Albany police are asking Dougherty County leaders to support a coordinated effort to track repeat violent offenders, warning that 19 people charged with murder are free on bond in the county.
Police Chief Michael Persley and Capt. Terrence Whitlock briefed commissioners June 15 on the Repeat Offender Initiative, WALB reported. Launched in January, it connects the Albany Police Department, district attorney’s office, sheriff’s office and probation officials through a shared database of defendants’ arrest histories.
The goal is to ensure police, prosecutors, probation officers and judges see the same record as a case moves from arrest to court. Commissioners questioned whether information still gets lost between agencies, and police acknowledged coordination remains a challenge. Persley said defendants are presumed innocent, but those accused of murder who are released require close monitoring.
So far, a working group is meeting, two officers are assigned and several offenders have been identified for monitoring, The Albany Herald reported. Those steps show implementation, but officials have not released recidivism, rearrest or conviction figures showing whether the program has reduced repeat crime.
The initiative began after Albany recorded 23 homicides in 2025, up from 17 in 2024. The department reported more than 600 violent crimes in 2024 and more than 500 from January through November 2025.
Albany’s model draws on Atlanta’s repeat-offender system, which brings law enforcement, prosecutors and courts together to review cases and track defendants. Albany officials say intervention can include employment training, substance-abuse treatment and anger management for people willing to change.
Police introduced the Safe Haven Project, which plans three supervised summer events at the Albany Civic Center for people ages 12 to 18. The two efforts reflect a dual strategy: monitor high-risk defendants while giving young people alternatives before they enter the criminal justice system.
