The City of Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital city of the State of Georgia, the seat of Fulton County government, and the central economic base of the twenty counties comprising the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area. The City limits embrace an area of 131.4 square miles with a resident population of approximately 425,000 people. With the Atlanta metropolitan area being the leading economic center in the Southeast, the City has a wide range of economic activity: manufacturing, transportation, finance, and conventions and tourism. Historically a railroad hub, Atlanta now operates one of the major airports in the nation. Atlanta is home to a prominent university community, professional sports teams, cultural organizations, and active community groups. The City hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics as well as other major sporting events and political conventions.

The Atlanta Police Department

With an authorized strength of over 1786 sworn officers, the Atlanta Police Department is the largest law enforcement agency in the State of Georgia. A full-service police agency, the Department has adopted a community oriented philosophy and relies heavily upon community input and collaborative problem-solving strategies. It is through heightened community involvement in public safety matters that the Atlanta Police Department will most effectively address its three major priorities of (1) youth-related crime, (2) domestic violence, and (3) the perception of crime in Atlanta.

The delivery of professional police services in Atlanta is coordinated through the three divisions and one bureau of the Atlanta Police Department. Routine services include uniform patrol operations, criminal investigations, technical and administrative support services, and the regulation of vehicles for hire. Emergency police response is available around the clock and is facilitated by strategically located police precincts throughout the City and at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Citizen Advisory Councils and Neighborhood Planning Units representing 139 separate neighborhoods promote citizen input for Departmental decisions while mini-precincts, foot patrols and bicycle patrols encourage personalized policing and frequent citizen-officer interaction.