VaHi Safety Team Report: March 13, 2014

By: John Wolfinger

Fulton County Sheriff’s Citizen’s Academy

Sheriff Ted Jackson has announced a new session of his Sheriff’s Citizen’s Academy starting on the evening of 4/23/14 and continuing on Wednesday evenings for 6 weeks. I was a graduate of the first of these sessions a couple of years ago and I highly recommend it. You will get to spend at least one evening behind bars at the Rice Street Jail and another evening inside the Fulton County Courthouse examining all of the security arrangements in place there. Most of the other sessions were held at the Fulton County training center in south Fulton County off Camp Creek Parkway. Hopefully you will get to enjoy a meal prepared by prisoners who are enrolled in the food prep course offered in the jail. Yes – the dinner we were served was very good and no, it was not typical of what is served to the general jail population. Further details can be had by sending an e-mail to Lieutenant Brian McGee at [email protected] An overview of the Sheriff’s department at http://www.fultonsheriff.org/ – it is a big department responsible for a myriad of functions, and these are enlightening classes.

Another Room Service Lounge Report

This saga continues on, even after the Mayor has signed the punishment recommendations from the License Review Board – yes they are still pouring. The story at http://clatl.com/atlanta/room-service-lounge-slapped-with-alcohol-code-violations/Content?oid=10677929.

The following reports are taken from our APD Zone 6 (http://atlantapd.org/Zone6.aspx) VaHi Beat 601 crime reports for the 2014 weeks 7 and 8 (2/9-2/22). Again, I state as always, these reports are not meant to scare anyone, but to raise your level of laertness as to what happens around us everyday.

Aggravated Assault – No reported incidents from Beat 601

Auto Theft – An unsuccessful attempt was made on Drewry Street resulting in a damaged door lock and ignition. A 2005 Honda Accord was stolen from PDL Avenue along with a wallet and its usual contents. An unsuccessful attempt was made on Greenwood Avenue of a 1999 Dodge Caravan leaving a damaged door lock and ignition. Also on Greenwood Avenue, a 2000 Jeep Cherokee was stolen and later recovered in the Old 4th Ward on Highland Avenue, with the usual damaged door lock and ignition. A 2003 Cadillac Seville was stolen from Virginia Avenue and yielded a bonus to the thief of a revolver.

Commercial Burglary – No reported incidents from Beat 601.

The Liberty Tax Service on PDL Avenue near Kennesaw was entered via the same window used a few weeks earlier with drill bits and a bag of snacks taken, an unsuccessful attempt was made to take the flatscreen off the wall.Residential Burglary – No reported incidents from Beat 601.

Commercial Robbery – No reported incidents from Beat 601.

However, nearby, two shoplifting incidents became robberies when the suspects resisted arrest and fought with security guards – at the Edgewood Target and at the Dollar Store on North Avenue. Both of these guys would have gotten minimal sentences for shoplifting, but will now get stronger sentencing for robbery.

Residential Robbery – No reported incidents from Beat 601.

Pedestrian Robbery – No reported incidents from Beat 601.

Larceny From Vehicle – Vehicles were entered on Clemont Drive, Cooledge Avenue and two on North Highland Avenue. All around the Zone in this time period there were 40 such reported incidents.

Larceny Other – On St. Charles Avenue a chained front porch bicycle had the seat and tire pump stolen from it. Front porches are NOT safe places to keep bicycles – unfortunately your front porch is not as private as you may think it is. A stolen vehicle was used to try to open or dislodge the ATM next to the North Highland Avenue post office – as you probably saw, this attempt was unsuccessful. The slightly wrecked vehicle was left at the scene. Two cell phones were taken from MJQ Club patrons – but the perp was caught and the phones returned to the owners.

Elsewhere in the Zone the PDL Avenue Publix caught 3 shoplifters – one of whom had taken 5 boxes of laxatives and a box of wipes (you read into this whatever you want to). The Edgewood Target store caught a shoplifter who had items in his buggy covered by his jacket who went past the registers and went to the return desk for a refund. When that request was refused, he tried to wheel the buggy out of the store, but was nabbed. At a Moreland Avenue construction site – 3 dumpsters were stolen.

A nasty cold kept me from attending the safety meeting on Cascade Road called by Fulton County Commission chair John Eaves on 3/6 – but I hear there was nothing settled. If there will be another such meeting on this side of the city – I’ll let you know.