Atlanta crime is declining, leaders say, thanks to alternative solutions

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Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum speaks at Thomasville Recreation Center about the city's crime reduction efforts and the latest data on Jan. 13, 2025.

Credit: City of Atlanta

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens joined key community partners on Monday to report the 2024 crime data and share strategies the city is using to keep numbers low.

According to the Atlanta Police Department vehicle theft, homicide, robbery, and property crime all went down in 2024. Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said overall crime in the city is down 5%.

“We didn't just improve in the area of crime stats, reducing 911 answer times”, he said. “The police department is growing for the first time since October of 2021. This department now has more than 1,700 officers on it, or individuals in training.”

The announcements also highlighted non policing alternatives like diversion services, community intervention, and youth engagement.

Mayor Andre Dickens declared 2024 the “Year of the Youth” which supported programs like midnight basketball, Next Level Boys Academy and School Break Safe Spaces.

Interim Atlanta Labor Commissioner Theresa Austin-Gibbons said matching young people with employers through the Summer Youth Employment Program had a positive impact.

“This program engaged over 5,000 young Atlantans, reducing youth crime by 23%,” she said. “Arrests among 14- to 17-year-olds dropped by nearly 200. Crimes among 18- to 24-year-olds decreased by 25% and violent crimes fell by 46%.”

Through the One Safe City initiative, Atlanta engaged community partners to intervene and reduce crime using the Cure Violence model. In Zone 4, Chris 180 has been working in the community and completed 112 violence interruptions in 2024. In Zone 1, the Offender Alumni Association has been working to resolve incidents before they escalate to shootings.

City of Atlanta Chief Operating Officer LaChandra Burks said the OAA has also partnered with high schools for what they call the “Safe Passage Program.”

“A lot of times we see violence right when school lets out," Burks said. “[OAA members] have been working very intently, canvasing right after school, engaging youth, giving out snacks. We have seen zero fights right outside of [Benjamin E. Mays] High School in the year of 2024 as a result of their engagement.”

APD reports Zone 3, which covers Southeast Atlanta neighborhoods such as Mechanicsville and Peoplestown, saw the greatest reduction in crime out of all Atlanta neighborhoods last year.