Year-over-year crime statistics within the city of Dunwoody show a marked reduction in major categories, including narcotics arrests, reported rapes and burglaries, DUI arrests, and shoplifting.
The statistics show a nine-percent reduction in overall property crimes and a five percent decrease in violent crimes from 2023 to 2024. Armed robberies were up eight percent, with 26 incidents reported in 2024 and 24 in 2023.
The number of total arrests made by the department was down 16 percent, with 1,666 in 2024, compared to 1,983 the prior year.
Dunwoody Police Chief Mike Carlson, in a statement to Rough Draft Atlanta, attributed the encouraging numbers to the work of its officers, crime prevention programs, and community partnerships.
“The Dunwoody Police Department is pleased to report a reduction in crime over the past year. This is a testament to the dedication of our officers, the strength of our community partnerships, and the effectiveness of our crime prevention strategies,” Carlson said.
“While these results are encouraging, we remain committed to sustaining this progress,” he continued. “We encourage residents to stay engaged, report concerns, and work with us to ensure long-term safety and security.”
Burglaries and larcenies were among the crimes that saw significant decreases from 2023 to 2024, with burglaries down 20 percent and larceny reduced by 10 percent. However, reported motor vehicle thefts rose 11.3 percent, from 97 in 2023 to 108 in 2024.
DUI collars went from down from 95 in 2023 to 71 in 2024, a 25-percent plunge. In addition, shoplifting arrests in the city decreased almost seven percent, from 379 in 2023 to 353 the following year.
While Carlson said he couldn’t address the specific reason for the reduction in shoplifting arrests, the decrease seems to align with the closure of the Ashford Dunwoody Road Walmart Superstore last July.
The police analysis showed shoplifting arrests in the city from January to July, before the store closed, averaged 35 per month, and during the period from August through December, averaged about 21 per month.
Rough Draft reported last June that police were called to the Walmart location an average of twice a day from January 2023 to May 2024 for mostly low-level criminal activities like shoplifting, disorderly conduct, solicitation, panhandling, and civil disputes.
Police had speculated that the criminal element at Walmart would move to another nearby large discount retail outlet, the Target located less than a mile away, but that hasn’t proven to be the case.
A Rough Draft analysis of call logs revealed that shoplifting reports to police at Target from January to July in 2024 averaged about 10 a month, and 12 per month from August to December.
