North Fulton Today

After meeting with the district attorney and other county officials about increasing crime, Fulton County commissioners have added funding to fight it.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis told the commissioners that her office struggles to keep up with the crime, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. The COVID-19 pandemic has a firm grasp on the county's justice system, causing a historic backload of homicide cases.

"You want to know what I need," Willis said to the commissioners. "You want me to be specific [about] that historical backlog. I want $2.7 million. That translates into 23 employees that will focus on those cases."

According to Fox 5, the county has over 200,000 cases backlogged; it's the largest and busiest judicial system in the area.

"Give her the money, she's having to make a presentation," Commissioner Abdur Rahman told FOX 5. "She's having to pretty much beg, and I take issue, if we're talking about crime, and making sure we're going after crime — the money needs to be there. She needs to be able to do what she needs to do."

The commissioners allocated $75 million in funding, largely to expedite the case backlog, Fox 5 reported. The funds will be used for 20 new courtrooms and 300 new staff members.

"Crime is an all-time high,” Willis told FOX 5. “We're getting ready to be in a position where we may have to release murderers. This is not a third-world country; this is Fulton county."