By Eric Stirgus
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council on Monday voted to put rookie police officers on foot and bicycle patrols in high-crime neighborhoods.
The council also passed a resolution urging the police department to create a permanent foot patrol unit.
Councilman Ceasar Mitchell suggested the foot patrol idea in October to slow a rise in crime in Atlanta. Police department figures show an increase last year from 2006 by about 20 percent in categories such as homicide, robbery, auto theft and burglary.
“We want to see a sustained foot patrol presence in our communities,” Mitchell said after Monday’s vote.
Mitchell proposed putting officers who graduate from the next police academy class in the police department’s two zones with the highest crime rates in serious categories like murder. The officers would work in those zones for eight weeks and then be moved into regular duties.
Last year, Zones 1 and 4 had the highest crime totals in most major categories, according to police department data. Zone 1 is located in west-central Atlanta. Zone 4 is southwest Atlanta.
Future police academy graduates would be dispatched to the city’s four other police zones.
Mitchell rejected criticism that the City Council should not be involved in setting policy for the police department.
“I strongly feel community policing is an important approach for our community,” he said.
Mitchell said the recruits in the current police academy class would participate in the program.
Copyright 2008 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution