Atlanta Police Department
| Atlanta Police Department | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Motto | Resurgens Rising Again |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1873 |
| Annual budget | $161,657,163 (FY 2011) |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Legal jurisdiction | City of Atlanta |
| Operational structure | |
| Officers | 1,668 |
| Agency executive | |
| Facilities | |
| Zones | 7
|
| Website | |
| Atlanta Police Department | |
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 1,600+ officer force is led by Chief of Police George N. Turner.[1] At the urging of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, the Atlanta Police Department sought to have 2000 officers by the end of 2007. The department did not reach that goal, and recent fiscal problems have curtailed any large-scale effort to expand APD's ranks.
Zones
See full article Zones of Atlanta.
| Patrol Zone | Area served |
|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Western Atlanta |
| Zone 2 | Northern Atlanta |
| Zone 3 | Southern Atlanta |
| Zone 4 | South-West Atlanta |
| Zone 5 | Downtown |
| Zone 6 | Eastern Atlanta |
| Airport Section | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport |
Ranks and Insignia
| Title | Insignia |
|---|---|
| Chief of Police |  |
| Assistant Chief |  |
| Deputy Chief |  |
| Major |  |
| Captain |  |
| Lieutenant |  |
| Sergeant |  |
| Investigator, (SPO) Senior Patrol Officer | |
| 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 [2]:
- Male: 83%
- Female: 17%
- African-American/Black: 57%
- Caucasian/White: 41%
- Hispanic: 1%
- Asian: 1%
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.[3] Furthermore, the federal probe into the police department revealed that Atlanta Police Vice Detectives routinely lied to obtain search warrants, including often falsifying affidavits.[citation needed]
On July 8, 2011, it was not reported in the Atlanta Journal Constitution that six police officers were fired for lying about events concerning a raid on the 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).[4]
On April 8, 2011, APD officers shot a 64 year old 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.[5] 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-[5] his home and that of his deceased father had been looted and burnt by criminals who stole almost all his personal and business possessions.[5][6] 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.[5]
Equipment used by the Atlanta Police Department
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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 and frequent pursuits, only all wheel drive or rear wheel drive vehicles are considered.
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[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b 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.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 2000: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers
- ^ "Police officer, ex-officer plead guilty in woman's killing". Associated Press. 2007-04-26. [dead link]
- ^ "6 Atlanta officers fired over Atlanta Eagle raid". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 2011-07-08.
- ^ a b c d Rhonda Cook (10 November 2011). "Man facing 105 years in prison for shooting at would-be thief". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- ^ Rhonda Cook (11 November 2011). "Charges dropped against veteran". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- ^ Smith & Wesson advertisement in Sept. 2010 issue of Tactical Weapons magazine.