View from the cop: Crime & punishment
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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2007 > July > 13 > Entry
Does your purse say ‘steal me’?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I spent some time recently going into grocery stores to see how many women had their purses in the ‘steal me’ spot in the cart and how many of those purses were wide open.
Just about all of the purses were in the cart seat but a good many were zipped up. I found that some shoppers walked 15 to 20 feet away from the cart with their purses wide open and their wallets exposed. We do as much communicating to the public as we can right now, trying to get folks to realize that all of these thefts are dependent on the opportunity to steal. Just closing your purse makes a big, big, difference.
Too many folks are leaving valuables in the car while the car is inside the garage. What the thieves are doing is checking the door to see if it’s unlocked and if it is, they’re coming in and swiping things from the kitchen area counter. Set your alarms and look at installing motion detection outside lights.
Here are some of the incidents reported in the past week:
Robbery
Three men, wearing gray suits, masks, and rubber gloves, came into the south entrance of the Tijuana Joe’s restaurant on Roswell Road, around 12:30 a.m., and robbed employees of just over $2,900 and jewelry. The two victim/witnesses said they were outside the restaurant when a car drove up. The three suspects, one wearing a “Chuckie” masks, got out of the car and forced the employees inside where a third employee was counting the money.
If you own a business, I cannot tell you how important it is to train your closing staff to lock the building down when the money is out of the safe or being counted. These guys looked for the most vulnerable time. They did their homework too. They knew exactly where and when.
Burglary
Sometime between 1 a.m. and 7a.m., someone entered a resident of Duncourtney Drive through an unlocked sliding glass door and took a wallet and a purse from the kitchen counter.
Sometime between 11:15 p.m. and 7 a.m. someone came took a purse from a home on Glencourtney Drive. The victim believes the burglar went into her carport, got a spare house key from her makeup bag in the car and then entered the home.
Someone took an X-Box system and related games, etc. from an apartment on Monterrey Pkwy. The victiim said that he leaves the door unlocked during the day when he’s gone.
Arrests
Roberto Castro, 45, of Alpharetta was arrested for shoplifting $519 in clothing that he stuffed into a duffle bag he brought into a store. Okay, when you bring a duffle bag into a retail store, you might as well set off flares and write “SHOPLIFTER” on your forehead with a Sharpie.
John Mark Karr, age 42, from Sandy Springs, was arrested for Battery and Obstruction of a 911 call. Wexford Karr, age 86, was arrested for Simple Battery relating to the same call.
David Emory Frazier, 33, of Atlanta was arrested and charged with Simple Assault and Disorderly while Under the Influence after Northside security officers called the PD regarding Frazier’s outburst after not being able to smoke a cigarette in the hospital. He was restrained by eight security officers, one who said he was scratched and choked by the suspect.
Other Things A man came into the Sandy Springs Police Department and said he received an e-mail from someone (unknown) who informed him someone had taken out a hit contract on him. The e-mail ordered him to make a cash payment within 72 hours if he wanted to live. The e-mail did not state how the target was supposed to make the payment.
Comments
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By Lee
July 13, 2007 9:05 PM | Link to this
Duluth police officer tape
The tape linked above is going to the grand jury to determine if charges will be brought against this cop. Stuff like this is why a lot of the law abiding citizens, such as myself, have a general distrust of police.
If the link doesn’t work, try this:
http://www.ajc.com/multimedia/content/multimedia/video/index.html?clip=23174&cxntlid=homepagetabnewstab
By O2BAJuror
July 14, 2007 10:08 AM | Link to this
Let’s blame the cop for being human. A car almost runs over him and he’s supposed to give the drunk flowers and whichever (red or white) wine goes with being passed out on the side of the road. The driver didn’t know what she’s was doing, yet Officer Kreskin is supposed to know if she’s reaching for a weapon or to put the car in gear, all while on the side of a 55MPH zone. C’mon people, lighten up on attacking those who serve and keep your family protected from somebody who could give a SH** less about you and your family as to be drunk enough to fall asleep with the car in gear. Obviously, this is not an ideal training tape but certainly shouldn’t rise to an indictment. To those in blue and the firefighters, know that not all of us are ungrateful for your service. Some of us even appreciate and admire you!
By inou
July 14, 2007 10:22 AM | Link to this
When I put my purse in the kid seat, I also strap it in. Such an easy precaution.
By Lee
July 14, 2007 11:57 AM | Link to this
All I can say is, this cop had a girl down on the ground and he was still screaming at her to “get out of the car.”
This is the type of person you want pulling a gun on someone? And the “he’s only human” excuse doesn’t work here. He’s supposed to be a well trained professional and not let a simple matter such as this spiral out of control.
By laurie g
July 14, 2007 6:27 PM | Link to this
I’ve often thought that little cards printed up with a message like “I could have been stolen - please mind your purse while shopping” might be useful to slip into pocketbooks left gaping in the grocery store carts. Especially if they’ve got the Sandy Springs police department emblem. Could you do that, Steve?
By Debbie
July 14, 2007 7:51 PM | Link to this
Ladies, It is so simple. If, like me, you insist on placing your purse in the kids seat in the shopping cart, strap it in with the kid’s locking strap. Pull it through your purse strap and lock it. They may try to grap your purse but they will also be dragging the cart with it.
By James
July 16, 2007 10:34 AM | Link to this
Of course, the reason we know about the tape of the police officer’s actions is that his supervisor reviewed the tape, decided the officer’s conduct was unacceptable, the department fired the officer, and now he’s facing a grand jury to determine whether he should face criminal charges for his actions.
As for people making it easy on criminals, I see it every day, particularly the purses in shopping carts, someone once tried to walk away with my wife’s cart with her purse in it, but she was paying attention and got it back, but the person left before she could call security.
By Erin
July 16, 2007 11:03 AM | Link to this
John Mark Carr?
By Lori
July 16, 2007 12:40 PM | Link to this
You know, it’s really not that hard to shop with your purse still on your shoulder, and if it is, then you need a new purse!!
By Brad
July 17, 2007 5:28 PM | Link to this
I doubt we saw this due to the ‘upstanding’ nature of Duluth Police. They are some of the most un-ethical officers in the police force. They are notorious for their outbursts and irrational behavior. The reason this is public is because a good attorney subpoenaed the tape before Duluth mysteriously deleted or misplaced it. I see this more often than any of you would like to imagine.
The people of Duluth would be better served to police their own streets.
By Tony
July 18, 2007 11:46 AM | Link to this
A “good attorney”. Two of the most contradicting words in the english language. Do you really expect the residents of Duluth being able to police their own community? That’s something I’d like to see.
By Lex Luthor
July 19, 2007 1:21 PM | Link to this
I’d have to agree. A purse says alot more than steal me. It says here’s a big fat colleciton of my valuables. Money, credit cards, perhaps even some jewelery. All in a bag. All easy to grab.
Personally I never carry my cash in my wallet. If my cash is stolen, then I have the resources in my wallet to feed me. If my wallet is stolen then I have what cash I had in my pocket to feed me. Get your wallet and cash stolen and see how much fun you have getting your hands on food the next day. Also, you need cash to replace your ID. You need your ID to go to the bank and get cash.
On the Duluth cop video: Looks like to me the woman was attempting to either assault the officer or flee. She’s lucky he didn’t peper spray her. Once he had her subdued, he backed off. Job well done So what if he grabbed her hair. There’s a reason the military makes you keep your hair short. Its the easiest thing to grab.
By Be Alert!
July 20, 2007 9:47 AM | Link to this
Ladies, definitely zip your purse, and lock it in with the child seatbelt. Only takes a second, and will save you hours of effort canceling credit cards. My mother left her purse unattended like that, and later in the grocery store she saw a wallet sitting on the shelf between the groceries. It was HERS - dumped by the crook. (Sans cash, of course!) She had never even realized her wallet was missing.
I see so many women who are just not purse-security savy. We go to the casinos in Biloxi and sometimes an elderly lady will set her gaping purse on the floor between the slot machine chairs, with the wallet and loose cash in full view. It would be so too easy to distract one of them and slip a hand in that purse. I have mentioned this to two different ladies, and they both said that they weren’t worried about it because nothing like that ever happened. Jeez!!
By delta d
July 20, 2007 2:43 PM | Link to this
Let’s go a little further with the purse thing. Ladies, when you get out of the car, people are watching. Don’t shove your purse or valuables under the seat or in the console or trunk. Leave it all at home. People see what you do. It doesn’t matter on the area, you make yourself a victim any where you go.
By Video comment
July 20, 2007 6:25 PM | Link to this
The situation of the events are very similar for which I am about to explain but the outcome are totally different. On youtube.com a police officer used his taser on a female (black) that was on her cell phone and would not exit her vehicle. She was pull over for speeding, I believe (maybe wrong but it was a minor offense). Anyway, the officer is still employed with his unit. In Duluth, the officer pulls the female (white) out the call by her hair after she would not exit her vehicle. The officer is now relieved of his duties (Fired). Wow! Not trying to make it a black or white issue but this is unfair for the officer in Duluth.
By Video comment
July 20, 2007 6:27 PM | Link to this
The situation of the events are very similar for which I am about to explain but the outcome are totally different. On youtube.com a police officer used his taser on a female (black) that was on her cell phone and would not exit her vehicle. She was pull over for speeding, I believe (maybe wrong but it was a minor offense). Anyway, the officer is still employed with his unit. In Duluth, the officer pulls the female (white) out the call by her hair after she would not exit her vehicle. The officer is now relieved of his duties (Fired). Wow! Not trying to make it a black or white issue because it not. But this is unfair for the officer in Duluth and both females.