Public Safety Through Prevention: Mayor Kelly Girtz works to Build Support Systems for All Residents in Athens

Crime rates have fallen 18 percent year to year as Mayor Kelly Girtz is working to expand the idea of public safety beyond just police and emergency response, focusing on prevention through housing, food access and job opportunities. 

“When we talk about public safety, prevention is worth a lot more than the cure,” Girtz said.

Athens-Clarke County recorded six murders in 2024, but as 2025 nears its fourth quarter, Mayor Kelly Girtz announced proudly that no homicides have occurred this year. 

Girtz has worked with Family Connection Communities in Schools of Athens to hire 17 Neighborhood Leaders since 2020. These leaders help people find a job, obtain housing and gain access to food resources. 

The neighborhood leaders have helped distribute nine million dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to residents across Athens-Clarke County, many of whom didn't know they qualified for these programs. Their work has closed nearly half of the $20 million food access gap in the county. 

Research supports the mayor's emphasis on prevention. Sociologist Patrick Sharkey found that in communities of 100,000 residents, each new neighborhood organization formed to prevent violence led to a one percent drop in violent crime and murder. 

Youth development has been a key value in prevention within Athens. The county has opened neighborhood-scale centers in four underserved areas and expanded summer camps with scholarships. 

The biotech industry in Athens has been rapidly growing. Girtz has worked with Clarke County school districts and Athens Technical College to develop a biotech certification program. This program allows students to join the workforce after high school or get higher education from UGA  or ATC. 

“We’ve partnered with Athens Technical College in the Clarke County school district to put in place, for the first time, a pathway to the high-wage biotech community that is producing so many great new jobs in Athens," Girtz said. 

Housing investments were central to the mayor's plan of prevention for public safety in Athens. The transformation of Colombia Brookside formerly Jack R. Wells has reduced crime while creating additional moderate-income housing units. 

“Public safety is also making sure that people have their basic human needs met,” he continues, “If they have healthcare, if they have good employment opportunities, that’s gonna mean we have a safe community,” the mayor said. 

The passing of President Trump's Great Big Beautiful Bill in June has had impacts on the federal funding being allocated to these prevention programs. Girtz shared that it is now the local level's responsibility to make sure people know about the benefits available to them. 

Girtz focused on the whole picture of Athens and the reasons behind crimes being committed. He believed crimes are committed due to trauma in one's life and the steps for a safer community start with the prevention of trauma in Athens. 

 “Taking hold of our young people's hands and making sure they've got positive prosocial activity they can be involved in, in every neighborhood in town on every side of the community,” Girtz said. 

Girtz's administration has worked to reopen many of these neighborhood communities that have been closed for decades in an effort to foster the growing community. 

Mayor Girtz and local partners remain committed to expanding opportunities that support long-term community safety.

Why I wrote this story:

When I had the opportunity to interview Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz, I was struck by his focus on helping residents before they reach the point of committing crimes. Girtz takes a holistic approach, seeking to understand the person behind the circumstance rather than making assumptions. I wanted to write from that perspective, one that informs readers about new policy while highlighting hope in unexpected situations. The story was newsworthy for its timeliness and impact on the Athens community.