More than 250 Atlanta, campus officers become Fulton deputies

More than 250 officers from the Atlanta Police Department, and the Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse and Spelman college police forces are now also Fulton County sheriff’s deputies.

The move gives the officers a broader jurisdiction to fight crime, according to Fulton Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat. Labat deputized more than 200 Atlanta officers and at least 50 campus police officers in a ceremony Monday at Clark Atlanta.

“Crime is on the rise in metro Atlanta and it is without question impacting our quality of life,” Labat said in a social media post. “It has become especially alarming as crimes are being broadcast more and more with the internet and social media. However, there is a group of individuals who have become brazen and think they can get away with anything. We want to focus on violent criminals who have nothing to lose — who are truly a threat to society.”

Officers have been deputized in past years, but with Labat taking office Jan. 1, it was time to again broaden the officers’ power, Atlanta police Assistant Chief Todd Coyt told the city council’s public safety committee Monday.

APD officers have jurisdiction within the city of Atlanta, but sometimes need to go outside city limits, such as to execute search warrants, Coyt said.