DeKalb police cite 29% drop in homicides in 2025 while aggravated assaults tick up

DeKalb County Police told residents at an East Precinct town hall that homicide reports fell by 29% in 2025 while other major-crime metrics showed mixed results.

Chief Greg Padrick said authorities recorded 69 more aggravated assaults in 2025 than in 2024, a rise he attributed in part to multiple drive-by shooting incidents and to domestic-violence cases now counted as aggravated assaults when strangulation is involved under state law. "Aggravated assaults went up by 2% — we had 69 additional aggravated assaults in 2025 compared to 2024," Padrick said.

At the same time, Padrick said the department recorded what he described as a "huge, huge" 29% reduction in homicides compared with recent years and that robberies (pedestrian, business and residential) all declined year over year. He cautioned that any loss of life is tragic and said the department would continue efforts to lower violent crime further.

Staffing and response: Padrick said sworn staffing rose from about 536 officers at the start of 2025 to roughly 580 by yearend, a near 9% increase. He described sustained workloads: the department responded to more than 310,000 911 calls last year (transcript figure was garbled; figure reported here is "over 310,000" as the closest clear value from the presentation). The department also reported reductions in stolen-vehicle incidents and said specialized investigative units dismantled several organized crime rings.

Investigative tools: Chief Bob Popp, head of CID, highlighted the role of technology such as NIBIN ballistic matching and surveillance video in solving violent crimes. He described a case in which video from a gas station, shell-casing matches and cell-phone data led to a quick identification, arrest and murder charge against a primary shooter.

Whatcomes next: commanders emphasized continued use of problem-oriented policing, community partnerships and targeted enforcement details to sustain downward trends and address rising categories. Residents asked about directed patrols, traffic enforcement and community engagement; officials referred requests for patrols and continued follow-up to precinct staff and the public education specialist.