At Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District’s (ADID) recent Town Hall meeting, Atlanta Police Department Chief George Turner, Deputy Chief E. Renee Propes, Zone 5 Commander Maj. Wayne Whitmire, and Zone 6 Commander Maj. Timothy Peek presented the Downtown Safety Report, which details public safety statistics covering the first six months of 2013.
According to APD figures, although it makes up nearly half of Atlanta’s population, Downtown only represents 7 percent of the city’s crime. The majority of Downtown crime – 76 percent – is larceny related. Of that 76 percent, 42 percent of larcenies involve automobiles, where high-value items left in plain view are taken from cars. In an effort to reduce these incidents, APD will continue to reinforce the Clean Car Campaign, particularly with out of town visitors who may not be aware of the initiative.
In the first half of 2013, Downtown Atlanta accounted for a mere 40 percent of the total crime in Zone 5, which is comprised of Downtown, Midtown and portions of southwest Atlanta. The Downtown Safety Report indicates that nearly 95 percent of crime in Downtown is non-violent, with very few incidences of stranger-on-stranger crimes.
APD’s challenges in Zone 5 include countering repeat offenders, increasing public awareness for the Clean Car Campaign, and curbing panhandling. To address these issues, APD has set forth a number of initiatives, including expanded Downtown surveillance cameras into patrol operations with the Video Integrated Center (VIC) and Zone 5 Monitoring station; expanding the Clean Car Campaign into a media campaign with collateral distribution; aggressive enforcement of the anti-panhandling ordinance; and ongoing collaboration with public and private agencies.
The entire APD Downtown Safety Report is available to download at this link.
