The FBI has released Georgia’s 2006 murder rates. In Atlanta, murders soared 22% last year from 2005 to 110. In Athens-Clarke County, there were five murders last year, equal to the year before. Columbus also stayed the same in 2005 and 2006 with 22 murders. In metro Savannah, the number of murders dropped slightly to 29 last year, compared to 30 the year before. Nationwide, rates of violent crime rose by 1.3% in 2006.
