[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6225125,"mediaKeyId","3540768-79e2e2c10532870821006dc39ecdabbd","parentId",3540768,"title","APD reports mixed crime trends; PAD outlines diversion work and seeks more 911/311 integration","audioSeconds",465,"startMs",1745000,"endMs",2210000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3540768-79e2e2c10532870821006dc39ecdabbd&start=1745&end=2210","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3540768-79e2e2c10532870821006dc39ecdabbd/thumbnail_1745000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6225125/Atlanta/Fulton-County/Georgia/APD-reports-mixed-crime-trends-PAD-outlines-diversion-work-and-seeks-more-911311-integration","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6225125-456dab060ce6f670d6f08e3d18b87c56/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154834&Signature=DFrzO7rsB5uz0blwlkydyLy7zupc0ELdF6gRG8bXoYtgtrJWtMQEi0dydUK4RnEjs2vClCQbRK9y64ZB3BkDVbktog1vSUaTDodiGPky9zYEbaDv7Zrl9UTfExWjy1stoYm9XuuqN7N8xbgLVnyPmKvXSUrnkJrrQsvJO2~s9R3WpYIOEhUeBmzzVa8M-n4hBXwc~OAgO9ckggvuyNcKAskjFVLEGPOd140Lq9EhcgfcOOQupxfkw8A010~u6fbzagz~Go-Ff9v81SbAttkk43MBQfUXQ2luyZ5NqxhRpoLMJRf7iPXBZYLegJI89Ac4Ru1UxED-UxXn6D2opBFVGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-27T20:41:02Z","article","Atlanta Police Department and the city's Policing Alternative Diversion Division (PAD) briefed the City Council Public Safety Committee on May 27 on crime trends, the city's diversion work and opportunities to redirect low-priority emergency calls away from sworn officers.

Deputy Chief Collier of APD said weekly crime was down 12% but that some specific categories rose: shoplifting was up about 8% and aggravated-assault counts increased in recent 28-day comparisons. \"We continue to reduce crime with 12% down,\" Collier said; he added the department had made 27 arrests in a cited period and that shootings were down 26% year over year, even as knife-related aggravated assaults rose.

PAD's executive director, Mokimasias, told the committee that PAD had responded to more than 500 calls for service from January through April 2025 and enrolled 42 people in long-term case management. The agency's expanded multiyear contract that began in January 2025 allowed PAD to increase hours and staff; PAD now offers community-response teams on weekdays from 7 a.m. to midnight and reported an average response time of about 15 minutes.

Why it matters: PAD officials argued many low-priority calls consume extensive officer time and could be handled better by nonlaw-enforcement responders. Mokimasias said an analysis of trespass and panhandling calls showed nearly all were dispatch-priority-3 — defined during the meeting as \"no crime in progress, no weapons, no physical fight, and no threat to life or danger of property being lost\" — and that roughly 63 such calls a day fell during PAD's operating hours. \"That represents over 30,000 hours of officer time,\" Mokimasias said, framing the potential resource savings from direct 911-to-PAD dispatch.

Council questions and concerns: Councilmember Mary Norwood described a recent attempt to use ATL 311 and PAD for a visible outreach to a resident in distress and reported a poor experience with the interactive-voice-response system. \"The IVR is miserable,\" Norwood said, adding she could not complete a 311 submission and that PAD/311 did not send help when a person was in the middle of the street. Mokimasias said PAD is dispatched through ATL 311 (not operated by PAD) and offered to review the recorded call and continue debriefs with 311 staff.

Councilmember Isha Collins asked what PAD does differently to reduce violent incidents during the summer months; Deputy Chief Collier said APD units were creating summer plans and shifting resources to locations with escalating disputes, and he highlighted PAD's role reconnecting people to services and shelters. Councilmember Antonio Lewis asked for PAD's PAD-pass diversion numbers and for APD allocations of cars and officers by zone; APD agreed to provide car-and-officer allocation figures for December 31, 2024 and for May 27, 2025.

Diversion center and collaboration: PAD and APD described close coordination with the city's 24-hour diversion center, which opened in January 2025. PAD staff said they can transport people to the diversion center and that APD can bring people there for sobering or diversion; PAD reported having embedded care navigation staff at the diversion center so clients can be enrolled in services on-site.

Examples and outcomes: PAD highlighted a long-term client, Downtown Brown, who was enrolled in services, completed a recovery program and moved into housing with a Georgia State Housing voucher. Mokimasias used that case to underscore PAD's care-navigation work: \"Over 90 percent of the people we serve are experiencing homelessness when we meet them,\" she said, and noted coordinated-entry assessments (264) and hotel placements among the team's work.

Operational questions and safety limits: Several council members, including Michael Julian Bond, cautioned that PAD staff should not be sent into situations where they could be endangered and said some low-level trespass calls may involve individuals with serious criminal histories. Mokimasias and Collier emphasized triage: PAD should handle priority-3 calls and nonviolent outreach, while APD remains the lead when traffic, weapons or imminent danger are present.

Requests and next steps: Committee members asked for more data and regular reporting: APD will provide allocation of officers and cars by zone for specified dates; PAD will continue weekly debriefs with 311 and pursue direct-dispatch opportunities for priority-3 calls; council members asked PAD to expand public awareness of the 311/PAD pathway and to develop data dashboards with Neighborhood Nexus to show PAD responses alongside 911 and APD data.

Ending: The presentations ended with staff commitments to follow up on 311 call handling, to share allocation data and to continue cross-agency work to divert appropriate calls to PAD while protecting PAD staff safety when risk is elevated.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","#Atlanta City Council Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee meeting May 27, 2025 #atlpol","oneSentenceSummary","APD told the Public Safety Committee the city's weekly crime numbers were down while shoplifting and some assaults rose; the Policing Alternative Diversion Division (PAD) reported 500+ responses in early 2025, described opportunities to offload priority-3 calls from sworn officers, and faced questions about ATL 311's IVR and dispatching.","taxTitle","Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia","taxId",2959,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6225130,"Residents, property owners urge action on crime at 3600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive",138,127000,265000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3540768-79e2e2c10532870821006dc39ecdabbd&start=127&end=265","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3540768-79e2e2c10532870821006dc39ecdabbd/thumbnail_127000.jpg","/articles/6225130/Atlanta/Fulton-County/Georgia/Residents-property-owners-urge-action-on-crime-at-3600-block-of-Martin-Luther-King-Jr-Drive","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6225130-e4bcb33fb86aa062e3a19f9fb4dd9e32/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154834&Signature=OFVpoadZRKgArOCWRznZc2wliJ5puwWEiy3JnCGXB4CgsS77V-XpPZhW1TSTUL2ZItl1qDsvAjtm-EWRohv07fRqy9xx5ITP1DK9pYxoNx0O2OulGSCDyXfa96Uyp8U5eLAWttTB-sBl~Pq7Rvh3dgAewjVpM8AqFyxpBmpso~K7G2KxRYI~dVNo~RCRahP7KmgcP85aDd~xM0in8wWKu4T8gHEuoF4pb-Q~UfS3iQQzdcXYNo2b5iBhUprnRSsn15HonHjUNTmVYGeDORzx1FEihmLM522RyvrZuYSsg5T7HUe4STyn4zw6prxlyrmCh9Mzs56ItHTPCf7S4CeVew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents and property owners from the 3600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive told the Atlanta City Council Public Safety Committee on May 27 that ongoing drug activity, loitering and violent incidents tied to two businesses — the Citgo at 3657 MLK Jr. Drive and the MLK Mini Mart at 3665 MLK Jr. Drive — are harming housing investment and threatening tenant safety.

The appeals came during the committee's public-comment period from Sonia, a property owner, and others who said apartment occupancy at a recently renovated 28-unit complex fell from about 86% to roughly 60% over the previous three months amid repeated break-ins and disorder at the nearby businesses. \"We have over $200,000 worth of damage because of the users around there getting into our property,\" Sonia said.

Committee members treated the comments as a public-safety and code-enforcement issue. The chair asked Atlanta Police Department staff to meet the property owner and consider a community meeting for the 3600 block. Deputy Chief Collier (APD) told the committee that arrests alone would not solve the problem and that a multi-agency response is needed: \"It's gonna take more than us just arresting, those individuals out there. It's gonna take a group project,\" Collier said, and promised to convene a meeting with the district attorney's office and local nonprofits.

Why it matters: council members and speakers framed the issue as both an immediate safety threat for families and a barrier to local housing investment. Several speakers said children and single mothers live in the buildings and that criminal activity around the stores has made daily life unsafe. \"My son was offered drugs,\" said resident Aaliyah Berry, who said it can take her 25 to 30 minutes to pump gas because of people congregating at the store.

Details and follow-up: property representatives and residents said fences and gates have been repeatedly cut or broken, and that tenants and owners have faced threats and assaults when trying to stop trespassing. Bensanta Gouda, who said she worked with the property owners, estimated repeated damage and said security companies had declined a full-time detail because of the area's crime. When asked about private security, Gouda said a quote of about \"$65.75 an hour\" was unaffordable; she said the owners were pursuing a temporary security presence while they sought to raise occupancy.

Council members asked APD to look into regulatory and permit options for the stores. Councilmember Michael Julian Bond noted the city's alcohol-license code requires licensees to control their premises and said the licensing unit could inspect the stores quickly. Deputy Chief Collier responded, \"We can as early as tomorrow. I I'll ensure that that occurs tomorrow,\" describing a plan to involve the licensing/permitting unit.

Council direction vs. formal action: the committee's response so far consists of staff commitments and requests for enforcement and community engagement rather than an ordinance or vote. Committee members directed APD and city licensing staff to inspect the properties, to consider enhanced patrols and visible enforcement, and to convene a meeting with the DA's office and nonprofit partners. No formal policy or regulatory change was passed at the meeting.

Community impact and next steps: speakers described lost rental income and ongoing damage that owners said threatens the viability of keeping affordable units. Committee members asked for status updates on enforcement and licensing inspections; APD and licensing staff committed to follow up publicly with the committee. The chair asked police leadership to meet the owners on-site and to report back to the committee on any permit or enforcement actions.

Ending: The committee did not adopt new regulations at the meeting but directed APD and city licensing staff to inspect the stores and to coordinate a community meeting, steps residents said they hoped would reduce the loitering, drug activity and property damage near the 3600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.","Property owners and residents told the Atlanta City Council Public Safety Committee that crime and open drug activity around the Citgo at 3657 and MLK Mini Mart at 3665 have driven occupancy down, caused repeated property damage and left tenants fearful; city officials said APD and licensing staff will follow up and consider a community meeting.","actionData","errors"]

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APD reports mixed crime trends; PAD outlines diversion work and seeks more 911/311 integration

Residents, property owners urge action on crime at 3600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive