Sandy Springs Police report crime trends, seek equipment and one additional sergeant

Sandy Springs Police Chief DeSimone presented year-to-year operational data and a set of enhancement requests for the police department as part of the FY26 budget discussions. The chief highlighted overall declines in property and traffic incidents from 2023 to 2024, while arrests and citations increased.

“Sandy Springs, believe it's pretty busy. We arrested 3,746 people last year,” Chief DeSimone said, citing arrests and noting a decline in property crimes and traffic incidents compared with 2023. He told council the department’s narcotics work produced larger fentanyl seizures in 2025 and that automated license-plate readers and new school cameras are contributing to increased tagging and enforcement activity.

The department’s FY26 enhancement requests include remote eWarrant capability so officers can complete warrants from in-vehicle devices; firearms, ammunition and replacement ballistic gear on a scheduled lifecycle; a vehicle-apprehension device to mitigate pursuits; speed-measurement equipment; additional e-bikes; a 3-D scanner for crime/scene mapping; and one uniform patrol sergeant to increase night shift supervision from two to three sergeants.

Chief DeSimone said the department is funded to add one position to even out supervision and that staffing would raise the department total to 198 (personnel totals will be confirmed in the line-item budget). Council members asked for data on citations tied to license-plate readers and the new school camera program, and the chief said staff will provide ticket counts and other follow-ups in advance of the next workshop.