Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum and Mayor Andre Dickens announced the news on Friday, saying that homicides, shootings and car thefts were all lower.
“There has been a 10 percent reduction of overall crime since this time last year,” Schierbaum said during a June 18 press conference at the newly opened Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
Schierbaum said homicides in the city were down 33 percent, car thefts down 40 percent, and a 25 percent reduction in shootings since last year.
The chief said officers have taken more than 1,400 guns off the streets so far, which he said is a major factor in reducing the crime rate.
“Taking guns out of the hands of felons, out of gang members, hands drug dealers, hands, making sure those guns will never, ever be fired in a part of our city, in any of our 245 neighborhoods,” Schierbaum said.
The city’s 911 system has also improved with most calls being answered within six seconds, the chief said.
Schierbaum said residents and visitors should expect to see more mounted patrols, drones, and specialized units working this summer and as APD prepares for the hundreds of thousands exepcted for next summer’s FIFA World Cup.