Crime reports
Due to life getting in the way of my usual reporting schedule – this report contains three weeks of crime stats for the weeks 38, 39 and 40 of 2011. These are gleaned from the Zone 6 reports, with emphasis on our VaHi Beat 603 along with news from around the Zone as it affects us. Again, I state these reports are not meant to scare anyone, but to make you aware of what happens around us everyday.
Aggravated Assault – There was a fight among employees and patrons of the MJQ Club on PDL Avenue at 3 a.m. – with evidently no serious injuries. There was a domestic situation on Drewry Street involving alcohol.
Nearby, at the troubled (to say the least) Room Service Lounge on Piedmont Circle, there was an inside shooting report involving patrons.
Auto Theft – Vehicles were taken from Highland Terrace, Orme Circle, and a botched attempt on Clemont Drive.
Auto Theft Recovery – No reports from Beat 603
Residential Burglary – A Greenwood Avenue home was entered via a forced open rear window. A home on Rosedale Drive was entered with no signs of forced entry.
Commercial Burglary – No reports from Beat 603
Larceny from Vehicle – Vehicles were entered on Los Angeles Avenue (3), St. Charles Avenue, PDL Avenue (2 – one of which was a stolen license plate), Kanuga Street, Orme Circle, Virginia Avenue (3) and Arlington Place (2). Of these 13 reported incidents – 10 of the owners were from outside of the neighborhood. Please warn your visitors and business patrons to clean out their parked cars!!!
All around the Zone in this time period there were 32 laptops taken, 8 I-Pods swiped, 9 cell phones taken, 5 GPS systems taken out, 3 license plates unbolted, 2 more weapons added to the arsenal on the streets, one catalytic converter sawed off, 5 reports of both tires and rims taken off and the car propped up, and two reports of just hub caps being taken off.
Larceny Other – A locked bicycle was taken from North Highland Avenue, and a moving-out roommate on Briarcliff Terrace took along cash and prescriptions from the remaining resident.
Our PDL Avenue Kroger and Publix reported 4 shoplifters. The Edgewood Target store reported 20 shoplifting incidents. All around the Zone there were also 11 reports of A/C units stolen – mainly from vacant apartments and homes.
Now – the worst part of this report is all of the laptops and cell phones snatched from pedestrians and sidewalk cafe tables – none in Beat 603, but nearby neighborhoods. At the Ansley Starbucks at 3 p.m. – a cellphone snatched from a table. There were 3 Inman Park reports of laptops taken from North Highland Avenue sidewalk cafe tables at 3 p.m., 9:15 p.m. and 12:45 p.m. – all the perps fled in different described cars. There were two reports of cell phones being snatched from Euclid Avenue pedestrians – one at 6 p.m. and the other at 11:30 p.m. A cell phone was snatched from an Elizabeth Street sidewalk table at noon and another cell phone snatched from a North Highland Avenue (Inman Park) pedestrian at 8:15 p.m. And lastly an unwatched cell phone was taken from the charging station at the East Atlanta Library.
These reports are in addition to at least 4 more reported in Inman Park/L5P just this week, of which some of these thefts were cleared by APD in some swift and decisive action. That story at http://m.ajc.com/news/atlanta/new-atlanta-police-unit-1195984.html and at
http://www.wsbtv.com/s/news/ But even though this one robbing gang has been jailed – there are still plenty of other such thieves on the loose yet. Remember – owning a cell phone or a laptop is NOT a status symbol anymore and there is no reason to advertise to the world you have such an electronic item. Walking and talking or texting is not safe and showing off your laptop while seated at a sidewalk cafe table is not wise.
One final story in this category that emphasizes that it is not cool to steal something from a police officer!! At the PDL Avenue Publix parking lot, an officer was giving a suspect a ticket after he refused to move from the fire lane. He grabbed the citation book and fled in his car. APD went to his Clarkston residence, made an arrest and retrieved the ticket book.
Pedestrian Robbery – No reports from Beat 603
Enjoy this beautiful fall weather – just keep those cell phones and lap tops hidden from view.