Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Police chief reports full staffing, steady crime rates and plans for new headquarters
Summary
Police Chief DeSimone told the council the department was fully staffed at 154 sworn officers, reported more than 100,000 calls for service in 2024, and outlined priorities including a new headquarters, a training range and increased victim‑services coordination.
Police Chief DeSimone briefed the council during the retreat on 2024 public safety data and the department’s priorities for 2025.
“More than half” of the department’s roughly 100,000 calls last year were officer‑initiated, DeSimone said, with about 40,000 calls coming from 9‑1‑1. He told council the department’s total sworn strength is 154 officers and that the agency recently had high recruiting and retention, including officers from other states and neighboring agencies.
DeSimone listed the construction of a new police headquarters and an on‑site firearms training range among top 2025 priorities, saying those facilities will support recruiting and retention and modern training. He also described efforts to improve coordination with the Fulton County district attorney and the U.S. attorney’s office to pursue federal prosecution when appropriate.
The chief outlined specific crime trends he presented to council: vehicle burglaries and residential burglaries showed mixed trends (some categories down, some up), robberies and murders were down year‑to‑year and the department recorded three murders in 2024. He said most aggravated assaults were domestic‑related and the department continues to invest in victim advocates.
Chief DeSimone described community programs the department runs or supports — Citizens Police Academy, women’s self‑defense and firearm‑safety classes, teen driving instruction and a volunteers‑in‑police‑service program — and said the department is expanding outreach and safety education.
Council members asked about technology and communications; DeSimone pointed to a new radio system that includes mapping and improved situational awareness, saying it helped locate a lost six‑year‑old in late 2024.
DeSimone also told the council the department is establishing a police foundation and said fundraising for that effort had reached a preliminary total of roughly $750,000 in donations in its early phase; he described the foundation as a tool to support capital and program needs beyond the general fund.
Council members sought further follow‑up on opioid and suicide response data; DeSimone said he would provide numbers to the council. The chief delivered his briefing as part of the retreat’s public safety segment alongside fire and emergency services updates.
