Atlanta is a City of Strangers.

Metro Atlanta's massive national and international appeal draws 75,000 new residents a year. A city populated by transplants and divided by wealth helps explain why crime exploded during the pandemic.

Greyhound station at Garnett, Downtown Atlanta.

I had a long talk a couple of days ago with gang investigators in South Fulton. One described how the local street gangs had taken to making runs into Buckhead to hit licks — that is, to rob people or knock over a store.

“Our kids are going out to Buckhead to commit crimes,” the investigator said, clearly fr…