ATHENS, GA – Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz announced at a news conference at Athens City Hall on Tuesday that the county has recorded no murders year-to-date in 2025.

“For the first time, in the history of a place called Athens, we’ve gotten to September with no murders in this community, and I couldn’t be more proud of all the work that’s gone down,” Girtz said to a crowd of UGA journalism students. 

The conference addressed vast improvements in public safety, pointing to record police staffing levels, declining violent crime and new investments in road safety. 

Girtz emphasized that 2024 marked the first year in more than two decades that all 243 sworn officer positions in the Athens-Clarke County Police Department were filled. 

“One of the things that I want people to know about the Athens Clarke County Police Department is that we intend to go above and beyond, and we put those words into action,” Girtz said. 

Police now receive six months of post-certification “in-house” training, plus 40 hours of crisis intervention training, which is five times the Georgia state requirement. That training, Girtz emphasized, has positioned officers to better de-escalate situations amongst a diverse group of citizens.

The county’s five-year crime snapshot illustrates double-digit reductions in aggravated assault (down 18%), robbery (down 21%) and motor vehicle theft (down 24%), according to the ACCPD Transparency Hub. These declines come even as Athens’ population has continuously grown.

However, DUI and narcotics violations have risen by 13% year. Girtz explained this trend could possibly be attributed to increased enforcement by a fully staffed police force.

Girtz emphasized prevention as the key to public safety beyond prevention. Using Princeton sociologist Patrick Sharkey’s logic, he explained that increases in nonprofit communities create a “commensurate reduction in crime.” Claiming that when children and “working folks” have their needs met, they are less likely to experience trauma or desperation that leads to crime. 

The county’s Neighborhood Leaders program employs  17 community-based staff to connect residents with job opportunities, housing and food resources.

Girtz also noted the program’s five-year partnership with the Department of Family and Children Services to increase the amount of SNAP benefits distributed.

 “So back in 2020 we had this $20 million gap in food eligibility, again, benefits that anyone could have taken advantage of, but just people did not realize. And we've almost closed half that gap,” Girtz said. 

Traffic safety remains a pressing concern in Athens. Girtz stressed that “faster traffic is not safer traffic” and argued that engineering fixes, not just enforcement, are critical.

The newly created Vision Zero Office is tasked with a $15 million, three-year work plan to redesign dangerous roadways. Upcoming projects include a new pedestrian crosswalk on Thomas Street, as well as a redesign of the intersection at Hawthorne and Oglethorpe avenues.

Girtz warned that external challenges threaten local progress in public safety. One in 23 adults in Georgia is under correctional supervision, nearly triple the national average, and federal funding cuts have reduced support. 

“In April of this year, the US Department of Justice rescinded over half a billion dollars of grants,” Girtz said, noting that Byrne Justice Grants can no longer be used for violence prevention.

The Athens government faces what Girtz called a “fiscal cliff” as $58 million from the American Rescue Plan Act is set to expire in December 2026.