No decision yet from Dickens on keeping police chief beyond 100 days
Amid a continued rise in fatal shootings, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has yet to make a decision on who should lead the city’s police department long-term.
Dickens said when he took office in January that he would evaluate the police department’s leadership after his first 100 days in office, and decide whether to stick with Atlanta Police Department Chief Rodney Bryant, or seek new leadership.
Speaking with reporters Tuesday, his 100th day in office, Dickens said he will take the next two days to review police department data and operations.
“I’ll take a look at the stats, everything from violent crime to our attrition rate, and making sure that we’re recruiting and retaining our officers, but also our community policing strategies, how they’re being implemented,” Dickens said.
“So next, give me a little while to do this, you know, statistical analysis, and then I’ll get back to you on what’s going to happen next.”
Dickens did not provide a specific timeline for when he might make an announcement.
“I’m gonna give it some time to really look into it,” Dickens said. “100 days (are) ending today, and that’s when we’ll start the evaluation.”
The mayor acknowledged that some critical crime metrics are not moving in the right direction. As of Monday, Atlanta police tallied 49 homicides in 2022, compared to 37 this time last year.
Overall property crimes, including robbery and car theft, are down, while aggravated assaults have remained even. Police leaders are in the process of planning for the summer months, which typically see an increase in violent crime.
“We’ve moved the needle in certain areas, but there’s definitely still too much violent crime in our community,” Dickens said. “And so that’s why we started the nightlife division as well as we have a Office of Violence Reduction.”
Having served 31 years on the force, Bryant came out of retirement in June 2020 to lead the department after former chief Erika Shields stepped down following the fatal police shooting of Rayshard Brooks. He served on an interim basis for nearly a year before former Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms named him permanent chief.
About the Authors
Wilborn P. Nobles III covers Atlanta City Hall for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He began covering DeKalb County Schools for The AJC in November 2020. He previously covered Baltimore County for The Baltimore Sun and education for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans. He interned at the Washington Post. He graduated from Louisiana State University.
J.D. is a local news reporter covering intown Atlanta and Atlanta City Hall for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
