View from the cop: Crime & punishment
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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2007 > April > 02 > Entry
What does it all mean?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
DOC Disorderly Conduct
UI Under the Influence
PD Public Drunk
VGCSA Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act (drugs)
Battery Assault (physically strike)
DV Domestic Violence
FTA Failure to Appear (warrant) previous court case
Obstruction Most of the time obstruction has to do with someone interfering with the officer’s actions on a call or traffic-stop. Most often it’s applied to a guy who has just enough to drink and gets a case of the SLS, or Street Lawyer Syndrome and starts telling the officer that he or she can’t do this and can’t do that. FYI: That is most certainly a guaranteed trip to the lockup.
Robbery
A woman flagged down an officer on Northwood Drive and told him that she had just been robbed at gunpoint. As she was talking to the officer, she saw the suspect and car and pointed it out. The officer followed the car until he found it abandoned. The officers, with the assistance of a K-9, tried but could not follow the trail of the suspect. The last known area was in the Sierra Creek Apartments. The car was impounded and the investigation continues. The car is a 196 Lincoln Continental 4-door and black in color.
Theft Someone took about $15,000 in cash from a business in the 8500 block of Roswell Road. There is a current dispute between the former and new owner of the business. I’m sure this didn’t help things.
A woman reported that someone took her wallet from her purse while it was left unattended at a coffee shop in the 6100 block of Roswell Road. A check was taken and later cashed for $800.
The victim was putting her groceries in her car in the 2900 block of Dunwoody Club Drive when a woman ran up and grabbed her purse. (The purse was still in the shopping cart while she was putting the groceries away) The woman ran a short distance before getting into a blue car driven by a man. The victim did get the tag number of the car, a 2001 Honda Accord, and the suspects are on store video.
Fraud
A woman reported that her soon-to-be-ex-husband tried to establish a $3,000 amount of credit in her name.
A woman, shopping in a store in the 200 block of Johnson Ferry Road, was approached by a man who told her that he was shopping for his grandmother and said his grandmother was this woman’s size. He asked her if she would help him look through the clothing racks which she did. When she turned back around, the man was gone and so was her wallet. The victim said she cancelled her cards very quickly but already the thief used the card at the next-door department store for $600, a food store for $200, clothing store for $200, and an office-supply store for $900.
Arrests A 42-year old man was arrested after an officer, patrolling an extended stay hotel in the 900 block of Crestline Parkway where he has located stolen cars before, ran the tag on a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. The tag and truck came back as stolen from Roswell. The officer contacted Roswell PD and they confirmed the status as stolen. The officer asked if there was any suspect information. They did and gave the name of the suspect. The officer went to the hotel desk and asked if that person, named by Roswell PD as a suspect, was registered. He was. The officer asked if he registered a car or truck. Turned out the man had put the stolen pickup truck on the hotel registration sheet. (Thank you very much.) The officer went to the man’s room and the man told the officer who he was and so he was arrested. The man also had a plastic bag with suspected crack cocaine. The man was also wanted for three warrants for forgery, parole violation, and probation violation. He was arrested and transferred to Roswell Police. The man had a couple of flashlights in the room so they are looking at any evidence that might connect him to some area thefts from autos.
The clerk at the Citgo, on Dunwoody Place just off Roswell Road, was charged after he sold beer to a female who was under the age of 21. Earlier, the officer saw two females asking for money in the parking lot of the Citgo. The officer also found one of the girls holding a bottle of Colt 45 Malt Liquor. He asked her for her I.D. and learned that she didn’t have any nor was she at least 21 years old. She told the officer that the clerk knows her and he sold her the beer. He was charged and will appear in court on May 16th. The girl was turned over to her mother and the other was sent away after being told not to solicit money anymore.
Officers arrested a 23-year old man for DOC-UI after they got a call about a man acting crazy and harassing residentsin the 6800 block of Roswell road. They found the man screaming. The officers got the man cuffed but while they were trying to get him to the car, he fell and appeared to be in a state of seizure. He came out of it and started screaming. The officers noted the man was lying on the ground biting rocks. The man continued to thrash around, kicking the officers and EMS personnel. The man later told officers he was drinking and doing cocaine.
A 31-year old man was arrested in the 8100 block of Colquitt road for Disorderly Conduct after he approached another man and said “Why are you telling everyone I’m a dope-dealer?” and then punched the man in the jaw. The victim, a recovering addict, said he used to buy drugs from the defendant which, I guess, answers the defendant’s question.
28 A 49-year old man was charged with Disorderly Conduct (public drunk) after police and EMS were called to a person lying in the parking lot, unconscious in the 5800 block of Roswell Road. The man was found to be intoxicated. His condition was so that he couldn’t walk. He was taken in because he is homeless and there was family to contact. Sometimes the officers will make the PD case because the subject is so drunk that they present a danger to themselves and/or others.
A 52-year old man was arrested for Public Indecency in the 8800 block of Roswell Road after an officer observed him having TSM (That Special Moment), otherwise known as Happy-Time, or Hanging out with Little Elvis, with himself while looking at a magazine, in his car, in a shopping center, around 1:15 p.m. The officer said he had to announce his presence due to the man’s focus on his task. Timing and location were his two mistakes. At least he had enough sense to stop the car first.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Curious
April 2, 2007 12:18 PM | Link to this
So what is the proper procedure for someone to follow if they witness a police officer violating the U.S. Constitution or otherwise acting in an illegal manner. I have seen it. What if the officer is acting violently and is danger of seriously injuring someone, such as a handcuffed suspect that is being beaten? How would citizen lawfully respond? I don’t think that calling in any more officers from the same force would make make any sense.
By Lt. Steve
April 2, 2007 12:21 PM | Link to this
They have an internal affairs unit. That’s where you go if you want to have it documented properly.
By SL
April 2, 2007 12:31 PM | Link to this
In fact calling in more officers from the same force is actually the best thing you can do. The only person that can stop a cop from beating on a suspect is another cop. If you attempted to get involved more then likely you’d be shot or arrested. Make sure you follow up with the FBI and the state law enforcement agency after the incident. Also it never hurts to contact the local press so they may investigate further and maybe the local ACLU, even though they may not even help or care. Never hurts to contact police officer “watch-dog” groups.
By ron
April 2, 2007 1:02 PM | Link to this
When you see a uniformed police officer beating on a handcuffed individual you immediately convince yourself that you were having an optical illusion and you haul your a$$ as far from the scene as you possibly can.If you fail to follow this advice you get what you deserve.
By Mike
April 2, 2007 1:44 PM | Link to this
Steve, I find it interesting that stores do a good job of asking for ID for a $5 beer purchase to verify age, but they do a horrible job of checking ID on a $900 credit card purchase. The store loses when they sell in this case don’t they? Why don’t they check ID’s more often?
By Atlantian
April 2, 2007 1:55 PM | Link to this
We don’t have to worry about Atlanta City Officers beating anyone, they are too busy taking personal calls on their cell phones and hitting on the hoochie mammas outside of the BP station to beat anyone
By wise
April 2, 2007 2:12 PM | Link to this
I believe the obvious word for a situation for this would be “comply”. You never hear of a person who has complied with the officers commands, getting a “wood shampoo” with the nightstick. While you are at it I would say it is better to keep your mouth shut too. Ask any Lawyer. Search the internet for Chris Rock “How not to get your a** kicked by the police”. It should be a must view for the clueless.
By mustang100
April 2, 2007 2:31 PM | Link to this
Hey Curious, Did you hear about the 2 Charlotte, N.C. cops who were murdered by a domestic dispute ‘subject’ this weekend? Seems they were trying to apprehend him and not appearing to be ‘beating’ him, at the same time, I guess so they wouldn’t UPSET concerned onlookers like YOURSELF, and the wifebeater got one of their guns and shot them both, point blank range, after he jumped on them and began fighting. You’ll be glad to know he was caught later and taken into custody, all safe and sound, no accidental discharges of the arresting officer’s guns or any beatings. Nope, no visits to the hospital for anything, just straight to booking and an appointment with the magistrate.
By Lt. Steve
April 2, 2007 2:36 PM | Link to this
You’re right. It’s pathetic. There is so fraudulent use of stolen credit cards now it’s killing us just in the paperwork. Here’s something better. One of the local big-time car dealerships took a $67,000 check for an escalade and never checked the guy out. He scammed them and turned out he’s been doing it on cars and homes. Last time i bought a car I had to bring my reference into the store and show photos of me with them to prove they knew me. One more thing, before everyone gets on the high-horse on the brutality comments, be complete and not assume what you saw was brutality. Two officers in Charlotte were killed by a man whome they were trying to subdue. I’m sure that looked like brutality too. Do your homework.
By fanofsteve
April 2, 2007 2:49 PM | Link to this
Steve,
I read your column and your police activity recaps on the Sandy Springs website regularly and wanted to tell you that you crack me up. Keep up the good work.
Fan
By Curious
April 2, 2007 3:11 PM | Link to this
Mustang100, I heard about the offciers being killed, last night, but didn’t hear about the rest of the story. I certainly don’t believe that asking police officers to behave in a lawful and professional manner puts their lives in danger, though. Quite the opposite. If you had ever been on the receiving end of random, completely unprovoked criminal activity by rogue (as in the very rare rotten apple) police offciers, as I have, you might understand a little better. In any case, I have nothing against the police, I was mearly asking Steve how he thought improper activity by police officers should be handled.
By j
April 2, 2007 3:26 PM | Link to this
Lt. Steve, I’ve noticed more and more drivers on our roads are “baiting” other drivers into confrontation. By “baiting” I mean speeding up so others cannot pass, going extremely slow in the fast lane, cutting others off, the bird, etc. These drivers then get mad when the good driver blows the horn or flashes lights. I can say that I’m a traffic voyer. I find traffic interesting. The interactions between people are amazing. I’m hoping that in the future, there will be more highly paid officers out there to enforce our laws. Do you find that our traffic has become more intense or more dangerous as opposed to just more of it?
By mustang100
April 2, 2007 3:27 PM | Link to this
No Curious, I don’t feel you. Nothing against the police? Your question could be answered with a simple phone call to GBI or FBI, to name a few. No, you get on here w/ your silly post trying to be cute, already knowing your answer. I DO sense how you MIGHT have ended up receiving a wood shampoo, as ‘wise’ puts it.
By mustang100
April 2, 2007 3:33 PM | Link to this
j, my wife and I travel with our video camera in her lap. When we see someone acting a fool, or especially tailgating us, I blow the horn to get their ‘attention’, and she starts filming. Nine times out of ten they become poster child for the Georgia Driving Manual.
By Ima Nidiot
April 2, 2007 4:14 PM | Link to this
To Mike: On the signature strip on your credit cards write “CHECK ID” real big next to your signature with a sharpie. I find that about 2 out of 3 cashiers will then ask for ID. Hopefully they will ask the bad guy who steals my wallet, too.
By Dan
April 2, 2007 4:34 PM | Link to this
The check id thing is a good one, but many retailers intentionally have their employees avoid that confrontation. The best thing is to use a well respected bank and credit card they will do a much better job of monitoring fraud charges than you and you won’t lose a dime. Over the years there has been 4 or 5 times that someone managed to get my amex number either in a rest or retailer 2 times amex caught it before I even got a statement once I caught and I was never liable for a dime. Also had a check book stolen resulting in $3000 of fraudulent checks written, although it was a pain again after having notarized docs certifying the fraud I was reimbursed by my credit union for all of it and the notarized affadavits to all of the scammed retailers kept my credit clean
By Vexorg
April 2, 2007 4:35 PM | Link to this
Until the credit card companies get their act together and work with law enforcement in the apprehension and prosecution of these credit card fraud artists, these scams will not stop - credit card companies REQUIRE a subpeona from a Superior Court Judge BEFORE they will release records to the police in a fraud investigation, citing of all reasons “privacy” concerns!!!
Why do you think credit card companies charge up to %24.99 A.P.R. - it is to cover their losses, and as long as they can get away with charging that loanshark rate, they could care less if your credit card gets stolen and used.
By Vexorg
April 2, 2007 4:37 PM | Link to this
Until the credit card companies get their act together and work with law enforcement in the apprehension and prosecution of these credit card fraud artists, these scams will not stop - credit card companies REQUIRE a subpeona from a Superior Court Judge BEFORE they will release records to the police in a fraud investigation, citing of all reasons “privacy” concerns!!!
Why do you think credit card companies charge up to %24.99 A.P.R. - it is to cover their losses, and as long as they can get away with charging that loanshark rate, they could care less if your credit card gets stolen and used.
By TJ
April 2, 2007 4:48 PM | Link to this
I have news for the both of you, Curious and mustang 100. There was no “domestic dispute” the call was originally dispatched as a “disturbance” which can be anything from two people arguing in the parking lot to a fight going on inside of a residence. Those two officers were not attempting to “beat” or “arrest” anyone. The shot were fired from someone that was not involved in the original disturbance call. Maybe you should get your facts straight before you start saying something like that. And I know my facts are straight, I work for the CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT!!!
By TJ
April 2, 2007 4:50 PM | Link to this
I have news for the both of you, Curious and mustang 100. There was no “domestic dispute” the call was originally dispatched as a “disturbance” which can be anything from two people arguing in the parking lot to a fight going on inside of a residence. Those two officers were not attempting to “beat” or “arrest” anyone. The shot were fired from someone that was not involved in the original disturbance call. Maybe you should get your facts straight before you start saying something like that. And I know my facts are straight, I work for the CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT!!!
By TJ
April 2, 2007 4:52 PM | Link to this
I have news for the both of you, Curious and mustang 100. There was no “domestic dispute” the call was originally dispatched as a “disturbance” which can be anything from two people arguing in the parking lot to a fight going on inside of a residence. Those two officers were not attempting to “beat” or “arrest” anyone. The shot were fired from someone that was not involved in the original disturbance call. Maybe you should get your facts straight before you start saying something like that. And I know my facts are straight, I work for the CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT!!!
By TJ
April 2, 2007 4:55 PM | Link to this
sorry about the double post there…
By Curious
April 2, 2007 5:18 PM | Link to this
Whoa, whoa there TJ; just calm down! I never claimed to know anything other than that two Charlotte officers were killed last night. Go back and actually read the posts.
By mustang100
April 2, 2007 7:26 PM | Link to this
Got my info from a radio station talk show this am. Don’t know where they got theirs. Is there an echo in here?
By RobBennett
April 3, 2007 11:21 AM | Link to this
I had a 6 year old girl come to my door selling the typical school fund raising items, I did not know the girl (my mistake) but I got caught up in trying to be PC because I had just ordered from the EXACT same sheet from another child…well needless to say I was also dumb enough to write a check for the purchase…I not only never got the item ordered, my check gave my routing number and account number to her thug family who used it to pay about 14 cell phone bills, 12 power bills and 4 satelite bills…Well my bank reimbursed me 100 percent, closed the account and helped me open a new one…well I wanted more so I went to the police with a letter from the bank, keep in mind power bills and satellite bills have an address associated with them…there was NO investigation…I filled out all the paperwork and followed up until I was finally told “we have bigger issues to deal with, you got your money back” My point: HOW HARD WOULD IT HAVE BEEN TO TRACK DOWN THE GUILTY PARTY? I know I was stupid to write a check to that little girl but there is a huge difference between stupid and criminal.
By Cubbie
April 3, 2007 12:49 PM | Link to this
Since it’s baseball season, I figured I’d bring this up. Why doesn’t Chief Pennington send APD out to Gwinnett so his officers can learn traffic duty?
Last year opening day, me and three friends sat in my car on the bridget for 45 minutes. That does not include the time to get out of the stadium.
Every time I’ve been to Gwinnett Arena I have been in and out in 15 minutes or less. Therefore, I won’t be attending Turner this year due to the hassle. My time and money are more important.
Do the agencies in this state not learn from each other?
By Cubbie
April 3, 2007 12:52 PM | Link to this
Since it’s baseball season, I figured I’d bring this up. Why doesn’t Chief Pennington send APD out to Gwinnett so his officers can learn traffic duty?
Last year opening day, me and three friends sat in my car on the bridget for 45 minutes. That does not include the time to get out of the stadium.
Every time I’ve been to Gwinnett Arena I have been in and out in 15 minutes or less. Therefore, I won’t be attending Turner this year due to the hassle. My time and money are more important.
Do the agencies in this state not learn from each other?
By Cubbie
April 3, 2007 2:46 PM | Link to this
@RobBennet: A female co-worker of mine had her checking account broken into. Someone made checks with her info and spent lots and lots on her account.
Being an ex-MP I told her I’d help her out. We got the cancelled/forged checks. I called a drug store and asked them to view their video cameras. They said they didn’t have any. Intelligent in this day and age.
I then contacted a department store since the check had the date and time stamp on the back. The security team found out which register was used and the video. I took the employee’s name and my co-worker took this information to Alpharetta PD. They too said that the bank gave her her money back and would not do anything about catching the criminal.
As a person who has several friends on several PD’s, I know about their responsibilities but as a consumer and after running down the video tape I also understand the frustration of my co-worker not getting a response.
Unfortunately, that is life and the PD’s have to find a happy medium or else they’ll be called to get grandma’s cat from the tree or search for missing turtles.
By Rob Bennett
April 3, 2007 3:14 PM | Link to this
@Cubbie, I appreciate what you are saying, but statistically folks who get away with this type of crime are likely to keep committing this same crime UNTIL they are caught, so your friends case as in mine the police were basically handed the culprit, who I am sure has done this to others before and since…Stop a murderer or stop identity theft, yeah no question, but both need to be addressed. I understand not every identity theft case can be investigated, but again in both of these situations the work was done…apprehending the criminal was all that was left…
By Lt. Steve
April 3, 2007 4:29 PM | Link to this
J. I can never get used to the aggressive attitude on the part of some of these folks on the road. Part of the reason we got the H.E.A.T. grant was because we could easily document the number of aggressive-driving cases we get consistently. This city’s traffic congestion has got to be a good Sociological study, sort of like the agitated rats that soon start fighting and eating one another. We get old ladies flipping people off and bowing up on folks at the red lights. How scary is that? Some senior citizen opening up a can on you! What i see is the blatant tail-gating. On your butt and looking for trouble. I had a kid on my bumper close enough to read the word “Police-Interceptor” on the Crown Vic and i was in the second lane from the right. He was just doing it to be an a*. (We later had a heart to heart with dad about it.) It’s just an aggressive mindset in the car and who knows how many wrecks are caused by it? Traffic makes you crazy!
By Fred
April 4, 2007 12:33 AM | Link to this
Curious, you dipwit, that person is “guilty” of “obstruction. ANYTIME you don’t immediately “comply” with the orders of the shield wearing, gun toting, jack boot wearing thug you are guilty of “obstruction”. What are you thinking? Cops just love pushing folks around. It’s their God given right and YOU just need to shut the hell up and say “Yes Sir” or “Yes Ma’am” whatever the case maybe. Unless you are a cop (who get to break the law with impunity) then you are just scum.
By Huckleberry
April 4, 2007 9:58 AM | Link to this
Just wondering if the CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT also has the name in all capital letters on its patrol cars… Will that make the sirens louder in photographs?
By mustang100
April 5, 2007 12:29 AM | Link to this
Fred, did you run out of thorazine, son?
By Missandie
April 5, 2007 12:52 PM | Link to this
Lt. Steve,
There was an accident yesterday on Abernathy that involved a red light, a smashed front end, a smashed rear end, a couple of officers in green jumpsuits with sidearms, some really cool swords, an even cooler black Charger and a guy who ran really fast.
With all that action, the green jumpsuits stood out the most for me. They appeared to have a Sandy Springs logo on the arm patch but I wasn’t sure. And I loved the black Dodge Charger - SWWWWEEET!!!!
By Fred
April 5, 2007 10:51 PM | Link to this
No Mustang, I did not run out of whatever drug you are pushing. I just remember my wife pulling out of our house (I was right behind her, going elsewhere) when one of Dekalb County’s “finest” came flying over a blind hill doing around 80 in a 40 zone. He had no lights, no siren, and really no reason to be going 80, except perhaps the hot donut light was on at Krispy Kreme. Through the grace a the mythical god he missed my wife but that was not good enough for him. He turned around (dispelling of course one of the three lies we were told that he was on an “officer down” call) pulled her into a side street and started thugging her. When I walked up with a video camera he started berating me and threatening me. Neither my wife nor I have EVER been arrested, dumbass, nor done anything to warrant such abuse. This was 15 years ago and is not the first nor the last example of “good policing” I have experienced. As a Spec Ops veteran I could have taken that buttwipe down with neither a care nor concern but didn’t. ONE of us had to have morals and decency. Had he laid a hand on my wife though, he would be pushing up daisies and I would be in jail. What in the hell is YOUR freaking point? I’ll bet a dollar to a donut that YOU are one of those jack booted, shield toting thugs that gets your rocks off harassing folks. Just a clue Jethro, it is not WE who are the scum.
Who guards the guardians? Unfortunately folks like you.