One-on-one with Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum
He is seeking the support of Atlanta residents and seeking to rebuild a police force that is short of about 500 officers.
Atlanta – Darin Schierbaum officially dropped the “temporary” part of his title this week. On Monday, Mayor Andre Dickens named him the permanent chief of the Atlanta Police Department.
The new chief will not waste any time trying to retain officers, expand his force and use new technology to fight crime. He also said he was concerned for the safety of the police.
Atlanta police investigate car break-in at luxury condo
A man has reported a stolen firearm after a series of burglaries. The crime is one of the biggest issues Atlanta police have dealt with.
Atlanta Police Chief Schierbaum promises more integration of tech
One of the biggest crimes to hit Atlanta this year was a car break-in. Just this week, as many as 50 vehicles were hit near Somerville. The chief said it was something he wanted to change.
“We can influence car break-in trends if we have an area that doesn’t have enough cameras or integrated high-efficiency cameras. It really impacts how we fight crime in cities,” the chief said.
One way to hopefully do this is through Connect Atlanta, but not many are joining.
“We need to integrate more cameras in Connect Atlanta. Today, we were looking for an area where a car break-in had occurred, and I asked to see cameras integrated by the private sector, but there were no cameras there,” the chief said. “So we’re leaving today with a plan to go there to make sure we work with these businesses to integrate their cameras.”
The program allows police to use private cameras to help them assess crime scenes faster. The key to this project and many others is staying connected with the community, the principal said.
“You can see that the Atlanta Police Department has been working from January to today this year, this police department is fighting drug dealers, this police department is fighting gangs, and everyone deserves the protection of the law,” the chief said.
Atlanta police chief says there has been some success in increasing engagement
The city has already had some success in stemming the trend of boys selling water on street corners, the chief said. It leads to more than one kind of violence.
“When we engage in individual water sales, we determine if there are other avenues to point them out. The Mayor’s Summer Employment Initiative, any of our PAL centers, any of our commitment centers, do families need support from their children? Selling water?” Chief Say.
Chief Schierbaum said he plans to work with the mayor’s office on several new initiatives.
“The Mayor wants a safe city. The Mayor wants a city where our citizens and visitors feel safe and feel safe. He wants intelligence to fight crime, and he wants us to use every tool we have, using data and intelligence to Now is the right place to arrest the right people while building trust with the community,” he said.
Atlanta police chief says new body cameras are designed to keep officers safe
Atlanta police turn to technology to enhance body cameras
Authorities say augmented technology for police body cameras will protect both citizens and the officers who wear them. Key to the change is the ability for investigators to automatically review footage before critical situations or encounters.
One such tool is the body camera worn by officers. New enhanced cameras will record entire shifts and even allow for tracking.
“I can actually open a tab and see where every body camera is on every police officer in Atlanta, whether they’re actively answering the phone or not,” the chief said.
New body cameras can not only record encounters, but can also be accessed in critical situations to help save lives.
“I’m worried about the safety of our police because I’ve seen our police go out and take gang members from the street and take guns from felons, and I’ve been worried about their safety because we’ve asked about fighting crime and fighting it deftly , take dangerous people off the street, they do it,” the chief said.
Atlanta’s new police chief pledges to rebuild force
Since taking office, the Atlanta police force has shed about 500 officers, but he said it will take time.
New Atlanta PD Cruiser debuts
The newly designed APD vehicle was unveiled with a new logo designed by art students. The cars are part of a take-home program that leaders hope will impact the Atlanta community.
A new Atlanta police car design was unveiled at an event this week, but it’s not just an overhaul of the exterior. It comes with new police changes.
Going forward, each officer will have his own vehicle.
Officials often complained about starting work without a vehicle because they were late for the last shift.
“When we look at the number one reason police officers want to stay in the Atlanta PD, a take-home car tops the list,” Chief Shelbaum said at Tuesday’s unveiling. “So, today, we’re checking the checkbox for item 1.”
Officials immediately called it a morale booster.