Atlanta police persevere while local politicians procrastinate

Atlanta police have a difficult task in a city that sends mixed messages when it comes to public safety. As a result, they and the residents they serve pay a heavy price.

Earlier this year, at 6 p.m. on a warm Easter evening in Atlanta’s Vine City neighborhood, as families relaxed and children played in Rodney Cook Sr. Park, gunfire rang out. erupted and sent dozens of families rushing for their lives. A three-year-old girl was shot but fortunately survived.

Of the 27 homicides in Atlanta this year, 10 took place in Vine City.

Last week, Atlanta police responded to a 911 call about an armed man in the Capitol View neighborhood, 10 minutes south of Vine City. When they arrived, they found Claudy Jules brandishing a handgun which he refused to drop. As an officer attempted to subdue Jules, a struggle ensued, three officers were shot and Jules was killed.

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Jules was a convicted felon charged with gun possession, child cruelty, and assault and battery.

Why wasn’t Jules in prison instead of on the street? How many “second chances” was he given and by whom? Why was he allowed to roam the streets of Atlanta, terrorizing residents and shooting police officers?

Police across the country regularly confront street Jules to protect us.

As of April 30, the Fraternal Order of Police reported that 136 police officers had been shot in the line of duty this year across the country, including 20 who were killed. High crime rates in inner cities, hostility from left-wing activists in some communities, and severe budget cuts have had a negative impact on morale and retention, leaving many departments short-staffed and struggling to provide public safety. Police departments in many cities across the country are feeling the effects.

From 2022 to 2023, overall crime rates in Atlanta remained largely unchanged. Homicide and aggravated assault decreased by 8% and 9%, respectively, while rape increased by 8%, as did burglaries (15%), shoplifting (22%) and theft. (14%). But when you zoom out even a little, the image is devastating. Compare crime rates in Atlanta from 2018 to 2023, for example, homicides increased by 153% (88 vs. 135) and aggravated assaults increased by 148% (2,693 vs. 1,817).

In other words, the trend line is not good. And as the summer months approach, crime rates will almost certainly increase.

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Aware that the rising crime rate constitutes their political Achilles heel, the liberals now boast of a recent (and slight) drop in the crime rate in blue cities. What they fail to recognize, however, is that these slight declines are overshadowed by the massive rise in crime rates that began in 2018 and remain unacceptably high.

According to the Council on Criminal Justice’s most recent crime trends report, crime rates increased significantly between 2019 and 2023 across most serious crime categories. For example, homicides increased by 18%, aggravated assaults by 8%, assaults with firearms by 32%, carjackings by 93%, and motor vehicle thefts by 105%.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, it was common to thank the military, law enforcement and first responders. But the sense of gratitude toward those who run into danger and are willing to risk paying the ultimate price has since dissipated in some segments of society.

It’s regrettable. An orderly society depends on respect for the rule of law, and public safety cannot be taken for granted. It starts with electing prosecutors who enforce the law and seek the maximum sentence for repeat violent offenders like Jules and fully defunding police departments.

The citizens of Atlanta, and especially the city’s leaders, should take a moment to consider how they can support law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day in the line of duty.