Atlanta’s drop in homicides outpaces U.S., city makes fighting crime priority

Homicide rates in the country’s largest cities are continuing to drop to levels last seen before the pandemic, according to a study released Thursday by the Council on Criminal Justice.

While the national drop in homicides is around 17% this year compared to mid-year 2024, Atlanta has had 32% fewer killings, data from the city’s police department shows. That’s because the city has made fighting crime a team effort, Atlanta leaders say.

“We are excited about what we’ve been seeing in our downward crime trends for the past three years,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday. “This year we’ve seen a really, really greater improvement than the other years that I’ve been mayor. This has been a focus of ours.”

Credit: Ben Hendren

Credit: Ben Hendren

As of Sunday, the Atlanta police department had investigated 49 homicides compared to 72 on the same date last year. And the city has seen one of the nation’s largest drops in vehicle thefts, according to the recent study.

“We started tackling guns, gangs and drugs,” APD Chief Darin Schierbaum told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

He said his department is also focused on getting guns out of the hands of convicted felons and other criminals. And his eye is on the city’s top crime category, which, he said, is escalating personal disputes that get out of hand and become violent.

“There is still of work to be done around why people are mad,” the chief said.

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com

He said the city and community groups should work together to build de-escalation skills in society to help stem those conflicts.

“Let’s put the guns down.”

While the Atlanta mayor and police chief say a tough approach to fighting crime is paying off, experts warn that the decline in violence may still not return to pre-pandemic levels just yet.

“Almost every city increased in homicides from 2018-2019, 2020-2021,” Ernesto Lopez, CCJ senior research specialist, told the AJC. “But when we’re starting to look at these declines, there’s a lot more variation.”

And violent incidents, while lower in number, tend to lead to death more often, Lopez said.

“Though encouraging, the nation’s return to lower levels of nearly all major offenses should not slow efforts to reduce crime,” the study states.

In Atlanta, the numbers are trending in a positive direction: The drop in homicides this year seems to be increasing in pace. Through April, APD reported 30 homicides, down from 39 cases during the same period in 2024 for a 23% drop.

ExploreA drive-by shooting made him Atlanta’s youngest homicide this year.

The city has also seen a 39% drop in vehicle thefts this year over last year, and overall crime continues to drop, according to APD.

Officer raises have helped morale and more take-home police vehicles have increased the department’s presence, Dickens said. And youth program have also been pivotal in lowering violence, he said.

This summer, 6,000 teens are working jobs making an average $17.50 an hour, allowing them to both “earn and learn,” Dickens said. At-Promise Centers and programs such as summer camps are providing free or low-cost activities to keep kids busy, the mayor said.

Violence has still made the headlines. Just as the summer heat was setting in, the city’s youngest homicide victim of the year was killed in a drive-by shooting, according to investigators.

Ja’Nylen Amir Greggs, 12 was killed on June 12 while playing basketball outside his southwest Atlanta apartment in the 3200 block of Cushman Circle.