Police Chief: Crime Down in Atlanta

ATLANTA (MyFOX ATLANTA) - Atlanta's mayor and police chief announced Tuesday that crime is down citywide. But some students from Georgia Tech questioned those statistics.

Last Friday, city and state police officers flooded the street surrounding Georgia Tech in an effort to stop the muggings which have frightened the campus community.

The Georgia State Patrol joined forces with the Atlanta Police Department to conduct overnight patrols around Georgia Tech's campus.

The increased patrols come as a several armed robberies and break-ins have taken place in the area surrounding Georgia Tech.

The latest incident happened over a week ago when three Georgia Tech students were robbed at gunpoint a short distance from the campus.

Police said the students were robbed shortly after midnight, in an area northwest of downtown where several other students have been robbed in recent months.

Officers say the students reported being approached by two men who demanded their belongings before fleeing the area in a black car. The victims were robbed of their wallets and cell phones.

Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington said Georgia Tech students should be more aware of their surroundings when they're walking on or near campus.