June 1, 2016

VaHi Safety Team Report Weeks 18, 19 and 20 (4/24/16 – 5/14/16)

News and Notes

Atlanta City Council District Six Newsletter from Alex Wan


Councilman Wan issues a newsletter monthly. In the June report he tells us that progress on the Monroe Drive / Renew Atlanta project is delayed. He writes, “I had hoped to provide you with a calendar for the initial stakeholders and public input meetings regarding the Complete Streets project for Monroe Drive as part of the Renew Atlanta (infrastructure bond) project list, however, that time table is still not set. In an update that Councilmember Kwanza Hall and I received last week, we were informed that the administration is finalizing a contract with the consultant that will be leading this design effort, and that once that is signed, they will set that schedule, with the intent to hold these sessions this summer.

“While I share everyone’s frustration that this has not moved more quickly, I appreciate the fact that the administration is bringing in outside expertise as a result of expanding the scope of this project to include a solution for the 10th and Monroe intersection. Additional stakeholders like Atlanta BeltLine and Midtown Alliance are being brought to the table to insure that when a solution is devised, adequate resources will be available to implement that vision.

“As soon as I receive the meeting schedule, I will broadcast it out to the community, so please stay tuned.

The newsletter also offers information about the Google fiber infrastructure currently being installed in our neighborhood along with contact numbers for issues. Find the full report here. http://www.atlantadistrict6.com/district-6-news.html

Virginia-Highland Civic Association VOICE


Find the latest information on Summerfest in the current issue of the VOICE found here VHCA VOICE

Also, for a copy of the course map for the 5K Road Race which will take place on Saturday morning, look here and plan your travel accordingly. Course Route.

Nextdoor Reports


Though not included in the time frame of this report, a few items gleaned from Nextdoor…
We have seen multiple reports of increased APD patrols in the neighborhood.

An auto break-in suspect who was caught last night (July 31st) because APD cruised by the location within minutes of the incident.

Also, a carjacking on Greenwood near the Beltline resulted in an arrest and return of vehicle and all belongings to the owner.

One crime we have seen repeatedly is a suspect walking in the back door of a restaurant and stealing personal belongings of staff while they are in the front of the house working. The most recent incident occurred this week at Harry & Sons, and images of the suspect can be viewed here. https://virginia-highland.nextdoor.com/news_feed/?post=26325290 Though these rear entry doors probably cannot be locked during business hours, business owners might consider installing a bell or some other unobtrusive alert mechanism so that staff nearby will know someone has entered from outside. This could serve as a deterrent.

Virginia-Highland Civic Association Safety Report


A graphic representation of Zone 6 crime statistics can be found here http://vahi.org/latest-zone-6-crime-stats/

Upcoming Meetings:


Virginia-Highland Civic Association (VHCA) – June 13, 2016 at 7:00 pm at Ponce Branch Fulton Co. Public Library

Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU) F – June 20, 2016 at 7:00 pm at Hillside

Atlanta BeltLine Meetings

Thursday June 2, 2016 from 6:30-8pm at Hagar’s Palace (19 Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard, NW, Atlanta, GA 30314): Westside + Southwest Study Group Special Call Public Meeting – Westside Trail Construction including detour routes for MLK Jr. Dr. the weekend of June 11, 2016

Tuesday June 7, 2016 from 5:45-8pm at Maynard Holbrook Jackson High School (801 Glenwood Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA 30312): 2nd Quarterly Briefing of 2016 – Atlanta BeltLine Project Updates

May 25, 26 & June 1, 2 from 6:30-8:30pm at multiple locations (see flyer): Public Meetings on MARTA & Atlanta TSPLOST Referenda. Find information here Facebook/Marta

Crime Statistics


The following information is taken from our APD Zone 6 report (http://atlantapd.org/Zone6.aspx).
It includes information from the Virginia-Highland Beat 601 reported incidents along with relevant reports from other nearby beats. Keep in mind that not all incidents are reported. A map showing the location of beats 601 – 612 within Zone 6 can be found at this link 

http://boundaries.atlantapd.org/Map-Zone6-Beats.aspx. This information is not shared to scare anyone, but to let you know what happens around us every day so you can be alert and aware.

Homicide None reported in beat 601 and none from zone 6.

Rape None reported in beat 601 and 1 from zone 6.

Pedestrian/Carjacking Robbery One reported in beat 601 and seventeen in zone 6.

Attempted with injuries – On April 26th near the intersection of Briarcliff Place and Rosedale Road the victim was approached by two black males with masks and handguns. When he reached for his own gun which was in his waistband the suspects fled and shot at him hitting him twice. The victim also shot himself in the foot while pulling out his gun and then returned fire at the suspects. The suspects were both described at black males in blue jeans with dark hoodies, masks and .380 caliber handguns. The vehicle was identified at a gold colored older model Toyota sedan.

Note: this incident was communicated about a month ago and discussed extensively on Nextdoor, but has now reached us as an official report from APD. At that time, we stated that “this is not reported to make any judgement about the merits of gun ownership or even whether one should choose to fight or comply. However, law enforcement professionals tell us that if one carries a gun for self-defense, it is imperative that they practice with it regularly, including drawing the weapon and disengaging any safety devices after the weapon is free of the holster, waistband, etc. Without this training and under extreme duress, it is almost impossible to use the weapon effectively. We have also been told that when a suspect is already pointing a weapon at you, the odds of drawing your own weapon and stopping the suspect(s) is very low. Again, please think through all of these issues before you find yourself in this situation.

Residential Robbery None reported in beat 601 and one in zone 6.

Commercial Robbery None reported in beat 601 and one reported in zone 6.

Aggravated Assault None reported in beat 601 and seventeen reported in zone 6.

Residential Burglary One reported in beat 601 and twenty-four reported in zone 6.

On April 29th the mesh screen was cut on a screen door and the door opened. A black mountain bike was taken.

Commercial Burglary None reported in beat 601 and seven reported in zone 6.

Larceny From Vehicle Nine reported in beat 601 and seventy-seven reported in zone 6.

Vehicles were entered on Briarcliff Road, Greenwood, Highland View, N. Highland, Ponce de Leon, St. Charles, and Virginia. Entry was made via unlocked doors and damaged door locks. Taken were five laptops, wallets, cash, ID a BB gun with associated gear, a Go Pro camera, and a Rugar LC9 handgun. On Briarcliff tires and rims were stolen. Tires and wheels were also taken from a Ford Fusion on N. Highland and from a Honda Civic on Ponce.

Other Larcenies Four reported in beat 601 and seventy-four reported in zone 6.

On April 30th the suspect entered the Metro PCS store on Ponce de Leon and asked to look at two phones. Once they were out on the counter, he grabbed them and ran out of the store. The suspect is described as a slender build black male about six-foot-tall and 150 lbs. dressed in a red shirt, black beanie hat and dark jeans. Some facial hair was under his chin and he had a dark skin tone.

On May 7th a woman reported her cell phone was stolen off her table at the Dark Horse Tavern on N. Highland Ave.

On May 9th a laptop was stolen from a residence possibly by a boyfriend.

Also on May 9th a bicycle and helmet were taken from the foyer area of an apartment building on Ponce de Leon Ave.

Auto Theft One reported in beat 601 and thirty-seven in zone 6.

On May 12th an Orkin service representative left his truck unlocked and apparently with the keys in the vehicle. As he was walking to the door of the residence he heard the truck door open and close and turned to see the vehicle being driven away. It was later recovered by APD.

If this report was forwarded to you and you would like to be added to the distribution, please send a message to me at VaHiSafety@gmail.com with your name, email address, and affiliation. Thanks.


Stay Safe!



Kay Stephenson

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