Atlanta residents noticing nationwide drop in crime in their neighborhoods
The Federal Bureau of Investigation says crime is falling across the country and that trend is showing up in parts of Atlanta.
New FBI data shows homicides dropped 18% nationwide last year.
In Atlanta's District 12, homicides are also down. Data from the Atlanta Police Department for Zone 3, which includes District 12, shows homicides have dropped 13%. Robberies are down 57% year-to-date, and burglaries are down 20%.
People who spend every day in the district told CBS News Atlanta they have noticed the change.
Brandon Thomas works at Cleveland Avenue Barbershop. He has worked there for about seven years and said he started noticing a shift two or three years ago.
Thomas said the biggest difference is what he sees outside the shop.
"We've been here six, seven years. First couple of years, it definitely wasn't what you wanted to run into. It was a daily thing. But now you can walk around daily, you can do your thing, you can take your children outside," said Thomas.
The FBI credits close coordination with APD and the Fugitive Task Force for helping drive crime down, but Thomas believes people living and working in his community deserve some of that credit too.
"I really feel like the community got out and put a foot forward. They spoke to certain issues. I can't remember the last time I heard somebody say they got their car broken into," said Thomas.
According to the FBI's crime data, Georgia saw significant drops in murders and manslaughters (-18.3%), rapes (-7.8%), robberies (-14.2%), burglaries (-17.7%), and other crimes.
