FBAC Report April 2016 - Virginia Highland Security Patrol (FBAC)

The activity report is a summary of what our FBAC Patrol Officers do on their shifts.

Directed Patrols:  19	Drop ins/Park and Walks:  28	Suspicious person:  3
Alarm Response:  7	Suspicious Vehicle:  2	Parking Complaints:  9
Noise Complaints:  0	Out of town Checks:  18	Abandoned Auto:  0
FBAC member Contact:  5	Lost Person:  0	Street Obstruction:  0
Wanted Persons:  0	Intoxicated Persons:  0	Found Property:  0
Criminal Trespass:  0	Info for Officers:  3	Shots Fired:  1
Calls for service (cell Phone):  5

News and Notes:

Call 911 First!

All members please call 911 first if you see a crime in progress or a suspicious person or activity, and then call the FBAC Phone. The phone number is (770) 310-0871 and is also on the schedule that is emailed to you monthly.

If you see someone or something suspicious please report it to the police.  When driving or out walking keep an eye out in the neighborhood, what you see and report just might prevent a crime.

House Sign Campaign

Virginia-Highland Civic Association Safety Committee along with Neighborhood Watch and FBAC are teaming up to improve visibility of house numbers within the neighborhood. Today as many as 50% of the homes on some streets have numbers that are not visible from the street after dark. Some don’t have any numbers visible or are not easy to read even in full daylight. This presents a serious risk of delay when first responders, whether police, fire or ambulance, are trying to locate you in an emergency. 

Our street captains will be distributing information to their street about the campaign, and this Saturday April 30^th, volunteers will be staffing tables with information about what to do to make your home easier to find along with sample house signage that can be purchased from VHCA and from Intown Ace Hardware. See volunteers on Saturday at the triangle (Virginia and N. Highland) from 9-11, or in front of Ace Hardware from 2-4.

Significant Incidents:

Note that the names of victims and other details are sometimes removed from these reports to protect the victim.

Armed Robbery 881 N. Highland Av (0124 am) from Officers Narrative:

On 4/22/2016, I (Officer J. T. Thompson) was dispatched to a pedestrian robbery at 881 N Highland Ave NE. I was dispatched at 0124 hours. There were two victims. Victims were walking together. They had just left the Warren bar at 816 N Highland Ave NE and were walking to their apartment at 881 N Highland Ave NE apt 7. 

The apartments are horseshoe shaped opening towards N Highland Ave NE. Victim 2 advised they had walked into the courtyard and were about to walk up the steps to their apartment when he heard the suspects run up from behind him. Victim 2 advised there were 3 suspects. Suspect 1 told them to get on the ground. Both victims got on the ground. Victim 1 advised they stole her leather purse from her at this point. It had her wallet with her identification, debit card, social security card and $300 in cash in it. 

Her iPhone was also in the purse. The phone was turned off at first. We later tracked the phone around 0245 hours. It appeared to be at the end of Center St NW in zone 1. It was not moving at the time of the track and was turned off a few minutes later. I asked radio to send a zone 1 unit to that location and gave them a lookout of the suspects. We also alerted the Video Integration Unit.

Investigator Bacon came to the location. Lt. Roberson was notified on scene. Victim 1 was carrying his bass guitar in a gear bag. The suspects stole his gear bag with the guitar in it. He advised they patted his body down, but they did not steal his wallet or cell phone. The guitar was a Fender Precision 1959 reissue edition worth around $4000. Also his foot pedals for the guitar were in the gear bag. Victim 2 advised he could let the local music stores know about what was stolen so that they could alert police if someone brought in his gear. 

There were 3 suspects. Suspect 1 was the suspect that told them to get down. Victim 2 had a description of suspect 1. Victim 2 advised suspect 1 was a black male wearing baggy black jeans. He was wearing a black zip up hoodie. He did not see suspect's face very good. Suspect 1 had a silver in color semi-auto hand gun. Victim 1 got a better look at suspect 2. Suspect 2 was a black male in his early 20's. He was wearing a plain black hoodie. He was wearing a red bandanna on his head and had shoulder length dreads. He was wearing white tennis shoes. Victim 1 advised that she could pick suspect 2 out of a lineup if needed. Suspect 2 had a black semi-auto handgun. Victims did not have a description of suspect 3.

FBAC was on duty and responded to this call

Follow-up note: the guitar and gear were located at a music store in Marietta and the two individuals who brought it into the store were arrested and charged with possession of stolen merchandise. They were arraigned and released on bond. APD investigators are working this angle to connect the dots to the three robbery suspects.

Armed Robbery 1186 Briarcliff Pl (0140 am) from Officers Narrative:

On 4/26/2016, I (Officer J. T. Thompson) was dispatched to an attempted robbery with a shooting near 1186 Briarcliff Pl NE. I was dispatched at 0140 hours. Victim advised to the investigator the incident happened while he was walking from Dark Horse (814 N Highland Ave NE) up Briarcliff Pl NE to get to his apartment at 850 Briarcliff Rd NE. We determined by the location of the shell casings that the robbery happened in front of or very close to 1186 Briarcliff Pl NE. 

Victim advised he was approached by two black males wearing dark colored hoodies and masks. He advised both of the males had handguns. Victim advised one of the males told him to give them his wallet. Victim had a handgun in his waistband. He reached to pull out his weapon and he advised the two suspects ran and began to shoot at him. Victim returned fire at the suspects. Suspects did not get any of victim's belongings. 

He advised he last saw the men leaving in a black in color older model 4 door small to mid-size sedan. Victim advised they drove East on Briarcliff Pl NE towards Briarcliff Rd. Victim had 3 gunshot wounds. He had one to his right arm at the elbow. He had one to his left leg inner thigh. He had one to his right foot. Grady and Atlanta fire came to the location. The paramedic advised that the shot to his right foot was likely self-inflicted. Victim advised he may have accidentally shot himself in the foot while retrieving his gun from his pants. I had a hard time trying to question Victim because he was in extreme pain. Victim was transported to Grady Trauma room 7. 

Witness 1, advised he was inside his apartment and heard approximately 12 shots. He advised he went onto his back porch and saw victim stumbling in the street yelling for help and to call 911. He advised victim told him he was shot. He advised victim took a handgun from his pants and put it on the ground. Witness then kicked it away from them while waiting for police. 

Witness 2, advised the following: "I heard a gunshot and immediately woke up." She advised she saw two men running East on Briarcliff Pl then North on Rosedale. She advised one of the men was firing his weapon. She advised they appeared to be black males wearing blue jeans, long sleeve shirts and hats. She advised all the clothing was dark. She described a gold in color older model Toyota Sedan that had been parked on Rosedale suddenly taking off after she lost sight of the two men running away. It took off up Briarcliff Pl toward Briarcliff Rd NE. She then saw another man limping around the corner. She advised he hobbled towards the parking lot of the building next to her (846 Briarcliff rd Ne). He was yelling call the police. She advised she did not see anyone's face to be able to identify anyone. 

Witness 3, advised he has a live camera inside his apartment. It does not point outside, but it does have audio. He advised he listened back to the audio of the shooting and counted 11 shots. He advised the time on his camera during the shooting was 1:37 and he would be happy to provide investigators with that footage if it would help the investigation in any way. 

I placed victim’s shirt, pants and the sock and shoe with the gun shot in it in property as evidence. We recovered 7 shell casings from scene. 3 were .380 caliber casings and 4 were .40 caliber casings. Victims hand gun was placed in city property. It was a Glock 22 .40 caliber with serial number GEP765. Lt. Roberson came to the crime scene. General Investigator Bacon came to the location. Crime scene (Reeves) came to process the incident scene.

Reminders: 

All members call 911 first if you see a crime in progress or a suspicious person or activity, and then call the FBAC Phone. The phone number is on the schedule that is emailed to you monthly.

If you see someone or something suspicious please report it to the police.  When driving or out walking keep an eye out in the neighborhood, what you see and report just might prevent a crime.

Note: Part one crime statistics from the Atlanta Police Department are available online and will be included in the VaHi Safety Team Reports which are distributed by Neighborhood Watch approximately twice per month. These statistics will no longer be duplicated here. 

If you have questions about this change, please send a message to vahisafety@gmail.com. If you do not know who your street captain is, please send a message to ebarrsafety@gmail.com with your name and street address, and Eleanor Barrineau will connect you.