There were four notable things to take from Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington’s press conference today about the Sept. 10 raid at Atlanta Eagle:
Which begs the following questions:
Hambrick
Atlanta police have charged 18-year-old Terrance Donell Hambrick with last month’s robbery and shooting of Kenneth Hagen in Kirkwood.
Hagen, 55, was mowing his yard on Ridgedale Road when he allegedly was approached by the teen suspect, who asked for money and then shot Hagen three times in the torso. Hagan was taken to Grady Hospital, where he remained in critical condition for several days.
The crime was so random and pointless that community activists quickly organized an anti-crime rally in a nearby park, for which hundreds of people showed up to voice their outrage.
According to police, Hambrick was arrested last week for probation violation and has been in the DeKalb County jail since then. In the meantime, someone phoned in a tip to the Crime Stoppers tip line, leading the APD yesterday to charge Hambrick with aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, and theft by receiving a stolen car.
Suffice it to say, the kid’s in a shitload of trouble.
Here’s the final word from our friends at the APD:
The APD is appreciative of all the community support throughout this investigation. Although this case is not yet closed we are happy that we have been able to offer the family and the Kirkwood Community some closure in this case.
(Photo courtesy DeKalb Sheriff)
Thanks to some Obamabucks from Washington, D.C., Atlanta residents could see more police officers patrolling the streets — possibly this fall.
Vice President Joe Biden today announced $1 billion in economic stimulus funds to hire 4,700 police officers in cities across the country. The funds will be administered through the U.S. Justice Department’s Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, program.
Atlanta’s set to receive $11.2 million of that loot — enough to hire 50 police officers. (You can view a PDF of Atlanta’s award letter here.)
That’s a far cry from the 200 officers Mayor Shirley Franklin had hoped for earlier this year. But after a weekend of high-profile shootings, killings and carjackings, it’s good news for a city that looks safer on paper than it feels on the streets.
In a statement about the funding, Atlanta Deputy Chief George Turner said:
…the goal is to have a recruit class this fall with the 50 new recruits. Once the officers are trained they will be dispatched into the community. The police department is proud and happy to add 50 new officers to the force, said Chief Turner. All the positions awarded under the grant must be used to initiate or enhance community policing in the City of Atlanta.
There’s a catch, however.
From the AJC’s report that Atlanta Police arrested three males this morning for an attempted robbery near Georgia Tech:
Police found a loaded AK-47, body armor and a ski mask inside the suspects’ vehicle, Redmond said.
Dyana Bagby of the Southern Voice gives a thorough update on the killing of Patrick Boland, a 43-year-old gay man who was stabbed in Piedmont Park early in the morning hours of May 28. Bagby reports that Atlanta police still have no leads and are investigating the killing — and the stabbing of another gay male that took place shortly after Boland was attacked — as possible hate crimes.
When police arrived at Piedmont Park May 28 to investigate Boland’s death, there were several people in the park, some hiding in the bushes because they were there after the park’s closing time at 11 p.m.
But Willis said he does not care who was in the park for whatever reason on that night; he just hopes someone will come forward with a clue to solving the crime and helping Boland’s family find closure.
“The amount of blood at the scene and the blood trail — he ran quite a ways,” Willis said.
“Someone had to have heard something, him screaming or calling for help. There had to be some kind of altercation. One witness we did talk to was worried about being arrested. That [being in park after hours] is not a concern to me; that is low on my list,” Willis said.
Interesting details about why police don’t think robbery played a role in Boland’s killing is in SoVo’s article.
Number of reported burglaries, larcenies and automobile thefts in Atlanta in 2008: 38,978
Percentage increase in Atlanta property crimes in 2008, compared to the previous year: 7.6
Percentage that property crime decreased across the country in 2008: 1.6
Number of times a Poncey-Highland gym was broken into in the first weeks of June: 5
Number of intown bars hit in one night in May by thieves apparently looking for flat-screen TVs: 4
Number of times a Midtown clothing boutique was hit by “smash-and-grab” burglars in May: 2
Total number of burglaries, larcenies and thefts that occurred in Atlanta during the first three months of 2009 (most recent statistics): 7,980
Number of same crimes that occurred during the first three months of 2008: 8,804
Atlanta’s rank in a disputed survey of the nation’s most dangerous cities: 2
Sources: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Police Department, FBI Annual Crime Statistics, Real Clear Politics
Q: How many times does an Atlanta business have to be burglarized within a ten-day period before the city assigns a police officer for a stake-out.
A: Five.
(Warning: page linked above contains dismayingly unflattering photo of Dagmar Midcap)
The Atlanta City Council has decided that Police Chief Richard Pennington must comply with an oversight committee’s request to release documents related to the police shootings of Kathryn Johnston and Pierre George.
According to an Atlanta City Council spokesman, the Committee on Council:
Issued a subpoena at the request of the Citizen Review Board to compel Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington to produce requested documents as well as the criminal investigation file regarding the police shooting of Kathryn Johnston.
Issued a subpoena at the request of the Citizen Review Board to compel Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington to produce requested documents as well as the criminal investigation file regarding the police shooting of Pierre George.
UPDATED: Cristina Beamud, executive director of the Atlanta Citizen Review Board, tells CL:
“On behalf of the board, we’re very pleased. And we thank the Committee on Council and, most importantly, Chair Felicia Moore for her support on this issue. The public still has a lot of questions about what went wrong, and what we can do to make sure [what happened], or something similar, doesn’t happen again. And we don’t think there have been enough answers if people are still asking those questions…It’s very difficult to give constructive criticism unless you know what caused it and how it can be prevented.”
Sgt. Scott Kreher
Before he made his unfortunate outburst last week at City Hall, Sgt. Scott Kreher was prepared to deliver the Atlanta Police Union’s budget suggestions. His talking points, which bulletpoint the various problems wrong with the Atlanta Police Department’s management, can be viewed here. They’re also pasted after the jump.
Also, a group of residents have started a petition to reinstate Kreher. After he apologized for his comments, the APD placed the 17-year veteran on paid leave pending a psychological evaluation.
From the petition’s intro:
The undersigned citizens of Atlanta want Sgt. Scott Kreher back on the job, with his pay and benefits fully restored and no adverse impact to his status and standing in the Atlanta Police Department. These citizens want Mayor Franklin to accept Sgt. Kreher’s apology and to meet with the above-described injured officers, or to make sure their medical costs are covered in a timely and efficient fashion as described by the city’s workers compensation policy.
As of this posting, the petition had received more than 65 signatures.
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
AJC Political Insider Jim Galloway posted a video this morning I suspect Mayor Shirley Franklin doesn’t want you to watch.
The video shows five men and women severely wounded while on duty as Atlanta police officers. Each claims the city is denying them medical benefits they need, and to which they are entitled.
Why do I assume Mayor Franklin doesn’t want you to watch it?
Simple.
Because she’s spent the last week dodging questions about the video’s subject matter.
During the same week, however, Franklin has somehow found the time to launch an administrative, legal and public relations assault against APD union leader Sgt. Scott Kreher, the man who presented the video the city council.
Admittedly, Kreher made himself an easy target.
While speaking to city council last week about Atlanta’s alleged poor treatment of police officers severely wounded while on duty, Kreher said he’s so frustrated with Mayor Franklin’s intransigence that he feels like hitting her on the head with a baseball bat.
It was an ugly figure of speech for which Kreher apologized. But Franklin won’t move on.
She has evidently decided to use Kreher’s slip-up to once-and-for-all silence Kreher; one of her most persistent and (until last week) effective critics.
First, Franklin told Fox 5 she interprets Kreher’s statement as a literal physical threat meant to intimidate her and her family, even though it clearly an ugly metaphor for extreme frustration. Franklin says she wants a local, state and, FEDERAL investigation into Kreher’s comment.
Strange. When Atlanta residents express their fear of actual crimes, the mayor mocks them with cherry-picked stats. Hurt Franklin’s feelings, however, and she’ll summon federal help.
But wait. There’s more.
On Saturday, Franklin’s APD toady Chief Richard Pennington suspended Kreher from active-duty pending a psychological examination. Using a mental health bureaucracy and the stigma of mental illness to destroy a political opponent is a time-honored political tactic — in Russia.
Why is Franklin bending over backward to destroy Kreher? My guess is that she’s desperately hoping you won’t pay attention to his message.
So watch the video.
And if you still feel like blaming someone for drawing attention away from the important issue of benefits for wounded cops, go ahead and blame Kreher or Franklin if you’d like.
But remember, Kreher distracted us by accident. Franklin is doing it on purpose.
You can spend all day wagging your finger at Atlanta Police Union chief Sgt. Scott Kreher for his inappropriate comment last week. You know, the one he said at City Hall about wanting to hit Mayor Shirley Franklin in the head with a baseball bat?
You can debate whether Kreher’s frustration over delayed compensation claims to five injured Atlanta police officers forgives such an outburst by a 17-year veteran of the force.
But to do all that does nothing to address the problem that Kreher says has festered in City Hall, one that’s reportedly led to back-and-forth legal challenges and injured officers allegedly being stonewalled for medical treatment.
What this issue needs is a little bit of sunlight. Let’s take a quick look at the contracts the city’s signed — and re-signed — with NovaPro Risk Solutions, the San Diego-based company that’s handled employees’ compensation claims since 2004, back when it was known as Ward North America Inc.
Just so, you know, we’re up to speed when this issue comes back up for discussion.
Holla!
From the Atlanta Police Department:
The Atlanta Police Department Special Enforcement Section with the assistance of other APD Units served a warrant yesterday in Southwest Atlanta. As a result of the warrant several people were arrested and numerous items were seized. Among the items were 4 firearms, 3 flat panel televisions, ammunition, bolt cutters, 1 purse, 2 designer shirts and 10 pair of designer blue jeans. A news conference will be held today at 10:00am on the 2nd floor of City Hall East to provide further details.
If you recall, Fox 5 reported a suspected link between some of the “blue-jean bandit” robberies and the 30 Deep Gang. Jonathan Redding, the teen who was arrested in connection with the John Henderson murder, was suspected to be a 30 Deep member.
UPDATE: The AJC’s Mike Morris has more details:
Two adults and three juveniles, ranging in age from 14 to 25, were arrested, and police said four of the suspects are known members of the “30 Deep” gang that was recently connected to the Jan. 7 killing of Grant Park bartender John Henderson.
However, police said Friday that they had not been able to connect any of those arrested Thursday night to Henderson’s slaying.
Grayson Daughters spoke with Atlanta Police Union President Scott Kreher at the most recent Atlantans Together Against Crime rally in Midtown. Topics included how the organization will endorse a candidate in the Atlanta mayor’s race, what role the community plays in fighting crime, and what’s needed to end police furloughs.
In March, the Atlanta City Council unanimously passed a resolution urging Mayor Shirley Franklin to introduce a budget that ended police and firefighter furloughs. Last week, the mayor granted its request. Council is expected to vote on the budget in June.
A recent email to residents from an Atlanta Police Department zone commander underscores the difficulties the department and Atlantans face when it comes to crime — but it also stresses the need to remain aware and vigilant.
In a Tuesday morning email to neighborhood groups, Major Khirus Williams says Monday night saw a rise in robberies and carjackings. Williams says that recent furloughs have reduced the number of street patrols and that criminals are “becoming more brazen.” In the email, he offers tips residents can use to stay safe and reduce the likelihood of crime.
Needless to say, some of them are pretty depressing. But “more with less” and all that.
Please read this e-mail and alert our citizens that we had robberies and multiple car jackings throughout the City of Atlanta (metro wide) last night, including your area.
Please, let us all keep our exterior lights on to illuminate the area. This makes the area unpopular for criminals!
Also, please have your family, friends, and neighbors to blow their horn when arriving. This allows us to watch for them until they arrive, inside, safely. Open the window dressings and hi-light them with a flash-light. Thus, the criminal element would be aware that someone is watching!
The state Senate passed legislation today that would allow Atlanta residents to decide if they want to pay extra for more police officers and firefighters.
State Sen. Kasim Reed, a Democrat from Atlanta who’s also a front-runner in the mayor’s race, sponsored the bill.
Dave Williams of the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports:
Legislation asking Atlanta voters to tax themselves to pay for additional police and fire protection cleared an important hurdle in the General Assembly Thursday.
The Senate voted 30-23 to hold a referendum in the city in November on a plan to raise property taxes to hire more police officers and firefighters.
…
Reed said the legislation is modeled after a bill the General Assembly adopted allowing a sales tax referendum in Atlanta to pay for water and sewer improvements, which won approval from 71 percent of city voters. He said the property tax increase would expire after four years unless reauthorized in a subsequent referendum.
The bill now moves to the House. If approved, Reed says the owner of a $250,000 home would pay an additional $6 a month on their property taxes. The senator received some guff from his colleagues, who said Mayor Shirley Franklin and the City Council could resolve the dispute over raising taxes vs. cutting public safety themselves. But Reed says the problem can’t wait for a new administration in City Hall.
Richard Pennington
UPDATE: Pennington says he hasn’t been contacted for the position. The White House declines to comment. We clasp our hands and pray Atlanta’s favorite soul patch — he’s after the jump below — is not named the next DEA chief.
CBS Atlanta reports that Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington is being eyed to head the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Or maybe not?
A [APD] spokesperson says the department has not been informed of this information and they could not comment.
[CBS Atlanta reporter Joanna Massee] e-mailed Mayor Shirley Franklin to see if she was aware Pennington was being considered for a position at the DEA. A spokesperson for the mayor said, “While Mayor Franklin is unaware of the opportunity in your email she thinks, ‘Chief Pennington is a terrific and highly effective law enforcement official and who has served Atlanta with distinction.’”
Pennington sent an email to CBS Atlanta and it said, “I have no knowledge that I’m being considered for any federal law enforcement position. Furthermore, I have not been contacted by anyone in Washington.”
New Orleans media outlets are abuzz about the rumor. Pennington was the city’s former police superintendent before heading to Atlanta. Eager to put a stop to all the madness, CL contacted its fictitious high-level sources at the federal agency. Turns out there’s been some confusion.
Current amount, in dollars, of President Obama’s stimulus plan aimed to create jobs and spur the economy: 827 billion
Amount, in dollars, Mayor Shirley Franklin recently requested for Atlanta projects: 1.88 billion
Estimated number of city jobs Franklin says the federal stimulus plan could create: 40,000
Number of police officers Franklin wants to add with stimulus money: 200
Dollar value of sewer projects the city wants to build using stimulus funds: 801 million
Amount, in dollars, the city requested to build the International Terminal at Jackson-Hartsfield International Airport: 500 million
Number of federal dollars Franklin says would go to offset the city’s budget deficit: 0
Amount, in dollars, the Georgia Department of Transportation has requested for state projects: 3.4 billion
Estimated number of jobs Georgia could gain because of the stimulus package: 143,000
Sources: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, U.S. Conference of Mayors
The Midtown Ponce Security Alliance hosts a special meeting tonight at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer to address the city’s crime problem. Atlanta City Councilmembers Kwanza Hall and Anne Fauver and Major Khirus Williams of the Atlanta Police Department’s Zone 5 will attend. The public is welcome.
Full release and additional details are after the jump.
The Atlanta Police Department has issued a missing person alert for Kirkwood resident Alicia Cook.
From the department’s Missing Persons Unit:
The Atlanta Police Department Missing Persons Unit is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Alicia Cook. She is a 27 year old white female, 5’6” tall, 120 pounds and has burgundy hair. She was last seen at 372 Arizona Ave on January 19, 2009. Ms. Cook suffers from mental disorders and has not been taking her medications. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Ms. Cook is asked to please call 911 or contact the Atlanta Police Missing Persons Unit at (404) 853-4235.
(Photo courtesy of the APD)
Earlier this month, John Henderson was killed during an early-morning robbery at The Standard Food and Spirits on Memorial Drive. Today and tonight, more than 60 Atlanta restaurants are participating in a “dine-out” benefit to raise funds for the reward that would lead to the arrest of individuals involved in his slaying.
For a full list of participating restuarants — and a map their locations — check out Atlantans Together Against Crime’s website.
Nearly 175 people gathered in Little Five Points last night to rally and raise awareness about the city’s crime problem. Atlantans Together Against Crime, a grassroots citizen group, organized the event. The group plans to stage rallies in different Atlanta neighborhoods on the last Monday of every month.
Grayson of Mostly Media has video of last night’s event.
Members of Atlantans Together Against Crime, a grassroots advocacy group launched after the slaying of John Henderson, will hold a rally tonight in Little Five Points to raise awareness about crime in the city. The group plans to rally in a different Atlanta neighborhood on the last Monday of every month.
Here’s the information from the organization’s Facebook group:
Reclaim Atlanta’s Neighborhoods!
A Rally for Action, Awareness, & Change.Monday, January 26th.
5p-7p
Findley Plaza, Little Five Points
On Wednesday night, more than 20 Atlanta restaurants including JCT Kitchen, 97 Estoria, Beleza, El Taco and Stella Trattoria will participate in a “dine out” benefit. Participating restaurants are encouraged to donate at least 20 percent of the evening’s proceeds to a reward fund established for information leading to the arrest of the people involved in Henderson’s slaying. For a map and full list of participating restaurants, visit ATAC’s group page.
Grayson Daughters produced an excellent video of this morning’s vigil for John Henderson, the Standard Food and Spirits bartender who was murdered early Wednesday morning during a robbery at the Memorial Drive restaurant.
UPDATE: Standard Food and Spirits’ management request the event be a vigil, not a protest, and that participants do not bring signs or placards. Participants are encouraged to bring candles to light as a tribute to the victim. The post below has been edited to reflect the Standard’s request.
Southeast Atlanta residents shaken by the this morning’s murder of a bartender at Standard Food and Spirits will hold a 7 a.m. vigil tomorrow at the Memorial Drive restaurant.
Rally participants are encouraged to bring candles to light.
For driving directions to The Standard, visit here. To find the nearest public transit that serves the restaurant, visit here.
RATTLED: Little Five Points resident Kyle Keyser says his Dec. 17 mugging reflects how brazen Atlanta crime has become.
On Dec. 17, local video producer and blogger Kyle Keyser stopped at the Pizza Hut on North Avenue to pick up a late dinner for his roommate’s boss. Five men stood outside the pizza joint. One asked Keyser if he’d buy him some food. Keyser, sympathetic to the man’s hunger, said sure.
But the restaurant was closed, and as Keyser returned to his car, the five men surrounded him and pushed him against a nearby vehicle. One shoved a gun to his neck. They demanded money. Keyser said he didn’t have any but handed over his ATM card.
The men took Keyser’s cell phone and wallet and ordered him to lie on the ground. One suspect, pistol in hand, took aim.
“I’m gonna shoot him,” Keyser recalls the suspect saying. “I’m gonna shoot this motherfucker.”
“Don’t shoot him,” pleaded the guy who Keyser had offered to buy food.
“Naw,” the gunman said, “I’m gonna shoot him in the leg.”
Keyser, face down on the pavement, braced himself for a bullet. Instead, he saw five pairs of sneakers walk off. He sensed he had an exit, jumped in his car, and sped toward Midtown to call the police. He says bank receipts show the suspects purchased food with his card at a gas station a block away.
“OK, people get mugged and asked for money,” says Keyser, whose house has been broken into twice. “There’s a certain amount of crime that you associate with living in the city. It’s not forgivable, but it’s understood. You know it’s going to happen. What concerns me now is the spike in violent crime.”
Read the rest of this story.
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
