Last year was our first
initiative with Operation Heat
Wave and it was very successful.
Early on last year we were prepd
actually to have extremely high
numbers in our violent crime.
After the conclusion of Operation Heat Wave,
we had a 29% decrease in homici,
a 26% decrease in person shot
and a 14% decrease in robberies.
And so I'm going to bring up
Captain Wolford to kind of talk
about what Operation Heat Wave ,
what we plan on doing this year.
But again, it is a model that ws
extremely successful and had a
tremendous impact on our violent crime.
And again, we just continue to do it.
Then I'll come back to the podio
talk about some other incidents.
The help from the community that we need.
So Captain Wolfo,
thanks Chief and good morning everyone.
We are excited to kick off Operation Heat
Wave this year as Chief indicated we are.
We're about 24% down right now n
our violent crime in comparison
to last year, year to date.
So we're excited with those nums
and some of the operational,
engineering and organizational components
that are built within this heat wave model.
We've continued to sustain throughout
the entire year to we think have
led to some of these successes.
So what we saw last year.
Was a 16 week operational forman
which we we set out our officer,
some of our best crime fightersn
the City of Atlanta in tandem with our
FBI, GB, IATF, the Attorney General's
office or state federal partner.
We deployed out within weapon offense
areas and we had a specific objective
upon arriving at those location.
Those locations were chosen basd
upon historical historical data.
Primarily concerning our weapon offenses and
we essentially wanted to give our officers
the best opportunity to encounter guns
once we deployed out into those radiuses.
And So what we saw from that was
successes in which Chief indicad
the 29% reduction in the homici,
the 26% reductions in our
robberies and our for,
I mean in our aggravated
assaults and our 14%.
Reduction in our robberies.
So we are here today to announce that
we're kicking that off again tonight.
We do have a 6:00 PM briefing ad
we'll we'll conduct that briefin
tandem with our federal and stae
partners and then we'll deploy
out into those specific radiuse.
But prior to doing that we would just,
we wanted to talk briefly todayt
to our parents and to our child,
to our youth.
We essentially we need,
we need for parents to to to
kind of to wake up here and pay
attention to what their children
are doing throughout the summer.
We have an administration in
our mayor's office that is
allocated a ton of opportunitie,
probably more opportunities than ever
before for the youth in our cit.
So they are places to go.
They are jobs in which have
been offered to our youth.
They are places to to spend.
Positive time and interaction
with mentors and and all kind of
resources essentially that have
been allocated to our youth.
So we need for parents to
pay close attention to that.
We also need parents to play cle
attention to what's going on,
do administrative checks of these bedrooms.
A lot of our firearms related incidents,
we know that there have been
guns located at home.
We've conducted subsequent searh
warrants on particular targets
that were involved in homicides,
ag assaults,
and we've gone back to these
residents and we found,
we found handguns,
we found extended magazines at these homes,
we found assault rifles at these locations.
So we really just need our pares
engaged and locked in as to what
is going on at home because this
is the only warning that we're
going to administer here.
If you do not take advantage of these
opportunities that are available to you,
we are deploying an operation
that we know is successful in Or
objective at this time across ts
next 16 weeks is to quell violee
in our city and to make sure tht
we hold those accountable that
are driving our violent crime.
So thank you. That's all I got.
So we we talked about the succe.
I'm going to show a video.
Of a homicide that we had this r
on May 22nd where an 18 year old
was shot and killed in our city.
And the video would depict
several individuals with weapon.
And so this is the type of incis
that we are still plagued with,
although we are successful.
But get out, it's about a 15 second clip.
I'll show it so you can record t
and then we can come back and t.
You all will get this clip as well as
on YouTube so you can find it a.
So again it was
a a very short clip.
But this is what some of the incidents that
we are are faced with. But I am happy to
report that a lot of those individuals
currently are sitting behind
jail at Fulton County.
Some are still outstanding
and there are few people that
were still trying to identify.
But we were able to charge and apprehend
7 individuals with felony murde,
the gang statute.
And again, we have a couple of others
who just have possession of the
weapons and we charge them as w.
And so again,
as we kick off Operation Heat Wave today,
we just let send you the message
that we won't tolerate the levef
violence that is plagued in our city.
We're going to hold everyone responsible
with these violent acts and because again,
this is not Atlanta,
Atlanta is a place that people
can go out to the parks.
The nightclubs anywhere and be .
And so we're going to do our pa,
but we're also asking the
community to do their part.
They have continued to support
us and when they see something,
they say something.
And we're also asking that same
level of commitment from our
community to do the same thing.
Call us when you see something Captain
Wolf will mention about the ther
that you from the mayor's offic.
Again, there are programs available for kids.
Are there programs available for adults?
But we're asking our civic parts
also to astain your services,
come join alongside of us as wee
out here to provide the resourcs
to the community because again,
it's not arresting our way out of it.
We have to provide alternatives
and we're here to do that as we.
And so again,
you may have a couple of questis
that we'll take,
but that's all we have right no.
So there's been a national
trend not only here in Atlanta,
but throughout the country,
most cities have seen a
reduction of homicides.
What has contributed to that
here in Atlanta and what have
you guys done to try to reduce
that number from last year?
Again, it's I have our homicide commander,
dear love, behind me.
It's the hard work of the men ad
women to quickly solve these ca,
but also holding other people responsible.
And you know we we they work very hard,
very diligent to to bring closue
to the family and but again it's
just putting the information out
there asking for assistance from
the community but being able to
apprehend individuals quickly.
I think that also sent the message that
again Atlanta is not the place to do this.
We have talented men and women n
our investigation division and r
patrol division as well that wee
going to bring people responsibe
that is creating chaos in the c.
With this operation,
are you specifically going
after weapon prone areas or you
also looking at gang areas,
drug areas and in the people?
That you're finding these weapo,
are they young people?
Are they affiliated with gangs?
What can you tell
us about that?
That was a lot, but so the answer is yes.
So not only are we in weapon,
strong based offenses,
high weapon based offenses,
but we're also in the strong hold areas
of where we're seeing congregation of gangs.
And so yes, there is a a gang problem,
but we are impacted it.
We are around the convenience stores,
we are around multiple home dwellings.
And so we're going to be the in these areas,
we're going to be present and
again we're even while we're the
we're asking to have conversati.
Again, it's it's not all about arresting,
it's just being present and
trying to stop the violence.
But again, those are the areas we will be in.
Our gang unit, led by our gang commander,
Lieutenant Derek Jones,
We have already this year incred
our gang charges about 8083%.
And so again,
we are active in the streets and
we're doing our part and to tryo
keep the citizens of Atlanta sa,
if any, Sorry,
what role, if
any, are the local community and youth
organizations playing in this initiative.
Again, as we talked about the,
the mayor has been vocal.
He has had partnerships
with the Year of the Youth.
So community and civic organizations are
coming forward to extend their services.
But again, we're just asking.
For more of that, we're asking r
organizations to let us know wht
you're able to do As we encounter kids.
We want to provide them resourcs
where they do not feel like they
have to stay on the street.
But the Police Department,
we have our power organizations.
We have the at Promise Center,
so we have plenty of opportunits
within the Atlanta Police Department.
But again, we just were asking.
Everyone that has opportunity
to have programs.
There are kids here who want to
do something positive during the
summer months and then we just d
to know what those resources aro
we also can participate in thos.
You have
a strong message for the youth and parents.
What percentage of our gang population
does involve youth and what are you guys,
What is the initiative doing to to kind
of help and kind of navigate th?
Because I know that's different
in the judicial process.
I don't have the exact numbers d
that's something we can give yo,
but we are encountering
too many use with guns.
You know the the question may come up
with the the incident that we had the
the double homicide at 765 McDal
is young individuals arguing about a gun.
That escalated to this violence.
So as Captain Wolford mentioned,
we're asking the parents to go into those
rooms, take off the doors if you have to,
but know where your kids are,
know what they're doing,
check the social media accounts.
But it's unfortunate, though,
that the young people are gettig
their hands on these weapons.
Many of them are illegally stocd
with switches, so you're having
a rapid secession of gunfire.
And again, that's how innocent people
are also getting struck and kil.
But you know, we're just askinge
community to if you see somethi,
please let us know.
You can't remain anonymous.
But again,
we can't do it by ourselves.
You're finding with guns.
Are you also finding that
they're associated with gang?
Yeah, unfortunately, many are.
And so as we again,
I talked about the increase of the charges,
we're not going to tolerate it, though.
And so we are doing our job as far as to
make sure people have their day in court.
But we are going to charge individuals
for any type of furtherance of g
activity inside the city of Atl.
We're going to do our part to me
sure that gangs know that they're not
welcome within the city of Atla,
go somewhere else.
But we are going to do our partf
you're associated with the gang.
And you are up to doing illegal activities.
We're going to do what we need
to do to bring you to court.
So you have your day in court.
Again, it's it's not illegal to be in a game,
but when you do illegal activit,
especially the level of violence
that you see in the video,
we're going to do our part
and and bring you to justice.
Is there a common
game that you guys are looking ?
Or is it possible game, like
you saying games, How many games is it?
I mean, we've had a lot.
Let Captain Wolf or document,
I mean, give you the numbers
of documented games that we're
currently tracking. Yeah, So
the state of Georgia's is relea,
a report indicating there's abot
71,000 documented gang members
in the state of Georgia alone.
In the city of Atlanta,
we're tracking about 3500.
At any given time we could be looking at 100,
a 150 sets or subsets of gangs
because you have to remember wih
this social media climate, the ,
the, the persons that we look
at in reference to these gangs,
they migrate and fluctuate in and out
of different gangs and subsets of gangs.
So you know to answer your ques,
yes we are, we are looking at specific
specific gangs in the city of Atlanta
and we just tell you like frank,
I mean there there's one of
the gangs that we know.
Is driving criminal St.
gang activity in our city
is PFK is play for keeps.
Another gang that we know
is very prevalent is PDE.
So you know we are not afraid of these gangs.
We will meet these gangs where y
are in this in the strongholds
is driven by your question,
the weapon offense data.
When we look at those weapons,
the specific gun offenses within that radius,
we know that we have a high
probability based upon.
Arrest in those areas that those persons
are going to be associated with criminal St.
gang activity.
The persons that are doing these
gun offenses within these,
within these areas are associatd
with these gangs.
So yes,
there are specific gangs in whih
we're targeting and there are
specific gangs that will meet
us throughout the summer.
You talked about meeting these criminals
where there are these high offense areas.
You all talk about parents being involved,
but it's summer, a lot of these
parents are working and we know gangs
are using different tactics lik.
Basketball tournaments,
bounce houses, things like that.
To recruit kids in Atlanta is nt
coming into play and to the par,
like when you get home from work at 2-3
in the morning and whenever you work,
you need to do administrative
checks of these bedrooms, right.
I mean you can be away at work
and come home and know what is
what is in an associated of your
house in the living room areas s
where we're finding some of the,
some of these weapons in the
bedrooms that some of the kids e
finding some of these weapons, .
We're asking for simply parents
to be engaged.
As we have indicated,
the Mayor's office has providede
opportunity and resources to our
youth than probably anytime or y
administration in the previous years.
We need for parents to reach ou,
engage those opportunities.
The job programs,
the the the volunteers and mentors that
are associated already with they
that are trying to help some of our youth,
the App Promise Center.
Our police athletic league there
is an abundance of resources tht
are available to parents througt
our city now I wish simply askig
for you to help us this summer d
making sure of our our objectivs
we do not we're not targeting ks
or or or people that that to jut
put people in jail for no reaso.
We want to divert these kids to
quality opportunities and and.
Who want to get the move in it in the
right direction but should you t
take advantage of those opportunities
you will meet the Atlanta Police
Department this summer A lot of
talk about curfews recently.
How does that help you guys
out actually play to address
youth crime and youth violence?
Again, we we know that's the tol
that we can use but when you whn
you talk about curfews and you
talk about kids being out late,
those are parental responsibili.
And so we're asking parents
to know where your kids are.
We do not want to come in
contact with kids after hours.
We we do not.
I mean, we there are more violet
crimes that we want to prevent n
to follow up on kids after curf.
But again, if if we have to,
if we encounter kids again,
we're going to take them home ad
we're going to cite the parents
for parental responsibility.
And but again,
help us before we get to that p.
We would like to not to have the
type of encounters and we want r
encounters to again be good counters.
And I think you asked a question
about people soliciting and
going to basketball games again,
there's a new law that's going o
be effective July 1st and where
we know if adults are actively
recruiting kids into games,
there is a charge for that
and then we are waiting.
And I will let you know that
July 1st we will also be activey
pursuing those charges as well
because again this has to stop.
We have to protect our kids and
we need to make sure that that
the kids understand there are
other things to do that that
positive than getting involved
in game. Last question,
last week at last year's initia,
how does that compare to the youth resources?
You all have more youth resourcs
this summer than Y'all did last year.
Yes. And so again as we encounter kids,
hopefully we we won't.
But again if we see them we're e
going to offer them resources,
we're going to tell them other activities
that they can go to rather thane
encounter with Atlanta police officer.
So again we're trying to be a proactive,
but again we're going to have a lot of
resources in the city throughout this
operation heat wave all summer .
Again, that's our state, federa,
local, other jurisdictions partnering
up together because again it's
not just an Atlanta problem,
it is a problem that you again
that you see nationwide,
statewide and also in the regio.
And so we're combining all our resources
together to make sure that we send the
strong message that they that ts
level of bias that we depicted earlier,
again it's not going to be toled
here in the city of Atlanta.
So thank you.