View from the cop: Crime & punishment
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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2006 > August
August 2006
Get a crime plan for business travel
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here are two points that I would like to share:
Several cars, parked in hotel parking lots, were broken into Sunday night, and a whole bunch of items were taken. Ranging from laptops to wallets and golf clubs, a number of items were taken in about seven or eight incidents.
What perfect targets. Out of town people coming in on Sunday night for Monday meetings might leave everything in the car, especially if they’re back out of town on Monday night.
Hotel security probably focuses on the inside more than outside but you need to know that when you travel you become a better target because you don’t know the area, and unfortunately for most of us, we don’t err on the side of caution or prevention. Why drag all that stuff out of the car only to re-stock it the next morning. Most of us use the “I’ll park in front of the room� or plan B, known as “I’ll park within a hundred feet of the door.� When you travel, at least move the big stuff in for the night.
Here is the second point of the day: We had an armed robbery at a check-cashing store. The officer responded to the shop and noticed the video camera. The victim said it was fake. The fake camera is supposed to deter the bad guys. Obviously it didn’t. I found that very surprising given this was a check-cashing store. The loss was over $34,000 cash. I think with that amount on the line, I would get the real thing.
We love video. We make a lot of arrests on video and still photos. If you own a business, spend the money and get something you can record on. Then, we can work on the number three problem, putting tape in the machine. Believe it or not, probably a quarter of our robberies and other crimes that are committed in areas equipped with video don’t benefit from it due to human error meaning the tape wasn’t put in or was erased or somehow disabled by the employee.
If you own a business, have some in-service employee training and set a documented time frame for training on how to remove and restock video tape or otherwise hard-drive operation.
It is always the little things that bite us. Make sure that you put some time in your security plan for your business.
Real estate open houses rife with crime opportunities
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The resident of a Northland Drive home said that someone took her engagement ring from her master bedroom. The ring was next to two other rings, both left untouched. She said that her home is on the market and approximately 50 people have been inside the home.
What better way for a thief to go shopping than attend the local real estate open houses? We had a $50,000 jewelry theft a couple of years ago where the thief found a wall safe unlocked.
On open house dates, find one location that you can secure from the public and put your valuables there until everyone is gone.
Somewhat of a rookie mistake
A 55-year-old man was arrested after soliciting money from the gullible motorists on the Roswell Road ramp on I-285. During the arrest the man, who was intoxicated, told the officer that he would “blow your (%$&^$^)-ing head off and worst of all, called the officer a rookie.
FYI: When you give these guys money, they are NOT buying food. You aren’t helping things by giving them booze money.
In addition …
We logged about a dozen domestic violence arrest reports last week. We also received:
— A 911 call that someone was trapped in the clothing donation bin on Roswell Road. He wasn’t trapped. He just likes to sleep there at night. The caller said she opened the bin, slid the clothing through, and the box said, “Thank you.”
— My usual 5-6 calls on subjects ranging from UFOs to the government’s secret wiretaps illegally installed in their homes. I do return the calls but when they answer the phone all I do is make explicit grunting, groaning and moaning sounds.
Lock your doors and set your alarms and remember that your 911 call is free. Don’t second-guess yourself out of calling us if you see something that doesn’t seem right.
Friday free-for-all
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
— A 24-year old man was arrested at Roswell and Dalrymple roads and charged with aggressive driving in connection with a road rage complaint filed by another motorist. The defendant allegedly was aggressively tailgating the complainant’s car. He told officers that he got mad because the driver of the other car was spitting out sunflower seeds that were landing on his car.
— A 27-year-old was arrested on Northwood Drive after he approached two persons and asked if they wanted to do some Ecstasy and smoke marijuana. Those two persons were police officers. He was arrested for criminal solicitation.
— The Hammond Drive victim said that someone took her purse from the top of her car when she walked back into the building to retrieve keys she left inside. She was gone five minutes. The total value of the items in the purse and the purse itself totaled $859. I don’t normally give victims the Einstein Award, but come on.
— A 36-year-old man was arrested after he became belligerent when the bartender figured out the man was going to walk on a $55 tab. (Apparently, he had done this before.) When officers arrived, the man was not very cooperative, said a lot of cruel and mean things and was arrested.
Landscapers and yard commandos take note
First of all, I hate it when those guys blow the leaves and grass into the middle of the street — as if there is some great invisible void or black hole where it goes. If here was such a place, we’d all get our socks back. Secondly, bag what you plan to discard. Blowing leaves and or other items into the storm drains is an ordinance violation and could land you in court.
Handymen: These guys can fix all my problems!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I won the Spanish Lotto for the third time.
What am I still doing here at work? I should be home returning that winning e-mail. All I have to do is send my account number to the official lottery guy (I know he’s official because he had a long title and some sort of letters after his name) and within two weeks, I’m $134 million richer. I asked about the two previous winnings. Apparently, they had my old address.
This really puts a crimp on my daily schedule. I was going to send my bank account number to that lawyer in Manboosa so he could transfer $33 million to my account. Seems his client was the only honest guy in Manboosa and the bad guys, the government bad guys, are trying to steal his money. I get 25 percent! I already quit my extra job and I’m not so sure I’m coming to work tomorrow. I’ll probably help him out anyway.
This money will come in quite handy. Just yesterday a couple of guys told me they were riding down the street and noticed my roof was damaged. I couldn’t see a thing but they saw it because they’re trained with a keen eyes, being experts and all.
They had business cards that said, “roof experts.” They took the time to walk with me and point to things on the roof! The $5,000 that I spend now will save me $20,000 next spring. That was a stroke of luck because while we were walking, the other guy found a chip in my driveway. Did you know that one small cement chip could spread, like a crack in the windshield, so fast that in a week’s time it could turn into a sinkhole and affect ozone?
These two guys can actually fix that when they’re not fixing roofs because they’re trained in driveway problems, too.
It was a hot day, so I invited them in for some cold refreshments. One of the guys, I don’t remember if it was Mr. Jones or Smith, said that my water tasted funny. Thankfully, I was able to buy a water filter from one of them whose uncle was in the business. What in the heck is going on here? I had no idea my house was so messed up.
Well, we were standing outside talking about all the new door-dings Mr. Smith found in my car door when my neighbor came home riding on the back of a turnip truck. I guess the truck hit a bump because my neighbor fell right off. Those two guys thanked me for the bad-tasting water, gave me a card so I could call them about the new multi-level marketing idea they wanted to bring me in on, and walked over to see if my neighbor was OK.
They began to look at his roof. He must look like a suave business guy to them. I went back in the house to check my e-mail only to find that my bank account number was messed up. Fortunately, the bank was thoughtful enough to send me a notice that I needed to send my bank account number over the Internet so they could fix it.
Good timing. I don’t want my account all messed up when I get all that money from Manboosa and Spain.
When in doubt, blame girlfriend
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just after midnight an officer on Roswell Road made a traffic stop for an obscured tag.
The driver allegedly had a concealed weapon, a Ruger .45-caliber auto with a laser sight. The man told the officer it was his girlfriend’s gun, which in street-talk means, “It’s easier to find a new girlfriend than it is to get out of jail.”
He was arrested and at some point, when she wants to see the police report, he will also be out.
He feels like a real boob
A man reported that he was at the service station around 10 p.m. when a woman walked up to him and said she wanted to talk to him. She then tried to kiss him. She then tried to show him her breasts. She then took his wallet from the center console of the car. No fair!
Good-natured, at first
Officers received a call of loud people in the parking lot in front of an apartment on Fenwick Place. The men were drinking, but good-natured, so the officers asked them if they would go inside. They did. Around 1:45 a.m. the officers got another call.
One of the good-natured guys was now mad at his girlfriend. He punched seven holes in the dry wall with his fist and becoming disorderly, probably saying things like, “Boy my fist really hurts now.” Actually, he didn’t say that until the next day. The other once good-natured guys couldn’t calm him down, so he was arrested.
Grudge takes the shape of four wheels
A woman reported that she loaned her car to her soon-to-be ex-friend who has not been seen since. Her soon-to-be ex-friend occasionally text-messages her. The victim said that he has a grudge against her and is using the car to carry out his revenge. (People are strange, aren’t they?) Why loan the car to someone whom you know has issues with you?
Show me your wallet and I’ll show you…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A man reported that he was at a Citgo Gas Station around 10 p.m. when a woman walked up to him and said she wanted to talk to him. She then tried to kiss him. She then tried to show him her breasts. She then took his wallet from the center console of the car. No fair!
And what part was a surprise?
The victim said that he allowed a woman to move in with him because she said she needed a place to live. She told the man that she used to run scams on guys to get their money and credit cards. (This is what we call a clue that this might not be a good situation.) He reassured himself that this was a part of her past and she had reformed. He woke the next day and his wallet was gone. The wallet had $213 cash, credit cards, SSN information and his ID.
You ought to be in pictures
A woman reported that her Suntrust bank card has been used to withdraw money on a number of occasions.
She found out that a co-worker would steal her card while the victim was in the bathroom. The co-worker would use the card and then at some point return it. She did this several times to the tune of over $3000.
Once the victim found out about the charges, she worked with the bank. Of course the co-worker’s photo has shown up a few times withdrawing money on the victim’s account number. The arrest is pending.
Folks, anything having to do with banks is photographed. This is pointed out in our new book “Fraud for Dummies.�
Happiness is not a cold beer
A 32-year old woman was charged with drinking in public. She was at the bus stop with a Colt 45, not the gun but the beer.
Talk about stuck in traffic
On July 28th sixteen cars were involuntary cemented when a cement truck accidentally started spilling cement while traveling on I-285 East near Northside Drive. The company is working to repair the damages to the cars.
What did we learn?
It was a bad week if you were drinking Colt 45
Be selective as to whom you let stay at your home and if they talk about their criminal past, take the hint.
Don’t tailgate cement trucks
