No, Atlanta is not experiencing a 'giant murder wave,' like Trump says

ATLANTA — As former president Donald Trump prepares to turn himself in at the Fulton County jail, he's posting on his social media networking site Truth Social about crime in Atlanta.

Trump's comments come as he's accused of election interference in Fulton County as part of Georgia's RICO indictment against him and 18 other people.

On Tuesday, he wrote that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has 'allowed Murder and other Violent Crime to MASSIVELY ESCALATE,' and that Georgia 'does not deserve this GIANT MURDER WAVE!'

As Trump posts claims on social media - 11Alive verifies if Atlanta is seeing an uptick in murders.

THE QUESTION

Is there a 'giant murder wave' in Atlanta? 

THE SOURCE

Atlanta Police Department

THE ANSWER

No, there is not a giant murder wave in Atlanta. 

Homicides could actually decrease for the first time since 2017 — before D.A. Willis took office — if the current trends continue for the rest of the year.

RELATED: Atlanta Police chief says targeting gang members, drug dealers helped bring homicide rate down

WHAT WE FOUND

In 2020, the Atlanta Police Department recorded 157 total murders.

District Attorney Fani Willis took office the following year, at the start of 2021. 

Data shows APD investigated 161 murders that year — just four more than it did in 2020.

In 2022, the department investigated 170 murders, about 8% more than it did in 2020.

Since then, data from the agency suggests violent crime trends are improving.

APD has investigated 25% fewer homicides, 55% fewer rapes and 21% fewer aggravated assaults so far in 2023 than it did at this time last year, according to its crime log.

If those trends continue, APD would investigate 128 homicides this year —fewer than it did when D.A. Willis took office. Therefore, murder has not 'massively escalate[d]' under her leadership, nor is there a 'giant murder wave.'