing an 11% drop in overall crime across the city. Speaking at a press briefing, Schierbaum emphasized that sustained improvement requires collaboration between law enforcement and the broader community.
What they're saying:
According to the department, homicides, car thefts, and car break-ins have all declined. One major success came at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where a crackdown on an organized auto theft ring led to a nearly 50% reduction in car thefts, according to the chief. The ring operated similarly to the movie Gone in 60 Seconds, police said, with suspects targeting specific vehicles for international shipment.
Additionally, police credited proactive outreach to event organizers with helping reduce incidents at public gatherings by 72%. Officers have also served dozens of search warrants as part of a focused effort to shut down drug-dealing operations—something Schierbaum called "a ticking time bomb for violence" in Atlanta.
While homicides are down, the chief noted that nearly half of the city’s killings stemmed from escalating personal disputes. He urged residents to practice and promote conflict resolution and anger management, saying, "It's being a strong influence as a neighbor, as a family member, as a community leader, so you have the ability to model good conflict resolution. You have the ability to see those yellow flags that we could have a red flag problem approaching around anger management. I don't expect anyone to step in the middle of a gunfight, but we all have what we can do to prevent that from ever reaching that level."
As for the increase in robberies, Chief Schierbaum encourages anyone buying something online to pick up the item at one of their precincts. He also said they're noticing a pattern of targeting rideshare drivers.
"That's an area we're working around education. We're also working quickly to deploy resources to be able to counter that both on the investigative sides, as well as with resources we're putting into the area," he explained.
But the chief also highlighted several robbery cases where the suspects had dozens of arrests, including some felony convictions. He said more needs to be done to keep them off the streets.
"We pass the baton onto someone else. We are not in the race in it's entirety. And we need more baton passing and less boomerangs coming back to the police department for us to again try to remove someone off the street," Chief Schierbaum explained
The chief praised programs like midnight basketball and summer youth employment for giving at-risk individuals positive outlets and opportunities. His overall message: reducing crime is not just a police mission—it’s a citywide responsibility.