The chances of becoming a victim of violent crime in the state of Georgia are one (1) in two hundred sixty (260), which is just below the national median. With a higher population comes an increase in crime, although most of the state wades the national crime average per capita. In addition to gang violence and trafficking, Atlanta’s recent growth has created more urban and metropolitan areas throughout the state as commuters become attracted to the area, increasing the population within a broader radius of the city. As Atlanta’s international travel presence has increased via airport expansion, Atlanta has become a hub for traffickers of every kind. Many believe the reason to be an increase in gang activity, while others attribute this to a rise in prostitution and human trafficking. However, while crime rates have dropped drastically in the past two decades, homicide rates in Atlanta have increased since 2001. Between the years 20, crime rates in Atlanta dropped by roughly forty percent, and this is due to the many efforts by state and local agencies focused in this city. With a majority of felonies and violent crimes located in poorer, urban areas of Atlanta, more Atlanta police departments have been established in the last one hundred years to combat the rise in crime in these regions. The city with the biggest police department, and with the most criminal activity, is by far Atlanta, hosting over fifty-four percent of Georgia’s overall crime. Their specialty is the enforcement of city-specific laws along with state and federal laws, and many of these police departments are responsible for maintaining city-specific jails in addition to their other responsibilities. They are limited by their cities, and are responsible solely for the law enforcement of the municipality in which they operate. The nuances of their individual duties can differ from county to county.Ĭity police, on the other hand, have a more specific jurisdiction than county and state departments. Every county has both departments, but some sheriffs relinquish authority over law enforcement to the county police, while this isn’t a requirement. They are the final authority on all county law enforcement matters, but the level of responsibility varies from county to county.Ĭounty police agencies are unique from sheriff departments in that they’re responsible for more specific law enforcement duties that relate directly to citizens and their safety, rather than maintaining jails and county offices. Most marshal offices consist of administrative positions as well as some policing and security personnel. They also handle ordinance enforcement, court security, and the security of various county government buildings. County marshals primarily govern civil processes and the peace keeping process of the county.

Local government begins with county marshal agencies, of which there are twelve in the state of Georgia. This agency is responsible for the safety of MARTA passengers against any crimes and danger that become present on the state maintained transit’s property. The Georgia Department of Public Safety is the agency responsible for all law enforcement and public safety on a statewide level, while the Georgia Department of Revenue manages all matters involving taxation and alcohol and tobacco products in the state.īecause Atlanta is by far Georgia’s biggest city, its Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is representative of a huge portion of the state’s services, and thus has its own transit authority police, an agency called MARTA Police. For instance, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) assists other state and local law enforcement agencies in the investigation of criminal activity, including forensic investigation and criminal information resources. To begin with, state agencies have jurisdiction on a state level, and each agency has a specific responsibility relating to the safety and security of the citizens of Georgia regarding law enforcement. These agencies range in jurisdiction from city to state level, including city police, county police, county sheriff departments, county marshal agencies, transit authority police, and state agencies. The state of Georgia is equipped with over six hundred (600) law enforcement agencies

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