Crime reports

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The following reporting of our Beat # 603 crime stats is gleaned from the total Zone 6 reports for weeks 8 and 9 of 2010. The emphasis is on our beat, but with news from around the Zone as it applies to and affects us. As I always state, these reports are not meant to scare anyone, but to allow you to make adjustments in your daily life to avoid, as much as possible, becoming a crime victim. And, as always, keep your car cleaned out and warn your neighborhood visitors to do the same.

Aggravated Assault – None in VaHi – but at noon at a Monroe Drive gas station near I-85, two business partners had an argument with a hand gun involved – no shots fired and an arrest was made. At midnite at Club 21 on Piedmont Road, an altercation left a bystander with a bullet in his leg – the gun firer escaped in his vehicle. Stay alert at all times – you never know when you are going to encounter some sort of a situation as an innocent by-stander.

Auto Theft – A scooter was taken from an Amsterdam Avenue driveway and a painter’s truck (with keys in the ignition!) was taken from Cooledge Avenue. And on Fisher Road, S.E. in the south part of the Zone, yet another car being warmed up on a cold morning was stolen. With spring around the corner – hopefully this will be the last of these thefts til next winter.

Residential Burglary – None here in VaHi – but across the Zone, entry into 3 houses was made via kicked-in doors, and an entire furnace was taken from a residence on Glenwood Avenue, S.E.

Commercial Burglary – Summit Medical on Piedmont Road was entered via a broken glass front door. The Dark Horse Tavern on North Highland Avenue was entered via a pried open rear door – nothing reported missing. The Hand in Hand restaurant on North Highland Avenue was entered via broken side windows with 4 bottles of booze missing. A whole ATM machine was taken from the Urban Market on Elizabeth Street in Inman Park and was widely reported in the media. I understand yet another ATM was taken from a PDL Avenue pizza store this past Monday morning.

Commercial Robbery – At the New Order bar in Ansley after closing, an employee was robbed at gunpoint of the nite’s receipts and was left tied up. His yells were heard by a passer-by who called 911. I am assuming that there was only one employee on duty at the time of this robbery. Business owners – be honest with yourself and review your opening and closing procedures – these are your most vulnerable times and oftentimes with only one person in the business.

Larceny From Auto – Cars were broken into on Amsterdam Avenue (2), St. Charles Avenue (2), PDL Avenue (2), Drewry Street, and Briarcliff Terrace. Of these 8 incidents – 5 of the owners were from outside of the neighborhood. Will these folks return to spend money here? All around the Zone in this 2 week time period – 8 GPS systems were taken, 2 handguns stolen, 2 license plates were taken off (keep checking to make sure you have a plate), 2 vehicles had tires and rims taken off, one catalytic converter sawed off, one Bible stolen, and in one reported incident – nothing was taken at all (go figure).

Larceny Other – At the Diesel Restaurant on North Highland Avenue, an unsuccessful attempt was made to steal a very visible flat screen tv set from the patio. At the Dabberdoo store on North Highland Avenue – a 911 call resulted in a shoplifter arrest by Officer Cooper. At a Virginia Avenue residence jewelry was reported missing and a maid is suspected. The trailer thieves are back – one was taken from Avalon Place in Morningside. At the Edgewood Best Buy parking lot, a thief was selling Bose speakers stolen from Best Buy, out of his car trunk. Across the Zone, a/c units are still being taken from residences. Our PDL Avenue supermarkets, Publix and Kroger, caught 6 shoplifters, including one guy who drank a beer inside the Publix. This is probably no worse than folks I see eating produce, such as grapes, from the counter. I always secretly hope these folks will get sick since the produce has not been washed.

Pedestrian Robbery – On 2/25 at 7:15 p.m. in the Ansley parking lot, a w/f was approached by a b/m wanting to “fix her car dent” as she was still in her car, and she said no. Then as she was walking to a store, the “dent fixer” came up to her from behind, placed a gun in her back stating “I will blow your f*****g brains out” – the victim gave up her purse and jewelry and the perp fled in a car with a b/f passenger. In a case like this – it might be best just to leave the area for a while rather than having to encounter the approachee on foot. Wait til he leaves the area.

At the Rite-Aid parking lot on PDL Avenue at 2:45 p.m., the victim, who was selling a cell phone on Craig’s list, met a potential buyer. The seller got into the “buyer’s” car with the phone as he took off, pulled a gun and told the seller to get out taking the phone with him. The report stated the seller was from Athens – why drive all the way to Atlanta to sell a cell phone?

Be alert, keep your car cleaned out and stay safe!