VaHi Safety Team Report: December 12, 2014
By John Wolfinger
Mailbox Thefts
There were reports on the Morningside yahoo message board recently of mail thefts from what I would presume to be streetside boxes. If you are at work or away when the mail is delivered in your area – you might want to ask a trusted neighbor to retrieve your mail for you to prevent such thefts.
Holiday Travel Plans??
If you are going to be away from home, be sure to let your Street Captain and trusted neighbors know of your plans and how you can be contacted if need be. Of course, stop your mail and newspaper deliveries, and make sure that your alarm system is activated before leaving. If you are an FBAC member – let them know of your travel plans too, so that house checks can be made during your absence. Not an FBAC member? Check out the website at http://www.fbacvahi.com/ to read about the benefits of membership.
The following reports are taken from our APD Zone 6 (http://atlantapd.org/Zone6.aspx) VaHi Beat 601 reported incidents for the 2014 weeks 47, 48 and 49 (11/16 to 12/6). These reports are not meant to scare anyone, but to let you know what happens around us everyday – so you can be alert and aware.
Aggravated Assault: No reported incidents from Beat 601.
Auto Theft: There were two vehicles stolen from a Highland Terrace residence – a 2012 Infiniti and a 2012 BMW. The BMW was recovered in the Westview neighborhood in Zone 1 and was kept for investigation as it had likely been used in reported pedestrian robberies. The license plate for the Infiniti was found in the West End, but the car had not been found yet. These victims are newly moved in and lost both of their cars at once.Commercial Burglary: No reported incidents from Beat 601.
Commercial Burglary: No reported incidents from Beat 601.
Residential Burglary: No reported incidents from Beat 601. However, there was an unsuccessful attempt at kicking in the front door of a Highland Terrace home. Evidently there was not an activated alarm system here.
Commercial Robbery: No reported incidents from Beat 601.
Residential Robbery: No reported incidents from Beat 601.Pedestrian Robbery: On 11/30 in late nite hours on Briarcliff Place, a male motorist who had car troubles was walking home when approached by another male who put an unknown object to his back and demanded his jacket, shoes, watch and wallet and contents. The robber fled on foot.
Pedestrian Robbery: On 11/30 in late nite hours on Briarcliff Place, a male motorist who had car troubles was walking home when approached by another male who put an unknown object to his back and demanded his jacket, shoes, watch and wallet and contents. The robber fled on foot.
Also, in the late night hours of 11/20 on the 1100 block of Virginia Avenue a lone male pedestrian in front of his apartment building was approached by another lone male with a pistol – the victim was told to be quiet and not say anything. The robber took his wallet and contents, as well as his wedding ring and cell phone and demanded his his pin number. No injuries reported in either of these incidents.Larceny From Vehicle: Yes, you guessed it: we have a long list of reported incidents. On PDL Avenue (messenger bag and lots of kitchen utensils were taken), Cooledge Avenue (nothing taken – though there was still a broken window to be replaced), Lanier Boulevard (MacBook, ring, books, cell phone charger and an employee ID), Park Drive (a GPS), Cooledge Avenue (60 cents in coins), Virginia Avenue (an unsuccessful attempt to saw off the catalytic converter), Virginia Avenue (laptop and I-Pad), Greenwood Avenue (a Gwinnett County fire-fighter’s turnout coat, flashlight, duffle bag with clothing, backpack with books, and bolt cutters) a suspect was seen but not caught, North Highland Avenue (I-Pad, laptop, headphones, jacket, and backpack), Elmwood Drive (toilet paper, paper towels, boxes of custom bags, and K-cups), Elmwood Drive (nothing taken), Virginia Avenue (laptop and backpack), North Highland Avenue (cooler), PDL Place (clothing, I-Pad, duffle bag and a book), Briarcliff Place (Macbook and backpack), Barnett Street – 3 vehicles (MacBook, 2 backpacks, 2 tote bags, book bag and clothing). In this incident, the patrolling officer spotted a BMW with 3 males inside, the driver said they had been working on their car. The officer was not aware of the break-ins at this time and the BMW drove off.
Larceny From Vehicle: Yes, you guessed it: we have a long list of reported incidents. On PDL Avenue (messenger bag and lots of kitchen utensils were taken), Cooledge Avenue (nothing taken – though there was still a broken window to be replaced), Lanier Boulevard (MacBook, ring, books, cell phone charger and an employee ID), Park Drive (a GPS), Cooledge Avenue (60 cents in coins), Virginia Avenue (an unsuccessful attempt to saw off the catalytic converter), Virginia Avenue (laptop and I-Pad), Greenwood Avenue (a Gwinnett County fire-fighter’s turnout coat, flashlight, duffle bag with clothing, backpack with books, and bolt cutters) a suspect was seen but not caught, North Highland Avenue (I-Pad, laptop, headphones, jacket, and backpack), Elmwood Drive (toilet paper, paper towels, boxes of custom bags, and K-cups), Elmwood Drive (nothing taken), Virginia Avenue (laptop and backpack), North Highland Avenue (cooler), PDL Place (clothing, I-Pad, duffle bag and a book), Briarcliff Place (Macbook and backpack), Barnett Street – 3 vehicles (MacBook, 2 backpacks, 2 tote bags, book bag and clothing). In this incident, the patrolling officer spotted a BMW with 3 males inside, the driver said they had been working on their car. The officer was not aware of the break-ins at this time and the BMW drove off.
As long as there are lots of items left in vehicles to be stolen, these thieves will continue to roam our streets looking for opportunities. They are hard to spot as they usually work on the sidewalk side of cars and can quickly duck down behind cars when headlites are seen coming towards them. I always feel sorry for victims who have a clean car, but are in the path of these thieves who break in anyway just to see if anything is hidden.
Larceny Other: At a PDL Avenue club, a cellphone, driver’s license and debit card taken from an unwatched purse. Also, at Blind Willy’s – another unwatched purse and contents were taken. On St. Augustine Place, a package of dog treats delivered by UPS was taken.
At the Edgewood Retail District there were 16 reports of shoplifting in all stores.
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Please remember our free safe address delivery program for your UPS, FedEx and USPS packages. That bag of dog treats could have been saved if the homeowner had just gone to Intown Hardware on North Highland Avenue or Morningstar Storage or Urban Body on PDL Place and signed up to have packages sent to their safe addresses. This is such an easy way to ensure you receive your packages.
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Don’t forget the Zone 6 Christmas toy drive for needy families here in our Zone. You can leave new toys on my front porch at 1054 Vance Avenue, NE before 12/17 and I will take them to the precinct headquarters in Kirkwood for you. Toys are needed for all age groups from toddlers to tweens to be handed out on 12/19 at the precinct.
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If you have guests coming to your house – please remind them of the Clean Car Campaign that states that ALL parked cars are to be cleaned out at ALL times. Ensure a pleasant visit without having to make a 911 call.
Stay alert and aware and enjoy this wonderful holiday season!