August 2007

Downtown Crime Rate Continues Drop

While the City’s overall crime rate inches upward, Downtown Atlanta is headed in a different direction, and that’s great news, according to A.J. Robinson, President of Central Atlanta Progress, Inc. and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District.

“We’re the only community in the City, who is confident enough to report our crime data every six months,” said Robinson. The twice-yearly reports, released publicly, are the partnership efforts of CAP and the Atlanta Police Department (APD) to dispel rumors and perceptions about Downtown crime. “We believe, with the growth we see in Downtown, people should understand there are many reasons to feel good about our areas, and the lack of crime is big reason.”

“When people hear or see news reports about Atlanta crime, too often they mistakenly equate that to Downtown. So, in 2003 we set our course to go face-to-face with those misleading perceptions,” said Robinson.

The last two reports showed a three point drop for Downtown when compared to the City’s overall crime. “For a couple of years, Downtown accounted for only 9% of the City’s overall crime, and has a daily population (200,000) of almost half the size of the entire City. That was good news, but now the news is even better. Today, Downtown accounts for only 6% of the City’s overall crime,” said Robinson.

He went on to say that Downtown’s biggest crime category, larceny and larceny from autos, took a steep dive, too. “This past six months we witnessed a 61% drop in our most major crime category. Actually, if it weren’t for larcenies, there would hardly be any crime in Downtown, since it accounts for 70% of our overall crime.”

According to Robinson, Downtown’s crime has been moving downward for years. “This is a trend we want to see continue and our business community works closely with the eight enforcement jurisdictions represented in our area. Downtown is a small part of APD’s Zone Five which also encompasses Midtown, a portion of Southwest Atlanta and the 4th Ward area to the east.”

Robinson credits the continuing drop in crime to a combination of efforts. “Obviously, we have our Ambassador Force® linked with our law enforcement partners. We now have 14 specific surveillance cameras trained throughout Downtown that are monitored by APD. Supporting the quick response to the cameras, we’ve hired off-duty police, and we are in the process of moving toward even more cameras provided through private investment in the business community.”

“It’s simple numbers. Downtown has the largest number of certified police and private security than anywhere in the City, bar none. The crime data tells us that all this attention to public safety is working,” said Robinson.

“We just might be the safest community within this City, and we have the numbers to back it up.”