ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – The latest Georgia Bureau of Investigation director says he’s already got big plans for the agency.
For more than 35 years, Chris Hosey worked here at the Georgia Bureau of Investigations’ largest unit. He said it’s prepared him to take on the top job.
“It’s really been normal course of business for me, not a lot of changes,” he said.
His top priorities as director? Tackling gang recruitment, drugs and violent crime. Hosey says gangs are driving an increase in violent crimes like homicides, child abuse, armed robbery, fraud, and drug dealing. More than 180,000 crimes were reported in 2021, still slightly lower than the national average. According to the Georgia Gang Investigators Association, there are more than 70,000 gang members in Georgia. Hosey says their Agency is helping law enforcement around the state to tackle the problem.
“We have to deal with the issues we have in front of us but we have to be forward-thinking,” Hosey said. “We’re opening up a gang office in middle Georgia to help address middle Georgia and further south and we’ve increased our training for our agents in our different offices in gang enforcement to see if there is a gang nexus,” he said.
The agency supports state investigations with its forensic labs and state databases. Hosey said, “It takes teamwork and those local partnerships.”
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