Atlanta Police Department reports overall crime down 11% but specific increases in robberies and sexual assaults

Deputy Chief Spann of the Atlanta Police Department told the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee that overall reported crime is down about 11% year-to-date but several categories increased in the same period.

Spann told the committee homicides were down 36% and motor-vehicle thefts down 40%. He said reported rapes were up 35%, robberies were up 33%, aggravated assaults were up 11% and thefts from motor vehicles were down 16%. Burglaries were down 6% and shoplifting was up 13%.

The deputy chief said zones 1 through 6 and the airport were down overall, and that APD is coordinating with the Mayor's Office of Violence Reduction for National Gun Violence Prevention Month, which began June 1.

Councilmember Isha Collins and others asked for zone-level staffing and fleet counts to compare officer and vehicle distribution between Dec. 31, 2024 and May 26, 2025. Spann said the department's records team was compiling those numbers from daily activity sheets and a recent timekeeping migration made auditing more difficult, but he committed to provide the requested zone-by-zone officer and vehicle counts.

Spann described active recruitment and training: 199 recruits in the pipeline, 144 in training, 48 in class, and lateral transfers. He said APD aims to expand the fleet and eventually provide a take-home car to every officer.

Collins pressed for communications and community guidance on reducing larceny from autos during high-season months; Spann said APD deploys zone-level details, proactive units such as ACE and APEX, and partner outreach to hotels, Downtown Improvement District and Midtown Blue, and that public affairs pushes prevention messaging.