ATLANTA — The Atlanta Police Department is joining the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for joint operations targeting gangs, guns and drugs.

Metro Atlanta agencies are partnering on operations known as “Kickstart,” “Heatwave,” and “Deep Freeze” to fight crime. Officials say the ongoing joint operations are making a big dent in crimes involving gangs, guns and drugs and driving criminals off the streets.

U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg says the effort is a group approach to wipe out those involved in gangs, guns and drugs in Atlanta.

“I’m particularly pleased that our partnership has led to the test firing of nearly 900 firearms that were seized by APD in 2025; and the entry of digital images of spent cartridge cases into NIBIN,” Hertzberg said.

NIBIN is a network which can crack cases, exonerate the wrongly accused and assure those who pull the trigger are accountable.

Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat says working with other agencies is key to the operations’ success.

“There are no territorial provinces, it is one team. It is a force multiplier that allows us to be more effective,” Labat said.

Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum says the data-driven, targeted operations are bringing down crime.

“So when we deploy, we can see an almost immediate impact of gun violence in that area, and we see the steady trend over the last four years and know that we are making a difference,” Schierbaum said.

Schierbaum says working together is not a competition between agencies but a team effort.

“If you’re a gang member in this region, using that gang affiliation to further crime, or if you’re possessing guns illegally, you’re eventually going to meet Heatwave, Kickstart, or all three, we’re going to be there,” Schierbaum said.

WSB Radio’s Lisa Nicholas contributed to this story.