Atlanta Police Department

Atlanta Police Department

Patch of the Atlanta Police Department
Motto Resurgens
Rising Again
Agency overview
Formed 1873
Annual budget $161,657,163 (FY 2011)
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction* City of Atlanta in the state of Georgia, United States
Legal jurisdiction City of Atlanta
General nature
Operational structure
Officers 2000 [1]
Agency executive George N. Turner, Atlanta Chief of Police[2]
Facilities
Zones
Website
Atlanta Police Department
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

The Atlanta Police Department is the law enforcement agency of the city of Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

The city shifted from its rural-based Marshal and Deputy Marshal model at the end of the 19th century. In 1873, the department was formed with 26 officers. Thomas Jones was elected the first Atlanta Chief of Police by the city council.

The 1,900+ officer force is led by Chief of Police George N. Turner.[2] In 2012, at the urging of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, funds were appropriated to the Atlanta Police Department to expand the force to 2,000 officers.[3] On October 25, 2013, it was announced that the Atlanta Police Department had 2,000 sworn officers.[1]

Ranks and insignia

Title Insignia
Chief of Police
Assistant Chief
Deputy Chief
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
Sergeant
Investigator, Senior Patrol Officer (SPO)
Police Officer

Corrections

The Atlanta Police Department works with the City of Atlanta Corrections Department, which operates three jails:

Jail Type of inmate
City Detention Center Pretrial arrestees, sentenced ordinance and traffic offenders and custody of federal prisoners awaiting trial pursuant to a contract with the U.S. Marshals Service
Grady Detention Center Custodial services patients at the general hospital (Grady Memorial Hospital)
Court Detention Center Prisoner movements for judicial proceedings in the Municipal Court

Demographics

Breakdown of the makeup of the rank and file of APD:[4]

Controversies

A federal investigation was conducted into the Atlanta Police Department's practices after the 2006 killing of 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston, who shot at officers as they entered her home unannounced on a no-knock warrant. Prosecutors alleged that the officers falsified information and documents after the killing to justify the serving of the warrant. On April 26, 2007, two officers pleaded guilty to manslaughter, violation of oath, criminal solicitation, and making false statements. One additionally pleaded guilty to perjury.[5]

On July 8, 2011, it was reported in the Atlanta Journal Constitution that six police officers were fired for lying about events concerning a raid on the Atlanta Eagle Bar (which catered to gay persons). In June 2011, a 343-page report was released that details how 16 officers lied or destroyed evidence when asked about the raid on the Eagle Bar. At least two of the officers in question had been cited for lying on another occasion in a federal drug case in October 2009 (the federal prosecutors informed the Atlanta Police Department that they would never be used again in a federal prosecution).[6]

On April 8, 2011, APD officers shot a 64-year-old U.S. Marine veteran who had fired several shots at the ground in front of a man who was stealing from him, which was a frequent occurrence.[7] He lost his kidney, and while he was eventually released from prison in early November after prosecutors finally dropped charges—after threatening him with 105 years in prison[7]—his home and that of his deceased father had been looted and burnt by criminals who stole almost all his personal and business possessions.[7][8] APD officers claimed Sturdivant pointed his rifle at the officers, who never identified themselves, a point disputed by Sturdivant's public defender given that the one bullet of the 14 officers fired that actually hit him, traveled through the side of the rifle's stock.[7]

Equipment used by the Atlanta Police Department

An APD Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor parked by the station at Underground Atlanta

Vehicles: Ford Police Interceptor equipped with state-of-the-art Whelen LED Lighting packages and digital control consoles along with Panasonic Toughbook Mobile Data Terminals. The Atlanta Police Department is currently reviewing the new Dodge Charger, Chevy Caprice, and Ford Taurus Police Interceptor packages for suitable replacement to the discontinued Ford Crown Victoria. Due to heavy wear and tear only all wheel drive or rear wheel drive vehicles are considered. In fall 2013, the Atlanta Police Department began phasing 70 new Ford Taurus Police interceptors into its fleet to replace the old Crown Victoria interceptors. The entire fleet totals around 300 vehicles and the remaining Crown Victoria interceptors will be phased out as they lose usefulness. The remaining 230 Crown Victoria interceptors will be replaced by Taurus interceptors over time.[9]

Communications: Motorola Digital 800 MHz Trunking system that is one of the largest in the country and utilizes 24 channels. This system provides voice and data communications for the Atlanta Police, Fire, Watershed, Corrections and other Municipal Departments. The Atlanta Police Radio System also provides voice and data communications for the Georgia State Patrol inside of the Atlanta Metropolitan area and the City of Hapeville, The City of East Point, and the City of College Park.

Weapons: Smith & Wesson M&P .40 S&W.[10] In July 2013 Glock secured a contract with the Atlanta Police Department for an order of 2300 full size Glock 22 Generation 4s to replace the Smith & Wesson M&P .40. This breaks a 70+ year relationship between Smith & Wesson and the APD. The Glock 22 is being phased into service within the department over time. The Glock 22 is chambered in the .40 caliber Smith & Wesson round like the M&P that it replaces. APD SWAT adopted the full size Glock 21 Gen 4 due to mission-specific requirements that favor the .45 ACP round over the .40 S&W round.[11]

Police patrol zones of Atlanta

Map showing the Atlanta Police Zones in February 2013

In the City of Atlanta, there are six "patrol zones" (more commonly known as just "zones") which lie under the jurisdiction of the Field Operations Division of the Atlanta Police Department.[12]

Zones and constituent neighborhoods

Zone 1 covers the city's northwest side, west of Downtown Atlanta and north of I-20. Zone 2 covers all of the city's northern area. The Zone 3 area is located on the south/southeast and parts of southwest side of the city. The Zone 4 area is located on the southwest side of Atlanta. Zone 5 encompasses the central portion of APD's jurisdiction. Zone 6 includes all but the northernmost part of Atlanta's Eastside.

Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6
Ashview Heights Buckhead Capitol View Adamsville Downtown Atlanta Cabbagetown
Atlanta University Center West Midtown Capitol View Manor Ben Hill Five Points Candler Park
Bankhead Lenox Park Joyland Cascade Heights Georgia State University East Atlanta
English Avenue and Vine City Lindridge-Martin Manor Lakewood Heights Greenbriar Centennial Olympic Park East Lake
Bowens Homes Piedmont Heights Mechanicsville Hartsfield-Jackson Int'l Airport Georgia Dome Edgewood
Carey Park Peoplestown Oakland City Philips Arena Glenwood Park
Collier Heights Pittsburgh Venetian Hills Georgia Aquarium Kirkwood (Atlanta)
Grove Park Summer Hill West End Georgia Tech Old Fourth Ward
Hunter Hills Villages at Carver Piedmont Park Ormewood Park
Knight Park-Howell Station Moreland Avenue Atlantic Station Poncey-Highland
Mozley Park Home Park Reynoldstown
Washington Park Castleberry Hill Sweet Auburn
West Highlands Centennial Place Virginia Highlands
West Lake

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Fox 5 Atlanta. "APD: All 2,000 officer positions filled". Archived from the original on 2013-10-27. Retrieved 2013-11-17.
  2. 1 2 WSBTV.com (2010-07-09). "Mayor Nominates Turner For Atlanta Police Chief Job - News Story - WSB Atlanta". Archived from the original on 11 July 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
  3. ↑ Torpy, Bill. "Atlanta Police pushing toward 2,000 cops". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  4. ↑ Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 2000: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers
  5. ↑ "Police officer, ex-officer plead guilty in woman's killing". Associated Press. 2007-04-26. Archived from the original on May 19, 2007.
  6. ↑ "6 Atlanta officers fired over Atlanta Eagle raid". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 2011-07-08.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Rhonda Cook (10 November 2011). "Man facing 105 years in prison for shooting at would-be thief". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  8. ↑ Rhonda Cook (11 November 2011). "Charges dropped against veteran". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  9. ↑ http://wabe.org/post/apd-rolls-out-new-patrol-cars
  10. ↑ Smith & Wesson advertisement in Sept. 2010 issue of Tactical Weapons magazine.
  11. ↑ http://us.glock.com/news/release/glock-secures-atlanta-police-department-as-newest-law-enforcement-customer/
  12. ↑ Atlanta Police Department Field Operations Division

External links

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