A weekend of violent crime throughout the City of Atlanta prompted the police department’s spokesman to release a statement on the recent rash of violent crime and what the city plans to do about it.
Sergeant John Chafee said violence would not be tolerated and that police will find those responsible for violent crime and “ensure justice is served.”
Below is Chafee’s statement in its entirety.
Over the past weekend, our communities experienced a rash of violent crimes. Seven incidents left a total of twelve people injured and one man dead. At the moment, there appears to be no connection between these crimes and they all appear to be isolated incidents.
These crimes began in a variety of ways, with everything from domestic disputes, to arguments with acquaintances, and drug deals gone bad. But the impact on our city is the same. These senseless acts undermine the feeling of safety our officers work so hard to provide our communities.
The Atlanta Police Department will continue working to reduce violent crime, but some of these incidents require individuals to make better choices. Picking up a gun to solve disagreements is not just a police issue.
These incidents involve people making poor choices when resolving conflict and it’s practically impossible to police that in real time. We need individuals to make better choices. The number of people who lack conflict management skills, and who opt to take a life, risk going to prison and abandoning their family and their freedom, too often over trivial things, is shocking.
The Atlanta Police Department has always been committed to reducing crime and keeping our streets safe, but police cannot be arbitrators for every argument. We need people to understand how important it is to settle arguments by walking away or seeking outside help. No argument is worth destroying lives. Be responsible and let it go, and understand if you choose to resort to violence in our city, it will not be tolerated and we find you and ensure justice is served.
Our job is to keep the community safe using every available resource. We have some of the best investigators in the business, who are very good at solving crimes and they work 24/7 to find suspects. Our commitment to safety is unwavering, but we need everyone’s help to solve this growing issue. Together we can change the crime statistics and make the city safe.
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