In the wake of high-profile crimes including the carjacking of a city councilman and the fatal shooting of a former boxing champ, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and police chief Richard Pennington announced Thursday they will add 139 more officers on the street to combat what has been seen as a surge in crime.
“Many people want to argue about crime,” Franklin said. “Is it up? Is it down? Is it happening in one area than in another?” She lists fighting crime among her accomplishments, including reducing violent crimes during her eight-year administration. The Police Department has redesigned beats for the first time in 30 years, including adding walking beats.
“One victim is one victim too many,” said Franklin. “Our strategy is straightforward. We will put more officers on the streets.”
While the high-profile cases have startled many Atlantans, police statistics show violent crime in the city has declined about 10 percent the first six months in 2009 …
