Crime reports

The 12/30/2011 Monroe Drive Carjacking/Kidnapping Incident

This very recent incident is chronicled here and here. This episode very clearly illustrates how guns taken during car break-ins can end up in the hands of teenagers who would not have the wherewithal to buy them legally.

Crime reports gleaned from APD Zone 6 crime stats

The following reports are gleaned from the Zone 6 crime stats for weeks 51 and 52 of 2011, with emphasis on our Beat 601, but with news from around the Zone as it applies to us. Once again, I state that these reports are not meant to scare anyone, but to make you aware and alert as to what happens around us everyday.

• Aggravated Assault – No reported incidents in Beat 601. There were 9 such reports though from around the Zone in this time period and all involved family members or folks who knew each other. Great news during the holiday season of good-will to men – right?
• Auto Theft – Vehicles were stolen from Greenwood Avenue, Briarcliff Place, Frederica Street, Virginia Avenue, St. Charles Avenue, Brookridge Drive and from the garage at the Briarcliff Summit on PDL Avenue.
• Auto Theft Recovery – No reported findings in Beat 601
• Residential Burglary – No reported incidents in Beat 601. Around the Zone in this time period entry was made to 5 residences via a kicked-in door. On Bryan Street, S.E. entry was made via a removed window a/c unit.
• Residential Robbery – No reported incidents in Beat 601
• Commercial Burglary – No reported incidents in Beat 601.

  Nearby, the L5P Pharmacy on Moreland Avenue was entered via a broken front window and 5 bottles of codeine cough medicine were taken. At the Hill Street Tavern on Decatur Street at 4:20 a.m. a perp was caught coming out of the shattered door he had broken to gain entry with bottles of booze in hand. He was taken to Grady complaining of a knee injury – guess who probably paid for his hospital visit? I would doubt that many thieves have insurance.

  The Bombay Gal store on North Highland Avenue in Inman Park was entered via a smashed front glass door. There was not an alarm or camera – I realize this is a big expense for a small clothing store – but a necessary one in these times.

• Commercial Robbery – No reported incidents in Beat 601.

  Yet another coffee shop incident – this time at Drip Coffee Shop at 9 a.m. on Garrett Street, S.E. in Glenwood. Several males entered with a gun and ordered everyone to “get down” and took laptops, cell phones, etc as well as cash from the business and fled. Alert patrons quickly called 911 and two arrests were made with recovery of some of the stolen items.

  The Dairy Queen on North Avenue in the Old 4th Ward was robbed at gunpoint by two males at 8 p.m. fleeing on foot.

• Larceny From Vehicle – Vehicles were entered on St. Charles Avenue, Frederica Street, Bonaventure Avenue (2), North Highland Avenue (4) and a Honda Element had the catalytic converter sawed off on Brookridge Drive. Five VaHi visitors learned not to leave items in their cars in our neighborhood – five people that have a bad impression of our neighborhood now.
• All around the Zone in this time period there were 6 GPS systems stolen, SIXTEEN laptops taken, 6 I-Pods swiped, 4 I-Pads taken, one license plate unbolted, one box of ammo taken (probably to be used in a stolen firearm), the one case of a sawed-off catalytic converter, and on Manigault Street, S.E. in Reynoldstown – all 4 tires/rims were unbolted and taken.
• Larceny Other – A club patron at an unnamed PDL Avenue establishment was pickpocketed, but confronted possible suspects outside and two arrests were made.

  At the Bank of America on PDL Avenue, a careless customer left two cell phones on the counter and they were stolen. Keep those phones in your pocket – they are not a status symbol anymore that have to be shown to the world.
  And on Eden Avenue, S.E. in Ormewood a Nativity scene was stolen from a front yard – it seems to happen every year somewhere.

• Pedestrian Robbery – No reported incidents in Beat 601. But on Colquitt Avenue in Inman Park at 11:00 p.m. 4 pedestrians were approached by two males who asked to use a cell phone, and then robbed them at gunpoint of the phones and wallets.

Outdoor holiday lites made a lot of houses much brighter at nite this past season – but these houses will now return to being hidden in darkness. Take a serious look at your house and see where permanent lighting could improve the safety of your home year-long. Especially make sure your house number is lit for quick identification for first responders in the dark of the nite. The life you save could be your own by letting first responders know where they have been called to.

Keep your parked car cleaned out at all times – or someone else will do it for you !!

Happy New Year!