Shootings up, traffic stops and drug arrests down

ATLANTA — Data from the Atlanta Police Department shows some violent crimes are on the rise, compared to 2019. And some believe it could be part of the continued fallout surrounding the killing of Rayshard Brooks, with the officers currently facing felony charges.

Jason Segura, the Atlanta Police Union president with the local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers (IBPO), said officers currently fear the next traffic stop or arrest they make could lead to them being charged with a crime.

"The idea of going out and coming into contact with anybody that is going to have the potential for resistance is just terrifying to officers right now because we have no playbook," he said. "It was removed."

After Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by Atlanta Police outside a local Atlanta Wendy's on June 12, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms quickly issued administrative orders and changed the department's policy.