Crime reports

Business Owners Making Bank Deposits

I got an e-mail report this week from Rajesh Ramakrishnan from the Chevron store at Virginia and North Highland Avenues about how one of his tires was slashed just before he left to make a bank deposit in an attempt to rob him. No robbery – but a new tire purchase. A similar incident was reported from the Bank of America parking lot on Flat Shoals Avenue, S.E. in East Atlanta where the victim was looking at his slashed flat tire when the perp opened his passenger door and grabbed his bank bag. Don’t think you are not being observed when you are on bank deposit missions – be alert!!

School Break-ins

Grady High School was broken into this past week and lost a lot of computers. Paidea School on PDL Avenue also lost 15 more computers – in addition to those stolen earlier in multiple break-ins the past few months.

Thievery From Pickup Trucks

There are reports from all over Zone 6 about tool and equpment thefts from trucks parked in front of residences while work is being done. Warn your lawn service and maintenance guys while they are working at your house. I realize it is hard for them to chain down their tools while they are working – but these thefts are rampant.

Crime reports from APD

The following categorized reports are gleaned from our Zone 6 crime stats for weeks 22 and 23 of 2009 with emphasis on our VaHi beat 603, but with news from all over the Zone as it pertains to us. Read these reports and see how you can alter your daily routine to avoid some of these situations.

• Aggravated Assault – At the Briarcliff Summit a resident was stabbed by a visitor. At the Platinum 21 on Piedmont Road, a bar fight resulted in the security guard getting hit on the head with a bottle.
• Auto Thefts – Amazingly – no auto thefts for this two week time period in Beat # 603, but there were 9 stolen in week 23 in Beat # 604 just south of us. Scooter thievery continues at a rapid clip around the Zone – even when they are chained (guess you have to hide them now). There is a black motor scooter with a Georgia Tech decal on it parked at the northeast corner of Barnett and Drewry Streets that has been there for over a week now – I am amazed it has escaped being stolen so far. Is it abandoned or does anyone know who the owner is?
• Auto Theft Recovery – An abandoned vehicle report on Arlington Place reunited a stolen car with it’s owner. A scooter stolen from Greenwood Avenue was taken to Atlanta Motorcycle and Scooter on Elizabeth Street, N.E. for repair where it was identified even though the VIN had been scratched off. The person who brought it in left a Roswell address – no word as to whether it was a legitimate address.
• Commercial Burglary – Viagra pills were taken from a unit at a storage facility on Cheshire Bridge Road. The Teuscher Chocolate store on North Highland Avenue in Morningside was entered via a smashed glass front door. Ru Sans restaurant on Piedmont Avenue was entered through a smashed front glass front door also. The tennis store at Ansley was entered via a smashed rear door window. Urban Body on PDL Place was entered twice – on 6/5 and 6/6 with a flat screen tv and a computer monitor stolen. In yet another theft at this beleagured business, their a/c units were stolen. Atlanta Motorcycle and Scooters on Elizabeth Street was entered by pushing in their exhaust fan. Does your business have such a vulnerable spot and can it be welded into place to better secure it? The San Francisco coffee shop on North Highland Avenue just south of PDL Avenue was entered via a pried open front door. South of us – the North Highland Pub, The Albert, Brewhouse Cafe, Shaun’s and the 97 Estoria were all broken into. Java Jive on PDL Avenue had copper piping taken from their rooftop a/c unit. Not an easy time for small business owners on top of the lousy economy.
• Larceny From Auto – Vehicles were broken into on Highland Lane, Los Angeles Avenue, North Highland Avenue (3), PDL Avenue (4), St. Charles Avenue (2), Barnett Street, Bonaventure Avenue, and Briarcliff Place. Of these 14 separate incidents – 11 of the vehicles were owned by folks out of VaHi. Please, please, please – warn your visitors to clean out their cars, especially if you are in the hospitality business. There were wheels stolen from cars on Hillpine Drive and Moreland Avenue. Also all around Zone 6 in this time period there were eleven GPS systems stolen, 7 in-dash stereo radios ripped out, 2 license plates taken off, one hand gun added to the arsenal on the streets, and (now that scrap metal prices are going up again) a catalytic convertor sawed off.
• Larceny Other – Kid’s bicycles were stolen from Brookridge Drive, and another bicycle taken from a Monroe Drive front porch. All across Zone 6 lots of chained bicycle thefts also – guess you have to take them inside when not being ridden – chaining is not enough protection now. Two thefts reported from inside Zone 6 churches – the Inman Park Methodist Church on Edgewood Avenue had a laptop stolen, and a volunteer worker at St. John Lutheran church on PDL Avenue had a credit card stolen from her purse. At the Eastlake YMCA cash was stolen from an unsecured locker. The bread man had his p/c stolen while stocking his goods at the PDL Avenue Kroger store. The Edgewood Kroger store caught 4 shoplifters. At a Georgia Power substation on Moreland Avenue thieves cut fencing and took 4 ground wires (for scrap metal I presume) – too bad they weren’t zapped. An unwatched purse was taken from a shopping cart at the Edgewood Bed, Bath & Beyond store. This is a real sick report – 25 metal grave markers were stolen from South View Cemetery on Jonesboro Road (for scrap metal again I presume).
• Pedestrian Robbery – On 6/3 at 1:40 a.m. a male and female were robbed at gunpoint by a lone b/m at North Highland Avenue and Highland View. On 5/27 at 11:30 p.m. a female waiting at a PDL Avenue bus stop was pushed to the ground and robbed of her cell phone.
• Residential Burglary – A PDL Avenue apartment was entered via a kicked-in front door. On Los Angeles Avenue entry was made through an unsecured garage door. A Greenwood Avenue apartment resident had a bicycle stolen – not listed as to whether this was inside the apartment or on the porch. All around Zone 6 in this time period – entry was made to residences via kicked-in doors 14 times, and another incident involved a pushed-in window a/c unit. If you know folks who have window a/c units – make sure they have their units bolted into the window frame.

Be alert and stay safe!!

John