Atlanta Police Department joins 14th season of A&E's 'The First 48' starting January 22

By RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com, originally filed January 22, 2015

The Atlanta Police Department is taking part in the 14th season of A&E's 'The First 48," which returns tonight (January 22) at 9 p.m.

The long-running show, which debuted in 2004, focuses on the first 48 hours of a murder case and how homicide detectives try to track down perpetrators as quickly as possible. Each episode shows detectives using forensic evidence, witness interviews and other advanced detective skills to identify suspects.

A&E started filming last summer and continues to do so. A spokeswoman said A&E has not finalized how many episodes emanating from Atlanta will ultimately air. This is the first time "The First 48" has filmed with APD, though it has done episodes with Dekalb County police.

"The First 48" filmed with the Homicide Unit along with Fugitive and ID as detectives solved homicides around the city.

"We are proud to showcase the excellent work of our Homicide Unit," said Chief George Turner in a press release.  "Our homicide clearance rate is consistently above the national average and viewers will see firsthand how dedicated our investigators are to solving some of the most heinous crimes in our city."

Last year, TLC briefly ran a show featuring homicide detective Summer Benton called "Women of Homicide." It was taken off that network after a few episodes and resurrected a few months later on ID as "Inside Homicide."