Albany police to initiate repeat offender program to help tackle gun violence

By Alan Mauldin

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ALBANY – Looking to break the cycle of violent crime in the city, the Albany Police Department will launch a program this week looking to identify and reach those most at risk of being both victims and perpetrators in that cycle.

Police will launch the Repeat Offender Initiative on Friday, with the goal of intervening with what they describe as the “1% of the population that drive the gun violence that has plagued the city.”

In 2025, there were 23 homicides in Dougherty County.

The program has had success in Atlanta, where police initiated the program in 2022 and credit it with reducing violent crime.

Albany was chosen as a pilot expansion program for the Atlanta initiative. 

Elements include a repeat offender tracking unit that shares information on those offenders with other law enforcement agencies and has resulted in a 50% decrease in repeat offenders with prior convictions of violent felonies being held without bond until trial.

The Albany program will begin with two officers assigned to the initiative.

“It’s a lengthy process,” Persley said. “Look, the majority of crime committed in our community is committed ay a small number of people. In 2024, I had an opportunity to hear a presentation from the Atlanta Police Department on their Repeat Offender Task Force.”

During a presentation to the Albany City Commission on Tuesday, police officials gave several examples of offenders who had been in and out of the court system on assault and other felonies, cycling in and out of jail, and later ended up being the victims of violence themselves.

Police will work with the district attorney’s office, judges and other officials to prevent violent defendants from re-entering the community while awaiting disposition of violence charges. Part of the initiative is to make better cases to secure convictions against violent offenders and to identify and monitor those who are a risk to commit violence.

“We will target crime, and we will concentrate on individuals who are committing these crimes,” APD Capt. Terrence Whitlock, who is heading up the Albany initiative, said. “We’re talking about that 1% that is actually committing crimes.”

The officer gave an example of one individual who was a victim in 2022, the same year he was arrested on rape, entering auto and motor vehicle theft charges. In 2023 the same man was charged with armed robbery, released from jail and later himself became a homicide victim.

As part of the program, police will train individuals in the community to monitor courts to review the performance of law enforcement and prosecutors in criminal cases.

In addition to more closely monitoring those who are most likely to play a role in violent crime through monitoring and encouraging pre-trial detention when warranted, at-risk individuals also can receive intervention, including assistance with substance abuse, employment training, anger management and other support.

There are several individuals and organizations working to help those who are at risk to escape the violence and gang activity, Persley said, and those efforts can use more support.

“We have a whole bunch of community challenges,” he said. “”At some point, these foils have to be given another way. We’re going to continue to do the enforcement, but at some point we need to reach out.”

One area where police are falling short is in enforcing curfews, Commissioner Diana Brown said. Children also need programs to help them avoid the violence on the streets, she said.

“Where’s our programs for children?” she said. “Tell me one program we’re investing in for the children. Some of these children just need to know you care. We need to involve the community to be a part of it. It’s going to take all of us. We have a curfew in place, but we’re not enforcing it.”