AJC > Sandy Springs > Blog > Archives > 2009 > February > 09 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USSuburbs aren’t immune to crime
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There was a time when people moved out to the suburbs to get away from crime. The cities were dens of iniquity and the ‘burbs were the place no one ever locked their door, folks watched out for each other, and the deer and the antelope played.
But, since the beginning of the year, we’ve read about the police making an arrest of what appeared to be a gambling operation in the Huntcliff subdivision. It wasn’t that long ago that a few miles north, in one of those really expensive neighborhoods, there was a thriving prostitution ring operating.
And of late our neighborhood association has alerted us that some cars have been broken into in our neighborhood. Any day now I expect to see Tony Soprano and Paulie Walnuts sipping their espresso outside one of the coffee places on Roswell Road.
Has crime moved to the suburbs? Is there nowhere safe to live?
The answers are crime comes as soon as the bad people realized they can do “business” — and no there is no place that is truly safe. That is, if you define safe as a 100 percent guarantee you will never risk being the victim of a crime.
So it gets down to two choices; live in fear or be vigilant and smart. The former might have some advantages go for it, though none I can see.
The latter seems like a smarter way to go. And it doesn’t require building a panic room in your house or buying an arsenal of handguns — though you’re free to do one or both. For me, I prefer following the advice of those who know.
First, and this is advice from the police, use common sense. Don’t leave anything in your car that might be worth stealing. That means your briefcase, mobile phone, laptop, mp3 player, GPS, etc. And lock your car every time you get out. If you think that’s over the top a friend said they had their car broken into and their gym bag stolen. All the thief got was some sweaty clothes, but the car owner had to deal with a broken window and an insurance claim.
The same applies to your house. It’d be great to think we don’t need to lock our doors, but this ain’t Mayberry. Make sure you have plenty of outdoor lighting so someone can’t sneak in and be aware of anything that looks out of place, like a car you don’t recognize repeatedly cruising the neighborhood. Our police department has a number of community outreach programs; use them.
And realize that things no matter what, crime will happen but we can’t give into fear.
On Valentine’s Day 15 years ago my son and I came home at night to find the back door smashed in. I backed out of the driveway and called the police. After an officer secured the house I found nothing had been taken. The insurance company sent a crew that night to temporarily secure the door.
I didn’t sleep well and thought of going to a motel but I knew I had to stay. It was my home.
My home.
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By Dan
February 9, 2009 12:29 PM | Link to this
All your commentary does is reinforce the actuality that it is safer in the burbs. First of all when people move away from crime it is to avoid random violence either accidental (stry bullets) or predatory (muggings etc.) A gambling operation or a prostitution ring while certainly criminal is not what people were running from. They have no fear of either, distaste perhaps, but not fear As far as car break ins or home breakins where nothing was taken. All the precautions you mentioned are as on the mark as they are painfully obvious. The fact that you find them worthy of mention (intown folks would laugh) just supports the fact that it is far less common for these things in the suburbs.
By Jim Osterman
February 9, 2009 12:33 PM | Link to this
Dan:
Thanks for chiming in — why would intown residents laugh?
By Dan
February 9, 2009 12:33 PM | Link to this
Forgot to finish, a reasonable person should realize no place is immune, however the suburbs are still far safer than the inner city. Your comments speak to the preparedness of people in different areas as opposed to the areas themselves
By Frank J
February 9, 2009 12:33 PM | Link to this
We live next door in Dunwoody. Since last fall, EVERY house on our cul-de-sac (that wasn’t already) has become armed, and those of us who felt like we needed it have received firearms training (most of us have gotten concealed carry permits, too). We all communicate regularly as to who will be out of town, and when. ANY suspicious vehicle or person spotted on the cul-de-sac street is confronted immediately, and we all have each others’ cell numbers entered in our phones and ready to call. Two retired couples coordinate keeping a watch on the street during the day. Several of us have large dogs who stay outside during the day, and will bark at strangers.
None of that ensures that crime won’t hit our street, but chances are any thug who tries something will come out on the short end. I hate that it’s come to this, but none of us has ANY inclination to become a passive victim.
By Dan
February 9, 2009 12:40 PM | Link to this
You don’t have to live intown very long to realize not to leave things of value in plain sight in your car or even in your home unless you want them taken, its common sense thus the laughter from the intowners. If you do this in town you are almost certainly be broken into within a week or so. In the burbs you could go for quite a while without incident, this is why people tend to let their guard down and it tends to make headlines.
By Emily
February 9, 2009 12:45 PM | Link to this
To the author:
You might want to proofread your article before your submit it. It appears that you just sent in the first draft and never bothered to check it for grammatical errors.
By Jim Osterman
February 9, 2009 12:48 PM | Link to this
Frank J:
Some good points. I won’t argue with anyone who wants to have a gun — but I like to hear that several of your neighbors have been trained on how to use them.
But I do fear the neighbor with the gun and zero training. You?
By Steve
February 9, 2009 12:56 PM | Link to this
I live in town. Please, folks, if you do have guns in the house, lock them and hide the ammo when not in use…burglars will use them on your neighbors if they break in and find them. Big problem.
Just use common sense. If you buy a flat screen TV, dispose of the box elsewhere, close your blinds as much as possible, and walk the house at night with the TV on and make sure you can’t see the blue glow. That’s what they look for. They want your electronics.
Motion lights around the house, kick plates on the door frames, and large, loud dogs are good deterrents. If they don’t think you have anything, and see the deterrents, they will move on.
Defintely get to know your neighbors, and join your neighborhood security patrol. Here in Grant Park it’s only $35 a quarter for an off duty police officer, and we have a patrol going 40 hours a week now. Don’t depend on the police, they are strapped, short of man power.
By clayton county
February 9, 2009 12:57 PM | Link to this
Normally, the writers in the AJC point to the high crime in Clayton County as “proof that crime has come to the suburbs” but we all know what’s really going on down there…
By lovelyliz
February 9, 2009 1:01 PM | Link to this
My overly paranoid sister-in-law moved to the suburbs of the suburb to get away from those people, rarely coming in to visit my more urban home. If you look on-line at those websites that identify where sexual predators and felons live, guess who has more in their neighbor hood.
I’ll give you a clue - it’s not me
Crime can and does exist everywhere.
By sam
February 9, 2009 1:07 PM | Link to this
Evil is very much upon us. Buy a gun, train yourself to use it and get ready!!!!!!!!!!!!
By What now???
February 9, 2009 1:12 PM | Link to this
It would be interesting to see a map of the entire metro area with dots placed for violent crime on it. It is a reality that there is more crime in the burbs now, but I still would bet huge dollares that there are certain areas where the crime incidence is a multiple of most of the burbs…Southwest Atlanta, Clayton Cty, the southern parts of downtown ATL.
Where are “concentrations”?
By Frank J
February 9, 2009 1:15 PM | Link to this
Good points on firearm safety. Speaking for ours, we keep them locked in a lockbox and/or with hefty trigger locks on if left at home during the day (they are unlocked at night, then locked back in the morning … keys on our keychains). Some of us, like me, have been handling firearms all our lives; others not (I have strongly urged them to get training). No one that I know of has anything “high powered,” likely to shoot through brick into the house next door (mostly shotguns, a few 9mms). No “hotheads” or “loose cannon” types amongst the neighbors, as far as I can tell. It’s not like the firearm purchases were some planned endeavor. We all just sit around and talk outside regularly. We all have seen the deterioration of the atmosphere around the Perimeter Mall area, especially at night (huge change over last 2-3 years, unfortunately). Most of us get police reports from the area, showing an increase in robberies and burglaries. None of us, I think, enjoy taking these precautions; however, we will do whatever is necessary to protect our families and homes.
By got out!
February 9, 2009 1:19 PM | Link to this
Had just moved into an area below I-20 for a short time I had a local police officer stop by to tell me I better close my garage door since it had just gotten dark. I knew I was in trouble then! One break-in and three more attempted break-ins later within a two month period. I now live on the north part of town outside Atlanta (although not perfect) its nothing like it was down there!
By dell
February 9, 2009 1:28 PM | Link to this
I lived,(7 years ago) in a small town, with only 30k. My house was broken into so much that I had to get a security system. They continued to break in, and each time they took something. One time was when my husband came to pick me up from work(30 min.) they took electronic equipment. I had to finally move to the outskirts of this small town, because I felt unsafe. I now live in the suburbs of a larger city(100k),and we have a homeowners association that hires off duty policemen to make us feel safer. Even out here, cars are broken into that are left in the driveways. I put my car inside the garage, and lock the door that leads to the house.There is never anything in my car worth stealing. My Bible is always on the front seat, and no one takes it. I leave the lights on outside, and I watch my neighbors homes when I am not working. I know their habits, and I hope they know mine.
By harold
February 9, 2009 1:55 PM | Link to this
Taking the day off, huh Jim Osterman?
By knoxgrad
February 9, 2009 1:58 PM | Link to this
Some good points. One thing, though. I live in East Point - not a low crime area at all. But I never lock my car door. Here’s why: I don’t leave anything of value in it, but if a thief decides they want to break in, I’d rather just lose a gym bag with sweaty clothes than deal with a broken window and the expense of replacing it. In the three years I’ve lived in East Point, my car has only been opened once, and all they got was some spare change from the ashtray.
By JB
February 9, 2009 2:32 PM | Link to this
People usually target like people. We live in East Point and haven’t had any trouble even though our ghetto neighbors are regulars to the crime report. I can’t figure out why anyone under 40 wants to live in the ‘burbs. It baffels me.
By Earl
February 9, 2009 2:55 PM | Link to this
It’s comical to the point of being sad about ‘intowners’ and how they can’t understand how anyone would want to live OTP and in the same breath they talk about how they have to chain their garbage cans to the porch to keep them from being stolen. Face it, crime is out of control in this city and parts of Atlanta are more dangerous than the current state of affiars in Iraq. Our elected city offcials are impotent in their ability to keep us safe. Guns sales in the metro area are currently at an all time high, so are permits to carry them. I now have to wait in line on any given Saturday morning at the firing range I go to because it’s becoming so crowded. Grant Park is too dangerous to live in these days. Citizens are staging Stop the Crime rallies because they’ve had enough and at the same time we have a shortage of cops on the streets. Atlanta will never, ever elect the type of people who will be tough on crime, it won’t happen. We keep electing the same people who turn their backs on crime. When we showed the world that Atlanta allows a man that killed a judge, a cop, a federal agent and a court reporter escape the death pnealty we said to all the killers, move to Atlanta we’ll protect you but we won’t protect our law abidding citizens. Only recently, the first time in twenty one years and all the murders in DeKalb County in those twenty-one years did they recently sentence a man to death. Almost everyone I know now carries a lega and permitted gun and we bleieve in the death penalty and I know for a fact I won’t hesitate for a second to use deadly force if I feel the need to and it is legal in Georgia.
By Check yo self
February 9, 2009 2:58 PM | Link to this
I live in the suburbs, ITP, but not down/midtown. I bought myself a handgun 5 days after the election and keep a loaded .22 under the bed. I promise all would-be burglars, I will show you no mercy should you set foot on my property, and have no compunction about putting a slug between your eyeballs.
By JJ
February 9, 2009 3:11 PM | Link to this
I have lived all over the Atlanta area for the last 31 years. I have never, ever, ever been a victim of ANY kind of crime. I have lived off Memorial Drive, Cobb Parkway, Peachtree Industrial blvd, Stone Mountain, Decatur, Dunwoody, Norcross, Duluth, and now the Buford area.
Never had my car broken into, my home broken into, vandalism, etc.
I have lived at numerous apartment complexes, homes, etc. Nothing.
Talk to your neighbors. Get to know your neighbors. Know their habits. Get to know the person walking their dog every day.
Just this past weekend, I went out Saturday to run some errands, and was out for a couple of hours and left the sliding glass door open, and the screen door shut.
I have slept with the basement door unlocked.
I feel very safe. I also have two dogs who love to bark at EVERYTHING.
By Jim Osterman
February 9, 2009 3:11 PM | Link to this
Let me ask — can anyone define a “safe” place to live anywhere in the metro area?
By kw
February 9, 2009 3:17 PM | Link to this
Earl:
Out of curiosity, where do you live (in the city or in the suburbs)?
Grant Park too dangerous to live in these days?
Parts of Atlanta more dangerous than Iraq?
Stop with the BS sensationalism…I have numerous friends in that area (and I live about 10 mins from there) and that’s just silly about being “too dangerous to live”. And I still think I would venture to walk (or at least drive) through most any part of Atlanta before I would do the same in Baghdad.
However, I agree with a number of your points related to the lax criminal justice system.
By NICK
February 9, 2009 3:29 PM | Link to this
Where ever there are minorities, there will be violent crime! They are animals that breed like the plague…
By Earl
February 9, 2009 3:33 PM | Link to this
kw, my son lived in Grant park until recently. Every single house on the street he lived on was broken into, not just a few but every single one was and some more than once. He couldn’t walk around in his own neighborhood at night. Do you find this okay? Perhpas we hear so much about crime on the news we are immune to it by now. I live just ouside the 285 beltway and yes, we’ve had our share of crime. It was in my neighborhood, my neighbor who about a year or so ago shot and killed a 17 year old that was attempting to rob him and his 72 year old wife returning home from shopping when the perp was shot in the head. He was dead before he hit the ground. When I went to work that morning his sorry dead butt was still in the yard covered by a sheet. This weekend two people killed two robbers in the metro area, in self defense. There are no safe places but we can be as safe as possible and be aware of our surroundings and use the letter of the law to defend ourselves. Don’t clump me in with the group of people you say will not use deadly force, I laugh when I hear that. fyi: I fire off about a thousand rounds a weekend at the range. There’s many, many more like me out there.
By DunwoodyResident
February 9, 2009 3:41 PM | Link to this
Home break-ins are on the rise in this area, Dunwoody. I have been around firearms all my life and have a fresh new Beretta 9MM, so be aware thieves! I work out of my basement office during the day and the gun is with me at all times, tucked away upstairs at night. I would be cautious about breaking in to peoples homes these days!
If you come into my basement office to rob me and I go to get my wallet out of my desk drawer, you best run
By Gerald
February 9, 2009 4:30 PM | Link to this
My wife and I have a plan if we hear the front or back door kicked in in the middle of the night. She knows to dive under the bed with her cell phone, while I wait for the crooks to come into the master bedroom, where they receive my .45 greetings!
By Jim Osterman
February 10, 2009 9:49 AM | Link to this
Again I ask — does anyone think there is a safe place to call home?
And does home safety have to include a gun?
By Duh
February 10, 2009 11:27 AM | Link to this
Of course home safety includes a gun (or a $20K safe room)! What else will your defense be? Are you leaving it up to “hope”? Hope that this guy/guys will just take what they want and leave? If I were that guy I’d hit that house again ASAP!
How would you feel going up against a pro football player with a machete? Look up Sean Taylor. He WAS a pro football player with a machete that was killed by a couple of little punks when they broke into his house.
Take responsibility for your own safety. The cops are great but they cannot be everywhere…
By vasily
February 10, 2009 6:26 PM | Link to this
Jim, to answer your question simply, there is no place that is completely safe. Sure, sometimes we feel safer then other times but there is a huge difference between being safe and feeling safe.
For example, my parents live in a small neighborhood in Alpharetta where the homes sit on 5 acre lots and the whole place feels like an oasis in an over commercialized and hyper developed community. I, on the other hand, own a condo off of Roswell Road just inside the Perimeter. Honestly, I FEEL much safer in my parents’ neighborhood then my own. Having that said, my parent’s neighborhood experienced an arson and a burglary within the last year. In my neighborhood, theft from vehicles is the most common crime. My point is that although I might FEEL safer in Alpharetta, this doesn’t make me ACTUALLY safe. Crime happens anywhere people live in community. Therefore, no community is immune.
Having that said, a gun does not make someone safe. It can help you FEEL safe, but without proper training, without situational awareness, and without a survivor mentality, the benefits of owning a firearm are reduced. I personally carry a subcompact automatic in the .40 variety. I am a believer in personal responsibility, and therefore, my personal safety is my responsibility and not that of the local law enforcement community. Don’t get me wrong, my firearm doesn’t make me safer. It does, however, give me the option of legally protecting myself and those close to me in the unlikely scenario where such force would be warranted. Call it an insurance policy.
Having that said, it is my constant prayer that I will never have to use my firearm or rely on my training.
Law enforcement agencies are generally over stretched and underfunded, yet they do a remarkable job of keeping the peace. The reality, however, is that when seconds count, the closest black & white is minutes away. To put it simply, police officers are much too heavy to carry around and impossible to conceal, so until an armed officer can instantly teleport to my side, my Springfield will have to do.
By rd
February 10, 2009 9:14 PM | Link to this
The “suburbs”… Roswell, Marietta, Norcross, Smyrna, Dunwoody, etc, etc, have sections that are just as urban as downtown. Most of south Cobb, southwest Gwinnett, southern North Fulton, Western Rockdale, etc, are just as urban as any of the intown neighborhoods.
By lawyer14
February 12, 2009 9:29 AM | Link to this
Vasily, I agree COMPLETELY!
By Jimbo
February 13, 2009 10:20 AM | Link to this
In response to one commenter: Definitely lock up your guns and get a large safe to do so. If you can afford $5-900 for a gun you can afford $800 for a heavy safe. It double as a place to store valuables and important papers and it can lower insurance costs as well and you can bolt the thing to the floor or a wall.. or both and even if you don’t, mine weighs about 800 pounds.. if they can get it out of the apartment they can have it.
In response to Jim: I don’t think HOME security HAS to involve a gun, but I think that in the right hands a gun certainly give the average home owner an edge over assailants, especially if there is more than one of them, that a bat or a golf club doesn’t offer.
I also carry outside the home and that behavior is a direct result of living on fourth street in mid-town. I look at it like this: I have insurance, a spare tire, a pocket knife, and a cell phone. I keep a survival/first aid kit in the trunk of my car as well as water and a flash light.. why wouldn’t I be prepared for a crime as well?
To Dan: As a guy who does security for a living I have to say, most people don’t practice situational awareness and it’s good for the public as a whole to have constant reminders of even the simplest preventative measures.
By nfmom
February 15, 2009 12:48 PM | Link to this
3 car break in’s in Wildwood springs neighborhood this weekend in Roswell……….People are getting crazy.
By bearcasey
February 17, 2009 10:52 AM | Link to this
I live in John’s Creek. A Comcast technician stole a pack of my checks which I foolishly left on my desk. Caused me lots of trouble. In spite of my providing tons of information to detective T.E. Jackson of the Fulton County police department, NOTHING was done. I’m glad that we have our own, local police force now. Fulton police suck.
By Sheldon B. Cohen MD
February 17, 2009 1:13 PM | Link to this
Dear Mr. Osterman,
Your article “‘Burbs not immune to crime, so be cautious (2/14)” is right on the mark. We are all much too passive and let bad things happen to us. As Edmund Birke said, the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
The people that break into our cars are generally not too bright and seize what they see as an opportunity. The damage they do to us is generally far more than the pittance they get out of most burglaries. I am quite sure that your neighbors could really outsmart these people and figure a way to set up a sting and catch them (If anybody would like suggestions from a forensic psychiatrist, I would be glad to share my thoughts).
Happy hunting.
Sheldon B. Cohen MD
By Jim Osterman
February 17, 2009 6:01 PM | Link to this
Again and again the best advice I have heard is to think ahead and make yourself and/or your home a less likely target. And let me add — never get lulled into thinking any strategy will be 100% effective every day.
As a policeman once told me crooks spend a lot of time thinking of ways to steal. Many make a career of it; thankfully most don’t have a long career.
Keep in touch Springsteens…..
By mo
February 19, 2009 2:19 PM | Link to this
If you have a gun under your pillow, I sure as heck hope you don’t have children in your house, or even children who come to visit. Do you worry more about keeping yourself safe from criminals or keeping your children safe from loaded guns?