VaHi Safety Team Report

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 Saturday, June 25.

Copper Thefts  

This category of thefts continues to run rampant, with 8 reports of A/C thefts just in Zone 6 for weeks 24 and 25.  Hard hit have been vacant houses, apartment buildings, and small churches.  I would strongly suggest that real estate agents get to know the neighbors near your listings, so they can keep watch on the a/c units.  Two recent stories about this big problem at - http://m.ajc.com/news/how-to-avoid-being-984263.html  and http://m.ajc.com/news/a-c-copper-thefts-983615.html

Door-to-Door Solicitors  

There have been a lot of reports recently about a clean-cut twenty-something w/m asking for donations to mostly sports-related causes, who states he lives nearby whatever street he is on, often holding checks in his hand.  He is evidently well-mannered til he is turned down and then becomes rude.  So far, it seems as though he is just running a scam and not casing houses. But you know the drill by now - report him to 911 with a good physical description and which way he is heading after leaving your front porch - after talking to him through your closed door. I also received a report from Piedmont Heights of a young b/m with a clipboard on Wimbledon Road 6/24 stating he was with AT&T - when asked for ID, he ran down the driveway and fled.  911 was called.  Remember that any door-to-door soliciting is unlawful after 8 p.m. I also heard that the meat salesmen have been back - selling steaks from a cooler on the back of their pickup truck.  If they get ignored enough here - hopefully they will move on to other neighborhoods.

Vehicle Break-ins  

Some recent incidents on Rosedale Road, Rosedale Drive and Briarcliff Place where the streetside window was broken, and in many cases, nothing taken from the vehicle, suggest the siege we had a couple of years ago where it was teenagers joyriding and breaking windows with a baseball bat - remember this?  Do we have any nite-owls in this area who could keep a front-porch watch (with cell phones handy) to see if this could be stemmed?  Naturally, this will only work for folks who have a front porch where you can be hidden - yet see the street.  It might only take a few nites of such a watch to spot the perps.  Anyone willing for such an assignment?  APD and FBAC can only be at one place at a time.   This category of crime still continues to plague the city - not just our neighborhood.  What applies to Zone 5 across the BeltLine from us applies here too -   I keep hearing about so many such incidents on Rosedale Road - yet there is only one reported incident from this street this report and none on my last report - which tells me these are NOT being called in to 911.  Yeah - I realize it is a pain to make these reports, but Zone 6 does not know these break-ins are happening if they don't get 911 reports.  

The following reports are gleaned from our Zone 6 crime stats for the weeks of 24 and 25 for 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 around us everyday and to raise your level of alertness.

Aggravated Assault  -  Between 3 and 4 a.m. a St. Charles Avenue male resident was leaving a North Highland Avenue bar when he was jumped by 2 w/m who beat him up and left.  As the victim walked home (evidently solo) one of the attackers came back, cutting him on the back of the neck and then fled in a cab.  The victim then called 911, stated he did not know why he was attacked and was taken to Grady for treatment.  

Auto Theft  -  On Barnett Street at 11:30 p.m. the female victim (sleeping on the couch) left her front door unlocked, and her purse with her car keys was stolen along with her car parked in front.  

Auto Theft Recovery  -  No reported incidents in Beat 603  

Residential Burglary  -  No reported incidents in Beat 603.  Around Zone 6 in this time period 4 houses were entered via a kicked-in door.  Also, a reminder to keep your house doors locked at ALL times - remember the rash of middle-of-the-nite house break-ins earlier this month in Ansley Park, Piedmont Heights and Morningside.  These were all  entered with no signs of forced entry.   and also 

Residential Robbery  -  No reported incidents in Beat 603  

Commercial Burglary  -  No reported incidents in Beat 603  

Commercial Robbery  -  No reported incidents in Beat 603  

Larceny From Vehicle  -  Vehicles were broken into on Monroe Drive, St. Charles Avenue, Bonaventure Avenue, Virginia Avenue, Barnett Street (3), Rosedale Drive (4), Rosedale Road, and PDL Terrace (license plate taken).  There were two cases of roof-top bicycle racks taken from Greenwood Avenue and Drewry Street - these require tools to remove, would take a while to get off and then require a vehicle to haul them off.  Sounds like someone stealing to fill orders - there was also such a rack taken from Virginia Circle earlier this month.  Anyone have any ideas as to how these racks can be better secured?  Let me know and I'll pass on. All around Zone 6 in this time period there were 3 GPS systems taken, 5 laptops stolen, one catalytic converter sawed off, one license plate unbolted, and one tire taken off.  Another liquor delivery man left his truck unlocked on Moreland Avenue and lost 10 cases of Crown Royal - anybody been approached by someone selling Crown Royal on PDL Avenue?  

Larceny Other  -  Two bicycles stolen from an Elmwood Drive backyard - HIDE those bikes inside somehow!!!  A bottle of liquor was taken from behind the bar at Noche on Virginia Avenue - the thief was confronted by an employee who was punched in the face by the perp who ran, but was chased by police and was caught.  DVDs were shoplifted at the PDL Avenue Blockbuster store - he fled in a car.  A cell phone was stolen from a locker at a Midtown gym - it was traced to a Briarcliff Summit resident, who was arrested at his apartment there. Yet another unwatched purse was taken from a shopping cart at the Edgewood Target.  This Target store also caught 7 shoplifters in this time period.  Our PDL Avenue Kroger and Publix stores caught two shoplifters.  

Pedestrian Robbery  -  No reported incidents in Beat 603.   It has been quite a while since I have seen any reported thefts or break-ins at 609 Virginia Avenue (the Virginia Highland Apartments) - can I give our Street Captains in this complex some credit for alerting their fellow residents to keep their parked cars cleaned out?  Whatever the reason, am glad to see this parking lot is evidently not on the must-visit list for our local thieves now.  

Remember the Clean Car Campaign - keep parked cars cleaned out at all times, and remind your visitors too.  

Stay alert and stay safe!

John