Several state agencies are seeking millions more in state funds to handle the growing caseload resulting from the state’s recent crackdown on street gangs.
Republican Attorney General Chris Carr and the directors of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Georgia Public Defender Council presented budget requests to state lawmakers Thursday that include creating a new street gang task force, hiring new street gang data analysts and hiring more attorneys who specialize in felony organized crime cases.
With the passage of a new state law endorsed by Gov. Brian Kemp and the General Assembly, Carr’s office in July 2022 created its first statewide gang prosecution unit that has since led to the indictment of more than 100 people and two dozen convictions. The overall number of gang-related cases is more extensive across Georgia, with the GBI data confirming that in 2023, there were 287 street gang investigations across 93 counties leading to 325 arrests on felony charges.
The attorney general’s gang prosecution unit, based in Atlanta, with regional, satellite prosecutors and investigators in Albany and Augusta, is seeking another $807,000 to expand with new units in Macon, Columbus and Savannah. Carr is also backing the GOP governor’s budget recommendation to use $1.6 million to boost the AG’s attorney salaries as part of a multiyear recruitment and retention plan.