View from the cop: Crime & punishment
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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2006 > September > 18
Monday, September 18, 2006
Crimes, misdemeanors & miscellaneous
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A man reported that around 9:45 p.m. he was in his car and approached by two men who pulled up in another car. One of the men asked to use his cell phone. He loaned it. He noticed that when the man dialed the number, the man’s cell phone, in his pocket, rang. When he hung up, the ringing stopped. The man then pulled a gun and robbed the man of his wallet and about $200. The suspect got back in the car, driven by another man, and then left. Most crooks are morons. Here’s a good example: The suspect called his own cell phone. The number called was recorded on the victim’s cell phone which the suspect gave back. He also pulled on the victim’s door leaving a fingerprint.
Not out of the woods Around 1 a.m. an officer, patrolling an area of known drug traffic, saw a man, sitting in his car, and another man standing next to his window talking to him. The officer pulled up. The man standing was now running. The driver cranked up the car and drove, at a high rate of speed, from the apartment complex onto Northwood Drive, westbound towards Lake Forrest. If you know this area, you know that Northwood dead ends into Lake Forrest Drive. The suspect apparently did not and met Mr. Pole. He got out and ran into the woods. The officer ordered him out of the woods and he complied. (Not once did a single suspect ever comply with my order to come out of the woods. They just ran faster.) The suspect was later charged with Possession of Cocaine WID, Obstruction, and Fleeing and Attempting to Elude a Police Officer.
Round ‘em up Two people were arrested after officers received a call from Gwinnett Police that a man reported his son kidnapped. The son apparently was calling his father every few hours and was trying to get a $5,000 ransom. The man, during his several phone calls, divulged that he knew the kidnappers. The more he said the more it looked like the kidnapping wasn’t exactly legit. As it turned out, the man owed the two bad people five-grand for some drug business that he was responsible for. Everyone that needed to be, were put in jail.
Cash on hand A woman said that someone stole $880 in cash from her purse while she was shopping at Marshall’s Department Store. She said she left the purse unattended several times. It must be nice to have that much money so that $880 is no big deal. I would have had Brinks on retainer while I shopped. Better yet, secure the money at home or even on your person instead of leaving it out there in a purse.
Those neighborly Canadians How do you not see through this one?????? A woman was contacted via phone by a person who said they were from “North American Service Evaluators.� The caller said they got her name from Monster.com resume site. They wanted her to be a “Secret Shopper.� (Clue) The victim said the company would send her eight checks for $900 each and she should cash them and send the money to the return address. She did so and sent the money in the form of money orders, to the addresses specified. She then discovered, after the money orders had been mailed out, that the checks were fake!!!!! What part of that last sentence surprised you? What was she thinking? The whole deal was to keep only $200 from all that. She sent money orders to two addresses in Canada. The names of the contacts were Rebecca and Vanessa. Okay that’s it. Now do you see why we need to invade Canada?
You can run… An officer was called to a check-cashing store regarding a man trying to cash a stolen check. The man was in the store when the officer arrived but ran out of the door. He was not caught. The reason he was not caught is simple: When you are fixin’ to go to jail, you have the ability to find super-human speed for a short time. This speed allows you distance from the police in order to buy time to find the magical invisible place that the crook needs at the time. In this case the suspect’s identity is known and the case is being investigated.
Personally touched Someone used the victim’s personal info to open a Georgia Power account.
Someone used the victim’s AARP credit card number to purchase $7000 in items. It is not known how the person obtained the number.
Someone used the victim’s personal information to open several accounts including Bellsouth and Cingular.
You can see that the opportunity to commit crimes is the most important role of the victim. Open garage doors, falling for phony business scams, etc. You can also see, in this week’s report, how important it is to shred bills and other statements, check your credit history with Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian, the three credit reporting agencies. You get at least one free each year. Check it. Check your billing statements too.
Set the alarm at night and any time you leave the home; even for fifteen minutes.
Businesses need a plan to secure laptops. They are a big commodity right now. Lock-down devices and other ways of securing them should be looked at. Put them out of sight every night and secure them in a room protected by a solid (preferably steel) door.
What else….. The workout. Don’t take your expensive jewelry, cash and other items to the gym. We’ve been catching them in the parking lots so they have been moving inside. They could be other members, staff, or off the street having eluded the front desk. I know you guys like wearing that big Rolex Presidential to the club, making sure everyone sees it (admit it) but that is what crooks look for. Don’t flash it when you don’t need to.
