EAST POINT, Ga. — East Point City leaders and residents are refuting a new study which suggests the Atlanta suburb has had more robberies than any other city in Georgia.
According to MyLocalSecurity.com, East Point had about 62 robberies per 10,000 people in 2017. The company says the conclusion comes after reviewing the FBI's annual crime report.
That is based on the most recent data, as the FBI has not yet released a report of annual crime data for 2018.
Many residents feel the report simply can’t be true.
“I’ve lived here my whole life. I went to Tri-Cities High School. I’ve always felt safe here,” said Wuandria Hudson.
In response, Mayor of East Point, Deana Holiday Ingraham sent a statement.
"Safety is and will always be a top priority in East Point…From 2017 to 2018 there was a 24% decrease in robberies…. [There's been] an 80% decrease in break ins and thefts in the month of February 2019. As East Pointers, we rise above labels others attempt to assign to us from self-serving motives and answer to the greatness within our City and know that there’s no point like East Point.”
It has been a whirlwind few months for East Point getting recognition in national studies. In February, a national study called East Point, College Park and Union City among the worst cities to live in America. They based the study on educational opportunities, poverty rates and crime.
But in March, a real estate study tabbed the city as the best neighborhood for first-time homebuyers. The author of that study cited the proximity to MARTA and downtown revitalization projects, as well as affordable home prices, among the benefits of East Point.
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