VaHi Safety Team Report: May 13, 2014
Pre-Summerfest Neighborhood Cleanup
Keep Virginia Highland Beautiful has scheduled a cleanup, concentrating on the Atkins Park business node, this Saturday morning 5/17. Meet at the American Roadhouse patio at 8 AM with your gloves for get-going coffee courtesy of genial owner Emile Blau. Bring along paint scrapers for removing stickers, and if someone has leaf blowers and string cutters – please bring them along too. We’ll finish up by noon. This project represents a good way for APS students to get in some public service hours. Questions to Tim Langan at [email protected].
Lawn Equipment Thefts
There have been several reported thefts of unwatched lawn equipment from service locations here in this part of town – in LaVista Park on Sheridan Road, in Morningside and on Rosewood Drive here in VaHi. The Rosewood theft involved taking the entire trailer with the equipment on it. Please caution your lawn service guys to keep all equipment chained and locked and if they are using a trailer to keep it padlocked at the trailer hitch (the stolen trailer’s hitch was not locked). The pattern has identified a black Ford Explorer SUV with a paper temporary license plate, driven by two b/m.
Poncey Highland Car Jacking Story
This dramatic story from Blue Ridge Avenue at http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/2014/05/05/carjacking-victim-fights-back/8736133/.
Liquor Delivery Truck Theft
A 5/7 theft from a liquor delivery truck at Amsterdam and North Highland Avenues was caught on tape by the new security camera system recently installed by property owner Scott Stern. See the film at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMNAhlsmzf0&feature=youtu.be.This is a long tape so skip to about 10 minutes to see the thieves pull up to the truck with an unlocked back door and make off with several cases of liquor. It’s a good guess that these thieves have been watching this driver and know he is errant in door locking as they had this heist so well planned. Bar and restaurant owners – please warn your liquor delivery guys to keep their back truck door locked at all times.
Calling 911 From The New Highland Park
The much-discussed incident recently about the belligerent homeless guy at the New Highland Park pointed out the need to heed the query from the 911 operator as to whether the caller for service wishes to be contacted by the responding Officer – it is a good idea to say “yes” if you want to add more to the story as it has unfolded as well as being able to find you. If you are moving away from the incident scene – leave your cell phone number so the Officer can call you to ascertain your current location. Since this parkland is privately owned and not a city park, give your location as N. Highland Avenue at St. Charles Place. This does not show up on the GIS screen at the 911 call center as a park, so the operator does not know you are calling from parkland.
The following reports are taken from APD Zone 6 (http://atlantapd.org/Zone6.aspx) VaHi Beat 601 reported incidents for the 2014 weeks 16 and 17 (4/14-4/26). These reports are not meant to scare anyone, but to raise your level of alertness as to what happens around us everyday.
Aggravated Assault: At the Inman School, a student victim was pulled down a hallway and out a door by 2 juvenile arrestees. The victim’s front teeth were damaged.
Auto Theft: On Drewry Street, an unsuccessful attempt was made to take a 2005 Chrysler. The steering column, ignition switch and door lock were damaged.
Commercial Burglary: No reported incidents from Beat 601.
Residential Burglary: No reported incidents from Beat 601.
Commercial Robbery: No reported incidents from Beat 601.
Residential Robbery: No reported incidents from Beat 601.
Pedestrian Robbery: No reported incidents from Beat 601
However, elsewhere in the Zone – snatch and grab thefts of cell phones continue.
Larceny From Auto: Vehicles were entered on North Highland Avenue (nothing taken), Virginia Avenue (loss not listed), Virginia Avenue (concrete saw taken off trailer – suspect was driving a black Impala – tag # BJT2609), Maiden Lane ( bookbag and contents), North Highland Avenue (keyboard, 2 mice, USB, modem, birth certificate and IRS tax papers), Maiden Lane ( backpack and laptop).
All over Zone 6 in this time period, there were 78 such reported incidents.
Larceny Other: Two locked bikes were taken from a Rosedale Drive porch, and on Virginia Avenue a locked bicycle taken from a bike rack. A victim got a ride from 2 unknown males for a lift to work in return him buying them gas. They stopped at the gas station at North Highland and Virginia Avenues with the victim going inside for a soda. When he came out his ride was gone along with his laptop and a bag containing medication.
At the Edgewood Retail District, both the Target and Office Depot stores were hit by shoplifters taking printer ink cartridges. The take at Target was $1383 and $3900 at Office Depot. This is part of a trend of large thefts of such items.
We still are in need of someone to step forward and take command of the VaHi Graffiti Task Force. The initial hard work has been done by diligent Laura Voisinet – now it is a matter of erasing or covering up sporadic cases of this vandalism. Please let me know if you can cover this community need.