FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2022
MARTA APPOINTS POLICE CHIEF SCOTT KREHER TO NEWLY
EXPANDED ATLANTA PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION
Commission to Focus on Crime Deterrence, Safety in
Atlanta’s Six Police Zones
ATLANTA – The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit
Authority (MARTA) has appointed MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher to the recently
expanded Atlanta Public Safety Commission. The 21-person commission will
develop a comprehensive public safety plan to deter crime and lawlessness and
enhance safety throughout the City of Atlanta.
The commission will also be composed of five working
groups designed to focus on crime deterrence and the enforcement and
application of existing laws within specific geographic areas of Atlanta
aligned with the boundaries of the six Atlanta Police Zones. In addition to
Chief Kreher serving on the commission, MARTA will appoint a MARTA Police
Department (MPD) designee to the West Working Group that encompasses Zone 1.
“Over half of MARTA’s 38 rail stations are within the
City of Atlanta and the MARTA Police Department has a strong, established
working relationship with the Atlanta Police Department in ensuring those
stations and the neighborhoods around them remain safe,” said Chief Kreher. “I
look forward to continuing that work with the members of the Atlanta Public
Safety Commission to help restore a sense of safety and security to Atlanta
residents and visitors.”
Under Chief Kreher’s leadership, MPD reported a 17 percent reduction in Part 1 crimes
(violent and property crimes) compared to 2020, specifically a 32 percent
reduction in robberies and 20 percent reduction in aggravated assaults.
Additionally, MPD boasted an almost 100 percent clearance rate for aggravated
assault cases and an 87 percent clearance rate for robberies, meaning a
criminal was arrested, charged, or turned over to the court system for
prosecution.
MPD’s
partnerships with fellow law enforcement agencies have provided additional
officer visibility and security to the MARTA system and surrounding
communities. Most recently, MPD’s Central Precinct partnered with the Atlanta
Police Department and Georgia State University law enforcement on a joint crime
suppression detail where an officer from each agency patrolled the Georgia
State rail station and nearby neighborhoods. A similar detail consisting of
MARTA and Atlanta bicycle officers patrolled the Lindbergh/Morosgo area and
reported a seven percent reduction in crime last year.
The Atlanta
Public Safety Commission will meet at least quarterly for the next two years.
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