Articles

Posted 12/13/2004

> Cobb Unit Combats Growing Gang Trend
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Dec. 5, 2004)

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, there are more than 750,000 gang members across the United States, and more than 15,000 of them are in Georgia. Ninety-five percent of hard-core gang members are high school dropouts, and most range in age from 12 to 24. Gang violence is not just an urban problem or just a rural problem, nor is it just a problem for any one economic class.

Posted 6/15/2004

> Fulton Jail is in 'Scary' Condition, Monitor Declares
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 10, 2004)

The Fulton County Jail is becoming increasingly dangerous and unhealthy because of crowding and poor security, and immediate intervention by county officials is required to prevent serious harm to staff and inmates, according to a new report on conditions.


Posted 6/3/2004

> FBI Plan To Make Online Wiretaps Easier Draws Fire
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 12, 2004)

An FBI proposal to make it easier for the government to wiretap high-speed Internet communications is drawing criticism from businesses and privacy experts who fear it could stifle technological innovation and allow too much monitoring of online conversations.


Posted 3/22/2004

> 300 Inmates May Move from Fulton Jail
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 9, 2004)

Clayton County offered Tuesday to house 300 of Fulton County's inmates to help Sheriff Jackie Barrett deal with problems at the crowded jail.


> Audit Finds Trouble in City Police Department
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 7, 2004)

Fulton County Sheriff Jackie Barrett will try to ease a "state of emergency" at the county jail by, among other things, temporarily shipping some inmates to other counties.


Posted 3/2/2004

> Audit Finds Trouble in City Police Department
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 20, 2004)

Atlanta's troubled Police Department for years has failed to confront a serious crime problem and has even downplayed it, a new audit concludes.


Posted 2/6/2004

> Pay, Pensions Have Police Up in Arms
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 5, 2004)

A police union is putting up billboards around Atlanta: "Welcome to Atlanta: Protected by some of the lowest-paid police officers in the country.


> Perdue Shifts Stalled Child Safety Bill
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 3, 2004)

Gov. Sonny Perdue, dissatisfied with the progress of child endangerment legislation in the state House, shifted the measure to the Senate on Monday.


> A 'Fun, Safe' Underground: City Plan Counts on Security
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 29, 2004)

Whether a new Underground Atlanta can be successful hinges heavily on whether Atlanta area residents and tourists will feel safe going downtown for entertainment.


Posted 1/6/2004

> Georgia Bank for Transit Projects Proposed
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 10, 2003)

Desperate for cash to relieve traffic congestion, Georgia transportation officials want to create a state bank to speed up construction of highway and mass transit projects.


Posted 8/6/2003

> Pennington Reorganizes Police
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 6, 2003)

Saying that many systems and practices of the Atlanta Police Department have "fallen into a state of extreme disrepair," Police Chief Richard Pennington announced Tuesday a significant restructuring of personnel and services in the department he took over a year ago.


Posted 8/5/2003

> Despite Raises, Atlanta Police Pay Still Lags
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 4, 2003)

With a starting annual salary of $32,783, new members of the Atlanta police family are a little poorer than their cousins across the country. In a survey of salaries as of Aug. 1 by PolicePay.net Inc., a financial consulting firm for police unions, Atlanta's starting salary was ranked 170th among the country's 200 largest cities.


> Crime Lab Battles Backlog of Cases as GBI's Staff Shortage Slows Analyses
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 30, 2003)

Staffing problems at the GBI Crime Lab have created a backlog of work that is threatening to short-circuit some criminal prosecutions.


Posted 6/17/2003

> Major Crimes Drop For 6th Year: Atlanta Betters South on FBI "Yardstick"
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 17, 2003)

Serious crime was down more than 5 percent in Atlanta last year, and Police Chief Richard Pennington says he is working on ways to keep that figure going south -- with a little help.


> Georgia Prisons Packed
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 16, 2003)

As tough sentences put more people behind bars, the state budget takes some serious punishment. Georgia's prison population and costs are exploding at a time when the state is facing its worst financial crunch in decades.


> Cherokee Puts Brakes on Driver Ed
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 16, 2003)

One of the last school-sponsored driver education programs in metro Atlanta appears about to end