Crime is on the decline in Atlanta, as reported by Atlanta Police Department Chief Darin Schierbaum during a press conference held on Tuesday. In collaboration with the department’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Schierbaum shared the positive news with local media, emphasizing that community involvement has been crucial in achieving this success.
“Today we are going to go over some successes we have had, and the community has been a key part of that,” Schierbaum stated.
The press conference, characterized as a conversation, was aimed at disseminating crime data to the public. Atlanta Police Department Public Affairs United Executive Director Chata M. Spikes prepared attendees for what to expect during the event.
As of May 3, crime in Atlanta has decreased overall by 11%. Noteworthy reductions were highlighted in serious offenses, including homicides, which have fallen by 35%, aggravated assaults down by 27%, and auto thefts showing a notable decrease.
Despite these reductions, Schierbaum acknowledged that there have been 30 homicides this year, the majority resulting from what he termed “escalating disputes,” while only two were attributed to domestic conflicts.
“That is 30 too many,” Schierbaum remarked regarding the homicide figures.
He stressed that addressing these incidents requires not just police action, but a community response, stating, “We don’t have the ability to be there every time.”
A closer look at the demographics behind these crimes reveals that those arrested for homicide predominantly fall within the 17 to 24 age range.
“These reductions are being seen in key areas,” Schierbaum added.
Key factors contributing to this drop include significant efforts aimed at gangs and gun recovery. So far this year, police have confiscated 1,042 firearms.
“We are going to continue to remove them legally,” Schierbaum asserted, highlighting that many of these guns are seized during arrest operations.
Robbery and vehicle theft rates have also shown improvements. Following an uptick in auto thefts occurring at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport, police have initiated additional patrols, both covert and marked, as informed by Lieutenant Rodney Jones of the auto theft unit.
Jones noted collaboration with various federal and local agencies, including the FBI and several county police departments, has been instrumental in making significant arrests.
“Due to the good work of our guys and those other agencies, we were able to make arrests of key individuals,” Jones said.
Despite the positive trends, not all news was encouraging. There has been a noticeable increase in incidents of rape and property crime, with property crime reported to be up by a staggering 67%.
Schierbaum indicated that addressing property crime will heavily rely on community engagement.
In a contrasting achievement, the E911 Communications department revealed marked improvements in response times for emergency calls. In 2023, the average time to answer a 911 call was 24 seconds, which was reduced to 12 seconds in 2024. For the first four months of 2025, the average response time has further declined to under 10 seconds.
“It’s everyone doing their part. It’s a community answer,” Schierbaum stated.
He emphasized that when trends emerge, the department responds by allocating additional resources as needed.
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