Atlanta Police? (living, law, versus)

[Flint1908]

Hey everyone. Does anyone on here work for Atlanta PD or know someone who does? I'm considering joining, but I have relatives who retired from APD that say it would be a mistake to go with this department. Apparently morale is low and the city has a tendency to side with the offenders (to save face) even if the officer is in the right. I've heard this from multiple people and it's starting to discourage me. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Caltovegas]

When looking around consider the benefit package. Think long term

[cqholt]

Just got the money to hire 200 more officers to bring the total to 2000. That'll put Atlanta with Baltimore and Miami levels.

[ericsonga]

I've always heard the pay and benefits for cops are much better in Gwinnett and Cobb. I would look into those as well!

[residinghere2007]

Originally Posted by ericsonga

I've always heard the pay and benefits for cops are much better in Gwinnett and Cobb. I would look into those as well!

I have heard this as well but I'm pretty sure that there was an increase in pay for APD even for new officers within the past couple years to make them on par with other metro police forces. I would also look into benefit packages.

A couple friends of my husband's are cops, one for Fulton PD and one for Atlanta but neither of them talk about low morale, they just have funny stories of crazy people they come across.

[cqholt]

The officers at Zone 6 seem to really care about making a difference, helping people, and had high moral. They area very nice and appreciative when we delivery food on Thanksgiving to the precinct.

[axemanjoe]

Officers are leaving APD in droves, it has one of the most unstable administrations, like most cities everytime there is a new mayor everything changes, but Atlanta is Atlanta. Gwinnett or Cobb are the best choices for law enforement in the metro area. Can't help but think of the of the John Shelton Reed quote;

“Every time I look at Atlanta I see what a quarter of a million Confederate soldiers died trying to prevent.”

[Mal93]

Originally Posted by cqholt

The officers at Zone 6 seem to really care about making a difference, helping people, and had high moral. They area very nice and appreciative when we delivery food on Thanksgiving to the precinct.

Same for my zone 4 officers. When I lived in midtown the police there seemed stressed, too "authoritative", and much less tolerant. Once when we were broken into they didn't even bother to come out, and said they would just file a report. I complained and the cop that did come by literally said "every homeless bum has a screwdriver, so get used used to this." I rarely saw cops on patrol outside of piedmont park, unless they were looking for traffic citations/drunk clubgoers to pull over.

Our Zone 4 officers seem very in tune with the community, and give you a "I'm here to help" vibe versus "what are you up to" type evil-eye. Granted, I don't live in the hotspots of Zone 4 that always make the news, so that could definitely have an effect on the police's demeanor. Any time we have needed an officer they were there immediately, and as I've mentioned recently I constantly see the police on patrol/visiting local businesses/keeping an eye on things. They manage to be around without being overbearing. Maybe it has more to do with local precincts and their leadership. All I know is I have enormous respect for anyone willing to do that job-- I know the pay can't be enough for the risk and the amount of self-sacrifice you have to put into that calling. I have only had very close friend who was a policeman in Fulton & Cobb Co years ago. He moved out to the country and became a cop there after nearly getting shot/run over on the side of the road after a simple traffic stop. He made more money, worked less hours, and didn't have to deal with the drugs/gangs/violence that started to make his family's life a living hell.

[John Williams]

Originally Posted by axemanjoe

Can't help but think of the of the John Shelton Reed quote;

“Every time I look at Atlanta I see what a quarter of a million Confederate soldiers died trying to prevent.”

That quote can be taken to mean a lot of things, many of them not fit for commenting here.

[AcidSnake]

So far all I can gleam from this thread that there some folks here who really hate demographics of the majority of people who reside in Atlanta and govern Atlanta, and that they have a love affair for the Neo-Confederacy.

How typically southern.