VaHi Safety Team Report: August 24, 2014
By: John Wolfinger
Great AJC Story About Maiden Trail
I am so glad that the St. Charles Avenue and Barnett Street residents who created the idea to clean up the unpaved alleyway between Barnett and Frederica Streets are getting some metro-wide recognition for their hard work. This alley formerly was a haven for urban campers and a place for drinking and drug usage, and now is a great place for dog walking, biking and strolling. The more of our neighbors who now use this trail for legitimate reasons, the more unattractive it is for illicit activities. Thanks to Zone 6 and FBAC for adding this to their patrol routes. http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/our-town-atlanta/ng6ds/.
Face Sketch of the Recent Freedom Park Trail Attacker
There is now a “face” attached to this Candler Park trail attacker at http://www.ajc.com/news/news/sketch-released-of-suspect-in-freedom-parkway-trai/ng6kq/. Please remember that when out jogging, walking or biking stay alert at all times, whether on one of our area trails or city streets.
Body Mounted Police Cameras
I’ve always wondered when this concept was coming to APD and it may well be on the way – not going to be an inexpensive project though. http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/atlanta-police-chief-looks-body-mounted-cameras-of/ng66q
Contacting APD
Thanks to Rosedale Drive Street Captain Kay Stephenson for penning a great essay about how to contact APD. There are so many new residents here in VaHi all the time and this information needs to be repeated.
“911 is the number to call for both emergencies and non-emergencies. When you call a precinct or zone headquarters, the phone is answered by an officer, but he has no ability to dispatch field officers, or take any action. Our 911 call center is staffed to handle these calls. The precincts and zone headquarters are not. The operators who take the initial 911 calls are trained to prioritize calls and then hand them off to dispatchers for APD, AFR and Grady EMT’s. If the call is not an emergency, it will be appropriately added to the queue and addressed as time permits. The good thing about a system such as this is that all information is captured and tracked from the first call. Calling other APD numbers actually just mucks up the system. An abandoned car may not be an emergency, but it also might be the missing link to solving a serious case, so having it immediately added to tracking databases is important. A non-emergency 311 call center is being worked on – but is not ready to roll out yet, so until that time please do call 911 for everything.”
The following reports are taken from our APD Zone 6 (http://atlantapd.org/Zone6.aspx) VaHi Beat 601 reported incidents for the 2014 weeks 31, 32 and 33 (7/27-8/16). These reports are not meant to scare anyone, but to let you know what happens around us everyday, so you can be alert and aware.
Aggravated Assault: No reported incidents from Beat 601.
Auto Theft: A 2004 Honda CRV was taken from Briarcliff Court.
Commercial Burglary: No reported incidents from Beat 601.
Residential Burglary: At a Greenwood Avenue apartment, the resident victim opened the door to the suspect who had come back to retrieve some items he had left behind earlier – after an argument he grabbed her phone and fled. The suspect was found later thanx to the “Find My iPhone” app and was arrested. On Lanier Boulevard, a door and window were pried open for entry – but nothing reported missing.
Commercial Robbery: No reported incidents from Beat 601. At the Walgreen store at Piedmont and North Avenues, a simple shoplifting incident was upgraded to a robbery, when the suspect pushed an employee. Unfortunately the suspect fled and escaped.
Pedestrian Robbery: No reported incidents from Beat 601.
Larceny From Vehicle: Of the reported 110 such incidents all over Zone 6 in this 3 week time period, amazingly enough, there were only 6 Beat 601 reports. Briarcliff Place (gps), Greenwood Avenue ( headphones & cash), Virginia Avenue (radio face plate & gps), Elmwood Drive (license plate taken), PDL Avenue (backpack, 3 suitcases and contents, laptop, $300 cash,and a hard drive), Lanier Boulevard (laptop and backpack).
Keep walking behind your vehicle periodically to make sure you still have a license plate.
Larceny Other: At an un-named North Highland Avenue bar, a patron playing shuffleboard put her purse under the table and it was gone when she finished the game. Two witnesses reportedly saw the theft, but evidently no one said or did anything at the time, and the thief (who was wearing a waiter’s apron) got away. At the PDL Avenue library, a wallet and its contents was stolen from a patron’s laptop bag.
Nearby at the PDL Avenue Kroger and Publix stores – two shoplifting incidents reported. At the Publix and Walgreen stores at Piedmont and North Avenues – 3 shoplifting incidents reported. At the Edgewood Retail District Target, Ross and Kroger stores 17 shoplifting incidents were reported resulting in 16 arrests. At this Kroger store, a suspect took a 6-pack of beer into a men’s room stall, drinking two of the cans before security could get at him.
If shopping is on your bucket list for Labor Day weekend – stay alert even though these guys are off the street. http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/atlanta-police-arrest-second-suspect-phipps-plaza-/ng592/.
Have a good holiday weekend, and remember the Clean Car Campaign – ALL parked cars cleaned out at ALL times.