ATLANTA — There may be some good news in Atlanta’s crime story as the end of the year is near. While Atlanta will set records in major crimes in 2021 – crime data appears to show a slowdown in some of the most violent crimes over the last 10 weeks.
In 2020, the number of homicides in Atlanta soared by more than 50% – and this year has already surpassed last year’s record. Yet at the same time, Atlanta has recorded a slowdown in some violent crimes since September if you compare it with the same timeframe from last year. However, a look at 10 weeks of crime statistics does not necessarily indicate that there is a new trend.
Over the ten weeks ending in early December, Atlanta police data shows the following:
- a 36% drop in the number of murders compared to the same time last year
- shootings dropped about 28% during the same period;
- Aggravated assaults likewise dropped about 12%
The photo below show the timeline and the statistics.
"I think we always have to give the police credit for the work that they’re doing," said Dorothey Hurst, who is on the city’s board of violence reduction which was created during the surge in crime that started shortly after the pandemic started.
Hurst said police have focused more on the city’s violent crime hotspots over the last year and hopes its delivering some stability for crime-weary residents of Atlanta.
"Let’s hope that we’re moving toward things that are a little more solidified. We can only hope toward that," she said.
On a cautionary note, there was a drop in some violent crime categories briefly earlier this year, and then it went right back up.