Fresh Loaf

Videodrome, the Poncey-Highland movie rental store that’s been a go-to for film buffs since 1997, was robbed Friday night.

Owner Matt Booth tells CL that a male suspect entered the store at approximately 10:45 p.m. and browsed film selections. After purchasing a movie, the suspect allegedly displayed a gun to the clerk and demanded the contents of the register. (Booth declined to say how much cash the suspect took.)

No one was injured during the robbery. An Atlanta Police Department spokesman told CL he was working on providing more details about the case. We’ll update when we hear word.

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Yesterday the Atlanta city council approved a plan to hire 50 new police officers using federal stimulus funds.

In January, Mayor Franklin announced her intention to grow the city’s police force to 2,000 officers. The city had 1,633 officers at the time, meaning Franklin was promising to grow the size of the force by 22 percent in a single year – nevermind the department’s net loss of approximately 200 officers between October 2007 and January 2009. When critics called her proposal unrealistic, cranky Franklin lashed out.

According to the AJC, the city now has “more than 1,700 sworn officers.” I’m no math whiz, but I’m pretty sure 50 plus “more than 1,700″ does not equal 2,000.

The critics were right. Franklin’s January 2009 proposal was ridiculous.

Correction: In earlier version of this post, I incorrectly described APD’s overall size during Franklin’s two-terms. I apologize.

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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)

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At 6 p.m., hundreds of Atlanta residents, politicians and community activists are expected to begin an anti-crime rally in Bessie Branham Park off Delano Avenue in Kirkwood. The ralliers are responding to last week’s shooting of Kemmeth Hagen, 5, who was gunned down outside of his home on nearby Ridgedale Road. Hagen was shoot three times in the torso while mowing his lawn, reportedly by a man attempting to steal his weed-wacker.

If you miss this event, Atlantans Together Against Crime is holding another rally Monday evening in the Kirkwood Village.

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Charman Sinkfield has been charged with the murder boxer Vernon Forrest. Atlanta police describe him as the triggerman. He is the third person charged in connection with the killing.

U.S. Marshals arrested Sinkfield last night.

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Remember the daring robbers who broke into a Grant Park home and made off with a flat-screen TV? You probably saw it on the YooToobz, the world’s most powerful crime-fighting tool next to David Caruso.

Now other Atlanta residents are putting the site to use.

Surveillance camera footage recently uploaded to YouTube shows a person allegedly trying to break into cars at the Milltown Lofts in Reynoldstown on Aug. 9. The first video, filmed around 3:30 a.m., shows a man moseying through the parking lot and unsuccessfully trying to enter a black Toyota 4Runner.

Three hours later, the same man returns. He peers into the same car and then walks behind a silver pick-up truck. Several minutes later, the man is seen strolling past the camera and rolling a keyboard.

(more…)

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Mayor Franklin at yesterday's press conference.

Mayor Shirley Franklin and Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington’s press conference yesterday was a long and quizzical event filled mostly with testy questions about the chief’s recent whereabouts.

But in addition to those questions about Atlanta’s Houdini, the mayor said she wanted to talk about “solutions” and the city’s strategy to improve its piss-poor public safety. That strategy involves more cops on the street, a crackdown on gang activity, and an engaged community.

In the interest of public engagement and transparency, we’ve decided to post Franklin’s statement in full.

After the jump, what Franklin’s administration plans to do in her remaining months in office to prevent the killings, carjackings, burglaries and other ills.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

(more…)

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Perception of Crime Watch® has gone bipartisan!

Look what just showed up in Jim Wooten’s Thinking Right blog:

Oh, car hijackee and Atlanta City Councilman Ceasar Mitchell, was not the victim of crime; he was the victim of perception of crime.

How about that!

Perception of Crime Watch® is on the brink of becoming the most popular Atlanta Internet crime watch meme since mid-2007’s wildly popular I Can Has Crime Wave.

Don’t forget: Perception of Crime Watch is also on Twitter. Just add #pocatl to your posts and you, too, can join the fun.

(Thank you @mattgove finding the Wooten link and the bipartisanship)

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Councilman Ceasar Mitchell, who was carjacked at gunpoint over the weekend, has revived a piece of legislation he proposed last year that would set a daytime curfew for children between the ages of 6 and 16.

Now, before everyone piles on with snide comments, as happened with an earlier blog post, allow me to note that this is not Mitchell’s sole answer to the apparently growing teen crime wave (I inaccurately used the word “antidote”). He has also pushed for more foot patrols — as opposed to cops simply driving around — and more resourses for the Red Dog squad.

But here’s his description of his curfew proposal, fresh from the press release:

“This ordinance will hold parents or guardians of minors accountable for their children who go unsupervised during certain hours on school days, said Mitchell.  ”Before, above, and beyond teachers, principals, and the police, the primary responsibility to direct, discipline, and monitor a minor rests with that minor’s parent or guardian.  Therefore, it is not too much to ask for a parent to be involved in and ultimately responsible for the whereabouts of their child during school hours.”

He calls the measure “a good step in the right direction,” not the answer to the city’s crime problem.

We’ll have to wait to see if his colleagues agree. The Council is on summer reccess and next meets Aug. 17.

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Jim Walls at Atlanta Unfiltered dug into Atlanta’s crime statistics for this year and found that, yep, crime is  down citywide. But there are pockets where it’s risen sharply.

Aggravated assaults climbed by more than 50 percent in downtown Atlanta this year, and residential burglaries were up sharply in Buckhead and southwest Atlanta, police statistics show.

…

Aggravated assault, for instance, climbed 52 percent in Zone 5 (downtown Atlanta), even as it declined by 8 percent in the rest of the city. Auto theft was up 23 percent and bicycle theft up 120 percent in Zone 5 during the same period.

Residential burglaries climbed 54 percent in Zone 3 (Southwest Atlanta) over 2008, the statistics show. In Zone 2 (Buckhead), residential burglaries rose 33 percent. Elsewhere in the city, the number of burgaries was stable or down slightly; in Zone 1 (northwest Atlanta), they were down 28 percent.

More info at Atlanta Unfiltered.

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Will they continue to assert that crime isn’t on the rise in Atlanta, only the Perception of Crime? Or will they concede that the city has become more dangerous, what with all the various shootings, killings and carjackings?

We should find out Thursday morning, when, at 10 a.m., Mayor Shirley Franklin and Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington are scheduled to deliver a “Public Safety Update.” But don’t go to City Hall. The event will be held at the city’s planned future public safety headquarters at 226 Peachtree St.

Could this be the end of Perception of Crime Watch®?

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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.

(more…)

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The police chief spoke out today to reassure a frightened public after a high-profile crime.

Not Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington.

Don’t be ridiculous.

He would never do something as leadership-ish as that.

I’m talking about Decatur police Chief J.M. Booker.

A carjacking in Decatur’s Oakhurst neighborhood shortly before noon today has city residents on edge.

Chief Booker signed-in at Decatur Metro this afternoon to tell readers he recognizes how unsettling today’s incident was.

Atlantans take note: Decatur’s police chief managed to get through his entire letter without once mocking his fellow Decaturites. He didn’t tell Decaturites their fears are based on the mere perception of crime, nor did he brag about how awesome Decatur is.

He didn’t even mention baseball!

He said today’s carjacking troubled him a great deal and that he and his department are busting their collective backside to catch the people responsible.

An actual, sincere expression of concern about crime, without a hint of smug defiance or phony indignation. How about that?

You should try it sometime, Shirley and Richard.

And not just when celebrities get killed either.

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Jason Lee was pulling up to his girlfriend’s Edgewood home from the grocery store Saturday night when he was approached by three armed young men who demanded his car keys.

Lee gave the robbers his car keys and turned to go inside, at which point he was shot in the back. Lee is in stable condition. He spoke to WSB-TV from his hospital bed yesterday.

Here’s a chilling excerpt from a note Lee’s girlfriend posted to a neighborhood board:

I jumped in the car to take him to the hospital and as we took a right on LaFrance the three kids were casually walking down the street. I was on the phone with the police at the time and told them…but we know how that goes.

(Note: The original post omitted the victim’s name. Because he spoke to WSB-TV, I revised the post).

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Former boxing champion Vernon Forrest was gunned down during a robbery Saturday night that began when he stopped at the Chevron on Whitehall Street south of downtown to fill his car tires with air.

His manager told 11 Alive news Forrest chased after a group of men after they stole his wallet. Unable to catch them, he began to head back to the gas station, at which point he was shot repeatedly in the back. Suspects were seen fleeing in a red Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Fans, friends, and colleagues say Forrest wasn’t just a gifted boxer, but an uncommonly kind-hearted, compassionate individual.

From Kieran Mulvaney, who covers boxing for ESPN:

In popular imagination, boxing is full of snakes, back-stabbers and thieves. Personal observation lends credence to the caricature, but also reveals another side of the sport that outsiders often miss: It is also full of kindness and consideration, an admittedly dysfunctional extended family whose members look out for one another in times of need.

People are almost invariably surprised to hear me say this, but some of the nicest people I have ever met are professional fighters.

Even by that standard, however, Vernon Forrest stood out.

Read the rest.

And thank you Scott Freeman for the link.

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The AJC reports boxer Vernon Forrest was shot and killed at 11:00 P.M. last night during a shoot-out that began after Forrest was robbed when he stopped at the Chevron on Whitehall Street (one block south of Castleberry Hill). The perceived killers have not been arrested.

21 hours earlier*, less than three miles away, Atlanta councilman Ceasar Mitchell was carjacked at gunpoint. His car was recovered, but the perceived carjackers haven’t been caught.

Neither the Mayor’s office nor the police department have issued any public statements** about these perceived crimes as neither involved a baseball bat metaphor.

(*Correction: The original post incorrectly stated when Mitchell was carjacked. Thanks to eagle-eyed CL reader S. Dekalb Voter for catching the error.)

(**See comments below for mayor’s statement.)

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Question 1: Where do accused killers go when they escape police custody?

18 year-old Matthew Wells went to his girlfriend’s house after he escaped Atlanta Police custody on July 8. You may recall, Wells gave a tender on-camera shout-out to his girlfriend after he was captured.

Still no word on why it took approximately 20 hours for the Atlanta Police Department to notify the public of Wells’ escape. I suspect there never will be.

Question 2: Where do designer jeans go after they’re stolen in-bulk from Atlanta area clothing stores?

They cover the asses of amoral people who turn a blind eye to blatant theft.

In the past, I’ve predicted the mass theft of flat-screen TVs will revive the market for large, difficult-to-steal tube televisions. Now, I’m starting to wonder if Toughskins are poised for a comeback.

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What’s the opposite of a crime wave?

A crime pit? A trough? A divot?

Whatever you call it, much of the country outside Atlanta is experiencing one. Both violent AND property crimes have dropped. Lucky them.

Today’s Washington Post has a story about the Not-lanta crime divot. This bit about police technology stuck out to me:

In Prince George’s, for example, the department’s top commanders get mobile phone updates on crimes and 911 calls every 15 minutes.

In New York, when someone is killed, police send a mobile data center to a neighborhood, allowing police on the scene to listen to 911 calls and immediately search databases that list the names of everyone in a certain building who is on parole.

In the District, the department creates a weekly “Go-Go report,” which details where and when home-grown bands are playing, because go-go concerts often bring together rival gangs, causing violence, Lanier said. There is also a weekly gang report that tells officers which gangs or crews are feuding that week.

Armed with that information, police can better predict where crimes might happen and take measures to prevent them.

Do we do anything like this in Atlanta? If the city has real-time crime tracking, why does it take months for the department to give crime information to the public? The most recent crime stats on APD’s web site are from April.

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From WSB-TV, emphasis mine:

Two robbers held up two men outside the Varsity drive-in Monday night in downtown Atlanta.

The victims told police there were in the parking lot behind the Varsity on North Avenue at 11:05 when they were approached by an Hispanic male and a black male armed with a gun.

See, we can all get along.

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From the AJC:

Atlanta police spokesman Otis Redmond said the Fashion Industry boutique on Oak Street near the Mall West End was burglarized about 4:30 a.m.

Ugh.

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The Perception of Crime in Atlanta ran circles around the Atlanta Police Department last week.

On Friday, the department called a press conference to brag it arrested many of the perceived criminals responsible for the epidemic of perceived smash-and-grab robberies at local boutiques.

Less than 24 hours later, four more perceived criminals smashed the window at Wish boutique in Little Five Points and looted the merchandise. Doh!

This latest high-profile perceived crime took place just three days after the mysterious escape from police headquarters of Matthew Wells.

Wells was arrested for participating in a perceived shoot-out with police on Clark Atlanta University’s campus.

Shortly after his arrest Wednesday, Wells removed a leg iron and strolled out of police headquarters. He was on the loose for nearly 20 hours before the AJC and WSB-TV found out and informed the public. APD never directly warned the public.

The escaped perceived shooting suspect was arrested Thursday afternoon, just five blocks from Clark Atlanta’s campus.

Asked Thursday by Fox 5’s Morse Diggs how he escaped, Wells replied “I picked the lock.” As he was being loaded into an APD prisoner transport van, Wells requested that someone tell his girlfriend that he loves hers. Very sweet.

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The AJC reports one of the two suspects arrested after yesterday’s shoot-out with police at Clark Atlanta University escaped shortly after being taken into custody.

I would tell you his name, give you a description, or post a photo, but the APD hasn’t made any of that information available. The department’s media advisory web page hasn’t been updated in more than a month.

UPDATE 5: WSB reports the escaped suspect was caught today on Magnolia Way in Northwest Atlanta; Magnolia Way is only five blocks from Clark Atlanta University’s campus.

UPDATE 4: WSB reports the suspect escaped police headquarters YESTERDAY. I corrected the description above to reflect that.

So the guy escapes yesterday and police wait at least 14 hours to tell the public? And still no photo or name?

UPDATE 3: Atlanta Police has a Twitter account. It contains no information about the escaped suspect. In fact, the page is completely blank.

UPDATE 2: WSB has video footage of the escape, but still no name or mug shot.

UPDATE: Atlanta police say the escaped suspect is wearing a red t-shirt and jeans with a large rip on the left leg. Why police aren’t sharing the suspect’s name or circulating a photograph is a mystery.

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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)

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Jesse Altman, CEO of Grant Park-based coffee energy drink maker Whynatte, says the Perception of Crime in Atlanta broke into his company’s headquarters early Tuesday evening.

Altman says building security cameras captured images of the Perception of Crime in the shape of three young men who walked off with two of Whynatte’s laptops, some cash, and an assortment of electronics.

From Altman’s e-mail to Perception of Crime Watch®:

Cops dusted for fingerprints – said that it would take 6-12 months to run the prints since it’s a non-violent crime. Office next door was burglarized last week.  Cars have been getting broken into on a weekly basis.

Altman’s frustration with the Atlanta Police Department’s apparent inability to quickly cope with property crimes was echoed to me this week by a staffer at Midtown’s Grady High School.

The staffer, who wishes to remain anonymous, contacted me after at least two perceived thieves broke into the school early Tuesday morning and stole 26 student computers.

The staffer told me the school’s monitored burglar alarm was triggered by the perceived burglars, but police did not respond for several hours. The AJC reports today that the area around Grady is experiencing a rash of similar perceived crimes.

If the Perception of Crime in Atlanta has burglarized, robbed or stabbed you, drop us a note.

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Rebutting a June 5 story by Real Clear Politics naming Atlanta the country’s second least-safe large city, Mayor Shirley Franklin’s office today correctly noted Real Clear Politics jumbled its numbers.

From the Mayor’s office (emphasis mine):

Real Clear Politics claims that the City of Atlanta’s crime rate is over 16%.  According to the actual FBI data, the crime rate in Atlanta is only 8.7%.  (The FBI shows total crimes in 2008 of 46,381 and a population of 533,016.  This translates to a crime rate of 8.7%.)

What the Mayor’s defiant press release neglects to mention, however, is that Real Clear Politics’ rankings are indeed correct.

The “only 8.7%” crime rate Franklin’s office boasts of is, according the FBI, the second-highest crime rate of any American city with more than 500,000 people.

In 2008, Atlanta indeed had more crime per person than all-but-one U.S. city with more than 500,000 people.

The numbers below were calculated by adding the total number of violent crime and property crime incidents in 2008 (not including arson) divided by the population. All of the numbers can be found in an Excel spreadsheet on the FBI’s web site.

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