Good news for citizens in Atlanta police chief's report
ATLANTA - There is good news for citizens in the Atlanta chief's report.
Erika Shields, on the one-year-anniversary of a pay raise for her officers, told city council members their action has made a big difference.
She has seen fewer officers leave the department for better pay elsewhere and hiring has improved markedly. In fact, vacancies that were running at around 400, has been cut nearly in half.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms made boosting officer pay significantly a priority.
What the staffing progress allows the chief to do is avoid cutting so many corners.
She had to trim or cut out altogether certain divisions [services] to shore up other units where adequate staffing was critical.