APD: 7-day crime trend down 7% but robberies, burglaries and aggravated assaults show upticks

Deputy Chief Francine Spann of the Atlanta Police Department told the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee on Oct. 27 that the city’s seven-day crime trend was down 7% overall but that robberies and burglaries showed slight increases.

"For our 7 day trend overall, we're down 7%," Spann said as she opened the department’s briefing on crime statistics.

Spann told the committee the robbery increase partly reflects “escalated shoplifting,” in which physical contact during a theft changes the offense classification to robbery. She said burglaries included both residential and commercial targets and that investigators are working with neighboring jurisdictions because some suspects appear to be moving across boundary lines.

Spann also described several incidents the department highlighted from the recent period. She said an individual who threatened to “shoot up the airport” was placed in custody and that "our federal partners have adopted that case, and they will be taking that individual federally." The department credited citizens in the English Avenue neighborhood for assisting after an officer’s vehicle struck a home while responding to a help call; the officer was reported to be recovering.

On Metropolitan Parkway, Spann said a traffic stop became a violent encounter in which an officer sustained facial injuries. The suspect was apprehended, was on federal probation for fentanyl trafficking and was found with 89 grams of marijuana and a .40-caliber handgun. Spann said the Atlanta Police Department again was coordinating with federal partners on that investigation.

Committee members asked how the department plans to address expected seasonal increases in theft-related crimes. Spann said APD will implement its holiday plan, deploy targeted details in historically high-crime areas and reassign officers from some administrative duties to patrol and enforcement details.

Council members also recognized residents who assisted the injured officer and requested follow-up so the council could present formal appreciation. Multiple members pressed the department for updates on tool and equipment gaps for officers assigned to special event enforcement.

What happened next: Council members were told staff would follow up with the department on specific resource questions and provide requested information about deployments and equipment.