View from the cop: Crime & punishment
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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2007 > August > 31 > Entry
Sometimes, crime barely pays
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some items from the police blotter of late:
A man reported that he was selling jewelry from his apartment. He said he invited a woman and two men inside to look at the jewelry. He said during the meeting he felt uneasy so he went into the bedroom to get his gun (which I guess makes you feel easy again?).
When he came back out, he told the three people he felt uneasy, even with the gun, and asked them to leave. They did, and so did a $1,500 Rolex and a fake Rolex valued at $50 (that’s a stretch).
According to the victim, the three people then knocked on the door, trying to get back in. He would not let them in. He said that instead of remaining in the locked apartment, with a gun, and access to a telephone to call 911, he instead fled the apartment. He said the other people shot at him. Officers found that the ‘victim’s’ gun that was left inside the apartment (duh) had been discharged, again according to the victim, by the suspects.
This one doesn’t even pass the smell test does it?
Crime Barely Pays
A man on Glenridge Parkway reported that someone took his drive-out dealer tag from his car. Drives out tags don’t have serial numbers so we can’t trace them.
Someone swiped a tag decal from a company truck at Lowe’s on Roswell Road.
The Hammond Hills Swim and Tennis club reported someone forced entry into the building and snack machines looking for change.
El Toro’s Mexican Restaurant on Roswell Road was burglarized (no forced entry) and a cash box with $10 in it was taken.
Think Safety
It’s your stuff, but those theft reports generate paper and according to my calculations if we reduced thefts from cars as much as 30%, we’d save an average of 16 trees each month. This means that the greenhouse effect would be, uh, effected and Al Gore would have to make another movie because all the numbers would be skewed.
I think that you should make a checklist of only a few things, but important things. Check your deadbolts and make sure they’re sturdy—especially in the older homes. Check the window locks and if you have time, think about pining then together. (Drill a hole and pin them together where the two windows meet in the middle.) Use your alarm system. Check your outside lights to see if they work and think about motion detectors. When you make the hardware store run, go and check them out. They are easily installed.
Assault, With Mushrooms
A delivery driver said that he delivered an order to an address in the Foxcroft Condos. The occupant of the condo said they did not order anything. The driver then exited the stairs and was walking out of the front of the building when he was struck on the head with an object, possibly a bottle. He said a white male, about 17 years old, tall, wearing khaki shorts and a beige T-shirt ran back through the building and out the opposite door after he was hit.
A pizza delivery driver said that he delivered a call-in order to Silverwood Road around 11 p.m. When he got out of the car, he was approached by two men who took his money purse containing a small amount of cash as well as his phone and then ran behind a house. The suspects are white males, one wearing a ball cap.
Stolen Vehicles
1993 Jeep Cherokee, white
1993 Toyota Previa, grey
2001 Mitsubishi Montero, blue
2005 Acura TL, black
2003 Ford Focus, white
2007 Pontiac Grand Prix, silver
1996 Honda Accord, blue and green
1996 Honda Accord, green
1999 Dodge Durango, black
1997 Ford F-150, white
1997 Nissan Altima, black
Arrests
Newton DeMelo, 31, of Sandy Springs was arrested for Criminal Trespass, Felony Obstruction of a Police Officer and Aggravated Battery and Assault on a Police Officer following a domestic violence call. In an attempt to escape, the suspect got into a physical altercation with the officer. He was later found by officers and K-9 officers in the wooded area not far away.
Other Stuff
According to a translator, the victim left the his apartment in the Chastain Apartments around 7 p.m. to pick up his paycheck. He returned some time later and was injured. He was bleeding and had passed out shortly after arriving back. He was taken to Atlanta Medical Center where it was learned that he had a gunshot wound to his arm. Detectives later followed a blood trail to the outside area near a window, to another apartment. The glass to the window was broken. The investigation is still active.
A building at 5075 Roswell Road was vandalized when someone painted “I was here” and “we are out of paint” on it.
Thinning the Herd
A burglar was killed trying to sneak into the Maranatha Used Clothing store in Miami. Police said the man had crawled between the blades of a large, idle ventilation fan but that before getting all the way through, he accidentally tripped the “on” switch.
Services »
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Lex Luthor
August 31, 2007 1:45 PM | Link to this
Tis the season, well soon.
Remember all, then end of the year is when people get full time jobs breaking into cars and stealing laptops. Lock’em in your trunk at work. People prowl the parking lots of popular resturants waiting to see someone leave a laptop case in full view or someone show them that’s in the trunk. They even go as far as to work in teams.
By dertah
August 31, 2007 2:39 PM | Link to this
what about stolen bikes? how do those rank? i have a sweet chopper with a banana seat. i lock it up but the lock can be cut. i would die if someone stole my bike!
By Beth
August 31, 2007 5:03 PM | Link to this
Dertah,
Please get insurance on your bike… otherwise I’ll totally come to your funeral, shaking my head and weeping over the senseless Stolen Bike Sudden Death Syndrome Tragedy. :(
By Sherri Frey
September 1, 2007 12:39 AM | Link to this
I always enjoy reading you, Steve. You are so funny! I wish we had something like your column here in Tucson. I moved here from Hotlanta in 99 after living there for 45 years.
By Concerned Citizen
September 1, 2007 7:34 AM | Link to this
Alpharetta City Councilwoman Debbie Gibson is embarrassing us all by running for re-election even after her DUI arrest in March when she creashed into another motorist at a stop light. That night she overdosed on prescription pills in a suicide attempt. I am worried that Ms. Gibson might still be out driving intoxicated on our public roadways. She should be investigated.
By NB
September 1, 2007 10:10 PM | Link to this
I am worried about the Sandy Springs officer doing around 75 mph on Highway 78 in Dekalb County on Saturday afternoon. What was the rush???
By jake
September 2, 2007 5:59 PM | Link to this
75? thats only 10 over, not big deal in my book. Everyone on 78 goes at least 10 over. How do you not know that this was an on call detective or special unit officer responding to a call? Often times officers on special units must respond from home when they are needed while off duty. I dont think its fair to assume that an officer was speeding for no reason. The Sandy Springs PD is top notch in my opinion and a welcome change from Fulton Co PD’s lack of service.
By ron
September 3, 2007 8:49 AM | Link to this
Cops have no speed limits to obey.They drive any speed they want to.Period.End if sentence.A young lady I know became a spare cop in a small city.Her Words were,"now I can do what I want.No more speeding tickets,no worrying about O.U.I.,No more laws to watch."She was right.From that day on she was immune to any motor vehicle violations.By Adriana
September 3, 2007 10:19 AM | Link to this
When you risk your life everyday protecting the public, then you can break motor vehicle laws too. They have dangerous jobs, their families wonder every day if they will return home after their shift. And for very little pay at that. They could make more money stocking store shelves, but they instead choose to be public servants. Cut our police some slack, and give them the respect they have earned.
By Tony
September 3, 2007 12:47 PM | Link to this
First of all, what’s a “spare cop”? Ron, if that friend of yours has that attitude, she won’t be employed for long. Thanks for your response Adriana, but I, along with a lot of other police officers make quite a bit more than someone stocking store shelves.
By Analchord.
September 3, 2007 6:33 PM | Link to this
Cops dont get enough pay or credit for what they do. Like Teachers.
Our society has it’s priorities upside down.
By FaQue
September 10, 2007 10:33 AM | Link to this
It would gain the police more respect if they would only turn on there lights when they have a special circumstance requiring them to get somewhere quickly. Otherwise they could be just out joy ridding. Besides speeding without special circumstances just certifies that you a liar and I have no respect or trust in those who lie. Sadly that is a lot of what may otherwise be good people.
By Gordon
September 14, 2007 1:33 PM | Link to this
My Dear Adriana, did I hear (read) you correctly? When I risk my life every day protecting the public then I can break all the traffic laws too. And Tony as a cop your only comment is you make more than a store clerk. From what I have seen in these 57 years, about 5% of the people out there actually try and obey traffic laws, and very few cops are in that group. I even have them pass me (I am going the speed limit) when they are on patrol. You should see them going to and from shift change. What really amazes me is when all these people who never saw a traffic law they thought was good, scream and hollar when some other law breaker (lets abmit it they are law breakers) hits them or causes an injury to someone they care about. Using your logic I guess all members of the military can speed. Oh yea lets not forget the firemen. You know I bet this list could get rather long if we really worked on it.