South Fulton reports 16% drop in crime compared to last August
South Fulton reports 16% drop in crime
South Fulton crime dropped 16% since August 2025 after police reassigned specialized officers to street patrols.
SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - South Fulton experienced a significant 16% drop in crime compared to last August, driven by strategic police staffing adjustments and reduced response times.
South Fulton police response
What we know:
South Fulton Public Safety Director Dr. Cedric Alexander noted that any crime reduction over 10% is considered significant in public safety.
To achieve the drop, Alexander and his staff decided to move officers out of specialized units and reassign them directly to street patrols where they were needed most. The shift led to faster response times and higher police visibility across the city, resulting in fewer aggravated assaults, robberies and stolen cars.
"We decided, I decided, with the support of all the staff that we were gonna take many of our specialize units and put them back on the street where there was certainly a need for them," he said. "We saw our response times drop and addition to that over time, based on the metric we also began to see our crime drop too."
Alexander emphasized that community engagement plays a major role in keeping neighborhoods safe. Officers are instructed to step out of their patrol vehicles to build personal relationships with residents in every neighborhood. The department also launched social media initiatives, such as the "Hey Twin" campaign, to break down communication barriers.
"Regardless of what neighborhood it may happen to be. Our officers get out of their cars and get to know people. People get to know them," he said.
Shoplifting and police strategy
The backstory:
With 191 officers on the force, Alexander said the department must constantly adapt to changing crime patterns. He explained that officers have to shift strategies frequently because criminals constantly alter their methods.
Despite the overall drop across most offense categories, department data shows that shoplifting continues to increase in South Fulton.
Maintaining low crime rates
What's next:
Department leaders are focused on sustaining the lower crime trends and preventing future spikes.
"We can not let our guard down," Alexander said.
What we don't know:
The department did not announce specific new tactics or enforcement initiatives to curb the ongoing rise in shoplifting.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from an interview by FOX 5's Aungelique Proctor with South Fulton Public Safety Director Dr. Cedric Alexander, as well as crime metrics released by the South Fulton Police Department.