Buckhead Coalition Public Safety Priorities Validated by New Crime Data

Crime is down and enforcement is up

A Message From
Buckhead Coalition Chair Eric Tanenblatt

The pandemic-era crime wave that shocked and frightened so many Buckhead families and small businesses wasn’t unique to our community. But our ability to decisively reverse that trend is unique.

Even as violent crime continues to climb in other metropolitan regions across the country, it’s fallen by nearly a quarter in Buckhead since last year—proving what’s possible when the public and private sectors single-mindedly collaborate.

Crime analysts pointed to economic despair, mental health declines from prolonged isolation, and social unrest as the primary engines of the COVID-19 crime wave that impacted virtually every state and city, both rural and urban, red and blue. We knew we needed more robust and visible enforcement to combat whatever was driving it.

By convening community groups and government stakeholders, the Buckhead Coalition and its partners helped make public safety priority number-one in Atlanta. With the focused support of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, the Atlanta Police Department (APD), the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods (BCN), and the Atlanta Police Foundation (APF), our efforts are bearing fruit.

Buckhead (Zone 2) won the crime reduction award for the past two years over the five other Zones in the City of Atlanta. So far this year, violent crime (defined as crime against persons) is down by 23% year-over-year. There has also been a 10% increase in arrests in the same period.

Some other key achievements in the last year we’ve helped make possible:

First, in mid-2022, we collaborated with the Buckhead Community Improvement District (BCID), the APD, and Cousins Properties to open a new police precinct in Buckhead Village. Governor Kemp, Mayor Dickens, and other dignitaries were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. In addition to providing more visible police officer presence in the area, the new precinct has given police the ability to respond to traffic-related accidents in Buckhead more quickly while also freeing up resources to enable the APD to react to other law enforcement matters and to focus on community policing efforts.

Second, working with the BCN and APF, we launched the Buckhead Safety Alliance to put additional patrols in major commercial corridors in parts of Buckhead outside the boundaries of the BCID, where BCID-funded patrols have operated for the past several years.

Third, due to the leadership of Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns and Governor Kemp, the General Assembly appropriated $1.2 million for a new Georgia State Patrol post in Buckhead, placing state public safety personnel and assets directly in the community. The facility will house up to 20 troopers from the motor unit and DUI task force. This is the only GSP post within the City of Atlanta.

“This new state patrol office will improve the ability of our state troopers to respond to incidents along and inside the northern perimeter,” Speaker Burns said. “It will also increase the visibility of our state law enforcement in this densely-populated area.” The Coalition’s executive committee was recently briefed on GSP’s plans. The location of this new post will be announced soon.

This tangible success shows the value of our Coalition’s approach. Although the data prove our efforts are working, we can’t rest on our laurels. We will continue to enhance the quality of life for all Buckhead residents, businesses, and visitors.