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'Talk about those walks where you felt safe' | Mayor Dickens touts improving crime statistics in conference with police

"We ended this year with citywide major crimes against people down more than 15%," Dickens said at the top of his speech.

ATLANTA — Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum held a joint press conference on Thursday to discuss what they described as the city's downward crime trend.

Overall, the image both leaders painted was one of increased safety, with law enforcement and community leaders working together to tackle crime and keep local youth out of trouble.

"We ended this year with citywide major crimes against people down more than 15%," Dickens said at the top of his speech.

In addition, he noted that homicides were down by 20% since this time last year, and rapes are down 50%.

Dickens also touched on his Year of the Youth Initiative, which aimed to curb crime among kids and teens within the city by creating extracurricular activities and job opportunities.

In particular, the mayor mentioned 5,000 youth who were part of the Summer Youth Employment program.

Schierbaum elaborated on the city's latest crime statistics, noting:

  • Homicides are down 21% in the city
  • Shooting incidents are down 18% 
  • The number of people shot was down 23%

Even car break-ins, which have typically been the most common form of crime within the city, were down, according to Schierbaum -- though an exact number was not provided.

Apart from the partnerships between law enforcement and community leaders, Dickens and Schierbaum also touted the addition of over 37,000 cameras in Atlanta, which allow residents to further help police in solving crime.

Specifically, Dickens noted that Atlanta's Zone 1 precinct saw the greatest reduction in crime in the city -- 9%.

Both men also noted that Atlanta's clearance rate for solving homicides currently stood at 79%, more than the national average of 61%.

Schierbaum pointed toward an increase in hires for Atlanta Police, coupled with a reduction in resignations and retirements. He held up the trend as a major accomplishment with the police department looking to planning for future events like the College Football Playoffs and eventual World Cup games.

The mayor concluded the press conference with a somewhat humorous anecdote about someone he talked to saying they eat out all the time and all they hear about is crime. 

"'You left your house every day, you parked in a parking garage, you went into a restaurant, you sat down and ate, you took a stroll to the ice cream parlor and you didn't have any crime, but you talked about it on the way," Dickens remarked. "I think you now need to talk about all those walks where you felt safe."

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