Atlanta Police Department
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Atlanta Police Department |
|
Resurgens (Latin: "Rising Again") | |
Established | 1873 |
Jurisdiction | City of Atlanta |
Sworn | 1600 (Authorized to have 1784) |
Stations | 8: Headquarters, Zones 1-6, Airport. Several "Mini-Precincts" within zones. |
Chief | Richard J. Pennington |
The Atlanta Police Department is the law enforcement agency of the city of Atlanta, Georgia.
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 current 1,639-officer force is led by Richard Pennington as Chief of Police. Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin has stated a goal of 2000 officers by the end of 2007.
Contents |
[edit] Demographics
Breakdown of the makeup of the rank and file of APD [1]:
- Male: 83%
- Female: 17%
- African-American/Black: 57%
- White: 41%
- Hispanic: 1%
- Asian: 1%
[edit] Zones
Patrol Zone | Area served |
---|---|
Zone 1 | Western Atlanta |
Zone 2 | Northern Atlanta |
Zone 3 | South-West Atlanta |
Zone 4 | Southern Atlanta |
Zone 5 | Downtown |
Zone 6 | Eastern Atlanta |
[edit] Controversies
A federal investigation was conducted into the Atlanta Police Department's practices after the 2006 killing of 88-year-old Kathryn Johnston, who shot at officers who 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.[2] Furthermore, the federal probe into the police department revealed that Atlanta police routinely lied to obtain search warrants, including often falsifying affidavits.[citation needed]