Upset over burglary, East Point councilman calls out police chief

Reed said the alarm went off, and the thieves escaped with only his laptop computer from East Point and his son’s laptop.

“I’m frustrated with how things are handled, and if this happens again, the thieves better be aware that I’m a dog and I bite,” he said.

Reed, who has more than 20 years of law experience, said nobody is safe from crime and things need to change in the city.

“[Chief Leander] Robinson is a good man, but maybe his time has come and gone,” he said.

When contacted Wednesday morning, Chief Robinson said he did not have a reaction to Reed’s comments and would not comment further on the effectiveness of his department. He has been the chief since July 2006.

The councilman said he constantly receives calls from residents who vent their frustrations about crime in the community.

“We’ve got more than 120 officers in an 18-square-mile city of 43,000 people. I think we have enough police to do the job,” he said.

One of the areas that residents would like to see more action is in road blocks to keep the criminals from looking at East Point as a safe haven. Reed pointed to Tuesday’s arrest of Eric Lamar Carr, 41, who was charged with the murder of College Park bakery owner Michael Moore, and discovered hiding out in East Point.

“I think the chief is trying to be a politician, while there is crime in the street,” he added.

Shirley Hamilton, who operates a rehabilitation center in the city, told the council about her dilemma Monday evening.

“We’re constantly having problems with people breaking into our office. The [police] response has been horrible,” she said.

Reed cited a recent study that showed East Point had the second highest crime rate in the metro area and said things have to change, especially in one area.

“I share the resident’s frustration and we need to make sure our officers are getting the proper training, which they currently aren’t receiving,” Reed said.