Crime & Safety

VaHi Safety Team Report

Crime report and more

The VaHi Safety Team Report, compiled by Virginia-Highland resident John Wolfinger, is intended to update residents on recent crimes. The information in the report is provided by the Atlanta Police department.

The following report was sent to residents via e-mail on Wednesday, June 1.

Summerfest This Weekend 

Find out what's happening in Virginia Highland-Druid Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Leading the Friday evening parade this year will be our well-known and well-loved Officer Cooper, formerly from our evening watch shift.  Actually he will be sharing the lead position with Midtown's Baton Bob - and yes, Officer Cooper has been warned! 

Officer Cooper has been transferred now to our Zone 6 Field Investigation Team, and as such, we will now be sharing him with the rest of the Zone - though he promises to give our Beat 603 some special consideration.  So - cheer him on in the parade and wish him well in his new assignment. 

Find out what's happening in Virginia Highland-Druid Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If you have not yet signed up for a Summerfest volunteer slot - go to  http://vahi.org/summerfest/volunteers.html.  This is also a good way to meet your neighbors and form new friendships.  

New Teen Curfew 

We have had a teen curfew ordinance on the books for years - but I don't think it has ever really been enforced.  Now it will, and a very timely idea.  http://www.ajc.com/news/city-officials-call-for-963275.html 

Stolen Checks From Mailboxes? 

I recently received word that there have been at least two cases of stolen IRS checks being stolen from mailboxes on Barnett Street front porches.  Are there any other cases of such thefts here in the neighborhood?  Direct deposit of such checks is an easy way to thwart this type of thievery.  

The following reports are gleaned from the APD Zone 6 crime stats for the weeks 20 and 21 of 2011, with emphasis on our Beat 603, but with news from around the Zone as it applies to us.  Again, I state, these reports are not meant to scare anyone, but to make you aware of what happens all around us everyday (and nite). 

Aggravated Assault  -  No reports from Beat 603.  But, at the infamous Intown Suites motel on Piedmont Circle a noontime shooting left two male victims shot in the stomach. 

Auto Theft  -  Locked and chained scooters were taken from the Briarcliff Summit parking garage and from the back porch of a Briarcliff Road residence.  A rental car was stolen from a North Highland Avenue parking lot.  I'm going to let you read the Patch story about this vehicle theft -  

Auto Theft Recovery  -  No reports from Beat 603 

Residential Burglary  -  No reports from Beat 603But nearby, there were 3 middle- of- the- nite home burglaries, all committed while the residents slept.  5/18 on North Pelham Road and two incidents on 5/19 on Wimbledon Road and Flagler Avenue in Piedmont Heights.  No residents were injured in these invasions. 

Residential Robbery -  No reports from Beat 603 

Commercial Burglary  -  No reports from Beat 603 

Commercial Robbery  -  No reports from Beat 603 But, nearby, 3 drugstores - the Rite-Aid on Piedmont Avenue, the Rite-Aid on PDL Avenue and the CVS on Cheshire Bridge Road were all robbed by the "grandma bandit".  The story at http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2011/05/31/weirdest-weekend-news-grandma-bandit-a-biological-man 

Larceny From Auto -  This report is troubling, in that we are slipping back to where we were a couple of years ago with far too many auto break-ins.  This is a crime category that we all can help to keep low by simply keeping all parked cars cleaned out!!!  Vehicles were broken into on St. Charles Place, Briarcliff Place, Arcadia Street, PDL Place (2), St. Charles Avenue (3), Virginia Avenue, and St. Augustine Place.  Of these 10 reported incidents - 5 were neighborhood owners and 5 were from out of the neighborhood. All around the Zone in this 2 week time period, there were 3 license plates taken off (keep checking to make sure yours is still on your vehicle), 9 more GPS systems stolen, 12 laptops taken and yet another handgun added to the arsenal already on the streets. 

Larceny Other  -  At the PDL Avenue Blockbuster a perp stole 4 dvd's and escaped - an alert employee driving home saw the guy on PDL Avenue in Midtown, called 911 and the perp was apprehended.  Thanx to this person for being so alert!  FedEx packages were stolen from Frederica Street.  Remember we can thwart this type of theft by having your intended deliveries made to the safe address locations at Intown Hardware, CityStorage, Urban Body and Highland Wine and Crystal.  Just go by any of these friendly merchants and sign up for this free program.  This is so easy to make sure you receive what you order.  Why take chances? 

Copper thefts continue at a rapid rate all over the Zone with 12 reports in this time period - mostly A/C thefts from vacant houses and small churches.  Alert Rosedale Road neighbors stopped such an A/C unit  theft at a vacant house on 5/16.  Good neighbors are our best first-line of defense! 

Pedestrian Robbery  -  One reported incident - read the story at   

If you were frustrated at this year's Piedmont Park jazz festival - voice your opinions at    

Remember the Clean Car Campaign - if you don't clean out your parked car - chances are someone else will !!!  Warn your neighbors and visitors - especially the Summerfest visitors. 

Stay alert and enjoy Summerfest 

John


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