Safety Team Report 4/16/09

I know, I know – I just sent out a Report a few days ago, and here is another one already. Somehow or another, I was left off the distribution list at Zone 6 – but all is well now, so am getting you caught up.

The Safety Team Distribution List

I keep getting more and more requests to be added to this list, and I am grateful for this. What I do ask though, is that added names be willing to take on the responsibility of a Street Captain, connect with your neighbors and pass on this report to them. This enhances my basic theory of crime prevention – in that folks who know each other tend to look out for each other. Granted – I could have a list of thousands of names sent out individually – but, these folks would still all be strangers to each other. This is not meant to be any sort of a time-consuming activity, and is a win-win for all involved. I am also looking for more businesses to be involved – so contact me if you know of businesses and a contact person that should be more aware and alert. Speaking of Street Captains – don’t forget the discussion and training session set for Saturday morning, May 9th at 9 at the library. Become an active part of the Safety Team and help to make a difference!

Saturday, April 18th

This Saturday morning offers a lot of opportunity for you to be involved in Earth Day cleanup activities. Sign up for the BeltLine cleanup session at www.keepatlantabeautiful.org , which will enhance the BeltLine cleanup from last fall and add more mileage of walkable linkage. Our Orme Park Friends will also be cleaning up this neighborhood greenspace this same morning. Contact Alice Gepp for details at [email protected] A city-wide recycling event will also be held this same day til 4 in the afternoon at Turner Field parking lot. They are accepting e-waste and old tires and auto batteries.

Monthly VaHi Litter/Trash/Graffiti Cleanup Sessions

We will now have litter walks the 1st Saturday of every month, meeting at 9 in the parking lot of Intown Hardware. Get to know some of your neighbors as we strive to make VaHi cleaner and safer – enhancing the “broken window” theory of crime prevention – on the next walk on May 2nd.

The April 13th Windstorm

Our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors who lost their homes on this day.

NPU “F” Meeting

This monthly meeting will be held as usual at 7 at Hillside School, and is a good chance to learn what all is happening in our northern end of APD Zone 6.

Crime reports from APD

The following crime incidents are gleaned from the APD Zone 6 stat reports, with emphasis on our Beat # 603, but with news from all around the Zone as it pertains to us. This particular Report covers weeks # 13, 14 and 15 of 2009, and is not meant to scare anyone – but simply to inform you and let you learn how to avoid being a victim. Granted, we’re in the middle of a big city, and we can’t avoid all criminal activity – but some alterations in your daily activities can increase your safety.

• Aggravated Assault – There was a domestic fight on 3/22 at Amsterdam and Monroe, and an altercation between two St. Charles Avenue residents on this street on 4/7.
• Auto Thefts – Vehicles were stolen from PDL Avenue, St. Charles Avenue and North Highland Avenue.
• Auto Theft Recovery – Stolen cars were found on Kings Court and Virginia Avenue. Be sure to call 911 about unmoved cars on your street.
• Commercial Burglary – The Circuit Tan Salon on Piedmont Avenue was entered thru a smashed glass front door, as well as the Righteous Room Restaurant at the Plaza on PDL Avenue, and the Highland Pub on North Highland Avenue where 3 flat screen tv sets were taken.
• Commercial Robbery – The Uptown Novelty store on Cheshire Bridge Road was robbed at gunpoint.At the Edgewood Kroger store at 1:15 p.m. a suspect pulled a handgun out when approached for shoplifting – he fled on foot. And, amazingly, the A+ Cleaners on Memorial Drive was held up by a guy brandishing a broken broom stick – and, yes, they gave him their cash. At the Peek A Boo on Piedmont Circle (yes, there is such an adult business – I had to drive over there to see for myself) the perps turned off the power to the store and after the building was vacated – the perps went in and stole a flat screen tv.
• Larceny From Auto – Vehicles were broken into on Amsterdam Walk (2), Los Angeles Avenue, North Highland Avenue, PDL Avenue (8), Vance Avenue, Virginia Avenue, Amsterdam Avenue, Bonaventure Avenue, Frederica Street, Maryland Avenue, and St. Charles Avenue.A license plate was stolen on Glen Arden Way. Of these 19 reported smash and grabs – 13 were vehicles owned by folks from outside of VaHi. Please remind your visitors of the Clean Car Campaign, especially if you are in the hospitality business. And keep checking to make sure you have a license plate and sticker. In this 3 week time period all around Zone 6 there were TWENTY ONE GPS systems stolen (are they really that worthwhile?), 3 license plates and stickers taken off, 9 in-dash radio/stereos ripped out, and 3 more hand guns added to the arsenal already out on the streets.
• Larceny Other – The tip jar was stolen from the StarBucks on Piedmont Avenue. A check was stolen from Illuminations on Cooledge Avenue, and used to make more checks. A cell phone was stolen during a domestic argument in a vehicle traveling on Amsterdam Avenue. A wallet was stolen from an unwatched purse under the chair of a diner at Surin on North Highland Avenue.The Outback Bike store on Euclid Avenue let a prospective customer take a bike out for a trial spin and he never came back. I would assume this will be the end of test rides. At a church on Euclid Avenue – a credit card was taken from the victim’s purse while she was making an offering. A wallet was stolen from behind the counter at 10 High on North Highland Avenue. Another trailer stolen – this time from Berkshire Road.

  A Chevron station on PDL Avenue reported a shoplifter. A purse was snatched at an ATM on PDL Avenue at 5:30 p.m. – a witness chased the perp and held him for Zone 6 to arrive. At the PDL Avenue Kroger store, a wallet was stolen from a male customer when the perp bumped into him. At this same store, a perp concealed items in a bag, then tried to get a refund (unsuccessfully) for them at the customer service counter. The following incident is amazing – a 76 y/o female victim’s purse was stolen while she was at Crawford Long. Later, the female suspect, wearing white scrubs, knocked on the victim’s Piedmont Avenue front door, and said she had her wallet and would return it for $50, if the victim would follow her out to the street. The victim refused – the perp returned later with the wallet, the victim grabbed the wallet and the suspect grabbed the money.

• Our PDL Avenue Kroger and Publix stores nabbed 7 shoplifters – the Edgewood Target caught 3 illegal shoppers, and the Edgewood Kroger caught 6.UPS packages were stolen from a Drewry Street front porch – this could have been prevented if they would have had these packages delivered to Intown Hardware’s safe address. Stop by at this friendly hardware store to find out how you can use them to receive your UPS and FedEx deliveries.
• Pedestrian Robbery – At Ansley Mall at 8:45 a.m., a female getting into her car was robbed at gunpoint of her purse, the perp then pushed her to the pavement, kicked her in the stomach and fled on foot.
• Residential Burglary – On Wessyngton Road at noontime, with the victim in her home, she did not answer the front door bell, so the two bell ringers went to the back glass door and threw a brick through it – the victim yelled (quite naturally), called 911, and the two b/m juveniles were caught. A Greenwood Avenue apartment was entered via a damaged front door, and a PDL Avenue apartment was entered through a pried open front door. A Morningside Place home burglary is attributed to Frederick Stranahan – the subject of last week’s BOLO, and who is now behind bars. The previously reported 3/25 burglary of the residence on Orme Circle by Roger Corley is listed. Corley also is behind bars – thanx to the 911 call by the alert homeowners who kept him in sight til Zone 6 arrived. Corley also left a stolen vehicle on Crestridge Drive.All around Zone 6 in this three-week time period – eleven residences were entered via kicked-in doors.

Be alert and be safe!!

John