Atlanta Police Department Launches New Community Policing Initiative in Four Neighborhoods

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Police Department on Monday launched a new community policing initiative in four neighborhoods — Vine City, Pittsburgh, Mechanicsville, and Summerhill.

The program, called "APD Connect," will embed officers in community centers, require them to spend at least 30 percent of their shifts on foot patrol, and create neighborhood advisory councils.

"We cannot arrest our way out of crime," Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said. "We have to build relationships, earn trust, and work with communities to address the root causes of violence."

The initiative comes as Atlanta continues to grapple with elevated violent crime rates. Homicides in the city are down 8 percent from the same period last year, but remain significantly above pre-pandemic levels.