Because the private sector has a real stake in the success of the our Police Department and the safety of our city, the Atlanta Police Foundation can serve a vital role - connecting private investment dollars with effective public safety solutions. The Foundation is engaged in an effort to leverage private resources to fund high priority law enforcement needs, addressing both the perception and reality of crime in our city.  Funds raised by the APF are focused on the following programs:

• Crime Stoppers Atlanta: Crime Stoppers, a national model that has an impressive conviction rate of 98%, provides citizens of Atlanta with an effective way of providing information about area crime through an anonymous tip line. APD and a number of other metro-area law enforcement agencies benefit from these tips when investigating crimes. Crime Stoppers Atlanta was launched on January 29, 2007 and is responsible for 26 arrests to date. The Atlanta Police Foundation provided the startup costs and established the reward fund for Crime Stoppers Atlanta.
• Recruiting: There is a direct correlation between the number of officers per capita and crime. When more officers are on patrol, criminal activity goes down, and thereby reduces crime in Atlanta. The City of Atlanta and the Atlanta Police Department have a goal of employing 2000 officers by 2009.  The Foundation supports these efforts through strategic planning, as well as assistance with advertising, referral bonuses and other strategic recruitment activities.
• Advanced Training Opportunities: There is a significant need for more training and advancement opportunities for APD officers. The Department's training budget is extremely limited, with most of its resources being directed toward basic training of officer candidates at the Police Academy and the 24 hours of in-service training all officers must attend each year. The Foundation makes advanced training opportunities available by bringing nationally recognized training courses to the Atlanta Police Academy as a cost-effective way to train more officers locally.  The focus of training provided includes leadership, supervision, advanced investigative techniques and innovative crime fighting initiatives.
• Scholarship/Tuition Reimbursement Fund: Promotions with the Atlanta Police Department are tied to educational attainment. As a result, officers are encouraged to pursue degrees from associate to masters. To help officers attain their educational goals more quickly and affordably, the APF provides officers with tuition assistance from the scholarship fund. In 2007, 51 APD officers benefited from the program – each moving a little closer to reaching their educational and career goals.
• In-City Housing for Police Officers: Faced with the escalating cost of real estate, most officers cannot afford to become City of Atlanta homeowners. The Atlanta Police Foundation dedicates staff resources to assisting officers who want to find affordable housing within the City limits. In addition to serving as an information and referral source, the Foundation reaches out to a number of developers interested in providing housing to officers, and will continue to research and pursue housing opportunities for Atlanta Police Officers.
• Restoration of the Mounted Patrol: Mounted patrol units provide the best method of crowd control for festivals, parks and weekend cruisers, by allowing police to negotiate easily through crowds, to be visible, and to prevent crime. In addition, the horses help to bring the police department closer to the community. APD's mounted patrol unit was disbanded in 2001 due to budget constraints, making Atlanta the only major city without a mounted patrol unit.  The Atlanta Police Foundation has restored the Mounted Patrol Unit by providing funds for the purchase of horses and for the construction of a training arena.  Today, the APD Mounted Patrol Unit has 14 horses, with ten officers and mounts patrolling the streets of Atlanta and participating in special details.  The unit has a goal of deploying a total of 16 officers and mounts by the end of 2008. 

• Operation Shield:  Lessons learned from September 11, 2001, Hurricane Katrina and the Brian Nichols shootings all point to the vital need for sharing security communications between law enforcement agencies and private security.  Operation Shield was created in April 2007 to bridge just that communication gap.  This program uses inexpensive technology to share public safety alerts from APD with security directors, facility managers and property managers, effectively leveraging the strength of private security with that of public law enforcement agencies. 

To make a contribution to the Atlanta Police Foundation to support these vital intiatives please:

• Donate online by clicking on the following link: 
  Answer the Call
• Send a check payable to the Atlanta Police Foundation to:
  Atlanta Police Foundation
  127 Peachtree Street, Suite 201
  Atlanta, Georgia 30303
• Contact Janie Foy at 404.586.0180