FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 7, 2021
MARTA ENTERS NEW YEAR WITH
SAFER SYSTEM, ENHANCED SECURITY PROGRAMS THANKS TO EFFORTS OF MARTA POLICE
DEPARTMENT
Advanced Training, Social
Service Partnerships, & Collaborative Police Work Among MPD’s
Accomplishments in 2021
ATLANTA – The
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Police Department (MPD)
ensured MARTA remained a safe, secure system for another year, accomplishing a
significant reduction in violent crimes in 2021, providing additional training
and certification for officers, and partnering with social service
organizations to improve the customer experience.
In 2021, MPD
reported a 17 percent reduction in Part 1 crimes (violent and property crimes)
compared to 2020, specifically a 32 percent reduction in robberies and 20
percent reduction in aggravated assaults. Additionally, the department boasted
an almost 100 percent clearance rate for aggravated assault cases and an 87
percent clearance rate for robberies, meaning a criminal was arrested, charged,
or turned over to the court system for prosecution.
In the past
year, MARTA police officers responded to over 100,000 calls for service from
customers using 851 or MARTA’s See&Say app. New technology such as handheld
fare readers and RapidID monitors, along with new weapons, and upgrades to the
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) robot helped officers better handle crimes
from fare evasion to a suspicious package. Officers underwent advanced training
in crisis intervention, de-escalation techniques, and implicit bias, further
assisting them in navigating situations where emotions and stress levels are
high.
MPD’s
partnerships with fellow law enforcement agencies in the past year provided
additional officer visibility and security to the MARTA system and surrounding
communities. Last July, MPD’s Central Precinct partnered with the Atlanta
Police Department and Georgia State University law enforcement on a joint crime
suppression detail where an officer from each agency patrolled the Georgia
State rail station and nearby neighborhoods. A similar detail consisting of
MARTA and Atlanta bicycle officers patrolled the Lindbergh/Morosgo area and
reported a seven percent reduction in crime.
“These joint
details are important community-style policing efforts that ensure people feel
safe and that their property is secure whether they are riding MARTA or working
and living near a rail station,” said MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher. “I truly
believe there is no more noble profession that law enforcement and I am proud
of the work our officers are doing during a challenging time as the pandemic
enters its third year.”
MARTA
Police Department Field Protective Specialists remain an integral part of the
Authority’s MARTA Hope Program. These trained, unarmed specialists accompany
social service professionals from HOPE Atlanta as they assist and support
homeless individuals on the MARTA system. The program, started in August 2020
as COVID-related homelessness increased, is designed to find solutions that
safeguard customers and employees, minimize the need to involve MARTA police in
non-criminal activities, and treat everyone with dignity and respect. Since its
inception, the program has engaged over 3,000 individuals and in many cases
connected them with resources and support services.
MPD’s
accomplishments in 2021, that included certifying 19 new Tactical Field
Officers and improving regional law enforcement partnerships with updated
memorandums of understanding, earned the department an important
recertification of state and federal accreditation standards.
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