A.I. policing, youth programs credited for reduced crime in Macon
According to the Macon Violence Prevention program, Macon-Bibb County saw 39 homicides in 2024, compared to 40 in 2023 and 71 in 2022.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – According to the Macon Violence Prevention program, Macon-Bibb County saw 39 homicides in 2024, compared to 40 in 2023 and 71 in 2022. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office says artificial intelligence (A.I.) in policing is one of many reasons violent crime is on the decline.
“We have to take a comprehensive approach to the reduction of crime in the city of Macon,” said Major Jason Batchelor, who leads the criminal investigative unit.
Batchelor says the A.I. tool Verkada helps the sheriff’s office act faster, as it more quickly identifies suspects in surveillance footage.
“The individual is described with certain descriptors and is seen leaving the scene on foot,” Batchelor said. “We’re able to go in those cameras, type in that clothing description, and follow that direction of travel.”
Along with flock cameras, which scans license plates, the sheriff’s office also leans on ShotSpotter. It detects the number of shots fired at a particular location and helps deputies locate shell casings that can be used as evidence in other cases. Batchelor says this has helped the sheriff’s office gain trust with communities in Macon that have frequent shootings, but don’t call due to unresolved cases.
“Now we’re able to engage that part of the community and show a presence, apprehend the person that’s responsible if we have a fast enough response time, and collect evidence that they’ve left at the scene,” Batchelor said.
As overall crime has decreased in Macon, youth homicides have dropped by an even greater percentage. The number of homicide victims under age 18 was two in 2024, compared to five in 2023 and 15 in 2022. Taryn Collinsworth, the CEO of Communities in Schools of Central Georgia (CIS), says school attendance and crime involving youth often go hand in hand.
“If they’re not successful in their academic pursuit a lot of times they’re bored in class,” Collinsworth said. “They’ll do something else with their time.”
Chronic absenteeism has plagued schools in Bibb County, but it hasn’t been a problem for CIS. Collinsworth says attendance for students in the program is at 95%. She says mentorship plays a pivotal role in reducing crime as alternative school students who’ve made past mistakes gain encouragement.
“When they talk to the students about how they changed their life, a lot of the students begin to believe that that can happen for them,” Collinsworth said.
Batchelor says the sheriff’s office will keep up with advancements in A.I. to serve the community, but it will take efforts from everyone to keep Macon-Bibb County safe.
“We need our partners,” Batchelor said. “Our civic partners, our stakeholders within the churches, all these organizations work together on a common goal which is the reduction of crime and hopefully a positive influence on the youth here in Bibb County.”