VaHi Safety Team Report: August 5, 2014

By: John Wolfinger

Watch Out For Pedestrians!!!

Thanks to Mary Stouffer for pointing out this very enlightening pictorial article about pedestrian/motorist laws: http://peds.org/wp-content/uploads/4754-ROW14.pdf.

Got Kids (or Grandkids) and Firearms???

Interesting and helpful tips about storing firearms in your household and vehicles at http://www.ncpc.org/topics/safe-firearms-storage/safe-firearms-storage.

Citywide Code Enforcement Meeting Saturday August 16

This should be a very informative session as to how our APD code enforcement section has to operate. Visit http://www.atlantadistrict6.com and scroll down to the bottom of Councilman Wan’s page for details. This will be from 9 am until noon in the Civic Center meeting rooms. This will be of particular interest to those residents who are being impacted by the urban campers at 1001 St. Charles Avenue who cannot be removed because of the current convoluted ownership situation of this property. APD has to have the property owners issue trespassing warrants – which is the problem with this property. Is it time to change the rules?  Attend this meeting and find out. We should have a big group present about this problem property (and any other neighborhood problem addresses), so be sure to register the addresses before you attend to get answers.

The following reports are taken from our APD Zone 6: http://atlantapd.org/Zone6.aspx. VaHi Beat 601 reported incidents for the 2014 weeks 25,26,27,28,29 and 30 (6/15 – 7/26). Note the long time period, which deviates from my usual every other week report. Zone 6 is now caught up and should be back to their usual weekly reporting. 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: On 7/17 at the Frederica Street construction site for new condos, our known problem person, Danny Entrekin, was arrested for the attack on the property owner with a box cutter and chunk of concrete after he was asked to leave the property.  No injuries reported.  Entrekin was charged with a city charge – so he might be back on the street by now.

On PDL Avenue a highly intoxicated female victim with visible bruises was told by a 3rd party to make a police report of physical attack. The accused w/m suspect was present at the time and denied the attack. This happened at the Open Door on PDL Avenue.

Auto Theft: On 6/23 at 1:45 a.m., an APD Officer attempted a traffic stop on PDL Avenue for a vehicle without lit headlights, they did not stop, sped away and crashed at Linwood and North Avenues with the driver and passenger fleeing on foot. This vehicle had just been stolen from Greenwood Avenue by the 2 males (one armed) who took the key from the owner who was standing on the sidewalk with friends. The handgun was recovered in the wrecked vehicle. Other stolen vehicles were – PDL Avenue, 2003 Ford Ranger – PDL Avenue, an unsuccessful theft attempt damaged a 2005 Honda CRV (2 laptops taken though) – St. Charles Avenue, 1997 Jeep Cherokee (recovered and arrrest made) – Greenwood Avenue, 2005 BMW (recovered) – Virginia Avenue, 2000 Jeep Cherokee – Highland View, 2007 Honda Civic.

Commercial Burglary: No reported incidents from Beat 601.

Residential Burglary: An under renovation house on Briarcliff Road was entered via a broken window and tools stolen.

Commercial Robbery: No reported incidents from Beat 601.

Residential Robbery: No reported incidents from Beat 601.

Pedestrian Robbery: On 7/13 the female victim called for an Uber cab to pick her up in front of 818 North Highland Avenue. A tan Mercury Gran Marquis pulled up, driven by a b/m and said he was her driver. On the way to the requested destination of Boulevard/Edgewood Avenue he stopped and got out for a while, but then got her to her destination where she saw her waiting friends on the sidewalk, but he drove to a secluded spot where he demanded (without a weapon) her cash. She gave him $40 and he then drove back to Edgewood Avenue, where the victim exited while he was stopped, and flagged down an APD patrol car to give this report. The Mercury did not have an Uber sticker and the victim was not hurt.

On 7/18 at 8:45 p.m., a w/f that had been walking back and forth in front of Moe’s and Joe’s patio, suddenly grabbed a cell phone and purse from a table. One of the males at the table gave chase and grabbed the purse, but the suspect fled.  The responding Officer caught the female suspect on Vance Avenue and an arrest was made.

Larceny From Vehicle: Yeah – you are right, this is a long list and this is only the reported such incidents. I’m sure there were many more intrusions that were not reported. Frederica Street – 1 report, PDL Avenue – 2 reports, Greenwood Avenue – 1 report, St. Charles Avenue – 3 reports, Maiden Lane – 1 report, North Highland Avenue – 3 reports, Virginia Avenue – 1 report, Maryland Avenue – 1 report, Adair Avenue – 1 report, Drewry Street – 1 report, Elmwood Drive – 1 report, Cooledge Avenue – 1 report, Orme Circle – 1 report, Vance Avenue – 1 report. Some of the reports of note – on Rosedale Drive a key to a vacation home was taken from a vehicle and used to try to gain admittance to the adjacent house – the noise alerted the homeowner and the thief was scared away. In the back parking lot of the Druid Hills Presbyterian Church locked lawn care equipment was taken from the back of a truck – but thanx to Lt. Roberson and Officers Somers and Irving, an arrest was made. Lawn care equipment was also stolen from an open trailer on Lanier Boulevard.In this 6 week period there were 278 such vehicle intrusions reported all over Zone 6!!!

Larceny Other: On Briarcliff Court a social security card, cash and a birth certificate were stolen by a visiting stranger. At the Urban Body on PDL Place – 2 male suspects entered when the employee went to the back room and took cash from the drawer along with a laptop. At the Briarcliff Summit a tenant lost a rented x-box and desktop computer taken by a visiting cousin. A UPS package was taken from a North Highland Avenue front porch. On PDL Avenue a street dispute between victim and known suspect resulted in a cell phone being taken from the victim. On Virginia Avenue, tires were taken from a chained bicycle in an outside stairway. In a North Highland bar, the victim advised she mislaid her purse on the bar (containing 2 I-phones, watch and wallet) but was too tired to report it immediately. The purse and some items werre recovered by police.

Nearby, our PDL Avenue Kroger and Publix stores reported 4 shoplifters, the Publix and Walgreen stores at Piedmont and North Avenues reported 11 shoplifting incidents and all Edgewood Retail District stores reported 20 shopliftings. Also at the Edgewood Kroger, yet another unwatched purse was taken from a shopping cart.

Even though school has started – there is plenty of summer left, so enjoy it safely, and keep ALL parked cars cleaned out at ALL times.