Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens speaks with reporters after meetings at the White House, Dec. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens had a message for anyone who is thinking about committing a crime in his city.
“I want to stress to the would-be offenders out there that if you think you want to commit a crime in this city, you might want to think again. We have our eyes on you and you will be caught,” Dickens said at a press conference on Tuesday, March 15.
Atlanta’s homicide detectives have made arrests in 72 percent of cases, proof that the city is “cracking down on violent crime,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Atlanta’s arrest record far outpaces the national average, which Dickens claimed is 54 percent.
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The Atlanta Police Department’s (APD) helicopter unit has been instrumental in tracking down car thieves and making “significant arrests,” according to Dickens. Dickens encouraged business owners to connect their security cameras to the police department to help get a faster response, according to Reporter Newspapers.
A “Court Watch” program is also being created in Atlanta to monitor court proceedings and make it more difficult for repeat offenders to be bailed out.
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“It allows judges to see that community members and victims care and they understand that they want to see good sentencing as it relates to violent crime,” Dickens said. “Fighting crime takes all of us working together.”
Dickens was joined by APD Chief Rodney Bryant and Deputy Chief Charles Hampton Jr. Bryant, who noted that more than 20 people recently arrested were “repeat offenders” with 553 previous arrests between them, including 114 felony charges.
“That gives you an idea of what we are facing in just one week in the city of Atlanta,” Bryant said, adding that he believes 60 percent of Atlanta’s crime can be attributed to gang activity.
The press conference comes months after the Atlanta City Council voted to approve a $90 million investment in a police training facility.
The data shared paints the picture that Mayor Andre Dickens is keeping the promise he made during his campaign to combat and lower crime. It also addresses the concerns of residents in the city’s wealthy Buckhead community, some of whom were trying to secede and create their own city due to a rise in crime and concern for public safety.
IN THE ORIGINAL PHOTO: Mayor-elect Andre Dickens of Atlanta speaks with reporters after attending meetings at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. Standing with Dickens is Mayor-elect Aftab Pureval of Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
