Pink flamingos an anti-crime symbol in East Atlanta

There’s campaign afoot in East Atlanta to turn the pink flamingo from an icon of tackiness into a crime-fighting symbol

“You always hear about neighborhood associations coming down on ugly pink flamingos,” said Jason Hatcher. “We thought it would be a clever form of civil disobedience to show that our concerns are being ignored.”

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John Henderson was killed at the Grant Park bar where he worked.

• See the flamingos in action!

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Hatcher, an art director for a local weekly newspaper, and Johnny Castellic (a.k.a. “Johnny Hollywood”) have launched a campaign to raise public awareness of what they insist is a growing crime problem in their area.

They say that problem is being ignored by Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington.

“People are practically yelling from the rooftops,” Hatcher said. “And every time we yell they parade out this revolving dog and pony to say that overall crime is down in the city of Atlanta.”

Pennington has said police data shows that while property crimes in some of Atlanta’s gentrified communities have increased, incidents of violent crime are down.

“The community groups work closely together,” said Pennington during a recent interview. “When they hear about one crime, they e-mail their neighbors and then you get a barrage of e-mails. I think they just respond to what they hear. And a lot of times, perception to them is reality.”

The pink plastic birds have shown up in front of restaurants along Flat Shoals Road and Glenwood Avenue and on the front lawns of nearby homes.

Castellic said he’s sold about half of the 200 pink flamingos he ordered for $3.75. He plans to order more. Castellic said he’s selling them for $5 and setting aside $1.25 in profit to pay for supplies to clean up graffiti in the area.

Hatcher said community outrage over the slaying of John Henderson, a Grant Park bar worker, in January was a catalyst for their campaign. That, as well as their own experiences with crime, and those of friends

Castellic, who owns 13 Roses Tattoo Parlor, said one of his employees was robbed at gunpoint while walking home from work.

Barely two weeks after Henderson’s killing, Hatcher said he found burglars with a battering ram and guns breaking into a neighbor’s house. When the burglars spotted Hatcher come out of his house with a gun, they pointed their weapons at him, he said. Hatcher retreated into his house and no shots were fired.