Task Force History

The Fulton County Multi-Jurisdictional Burglary Task Force is an idea borne out of necessity. The brainchild of District Attorney Paul Howard, it was first known as the South Fulton Burglary Task Force, reflecting the area of the County hardest hit by this burgeoning problem.

Fulton County law enforcement agencies initially began to notice a peak in burglaries as early as 2006. Although each agency addressed the issue through traditional policing methods, burglary incidents continued to rise countywide in 2007, prompting the heads of law enforcement to seek ways to jointly combat the emerging crime trend.

In early 2008, investigators and detectives from the various agencies began meeting regularly to brainstorm and cross-reference burglary-related information. It soon became apparent that the crimes had a multi-jurisdictional impact.

Fulton County District Attorney
Paul L. Howard, Jr.

Officers were able to connect crimes from various quadrants of the County, identify suspects and solve open cases through information sharing. Despite some success, almost every municipality still saw an increase in burglary incidents by year-end.

DA Howard sought to expand upon the moderate successes of the monthly meeting by forming a co-located task force dedicated to addressing and reducing the increases in burglary felt in each jurisdiction throughout the County. The District Attorney’s Office applied for, and was subsequently awarded, a $200,000 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance program. The Task Force is comprised of officers from six municipalities and eight law enforcement agencies in Fulton County.

The singular mission of the Task Force is to reduce the number of burglaries in Fulton County by thirty percent over the next two years. The strategy includes a public awareness campaign that centers on the theme, “Had Enough Already” capitalizing on the sentiment of weary residents, business owners and elected officials who have collectively tired of burglaries and the emotional and financial toll they have taken on the community at-large.