Crime in Atlanta

Crime in Atlanta, Georgia

Crime in Atlanta has sometimes been higher than in many other places in the country. People have been worried about crime there since the middle of the last century.

Between 2001 and 2010, Atlanta got safer faster than most other places in the United States. For a long time, Atlanta was often listed as one of the cities with big crime problems. But by 2009, it had moved down to 31st place, and by 2015 it was ranked 19th by some reports. However, experts say that comparing crime rates between cities can be tricky. Many things, like how crowded an area is, how many people live there, and what kinds of jobs are available, all affect these numbers.

History

During the 1970s, Atlanta, like many large cities in the United States, lost some of its people and its city center started to look worn. Crime went up in the 1980s.

Efforts to make Atlanta safer grew in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with police teams working together. Progress kept going even during hard times. In April 2025, Atlanta opened a new training center for police officers and firefighters.

Policing

The city has a police force called the Atlanta Police Department. It used to have about 2,000 officers, but now there are fewer. The mayor wants to hire more officers. Some officers have been unhappy about their pay, and many left the force.

Atlanta is divided into six areas for police patrols.

The public transport system is run by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, and it has its own police force. Crime on the transport system is about the same as in the Washington, D.C., area. It is higher than around Boston but lower than around San Francisco. The number of serious crimes on the transport system has decreased since 2013.

Crime rates and trends

From 2009 to 2016, crime in Atlanta went down by 27 percent. There were fewer break-ins, robberies, and serious attacks during this time. From 2016 to 2021, crime kept falling overall. There was a small rise between 2020 and 2021 because of changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even with this small rise, the long-term trend shows less crime happening.

The number of murders in Atlanta was highest in 1990 and has gone down since then. After a low point in 2012, the number of murders started to go up again. In 2022, Atlanta saw more murders than in many years, but by 2023, this number had fallen again as police worked to make the city safer.

Gang crime

Street gangs have been part of Atlanta since the late 1970s. In 2015, police were tracking about 192 gangs. These gangs are involved in serious crimes such as drug dealing, carjacking, identity theft, and credit card fraud.

Some gangs in Atlanta are connected to well-known local hip-hop artists. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation Gang Task Force works with Atlanta police to fight gang crimes in the area.

Human trafficking

Main article: Human trafficking in Georgia (U.S. state) § Atlanta

Atlanta is a busy city with many people coming and going. Sadly, some bad people sometimes try to hurt children here. The city has big events and gatherings, which can make these bad activities easier to happen. The police and other helpers are working hard to keep everyone safe.

Notable incidents

Some serious events happened in Atlanta over the years. From 1979 to 1981, many young people sadly went missing.

In 1996, during the Summer Olympics, an explosion happened in a public area. This caused injuries to many people.

There have been other difficult moments, including shootings in workplaces and at spas, where people were hurt or lost their lives. These events remind us of the need for safety and care in our communities.