The PENS Dispatch
Posted November 17, 2009
PENS Bulletin
November 16th, 2009
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
Current crime trends-
Business Safe Burglaries
We have been experiencing overnight business burglaries where entry is made either through the roof or the wall and then forcing open the safes and ATMs. The suspects will disable the alarm system by cutting the power, cutting the phone lines and disabling the wireless systems. Sports Bars and Gas Stations have been their primary targets.
Roofing Scam:
There has been a recent scam occurring in Cobb County, City of Acworth, Paulding and Bartow Counties. They will request a large sum of money up front to buy materials and they never return to do any of the work. That is Theft by Conversion. The best way to prevent this is to offer to pay only when the work is done. It is worth paying more if the work is done well and completed to your satisfaction.
There has been one reported case in Pct. 4 on Wendy Springs Ct. in 411 beat. They have possibly tried the scam in the city of Roswell as well.
Please see our BOLO (Be On the Lookout) section on the Pens site for the suspect’s photographs and information. Any unreported victims please contact the detectives on the BOLO.
Note: If a contractor does perform work and it is just not complete or it is not done to the satisfaction of the owner, that then is a civil matter. The key is the ability to show intent by the suspect to take the payment as a theft.
Entering Autos
We experienced a number of entering autos in the 411 Beat areas, particularly early Monday morning on 110909. The suspects were able to go car to car either flipping door handles to find unlocked cars or they would bust the windows when items of value were seen. Please remember to lock your car doors and remove items of value.
What you and your neighbors can do-
Residential Burglary prevention: There have been a number of reports where the victim of a residential burglary had a suspect come to the front door to see if someone was home sometime before the burglary or neighbors had reported seeing someone come to their door. If you are home make sure you do either answer the door or make sure that you indicate in some way that someone is home. They may be Burglars attempting to see if anyone is home prior to forcing entry. Primarily our residential burglars are young males who will give some excuse why they knocked on the wrong door. Call 911 as soon as possible and also advise of any vehicle description. Do not indicate to them that you will call police.
Keep your garage doors closed. There were a few Burglaries where the only reason the residence was victimized was the garage door was left open. The neighboring residences were not a victim. Open garage doors are a beacon for criminal activity; criminals drive through the neighborhood and can already see if the neighborhood has a habit of locking up or not. Your neighbor’s actions can affect you.
Business Burglary prevention: With the current trend of the power being cut, uniform patrol units will be checking on dark businesses. If you are a business owner with a business that is closed overnight and especially if you have a safe and an ATM, leave lights on from the interior that are visible to the street. A dark business may then be an indicator of a burglary and uniform patrol may be able to make an arrest.
Entering Autos: Lock your car doors and remove items of value.
Significant Arrests:
UPDATE: David Barney Kegley III was arrested in Atlanta on 110809, and currently resides in the Fulton County Jail. He is responsible for numerous entering autos at the businesses in East Cobb over the past few months, where he would take women’s wallets from purses left in plain view. He then would make numerous fraud transactions with the victim’s credit cards. He also has been charged with numerous other similar charges in the north metro Atlanta area. CIU 4 made the following charges:
410 Beat
Financial Transaction Card Fraud (F) 4 counts
4010 Canton Rd. Marietta Cobb GA. 30066
Beat 410
Sgt. Nelson
410 Beat
Theft by conversion; motor vehicle
3020 Canton Road, Suite 2 (Easy Car Rental Inc.,)
Marietta, GA 30008
Det. Clere
417 Beat
Det. O’Neal will have further charges for Entering Autos along Lower Roswell Rd. and the related Financial Transaction Card Fraud that occurred the first week of November.
Beat 416
Burglary/ Residence/ No Force (recovered $2000)
Burglary/ Business / No Force (recovered $364.50)
Theft by Taking (m)
Theft by Deception (m) - 3 counts
By Det. Yager
Between 09/01/09 and 09/14/09/ Carriage Drive Marietta, GA - The suspect entered the open garage and took several items. The suspect took one of the stolen items to a pawn shop and sold another stolen item to an acquaintance of the victim. The suspect took the victim’s Kayak between 12/01/08 and 07/23/09 from the victim’s back yard.
Between 09/04/09 and 10/07/09/ 505 Powers Ferry Road (John Knox Presbyterian Chruch)– The suspect entered the location and took tents from a storage closet. Two of the tents were recovered. The suspect was arrested and charged with two counts of burglary, three counts of theft by deception, and one count of theft by taking.
Arrested:
Holahan, Timothy William
Marietta
Be safe out there,
Sgt. Nelson
PENS Bulletin
November 3, 2009
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
It has been brought to my attention that there are several of our members do not have a copy of our precinct map showing the division of Precinct Four into our 8 beats. If you would like a precinct map just visit the Cobb County Police website at police.cobbcountyga.gov and follow the links beginning with the link on the home page for Local Precinct Maps and Information.
Does your residential community or business have an official PENS representative who attends our quarterly PENS meetings? If not and you would like to participate as a representative for your community or business, you may contact me at 770-499-4521.
Door to Door Sales Persons-
The issue of Door to Door Sales persons has come up again and the concern was raised about how to deal with a discourteous sales person. The below is information from our Permits Unit on this subject. Something important to understand is that the Cobb County Police Department Permits Unit does not issue solicitor permits or badges. They are obtained from the Cobb County Business License Department.
Ordinance / Protocol requirements for Door to Door sales
1) Door to Door solicitor badges are issued by the Cobb County Business License
2) Door to Door solicitors are required to wear their ID badge which contains the company name, employee name and photo.
3) Ordinance violations may be addressed immediately; the citizen needs to call 911 and request a beat officer respond so he can identify and cite the individual for the appropriate ordinance violation (ie. rudeness, unlicensed, etc) Usually an officer’s citation will deter the violator or company from returning to the area.
However, Section 78-85 (d) states any discourteous conduct should be reported to the business license office of the county. Section 78-92 states that Business License will log complaints received and may suspend the Permit of any individual or organization after receiving numerous ordinance violation complaints.
Current crime trends-
414 and 416 beats continue to have issues with residential Burglaries and Entering Autos.
There have been a number of Entering Autos in our apartment complexes along Roswell Rd at the 120 Loop.
415 beat has an elevated number of Entering Autos.
It appears that our night time “flippers” are being very active. Those are the criminals walking through our residential communities at night flipping door handles looking for unlocked cars to steal from. They are finding plenty!
What you and your neighbors can do-
Remember that the holiday shopping season is upon us. When you go shopping are you taking your purchases to your car and then returning to do more shopping? You may be telegraphing to those watching what you have purchased and where you have placed it in your car. I recommend that if you have made a major purchase, put it in your car and leave that parking lot, if not take it straight home.
When you purchased your new big screen LCD TV, what did you do with the box? Did you just put it out with the garbage for everyone to see? Cut that box up and put it in the garbage can.
Burglary arrest-
416 beat
102309 0500 to 102409 0055 hrs- 1049 Powers Ferry Rd- (Signature Place Apts)- victim arrived home to find her front door unlocked and damaged. An interior locking mechanism was in place denying her entrance through the door. Responding officers gained entrance through a rear window. After securing the apartment, officers were approached by a witness advising that a subject from another apartment had attempted to sell her a digital camera and a Toshiba laptop computer. The victim advised those items matched the description of property taken from her apartment. Officers went to the suspect apartment where a female denied them permission to enter the apartment. When they stated that they wanted to check on the welfare of the small children inside the apartment a black male subject slammed the door and locked it. The female subject later walked out of the apartment closing the door behind her. She was detained in the front yard. Fearing for the safety of the small children known to be inside, officers made entry. After announcing Cobb Police, the black male subject yelled that they would have to come in and get him. Officers entered the apartment and confronted the male subject laying face down on the kitchen floor. There were small children in the apartment so the male subject was escorted outside. Once outside the subject became disorderly and attempted to flee. ECD device was deployed bringing the subject into compliance. Back inside the apartment, officers located a large hole in the ceiling of the front bedroom. Not knowing if there was another suspect in the attic, officers took a tactical position. They were advised that the subject had run out the back of the apartment upon the initial contact from the officers. A search warrant was obtained for the apartment where the stolen property was recovered from the attic. Charged with Burglary and Obstruction of Officers were one juvenile black female and one juvenile black male.
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted October 22, 2009
PENS Bulletin
October 15, 2009
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
The Precinct Four PENS Program subscriber list now stands at 5993 individuals or business leaders. The subscriber list for all 5 Cobb Police Precinct PENS Programs totals 15,723 subscribers making the Cobb Police PENS Program the largest email distribution list for all of Cobb County government. We appreciate your continued support of our program.
Current crime trends-
This is just a reminder. Please continue to be on the lookout for the below suspects and vehicle. If observed call 9-1-1 immediately;
PUBLIC AWARENESS NOTIFICATION:
In the past week the Cobb County Police Department has received calls pertaining to two males acting suspiciously in the East Cobb area; specifically in the Bill Murdock/ Sewell Mill Road corridor. These subjects may also have been involved in an armed assault and attempted robbery that occurred on Monday, 101209.
Subject #1- Black male, 5-09, 20-30 years of age, stocky build
Subject #2 – Black male, 6-00, 20-30 years of age, thin build
Suspect Vehicle – White newer model DODGE Charger
These males have approached people in their homes and identified themselves as police detectives that are investigating recent burglaries or thefts. Both have been dressed in casual business attire (shirt and tie). One is in possession of a “four point” star shaped badge that he wore on his belt. Both subjects might possibly be armed. The two have been asking personal questions about the residents and about recent burglaries and/or thefts.
Should anyone be approached by these two subjects or should anyone observe any suspicious activity in their neighborhood they are strongly urged to call 911.
All Cobb County Police Detectives carry department issued photo identification cards and shield shaped badges. Their identity can be verified by calling 911.
ATM card skimmers found on east Cobb banks-
We recently warned everyone about an ATM card skimmer that was found on the Wachovia Bank at 3601 Sandy Plains Rd. A second ATM card skimmer has since then been found at the Chase Bank in the Delk Spectrum shopping center, 2900 Delk Rd. This device was attached to the door leading to the ATM machine room. The ATM card has to be used to open the door. A skimming device had been attached to the mechanism to unlock the door.
Both of the devices have been removed and the incidents are being investigated by the Cobb County Sheriff’s Department Fraud Unit as well as Secret Service. Suspects have been arrested for the incident at the Chase Bank.
There was an article in the Northeast Cobb Monitor recently written by David Poteet about ATM card skimmers. Here are some useful prevention tips from that article:
Start going to one bank branch and use their ATM machine for all future transactions. This can help familiarize users with the surroundings (camera placement), and one can get familiar with the machine and know whether it has a card slot or card reader.
Before using an ATM machine, check for devices like extra video camera mounted to the ATM machine. This is another type of ATM scam in addition to skimming where thieves mount a wireless video camera inside the ATM area so they can watch as a PIN is entered.
Check the card slot to see if there is a plastic strip or film sticking out of it. Also; see if there is anything glued to the card reader or cash dispenser.
If a card is stuck inside the card slot, do not leave the machine. Call the branch or the bank's 24 hour service number, and report the incident by using your cell phone.
Use the card as a credit, rather than a debit, when possible. Most credit card companies cover 100% of fraudulent use on credits, rather than debits.
When you shop online, do not use a card as a debit card, if possible. Also, take note that online shopping does not require a PIN to be entered.
Make it a habit to check accounts often. Check for any unauthorized transactions and at the same time make sure the amount debited to each account is correct.
Report any stolen or lost ATM card immediately.
Entering Autos;
Continues to be a problem, particularly in the 410 beat area in the communities along Jamerson Rd and Trickum Rd.
Residential Burglary;
Continues to be a problem, particularly in the 416 beat area in the communities between Lower Roswell Rd and Powers Ferry Rd.
Holiday yard decorations-
Well it’s that time of year again when we enter the holiday season and decorate our yards. Pranksters will be entering our communities at night and vandalizing the yard decorations. Of course currently they are Halloween decorations. Look for this to continue for Thanksgiving and Christmas as well. It’s an annual problem.
The upcoming holiday shopping season-
While we’re talking about holidays, remember we are entering our holiday shopping season when theft related crimes tend to rise. Criminals need gifts for their families too, just don’t let them steal yours. Extra diligence will be required to safeguard your property and new purchases. East Cobb has done great job the last couple of years in holding down on the increase of incidents. Let’s do it again this year. Electronic devices; laptop computers, LCD TVs, game systems (Wii and Playstation), etc. will be high targets for theft. You must not leave these items exposed to theft by leaving them in plain view inside your car while shopping. If you do, you’ll probably be buying another one as some thief most likely will relieve you of your original purchase.
Recent Arrest-
On Oct 5, 2009, Officers responded to an attempted forgery call at the SunTrust Bank, 2900 Delk Rd. When the officers arrived on the scene, the suspect fled on foot. Officers gave chase but lost sight of the suspect who fled into a wooded area. K-9 Chip and his partner Officer Robinson were called to the scene. K-9 Chip readily picked up the scent of the suspect and subsequently located him hiding in some brush. The chase was over and the suspect was apprehended. The suspect was arrested and charged with Forgery and Obstruction of Officers.
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted October 1, 2009
PENS Bulletin
September 30, 2009
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
Our Precinct Four PENS membership now stands at 5855 individuals or business owners.
The Flood of 2009-
You may have heard…….. We had a flood last week!! Being a sailor, I’ll use the nautical terminology of “All Hands On Deck” to describe the Cobb County Public Safety response to the disaster. All available police and fire personnel were pressed into service responding to calls for assistance or to check for flooded roadways. I doubt there was anyone who was not affected by the situation. Below is an announcement by Cobb DOT concerning assistance with debris pickup and removal.-
Cobb County announces storm debris pick up-
Cobb County's Department of Transportation will coordinate pick up of flood debris from properties in unincorporated Cobb County.
For a 30 day period between September 29 and October 26 residents can request and be provided a container/dumpster which can be filled by the resident with flood damaged materials inclusive of furniture, appliances, carpeting and sheet rock. The cut off of such requests will be October 26 allowing seven days for those residents to complete their debris removal. Vegetative debris and concrete are not to be placed in the container.
Requesting residents must agree that the container is placed on private property so as not to impact traffic in the roadway.
Dumpster requests should be directed to 770-528-3666
Cobb County has a central Web page dedicated to flood disaster recovery information, where residents can find details including volunteering, road closures, emergency shelters, public safety and a field guide for cleaning up flood damaged homes. For more information, visit http://cobbcounty.org/flood
Current crime trends-
410 beat is suffering an unusually large number of Entering Autos and Residential Burglaries, particularly along Jamerson Rd and Trickum Rd.
Further indication of the value of keeping your car doors locked. See the below incident….
411 beat
091909 1201 to 0725 hrs- Westchester Crossing (Westchester)- vehicle unlocked in driveway. Nikkon camera and USAA debit card taken. Two other LOCKED vehicles in the driveway were untouched.
Do audible residential alarms work? See the below…..
416 beat
092809 0815 to 092909 1047 hrs-Terrell Mill Rd – Alarm call. Entry made through an unlocked kitchen window. Items were stacked up by the door but the alarm apparently scared off the intruders. Nothing taken
What you and your neighbors can do-
An alarming number of our residential burglaries involved the perpetrator accessing the residence through an unlocked door or window. Please secure your residence when you are leaving for the day and when you retire for the evening.
Activate your alarm system. I also recommend setting the perimeter zones of your system when you go to bed. This will alert you to a possible intruder. (Or as my Captain says, it’ll alert him if his teenagers decide to leave in the middle of the night !)
I have again reviewed several police reports where the victim was alerted by the family dog of possible trouble by barking, whining or scratching at the door. Upon investigation by the homeowner, suspicious persons were observed fleeing from the area. I like inside dogs.
Keep an eye on vacant or abandoned residences in your communities for criminal activity. Just yesterday our officers responded to such an incident on Robinson Rd where a caller reported a possible burglary in progress. Officers arrived to find the vacant house unsecured.
Call 9-1-1 immediately upon observing suspicious activity. Please don’t wait.
Arrests-
413 Beat--
Theft by Shoplifting (F) and Battery (M)
Two Echo chain saws totaling $598.00 in value were taken from the shelf at the Home Depot at 4101 Roswell Rd. The suspect left the store and struck the victim, a female employee, in the waist. The victim displayed redness on her waist where she had been struck. The suspect was described as Hispanic or darker skinned male with a scruffy face. The video surveillance at the Home Depot recorded the described suspect entering, picking up two chain saws from the shelf, and then exiting through the garden center striking the employee as he fled the store without paying. Witnesses obtained the tag number from the white Jeep Cherokee the suspect left in. The registered owner of the vehicle stated he had loaned his Jeep Cherokee to Joseph, who he later verified his identity against the photo taken of him at the Cobb County Jail on 05-19-2009. That photo of Joseph Gonzales also is consistent with the suspect viewed in the surveillance video. Finally, the witness who had been the closest witness and victim, positively identified Joseph Gonzales as the one who struck her and stole the chain saws.
Arrested:
Gonzales, Joseph
Hispanic Male
Marietta GA 30008
Charges:
Felony Shoplifting
Battery
Beat 416--
Theft by taking (48 appliances recovered valued at $24,020)
27 Felony Counts/ 21 Misdemeanor counts
Theft by Conversion -5 Misdemeanor counts
Between 04/30/2007 and 07/15/09/ Barrington Mill Apartments 1550 Terrell Mill Rd Marietta, GA 30067 - The said accused did work at Barrington Mill Apartments holding the position of Maintenance Supervisor. On 07/15/09, Cobb County Police executed a search warrant at the said accused owned property in Mableton, GA 30126. Over 48 appliances were located during execution of the search warrant in a garage used by the said accused. Said witnesses all stated that the garage is owned by the said accused who moves items in and out on a weekly basis. Apartment complex management had no knowledge that the said accused was removing new appliances from the property without permission. Arrested was-
Uggerud, John
White Male
Marietta, GA 30060
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted September 17, 2009
PENS Bulletin
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
Our Precinct Four PENS membership currently stands at 5781 individuals or business owners receiving the PENS bulletins directly from PENS.
RUMOR CONTROL-
411 beat-
I received the below email from a concerned member of the community-
Emails are flying around our neighborhood - Forest Chase - stating that a "drug bust" occurred on my street yesterday, Forest Way Court. Can you confirm or provide any additional information? If this is just a rumor, I would like to try to clear it up as quickly as possible. If not, we'd like to encourage everyone to keep their eyes open. The bus stop for about 10 elementary kids is about 2 houses down from the suspected house. End of email
Again through the PENS program we have been able to confirm that this is a FALSE rumor. The Sheriff’s Department was on the street serving civil papers. No major drug bust. Relax.
Below is another email making the rounds that was forwarded to me that is FALSE. If this has occurred, it hasn’t happened here. According to snopes.com this has been going around since 2004 and they also advise it is false. I believe PENS has dealt with this one before. Here it is---
Not a Joke
Just last weekend on Friday night we parked in a public parking area. As we drove away I noticed a sticker on the rear window of the car. When I took it off after I got home it was a receipt for gas. Luckily my friend told me not to stop as it could be someone waiting for me to get out of the car. Then we received this email yesterday:
WARNING FROM POLICE- THIS APPLIES TO BOTH WOMEN AND MEN
BEWARE OF PAPER ON THE BACK WINDOW OF YOUR
VEHICLE-- NEW WAY TO DO CARJACKINGS (NOT A JOKE)'
Heads up everyone! Please, keep this circulating... You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. You start the engine and shift into Reverse. When you look into the rearview mirror to back out of your parking space, you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear window. So, you shift into Park, unlock your
doors, and jump out of your car to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your view. When you reach the back of your car, that is when the carjackers appear out
of nowhere, jump into your car and take off. They practically mow you down as they speed off in your car. And guess what, ladies? I bet your purse is still in the car. So now the carjacker has your car, your home address, your money, and your keys. Your home and your whole identity are now compromised! BEWARE OF THIS NEW SCHEME THAT IS NOW BEING USED. If you see a piece of paper stuck to your back window, just drive away. Remove the paper later. And be thankful that you read this e-mail. I hope you will forward this to friends and family, especially to women. A purse contains all kinds of personal information and identification documents, and you certainly do NOT want this to fall into the wrong hands.. Please keep this going and tell all your friends.
End of email.
Current crime trends-
Entering Autos-
Please take everything out of your car and lock it…………
410 beat
090409 1200 to 090609 1200 hrs- North Landing Way- vehicle unlocked. Magellan GPS Nav Unit taken from windshield.
090309 1830 to 090409 0645 hrs- North Landing Way (North Landing)- window shattered. Tote bag on front seat taken.
090309 2000 to 090409 0339 hrs- North Landing Way (North Landing)- unlocked vehicle was entered and a Dell Latitude laptop was taken.
Residential Burglaries-
Our residential burglaries are slightly elevated right now. Everyone needs to make sure they are doing everything they can to secure their homes. Houses are being left exposed to theft. Here are some examples……
414 beat
090709 1800 to 2100 hrs- 1523 Roswell Rd (Hamptons at East Cobb)- victim arrived home to find a Haier 32” flat screen TV and a Sony Playstation missing. She had left the patio door unsecured.
416 beat
090809 1244 hrs- 1968 Clearwater Dr- entry through an apparently unlocked bathroom window. Dell Vostro laptop with accessories, miscellaneous CDs, Kodak Share camera all taken.
Vacant homes For Sale-
High value appliances are being stolen from houses that are for sale. Our investigations would lead us to believe that in some instances thieves are choosing their targets by visiting the real estate websites that provide the address and features of the listed property.
Arrests-
413 Beat
091209 1800 hours.-4475 Roswell Rd. (Avenue of East Cobb)-While he was performing a foot patrol of the shopping center, Sgt Ramirez was alerted to a shoplifting in progress. The suspects were using an elastic strap around the waist to conceal items. Sgt Ramirez was able to prevent the suspects from fleeing the scene in a silver 1998 Honda CRV. As he physically took custody of one suspect the other ran on foot. Officer E.W. Barnett was the second officer on scene and was able to locate and give chase. With the arrival of Officers Wentz and Officer C. Gamble they were successful in locating the second suspect and took him into custody. Det. C. Northern also responded to the scene to assist in the investigation and scene processing.
A total of approximately $9602.00 of merchandised was recovered and returned to six different stores.
Beat 416
1550 Terrell Mill Road (Barrington Mill Apartments)
Marietta, GA 30067
Burglary / Residence / Force (Attempt)
09/09/09 1130 hours – a residential burglary was interrupted by a homeowner living within the Barrington Mill Apartment Complex on the morning of 09/09/09. The homeowner discovered a young “Hispanic guy with curly hair” standing directly outside a first floor bedroom window with something in his hand. Upon seeing the homeowner, the young male fled on foot. The homeowner left his apartment in search of the young male, at which time he observed two black males disappear into a nearby apartment. He pursued the matter further by knocking on the apartment door, at which time the young “Hispanic guy with curly hair” answered the door. The homeowner called 911 after he was unable to reason with the young male and his cohorts.
Upon law enforcement’s response, one of the suspects fled the apartment via a bedroom window. He was later apprehended by off-duty Officer M.H. Archer following a foot pursuit. Officer Scurr, also off-duty, responded to the scene as well and offered assistance in apprehending the three suspects who had remained within the apartment.
A subsequent investigation on the part of Precinct IV Uniform Officers, to include Officer Fowler and Sgt. Duling, and detectives assigned to CIU IV resulted in the arrest of all four juvenile offenders.
4 Juveniles were arrested and charged with-
1 Felony count of Burglary (Attempt)
1 Misdemeanor Count of Loitering and Prowling
1 Juvenile Status Offense of Truancy (Unruly Child)
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted September 3, 2009
PENS Bulletin
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
Please see the below flyer from the Cobb County Department of Transportation. This project could help improve the safety of our bicycle and pedestrian foot traffic. Please notice the announced public open house meetings at the East Cobb Government Service Center on September 17th-
Robbery versus Burglary-
Frequently when a person has something stolen from them or from their home they will say that they have been “robbed”. The term robbery tends to excite the senses more than burglary because usually people associate robbery with violence. For that reason I want to make sure that you understand the difference in the crimes. I would like to provide you with the definitions of each so you will know if you’ve been “robbed” or “burglarized”.
Robbery is when, with intent to commit a theft, a person takes property of another from the person or the immediate presence of another by 1) use of force, 2) by intimidation, or 3) by sudden snatching. There is some contact between the robber and the victim.
Burglary is when a person enters or remains within a building or the dwelling house of another without authority and with the intent to commit a felony or theft therein. There usually is no intentional confrontation between the burglar and the victim. In most cases, the victim isn’t even present when the theft occurs.
Burglaries involving vacant homes for sale-
High value appliances are being stolen from houses that are for sale. Our investigations would lead us to believe that in some instances thieves are choosing their targets by visiting the real estate websites that provide the address and features of the listed property.
Entering Autos-
This is the biggest crime issue in our community. Please take everything of value out of your car and lock it.
Calling 911-
It is my understanding the citizens still hesitate to call 911 when they observe suspicious activity. It is important for everyone to understand that our best opportunity to prevent a crime from occurring or to capture a criminal is when we are given the opportunity to arrive while the criminals are still on the scene. That opportunity is provided by citizens willing to call 911 immediately upon observing what they believe to be suspicious activity.
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted August 14, 2009
PENS Bulletin
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details
The Precinct Four PENS membership currently stands at 5560 individuals or business owners directly receiving our PENS information.
PUBLIC INFORMATION RECORDs-
Incident(s) Brief:
- Home Invasion Arrest (08/11/09 @ Headquarters) The Cobb County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit in a continuing joint investigation with the Marietta Police Department’s Detective Bureau has arrested an individual for his involvement in home invasions in Cobb County.
According to investigators, on 08/07/09 Barry Lee Henderson, a 24 year old male from Marietta, Georgia, was arrested by officers for Loitering and Prowling and Criminal Trespass at Ivy Ridge Apartments in Marietta, Georgia. Subsequent investigation conducted by investigators led to Henderson being charged in two separate home invasion incidents. At this time Henderson is charged with Burglary, Armed Robbery, Aggravated Sexual Battery, and False Imprisonment in an incident at Madison Hills Apartments and Robbery in an incident at Wood Hollow Apartments.
This investigation is ongoing between both jurisdictions and additional charges may be filed.
Incident(s) Brief:
- Homicide (08/08/09 @ 0235 Hours in Zone 4) The Cobb County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit is investigating a homicide that occurred on Clearbrook Drive in Marietta, Georgia.
According to investigators, uniformed officers responded to 2998 Clearbrook Drive in reference to a call of a person shot. The ensuing investigation revealed that 39-year-old Stacey Mandeville shot her husband, 36-year-old Thomas Krebsbach, at their residence. Krebsbach was transported to the hospital for treatment, but he later died as a result of his injuries. Mandeville has been charged with Murder. Mandeville is currently being held at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators with this case is asked to contact the Cobb County Police Department at (770) 499-3945.
Incident(s) Brief:
- ***UPDATE*** on the Pedestrian Fatality Investigation (08/07/09 @ 0620 hours in Zone 4) The Cobb County Police Department’s S.T.E.P. (Selective Traffic Enforcement Program) Unit is investigating a pedestrian fatality collision, which occurred on Canton Road just north of Ebenezer Road in Marietta, Georgia.
According to investigators, the driver of a white 2008 Ford F-150 truck was northbound on Canton Road when he struck a male pedestrian (for reasons unknown) was walking in the northbound lanes of Canton Road.
The pedestrian was sent by ambulance to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital but died as a result of his injuries. (His identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin).
The driver of the truck is identified as 47 year old Kerry Lee Gordon of Hiram, Georgia. The truck Mr. Gordon was driving is owned by Georgia Power.
Investigators do not expect to charge him in this pedestrian fatality case and anyone with information about it is asked to call (770) 499-3987.
***UPDATE***
The Cobb County Police Department’s S.T.E.P. (Selective Traffic Enforcement Program) Unit is updating information this morning’s pedestrian fatality which occurred on Canton Road just north of Ebenezer Road.
The deceased male has been identified as 21 year old Michael Boyd of Woodstock, Georgia. Investigators do not have any further information to release at this time.
Questions and Answers-
Q-
Lieutenant Mark Chenoweth,
Good afternoon! You have probably already heard that there have been many coyote pack sightings in and around the Fuller Park area. This week, a pack of 8-10 has been seen pretty much daily by folks living in Chelsea Park on both sides of Robinson Rd. A few of my neighbors are considering hiring someone to trap them. I'm all for it if it would work, but the more research I do, the more likely they will just be replaced by more. Do you have any thoughts and/or suggestions?
A-
You are correct. There really is very little that can be done to keep coyotes away. You can trap them but more will return. What I have learned over the years is that as long as coyotes are getting necessary sustenance- food, water, shelter- they will keep coming back. In order to keep coyotes away, you must remove one of their needs. The only one that you have any real control over is food. Water and shelter are available.
What are food sources for coyotes? Other smaller wild animals, small livestock (chickens), small domestic animals left outside after dark (cats), dog/cat food left outside, garbage, even the scent from your grill. Contrary to popular fears, babies or small children seldom are targeted. I don't think most parents are in the habit of leaving them outside alone after dark. (Hee).
Before anyone considers trapping the coyotes, I would suggest a call to the Department of Natural Resources for their input or advice. Here is a link to their website for more information. There is a phone number at the bottom if you need to call them with questions-
http://georgiawildlife.dnr.state.ga.us/content/displaypressrelease.asp?ArticleID=1242
Current crime trends-
I know there has been a lot of discussion lately about Entering Auto incidents. We have reported to you that we have suffered a number of incidents in our county parks and community pool parking lots. We have learned that most of these incidents have NOT been perpetrated by locals. We are currently involved in a joint investigative effort with other local police agencies as well as state and federal law enforcement agencies through which we have learned that these incidents are being perpetrated by an enterprise of organized criminals from south Florida. Here is what is occurring….
On June 7, 2009 three individuals were arrested near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida following an investigative traffic stop by local authorities. The investigating officer discovered several bags within the vehicle containing multiple women’s identification cards (driver’s licenses) from various states.
A subsequent interview by investigators yielded an admission from one of the involved parties in which he described the overall criminal operation. Essentially, the three individuals involved are simply a cog in a much larger criminal machine based out of south Florida dedicated to the art of financial transaction fraud.
According to the arrestee, a team is developed for the purpose of accomplishing a “road trip”. In this particular incident, ten individuals left Florida occupying three rental vehicles. This group then traveled through Florida and Georgia perpetrating a series of entering autos. The group targeted areas where unsuspecting citizens gathered in large groups (tennis centers, recreation parks, and swim events). The goal of the entering autos was to acquire checkbooks, driver’s licenses, social security cards, and credit cards which belonged to females. Once obtaining these items, the group would utilize “cashers”, female co-perpetrators, to carry out the fraudulent transactions at various local banks.
The above described criminal enterprise is being investigated at every level (local, state, and federal) and additional arrests are expected.
It is our hope that by making you, our citizens, aware of this criminal network that you will be vigilant in the manner in which you chose to secure your personal property within your vehicles. We suggest that you, and your family, plan ahead when attending an event at a local park (baseball games, swim meets, tennis matches, etc.). For females especially, please do not leave your wallets within your vehicle. If you must take your purse with you, we suggest placing the purse in your trunk before leaving your residence. If you happen to own an SUV, you might want to consider carrying only your driver’s license and whatever cash or credit cards you may need on your person. Whatever you do, please do not leave your purse within plain view (passenger seat or floorboard).
We realize that this may cause an added inconvenience to you but taking this extra step may prevent you and your family from experiencing the certain inconvenience that comes from having your car broken into (Insurance claims, Glass Doctors) and your personal information comprised (identify theft, financial transaction fraud).
Is there a stranger knocking at your door?--
Just a reminder that some burglars will knock on your door prior to forcing entry to confirm if someone is home. Here is another example…
080609 1309 to 1319 hrs- Woodlawn Lake Dr (Woodlawn Lake)- possible burglary attempt. Victim heard knocking on her front door and observed two young black males standing at her door. When she failed to answer the door one of the subjects went to her back door and started beating on it. Victim confronted the subject at the rear door and he stated he was a realtor and demanded to be let in. Victim said she was going to call 911 and the subjects left in an older model black sedan with no license plate.
Although you may not want to open the door, I recommend that you at least make your presence known. If the person at the door is in fact a burglar they will most likely leave and go elsewhere.
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted August 4, 2009
PENS Bulletin
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
Precinct Four PENS membership currently stands at 5496 individuals or business leaders.
Alarm registration-
In a recent PENS meeting it came to my attention that there are still a number of people who do not realize that if they have an alarm system on their home or business, it MUST be registered with the Cobb County Police Department. Failing to register the alarm is a violation of the Alarm Ordinance. If an officer responds to an alarm call at your business or residence and the alarm has not been registered with the county you will be cited. Please understand that.
With the upcoming school year rapidly approaching and the changes involving school bus stops I thought I would provide you with the Cobb County School website address to search the location of your child’s bus stop. All you need to do is enter your address and your child’s grade level. Here it is……
http://edulogwebs1.cobbk12.org/edulog/servlet/WebQueryRequestController
I have also asked our Crime Prevention Unit to provide some safety tips for you and your children while walking to the bus stops waiting for the bus arrival. I will get their tips to you as soon as they are provided.
Public Information Records for Precinct Four-
PUBLIC INFORMATION RECORD
Incident(s) Brief:
- Armed Robbery (07/30/09 @ 2205 Hours in Zone 4) The Cobb County Police Department’s Robbery Squad is investigating an armed robbery, which occurred at 2080 Lower Roswell Road in Marietta, Georgia.
According to investigators, two males entered the business of Zaxby’s brandishing handguns at the employees inside. The males demanded money and they took an undisclosed amount of cash from the office area. The males then fled the restaurant through the rear door. No one was injured in this incident.
PERPETRATORS: White male in his early 20’s, wearing a mask and armed with a handgun.
Black male in his early 20’s, wearing a mask and armed with a handgun.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call (770) 499-3945
PUBLIC INFORMATION RECORD
Incident(s) Brief:
1) Robbery Attempt (07/27/09 @ 0347 hours in Zone 4) The Cobb County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit is investigating an attempted robbery, which occurred at 2560 Delk Road in Marietta, Georgia.
According to investigators, a male entered an apartment in the Madison Hills Apartment Complex that was occupied by two females. The male was armed with a hammer. After encountering the male, one female barricaded herself in her room. The other female fled the apartment by jumping out of a second story window. The male fled the apartment. The female who jumped from the window was transported to Kennestone Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
PERPETRATOR: Black male, described as being light skinned, with bushy hair. He was last seen wearing a red shirt and blue pants, and he was armed with a hammer.
2) Armed Robbery (07/27/09 @ 0536 hours in Zone 4) The Cobb County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit is investigating an armed robbery, which occurred at 1626 Alexandria Circle in Marietta, Georgia.
According to investigators, a male approached the victim, who was outside of her apartment at the Bentley Ridge Apartments, and demanded her purse. The victim gave her purse to the suspect and he fled the area on foot. The male was armed with a hammer.
PERPETRATOR: Black male, described as being light skinned, with bushy hair. He was last seen wearing a red shirt and blue pants, and he was armed with a hammer.
***The suspect is believed to be the same suspect from the Madison Hills Apartments incident***
Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to call (770) 499-3945.
PUBLIC INFORMATION RECORD
Incident(s) Brief:
- Bank Robbery (07/21/09 @ 1357 hours in Zone 4) The Cobb County Police Department’s Robbery Squad is investigating a bank robbery, which occurred at 2900 Delk Road, (Suite #1150A) in Marietta, Georgia.
According to investigators, a male entered the SunTrust bank and approached a female teller with a “demand note”. After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash from her, the offender approached the manager and demanded money from him. After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash from the business, the perpetrator fled the area in what was described as a black Toyota S.U.V. Detectives believe there may have been a second vehicle described as being a black older model Mercedes Benz.
PERPETRATOR: Black male, 5’ll”-6’00” tall, described as having “light colored skin”. He had a thin build and was last seen wearing a black “NY-Yankees” hat, a gray tee shirt (with a white football helmet with the letter “C” on it). He also had on a neon yellow and green traffic vest, light colored blue jeans and dark shaded sunglasses.
Current crime trends-
Homes For Sale-
We are suffering a number of incidents of theft of appliances from homes For Sale, especially when vacant. There are a lot of empty houses sitting in our communities. Please be aware of suspicious persons and vehicles.
Entering Autos continue to be the leading crime in East Cobb. Again, it is primarily a result of vehicles being left unlocked.
Incidents within the parks continue to be a problem.
416 beat is the high beat this month for Entering Autos, primarily in the apartments and commercial parking lots.
412 beat is the high beat this month for Entering Autos in our single family residential communities where “flippers” are opening the unlocked cars in the driveways at night
Here are some examples…………….
Date: 072809
Burglaries
412 beat
072609 1800 to 072709 0700 hrs- Packhorse Run (Aspenwoods)- persons unknown entered the unlocked vehicle inside the open garage. The vehicle was searched but nothing taken. A bottle of water was taken from the refrigerator inside the garage.
Entering Auto
410 beat
072609 2000 to 072709 0700 hrs- Belford Dr- victim discovered his computer case laying in his front yard. It had been in his unlocked car in the driveway. There was not a computer in the case but a checkbook was taken.
412 beat
072609 1000 to 072709 0700 hrs- Packhorse Run (Aspenwoods)- victim advised they always lock their vehicles but on his particular night they apparently forgot to. 3 family vehicles were entered while parked in the driveway. Checkbook, 2 Nokia phone chargers and a DC Power converter were taken. see the above
072609 2100 to 072709 0700 hrs- Packhorse Run (Aspenwoods)- 2 unlocked vehicles in the driveway were entered and ransacked but nothing was taken. see the above
072609 0015 hrs- Wendwood Dr (Wendwood)- victim discovered the driver’s door ajar on her vehicle after her son heard the car alarm going off at 0015 hrs. She decided to wait until 1:30pm to report the incident since nothing was found missing when she looked.
Now, here’s the problem with that. Belford Drive, Packhorse Run and Wendwood Drive are relatively close geographically meaning that all of the above incidents were possibly committed by the same perpetrators. The incident on Wendwood Drive occurred at 15 minutes past midnight going by the car alarm. The other incidents most likely occurred later in the morning. Calling 911 immediately could have resulted in capturing the perpetrators or maybe at least preventing the other incidents from occurring. We have provided many examples in the past of the benefits of calling 911 right away.
I continue to encourage you to take everything out of your car and lock it and to please call 911 immediately upon observing suspicious activity.
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted July 17, 2009
PENS Bulletin
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
As of today, our Precinct Four PENS membership is up to 5412 individual or business email addresses and we’re growing daily.
PUBLIC INFORMATION RECORD
Incident(s) Brief:
- Aggravated Child Molestation (07/12/09 - Headquarters) Investigators from the Cobb County Police Department’s Crimes Against Children Unit have arrested an individual for aggravated child molestation.
The Crimes Against Children Unit was notified yesterday afternoon of an alleged child molestation incident. An investigation was immediately launched and the female juvenile victim disclosed that she was abused by a family acquaintance at the family residence.
The subsequent investigation led to the arrest of Jerry Cox, a 62 year old male from Marietta, Georgia. Mr. Cox was employed by the Cobb County Police Department as a School Crossing Guard. Cox was assigned to Tritt Elementary School, Hightower Trail Middle School, and Walton High School.
Mr. Cox has been charged with Aggravated Child Molestation and Child Molestation. He is currently being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.
Current crime trends-
Entering Autos remain the number one crime issue in East Cobb. Again, the vast majority of the cases involve unlocked cars. Since school let out, incidents within our single family residential communities have spiked (Flippers).
Here is a pretty good argument for why you should not keep a house key in your vehicle, especially if you leave it unlocked in your driveway-
411 Beat
070609 2200 to 070709 0700 hours.- N. Arbor Trl. (Arbor Bridge) The unlocked vehicle was entered while parked in the driveway. A Garmin GPS and house key were taken from the pried open center console.
Then this happened, same house ……………………..
411 beat
071009 1619 hrs- N Arbor Trail (Arbor Bridge)- victim advised that last week, he was the victim of an Entering Auto where amongst other things, a house key was taken from the vehicle. Today, his son came home from the pool and observed the missing key in the front door. Items are now missing from inside the residence. Nikon digital camera, antique watch, ring.
As is the case with the rest of the country I imagine, we are having a number of incidents where empty houses for sale are being entered and appliances are being stolen. This is especially true of the high end appliances found in many of our homes in East Cobb- Viking, Sub-Zero, etc.
I’m not sure what the reason for it is, but in the last week we have had two commercial garbage containers stolen from driveways. The immediate concern with that is Identity Theft.
What you and your neighbors can do-
Everyone by now I’m sure knows what our crime prevention information is for Entering Autos. Take everything of value out of your car and lock it. I would recommend not leaving keys inside your car. If your house keys are taken, change your locks immediately.
If there are empty houses in your community keep an eye out for suspicious activity and call us if you see people walking around or moving items from the residence.
We are receiving a number of calls from members of the community wanting to report suspicious activity which is a good thing. Sometimes we arrive to find that the person entering a neighbor’s house is a contractor doing a repair. That’s OK. At least someone called for us to check on it.
Just last night a member of the community called 911 to report hearing loud banging noises at 1:00 in the morning. Responding officers arrived to find persons attempting to break into a business by using a sledge hammer to break through the block wall. Two perpetrators were taken into custody. That too is a good thing.
Don’t place anything in your trash that could lead to Identity Theft. Shred all documents containing personal information prior to disposing.
Use of Facebook, My Space, etc- although I am not aware of any incidents in East Cobb at the moment, there appears to be a growing concern with crime associated with the social websites. Let’s get ahead of this problem before it becomes an issue. Please be very careful about what information you share on these websites and who you share it with. It might be a problem to let people know when you are going to be out of town. You don’t want to return home only to find that you have been burglarized. Use caution when providing your personal information on the website for everyone to see- like your date of birth and home town information. Those are building blocks for someone to steal your identity.
Recent arrests in Precinct Four-
413 Beat- burglary
05/29/2009 / 0500 hrs / Verizon store located at 4101 Roswell Road- On 05/29/2009 unknown suspects threw a rock through the front window of the Verizon store and entered the business. The suspects stole fifty cell phones valued at approximately $15,369. The three suspects were later located in Alabama and arrested on charges from other jurisdictions. The stolen cell phones were located within the suspect vehicle. On 07/02/2009 the following suspects were charged with Burglary. The suspects remain in custody in Alabama.
Charged:
Markavious Davis
Black male
Memphis, TN 38116
Alex Mathis
Black male
Memphis, TN 38116
Salaam Starks
Black male
Memphis, TN 38118
414 beat- robbery by sudden snatching
070309 1845 hrs-Brousard’s Way @ Sandy Plains Rd ( Saint Charles community pool)- victim was selling t-shirts and hats for her father at the community pool. While there she was approached by a teenaged white female who grabbed the money box from in front of her and fled in a white Ford Taurus. Follow up investigation by Officer M L Smith led to the identity of the suspect. Arrested was-
Chelsea Steele
17 year old white female
Marietta, Georgia
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted June 30th, 2009
Ok, since it's the 4th of July and since Miss Julia from Sibley Forest reminded me of such, there will most likely be some possible "unofficial" displays of fireworks. Below are some safety tips and some reminders about what is legal and what isn't.
July 4th Fireworks-
There currently is no ban from the Fire Marshall on July 4th fireworks and sparkling devices. Citizens are reminded that "fireworks" (basically anything that will explode) are illegal in Georgia except for licensed contractors to use during official Fireworks displays. Only sparkling devices are allowed for use by citizens. Here are some Fireworks Safety Tips from our Fire Department-
1) FIREWORKS SAFETY TIPS from the FEMA and the U.S. Fire Administration: Illegal fireworks are those that are not considered novelty items under Georgia law and are most frequently purchased outside of the state. FIREWORKS THAT EXPLODE OR THAT ARE PROJECTILE ARE ILLEGAL! The illegal use of fireworks could result in criminal charges. Be sure to follow these important safety tips when using novelty items:
- Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks. Sparklers considered by many the ideal "safe" firework for the young, burn at very high temperatures and can easily ignite clothing. Children cannot understand the danger involved and cannot act appropriately in case of emergency.
- Read and follow all warnings and instructions.
- Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.
- Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from the house, dry leaves, and flammable materials.
- Never try to relight fireworks that have not fully functioned. Douse and soak them with water and throw them away.
- Keep a bucket of water handy in case of a malfunction or fire.
- Never ignite fireworks in a container, especially a glass or metal container.
- Keep unused fireworks away from firing areas.
- Store fireworks in a dry, cool place. Check instructions for special storage directions.
- Observe local laws.
- Never have any portion of your body directly over a firework while lighting.
- Don't experiment with homemade fireworks.
PENS Bulletin-June 30, 2009
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
Our current Precinct Four PENS membership stands at 5359 individual or business email addresses.
Questions and Answers-
Q-
Are there any prohibitions about ice cream truck vendors?
A-
These are the two responses I got back from Cobb County Business License and from our Traffic Enforcement Unit.....
Business License-
We can not license any vendor of hot dogs, lunch trucks, ice cream to conduct business in the right of way, sidewalk, road etc. We will license them if they provide us with a written lease/contract/agreement notarized and signed from a private property owner of an apartment or construction site. The vendor will only be authorized to sell on a temporary, transient basis. They can not stop and sell at the location to the public. They have to sell to the residents of the apartments or to the construction workers at the site where we have the lease.
Traffic Enforcement Unit-
40-6-97 prohibits standing on a highway to solicit. This includes soliciting any type of business, donations, etc.
So............. it sounds to me like they are operating illegally. But, calling 911 and getting an officer out there in time may be difficult. And, everybody likes ice cream.
Current crime trends-
Typical summertime issues are in full swing- reported incidents of Entering Autos in our residential communities are UP and vandalism to residences and to community common areas (pools) are UP.
See the below reference leaving items in your car while visiting community areas--
411 beat
062109 1300 to 1800 hrs- Sandy Plains @ Wigley Rd (Woodbine Station community pool)- window shattered. Purse taken.
062109 1645 to 1800 hrs- Sandy Plains @ Wigley Rd (Woodbine Station community pool)- window shattered. Purse taken.
062109 1700 to 1800 hrs- Sandy Plains @ Wigley Rd (Woodbine Station community pool)- window shattered. Purse taken.
062109 1500 to 1800 hrs- Sandy Plains @ Wigley Rd (Woodbine Station community pool)- window shattered. Purse taken.
Entering Autos at our community areas and parks are proving to be a real problem so far this summer.
Again, this is what can happen if you leave your garage door up at night-
Burglaries-
062709 2200 to 062809 0900 hrs- Beaver Brook Lane- unlocked vehicle inside of a garage left open during the night was entered. 80 gb iPod, money clip and wallet taken.
062709 0300 to 0600 hrs- Shadow Bluff Dr- victim reports that someone entered his house at night and took a Sony laptop computer, Breitling watch, Visa debit card and $500 cash. The suspects dropped a second laptop computer on the stair leading to the outside. It is believed the suspects entered the house thru an open garage and an unlocked service door to leading to the interior. The laptops were on stands in the living room but the watch and cash were in his bedroom. Several people were in the house asleep during this incident and no one saw or heard anything.
Theft related crimes continue to be a problem in Barrington Mill Apartments on Terrell Mill Road in 416 beat
What you and your neighbors can do-
Residential burglary-
I can not emphasize enough the importance of making sure your residence is secured before you retire for the evening. In recent weeks, we have had an unusual number of residential burglaries that have occurred during the night time hours while the homeowner was asleep. In almost every incident, the perpetrators made entry through an unlocked exterior door or window.
If you have an alarm system, it is a very good idea to set the perimeter zones during the night so it will alert you if someone opens a door or window.
Please keep your garage doors down, especially at night.
Entering Autos-
Take everything out of your car and lock it or make sure that you secure your valuables in the trunk prior to arriving at your final destination.
Recent arrests in Precinct Four-
413 Beat
Theft by Shoplifting (M)
04/09/09 1700-1716 hours/ T J Maxx at 4101 Roswell Road Ste 600 – On 04/09/09 at T J Maxx Security Officers for T J Maxx noticed some girls acting suspicious. Security followed the girls on the camera and saw them take shirts off the rack and take them to the back to remove security devices and then try to leave with the items concealed without paying. Security confronted the two girls that were met by a third female at the exit. The three girls continued out of the store with the items saying they did not have anything. One of the suspects told the others to toss the stuff that they were getting her tag. I tracked down the driver who intentionally aid or abet in the commission of the crime of shoplifting who refused to provide the suspect’s information and only provided their numbers. One of the other suspects confessed to taking one item without paying. The third suspect was not identified. I took warrants for the two suspects involved in the shoplifting that were identified.
Charged with Party to the Crime of Shoplifting
Sanders, Sharon
45 year old black female
Conley, GA 30288
Charged with Shoplifting
Sanders, Teiousecha
19 year old black female
Conley, GA 30288
414 Beat
05/14/2009-05/18/2009 Pinkney Drive- Between 05/14/2009 and 05/18/2009 someone forced entry into the vacant residence by breaking out a window pane and unlocking the window. The suspect stole a suitcase and a change bowl. Evidence gathered at the scene and the subsequent investigation identified the perpetrator as Bobby Caldwell. On 06/18/2009 a warrant was obtained for Bobby Caldwell charging him with Burglary.
Charged:
Bobby Caldwell
19 year old white male
Marietta, GA 30062
We are coming up on another holiday weekend when people tend to travel. Those of you traveling, please drive safely.
Those of you staying home, enjoy your 4th of July holiday celebration and please keep an eye on your neighbor’s property.
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted June 18th, 2009
PENS Bulletin
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS website for reports and details.
Our current Precinct Four PENS membership consists of 5303 individual or business email addresses. We are now the third largest email distribution list for all of Cobb County Government.
The push is on to increase our membership. Please encourage everyone to sign up to receive our bulletins and alerts.
We just received the legislative updates for 2009 and Senate Bill 26- exempting PENS email addresses from Open Records demands- officially goes into effect July 1st. Outstanding!!
All PENS programs for the five Cobb Police Precincts are now in full operation, providing websites, crime updates, PENS bulletins and alerts, and quarterly PENS representative meetings.
Questions and Answers-
Q-
The President of one of our Homeowners Associations said that they are having problems with juveniles driving golf carts on the roadway. He asked me what the law was on that because he wants to put something in their newsletter about it. He’s afraid one of them is going to get hurt. I asked the Sergeant of our Traffic Enforcement Unit to provide the answer-
A-
Golf carts are considered "vehicles" or "motor vehicles" under state law (Ga. code 40-1-1 (33) & (75)).; there is case law from as recently as 2006 and 2003 that confirm this. As such, they fall under provisions of traffic law, including the requirement to have a driver’s license. Additionally, laws such as DUI, Reckless Driving, etc. do apply on a golf cart. There are requirements that they must have brakes, a horn (most don't), exhaust, night lights (reflectors) and head, tail and brake lights at night and certain requirements about tire tread depth (40-8-70, 71, 74, 20 22, 23, 25 and 50). This applies to any highway, which is basically publicly maintained way used for vehicular travel. No tag is required and there is no requirement for insurance, helmets, child seats, seat belts or helmets (40-2-20, 40-6-10, 40-8-76)
Additionally, there is a code section in the law (40-6-331), which gives local governing bodies the authority to establish certain rules for golf carts; this could include a local registration requirement and the ability to designate certain public streets to be used exclusively by golf carts or in conjunction with regular vehicular traffic. They can and must designate crossings where these vehicles cross city streets or county roads. The state requires signage anywhere a cart crosses part of a state highway. It also spells out an exemption for carts owned by golf courses and country clubs, provided they are provided on a rental basis and are used only on their premises. I personally am not aware of an ordinance like this in Cobb.
End of the sergeant's response.
Now, here is some information right out of the State of Georgia Traffic Code for clarification-
Definitions-
"Motorized cart"- means every motor vehicle having no less than three wheels and an unladen weight of 1,300 pounds or less and which cannot operate at more than 20 miles per hour. (this would most likely be the electric golf carts)
"Motor vehicle"- means every vehicle which is self-propelled other than an electric personal assistive mobility device. (An electric personal assistive mobility device would be battery powered wheel chairs for example)
So with those definitions in mind, a golf cart is going to be considered a "Motor vehicle" or a "Motorized cart" depending on whether it weighs more or less than 1300 lbs and whether or not it can go more than 20 miles per hour.
Here is what State of Georgia Traffic Code says about the requirements for having a driver's license-
Code 40-5-20- Drivers must be licensed
(a) No person, except those expressly exempted in this chapter, shall drive any motor vehicle upon a highway in this state unless such person has a valid driver's license under this chapter for the type or class of vehicle being driven. (BTW.......... ALL publicly maintained roadways are considered highways, even residential roads). (And remember, a motorized cart is considered a motor vehicle)
Here is the exemption for Motorized carts-
(12) Any person while operating a motorized cart:
(A) On any way publicly maintained for the use of motorized carts by the public and no other types of motor vehicles. (This would allow an unlicensed person to operate a golf cart on the publicly maintained golf cart paths, not residential roads)
(B) When crossing a street or highway used by other types of motor vehicles at a location designated for such crossing. (This would allow an unlicensed person to operate a golf cart within a properly designated golf cart crossing on a public road to get from one side to the other)
So........... the way I read all of the above, it is illegal for any person not having a driver's license to operate a golf cart on the roads within a residential community.
What is the bottom line reason that a driver's license is required to operate a motor vehicle upon a public roadway- SAFETY!!
How can a young unlicensed person be expected to know what traffic law is as far as stopping at stop signs, driving on the correct side of the road, etc if they have never been tested for that knowledge and received a license proving it?
As a parent myself, with all of the other mentioned legal requirements aside, I would never allow my child to operate a golf cart, moped, go cart, etc on a public roadway where there are other vehicles being driven. I would be scared to death that they would get injured or killed because they don't know what they are doing. They have not been properly educated or tested on traffic law. As the parent, I would feel the responsibility to not allow it. But that's just me.
Current crime trends-
Entering Autos in parks-
Entering Autos are way up so far this month in comparison to last month. The trend is in our parks- Fullers Park, Sewell Park, Terrell Mill Park, Harrison Park, All Tournament Players Park. Individuals are leaving valuables exposed to view and windows are getting shattered. In reviewing the reports, most of these victims appear to be from outside of East Cobb apparently coming here to participate in sporting activities.
Entering Autos in general are up from last month. So far in June we have had 37 Entering Auto incidents in comparison to 27 for the entire month of May.
15 of our current Entering Auto incidents are in our single family residential communities. You know what that means……. Flippers are hard at work and people are once again leaving their cars unlocked in their driveways.
Business Burglary-
410 beat
061209 1945 to 061309 1000 hrs- 2300 Shallowford Rd (Audio Tricks- Shallowford Crossing)- forced entry to rear door by prying. Alarm system disabled. Multiple electronic items were taken
414 beat
061509 0430 to 0500 hrs- 2145 Roswell Rd (Wild Wing Café)- alarm call. Phone line was discovered cut but no entry made. Video surveillance shows two black males attempting to break in at the patio doorway. Subjects fled without entry. Subjects were wearing white nylon coverings over their faces and gloves.
415 beat
061109 2300 to 061209 0710 hrs- 3782 Roswell Rd (Shell)- entry made from the roof. Cash taken from cash drawer.
061109 1700 to 061209 0654 hrs- 1255 Johnson Ferry Rd (Porter Paint)- entry made from the roof. Cash taken from cash drawer.
416 beat
061009 1930 to 061109 1300 hrs- 1360 Powers Ferry Rd (Georgia Boy, LLC)- front door pried open. Apple Mac, Apple Notebooks, Apple, M-book, Axiom keyboard, MPC DrumMach, CD burner taken.
What you and your neighbors can do-
If you have family or friends coming to East Cobb to visit our parks, please make them aware of the Entering Auto trend and have them remove their valuables from plain view.
Please remember to take everything out of your car and lock it.
Please keep your garage doors down especially at night.
Business burglary-
Any access to the business from the roof should be secured. Suspects have also used the rooftop HVAC system vents to gain access. Those should also be secured. Alarm systems should be audible and the type that automatically reports an intrusion if the power is disabled to the alarm system. Please do not keep large quantities of cash in the business when closed. If you keep cash in the business, I recommend that you not keep it in a cash register or cash box in an obvious location. Empty cash drawers daily and place money in a large safe or deposit it in the bank. Consider placing your cash registers where they are not visible from the outside. Provide proper exterior lighting and set your alarms.
If you observe suspicious activity, please call 911 immediately. Don’t wait.
Recent arrests in Precinct Four-
413 beat-
Residential Burglary (F)
04/17/09 between 0900 and 1330 hours person(s) unknown attempted to force entry into the back door of a home on Bentwood Dr. by prying before finding an open window at the rear of the garage. Once inside several jewelry items were taken along with an X-Box 360 game console and single game. Suspect nicknamed “Skinny” was suspected after third party reported him bragging about the crime to friends. Associate of the suspect was also named as a possible accomplice. Two latent handprints were recovered from the exterior of the window / entry point. These prints were instrumental in the clearance of this case by arrest. Charged were-
Whitfield, Lee
21 year old black male
Marietta, GA
Burglary / Residence (F)
Brian Matthews
28 year old white male
Marietta, GA.
Theft By Deception (M) x 3
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted June 2, 2009
PENS Bulletin
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
To Date, the Precinct Four PENS Bulletin is being sent directly to 5222 subscribers.
Public Information Release-
Fatality Crash Investigation (05/18/09 @ 0916 hours in Zone 4) The Cobb County Police Department’s S.T.E.P. (Selective Traffic Enforcement Program) Unit is investigating a fatal crash that occurred on Oak Lane at Wolbert Trail in Marietta, Georgia.
According to investigators a black 2003 Suzuki AN650 motorcycle was traveling west on Oak Lane. A gold 2004 Ford Explorer was traveling east on Oak Lane. As the motorcycle entered the curve, it lost control and slid into the eastbound lane and into the path of the Ford Explorer. The motorcycle collided with the Ford Explorer.
The driver of the Suzuki AN650 has been identified as 26 year old Cody W. Cope of Marietta, Georgia. He was transported by ambulance to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital but died as a result of his injuries.
The driver of the Ford Explorer has been identified as 24 year old Veronica Tirado of Marietta, Georgia. She was not injured and no charges are expected to be filed against her.
Anyone with information which may assist investigators with this case are asked to call (770) 499-3987.
BOLO (Be On Lookout)-
Forsyth County SO contacted the Cobb County Gang Unit and stated they had a warrant for Sebastian Jesus VALERO-26 years of age- for failure to register as a sex offender and violation of probation. They believe VALERO is either in Marietta or Brownsville, TX. His last known address in Cobb County was 2650 Bentley Rd Marietta, GA. VALERO is a reported member of the Texas Syndicate. He also has a history of drugs, obstruction and weapons offenses.
Sebastian Jesus VALERO
26 years of age
6’00 200 lbs
brown eyes, black hair
If this person is observed, please call 911 IMMEDIATELY
Community Involved Crime Prevention--
410 beat- Jamerson Forest-
Way to go Jamerson Forest! This is how it is supposed to work. Someone took the time to call 911 when they observed suspicious activity in the middle of the night giving us a chance to respond. Here’s what happened-
Arrest- Possession of tools to commit crime / Theft by Receiving Stolen Property / Possession of suspected Heroin.
052309 0252 to 0300 hrs- Jamerson Forest Circle- person called 911 reference a possible theft from vehicle in progress. Responding Officer Lignitz observed a white male near a green Pontiac Sunfire. He stopped and challenged the suspect. His investigation revealed the subject to be wanted in Cherokee County and found him in possession of stolen property, tools for the commission of a crime, and suspected heroin. Subject was transported to Pct 4 where the investigation was continued by CIU 4 Detective L Mason. Arrested and charged with Possession of Tools, Theft by Receiving Stolen Property, VGCSA- Heroin was-
Robert Melton Jr
19 year old white male
Woodstock, Ga 30188
Discharging of rifles-
Twice in two weeks we have had to deal with the discharging of pellet guns or a firearm inside one of our communities.
I am unable to find any law that would restrict a person from the carrying of a rifle or shotgun through our communities. The laws deal mainly with the possession of handguns or pistols. But, there are laws in place that restrict the discharging of any such weapon.
Below is the Cobb County Ordinance on such discharging of a weapon.
Sec. 86-5. Weapons discharge.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to discharge a firearm, air rifle, pellet gun, slingshot, crossbow or other similar device into or over property belonging to another person or entity without first obtaining written permission from that person or entity.
(b) In addition to the penalty provided for in § 86-1, if the person charged with violating this ordinance is a minor, it will be within the discretion of the officer issuing the citation to issue a warning. If this is done, a duplicate of the warning will be sent to the minor’s parents or legal guardian by certified mail.
(c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to:
(1) Persons who discharge one of these devices in defense of person or property;
(2) Law enforcement officers in the performance of official duties;
(3) Military forces of this state or the United States in the performance of official duties.
In addition, Georgia Criminal Code 16-5-60, Reckless Conduct says-
16-5-60.
.
(b) A person who causes bodily harm to or endangers the bodily safety of another person by consciously disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk that his act or omission will cause harm or endanger the safety of the other person and the disregard constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care which a reasonable person would exercise in the situation is guilty of a misdemeanor.
That means they could be arrested and taken to jail.
Questions and Answers-
Q-
Hello Lt. Mark Chenoweth- Can you clarify if airsoft guns are categorized with pellet guns or .22 cal guns in regards to "discharging" in public? We want to make sure that our boys who play with airsoft guns are not in violation. We have read that pellet guns have been discharged in the vicinity and are unsure if the airsoft guns are involved.
A-
In my opinion, like a BB gun or pellet gun, an Air Soft rifle would not be classified as a "firearm", which a .22 caliber rifle would be. The state laws on "Discharging of a Firearm" pertain specifically to firearms. A firearm by definition is a device, often designed to be used as a weapon, which projects either single or multiple projectiles at high velocity through a controlled explosion. The firing is achieved by the gases produced through rapid, confined burning of a propellant.
So, air rifles or Air Soft guns do not fall into that category. I believe Air Soft guns would fall into the same category as air rifles under the Cobb County Ordinance which restricts where and how they can be discharged.
Current crime trends-
Below are recent incidents of Entering Autos, Burglary and Theft that have occurred within Barrington Mill Apts on Delk Road-
Barrington Mill-
051709 2000 to 051809 1530 hrs- 1550 Terrell Mill Rd- (Barrington Mill)- vehicle unlocked. Apple iPod, credit cards, wallet, black leather medical bag taken.
051709 1930 to 051809 1700 hrs- 1550 Terrell Mill Rd- (Barrington Mill)- vehicle unlocked. Black leather Prada bag, $220 cash, GUESS watch, passport, credit card taken.
051709 2000 to 051809 1530 hrs- 1623 Bridge Mill Rd- (Barrington Mill)- vehicle unlocked. Pioneer PS3100UB stereo faceplate and $30.00 cash taken.
051709 to 051809 0647 hrs- 1550 Terrell Mill Rd – (Barrington Mill)- both of the victim’s unlocked vehicles were entered. 3 RAP CD’s and a 9mm pistol of unknown brand were taken.
051509 0900 to 0920 hrs- Bridge Mill Dr (Barrington Mill)- victim left her apartment unlocked as she went to check the mail. She returned to find her Dell laptop and keys were taken
051509 2045 hrs- Bridge Mill Dr (Barrington Mill)- victim advises that he had not checked his storage unit for about a month. When he checked it on this date, all of his belongings were gone. Unit was still locked with no sign of forced entry.
051209 1345 to 1815 hrs- 1550 Terrell Mill Rd (Barrington Mill)- forced entry to front door by prying. 32” Westinghouse LCD TV, Playstation 3, Guess watch, Invicta watch, Playstation 3 games, fleece blanket taken.
050509 1300 to 1520 hours.-Bridge Mill Dr. (Barrington Mill)- Entry was made with no force; victim claimed the front door was locked. A Dell laptop, Gateway laptop and HP laptop were taken.
050109 1900 to 2000 hours.-1550 Terrell Mill Rd. (Barrington Mill Apts.)
Front door was found ajar with pry marks. Sony PSP, three Toshiba lap tops, X-box 360,WII, Ipod, X-Box, Kodak digital camera, jar of pennies and S&W M&P 9MM Blk pistol were taken. A neighbor had a black male 5’10”, 15-16 years old, bald, long white t-shirt and dark jeans knock on her door around the same time. He was surprised she answered.
050309 0200 to 0321 hours.-1550 Terrell Mill Rd. (Barrington Mill Apts.)- Victim was awakened by a short male in her bedroom. They were chased out the rear window. No description due to darkness. Cash was taken from a purse.
050109 1800 to 050409 0830 hrs- 1550 Terrell Mill Rd (Barrington Mill)- two money orders and one personal check were taken from an after hours drop box for rent money
051509 0830 to 1630 hrs- 1550 Terrell Mill Rd (Bridge Mill)- gray Mongoose M Paver bicycle that had been chained to the hand rail was taken.
With warm weather here there will be a greater tendency to leave garage doors up all night. Don’t let this happen to you….
051409 1800 to 051509 0830 hrs- Woodlawn Dr- garage door left open. Unlocked vehicle parked inside. Victim discovered multiple items taken from the unlocked car parked in the open and unsecured garage to include purse, credit cards, cash, $4000 Rolex watch, HP laptop computer, Vera Bradley bag, Epson video projector.
Although our residential Entering Autos are very low right now, the trend of forcing entry into vehicles in public parking lots continues…….
Entering Autos-
414 beat
043009 1700 to 1800 hrs- 1055 E Piedmont Rd (YMCA)- purse left in rear floorboard. Drivers door was pried open and $1000 cash was taken from an envelop inside the purse. Purse and wallet containing credit cards were not taken.
415 beat
051509 1433 to 1705 hrs- 1285 Johnson Ferry Rd (Pet Smart)- window shattered. Garmin NUVI GPS with mount, $40.00 change and a Suntrust Visa card taken.
Incidents at community pools-
Just as we suspected, the calls have started coming in about vandalism and after hours partying at the community pools.
What you and your neighbors can do-
If you see suspicious activity, please call 911 immediately. More importantly, if you have been the victim of a crime, please call right away. We recently had a victim of an early morning residential burglary who did not call 911 until several hours later. There was a second burglary that occurred just an hour later in the same community. If we had been called right away, we might have been able to apprehend the suspects or at least maybe have prevented the second burglary from occurring just by our officer’s presence in the neighborhood.
Take everything of value out of your car and lock it. The current Entering Auto trends are in our apartment complexes and commercial parking lots.
Keep your garage doors down at all times, especially at night.
Ladies, just a reminder, keep an eye on your purse while shopping. Please don’t leave your purse open with your wallet in plain view.
Recent arrests in Precinct Four-
413 Beat
01/06/2009 / 1900 hrs / Octavia Circle-On 01/06/2009 the residents on Octavia Circle returned home to find their residence burglarized and their flat screen television and PlayStation 3 stolen. The ensuing investigation involved search warrants being executed in both Bartow and Cobb Counties. The Sony PlayStation 3 was eventually recovered and on 05/18/2009 the following individual was charged with Theft by Receiving (M):
Arthur Chapatah
25 year old black male
Marietta, GA 30008
414 beat
Burglary arrest-
052509 0038 to 0042 hrs- Sedgefield Rd (Sedgefield Apts)- witness heard glass break and then observed 2 unknown black males enter the victim’s apartment through the broken sliding door. Responding officer Corporal Fowler observed that there were tracks in the mud leading to a suspect apartment. Corporal Fowler conducted an independent investigation that led him to the suspects. Fowler was able to match the shoe tread in the mud to the shoe tread of one of the suspects. Charged with Burglary and Loitering and Prowling were-
Anthony Jewell Michael Jewell
38 year old black male 37 year old black male
Marietta Ga Marietta, Ga
416 beat
051909 1246 to 1256 hrs- 2900 Delk Rd (Publix)- suspect walked out of Publix with two roasts inside of a purse. Management stopped her and recovered the meat. The suspect then pushed the manager and walked toward McDonalds. Officer Goodman arrived and located the suspect inside the ladies room still in possession of the otherwise empty purse as it was described by the manager. Upon the request of Publix management the suspect was arrested and transported to ADC while management was en route to obtain an arrest warrant. Suspect is charged with Theft by Shoplifting and Simple Battery. Suspect is-
Jennifer Jackson-
24 year old black female
Austell, Georgia
Posted May 21, 2009
Memorial Day Weekend-
Just a couple of thoughts about this weekend. School will be out and we are coming up on a long holiday weekend. Several of you will be going out of town. The conditions will be ripe for an increase in property crimes to include Entering Autos, residential burglary and vandalism especially at your common areas. Please take the time to exercise a little extra caution with your crime prevention this weekend. Keep your garage doors down at all times to guard against unwanted entry and "garage hopping" by our youth. Those of you new to the program and not familiar, that is primarily stealing adult beverages from your garage refrigerators. But it's really burglary.
Keep your vehicles clear of valuables and locked, even inside your garage. We currently are on pace for an extremely low statistical month for Entering Autos. We have only had 2 so far this month in our single family residential communities. Let's keep it that way.
Most of the Entering Autos we have suffered are in our commercial parking lots, apartments, fitness centers and parks. Remember, if you leave valuables- laptops, purses and GPS Nav Units- exposed to plain view even in a locked car you will likely lose it, along with a shattered window.
Keep an eye on your common areas (pools) for unwelcomed guests who are trespassing. You may find some of your furniture tossed in the pool and even some underage drinking late at night.
If you see suspicious activity, please call 9-1-1 immediately- not your neighbor, not your homeowner association president, not your PENS rep. or Neighborhood Watch Coordinator. Please make the first call to us. We can always be cancelled if we're not needed.
Those of you traveling, drive safely.
Posted May 12, 2009
PENS Bulletin
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
Currently there are 5054 individuals signed up to directly receive our Precinct Four PENS Bulletins and Alerts. Remember, the push is on for members of the East Cobb community to actively participate in PENS. The more members of our community we have receiving the emails and bulletins from the police the more effective this crime prevention program will be. Encourage your community as a whole and your friends to participate in this worthwhile program. If they are members of your HOA, please get them signed up for your PENS emails. If you have family or friends living in a different East Cobb community, please make sure they know about PENS.
PENS and the PTA-
This school year there was a pilot program at Dickerson Middle School called “Be a PENS PAL” where there was a direct link to the Precinct Four PENS website on the Dickerson Middle School PTA website to encourage their participation. I had an opportunity last week to speak to the PTA representatives of all 38 East Cobb schools and I understand that this program will now be available for all of the East Cobb schools PTA.
BOLO (Be On the Look Out)-
On 042609 1145 to 1205 hours, A Burglary occurred on Meadowbrook Ln. in 416 beat.
Entry was made possibly through the front door, small pry marks were found. An HP 32” LCD TV, two Westinghouse LCD 26” TVs, a Sony Vaio laptop, Xbox 360 with games and a Motorola Razor cell phone were taken. A black male and black female were seen by neighbors loading an older Silver Honda Accord.
Be on the lookout for any suspicious activity in your neighborhoods that may match such a description. If seen, call 911 to have Officers respond and check.
False Alarm Ordinance-
I thought you might find it interesting that statistics show since the new Alarm Ordinance has been in effect, there is a 28% reduction in reported false alarms for the 1st quarter of 2009 from the same time frame in 2008. Now, if I’m thinking correctly, that also means a 28% reduction in lost manpower hours from officers responding needlessly to false alarms. Or in other words, that same 28% in recovered manpower hours saved from not responding needlessly to false alarms makes those manpower hours now available for officers to respond to critical calls for service or to just zone patrol our communities looking to criminal activity. I think that’s GOOD thing.
Questions and Answers-
Q-
I have a question for you. We have several kids in the neighborhood with pellet guns and they walk around just shooting whatever comes across their path (not people or animals). There are a couple of other kids that have pellet rifle guns (which to me, look very real) and those kids shoot them around on the playground and at stop signs (as far as I know, they haven't hurt anyone or any animal). Overall, they are making the neighbors nervous and therefore the neighbors keep calling me about it. These kids (with the rifles) are the same kids that we believe have caused the vandalism in the common areas too. We have talked with their folks, given them notices, and pointed them out in the newsletters (not by name). However, they are still making neighbors nervous and the neighbors want to know if they should be calling the police for these sorts of things. What is the best protocol for this?
A-
The best procedure is for someone to call 911 and let us check it out. In my opinion, allowing an underage person to just walk around in a neighborhood shooting a pellet gun at anything they like is not only very irresponsible but also very dangerous obviously. What if they shoot at some object, miss and hit someone in the eye? If they want to responsibly shoot their pellet gun on their own property at targets with a proper backstop to prevent the pellet from going elsewhere then OK, that’s between them and their parents. But to shoot at something they don't own is most likely Criminal Trespass or Criminal Damage to Property and they can get in real trouble for that, especially if they are shooting stop signs or street lights.
If nothing else, we may want their information so we can come out and talk with them and their parents about the dangers of this practice and the possible criminal and civil liabilities BEFORE some innocent bystander gets an eye put out.
Q-
We received a question about child safety and wearing a helmet on a bicycle and whether we had any other input. If you want to know about the traffic laws pertaining to operating a bicycle click here- http://www.gohs.state.ga.us/gabikelaws.html .
One thing that a lot of people don’t realize is that a bicycle is considered a “vehicle” and must abide by any traffic laws governing the operation of a vehicle upon the roadway. The above link deals with those laws and the wearing of a bike helmet.
Current crime trends-
To emphasize a point we’ve been making about GPS Units on windshields, look here…..
412 Beat-
050509 2230 to 050609 0230 hours.- Clary Lakes Dr. (Clary Lakes)- Passenger side window was broken out of the vehicle parked in the street and a Uniden GPS device that was suction cupped to the windshield was taken.
417 Beat-
050409 1730 to 050509 0730 hours.- Meadow Ln.-Vehicle was entered with no forced entry reported. Apple Ipod charger/transmitter and loose change were taken. Victim stated the GPS mount left in the window may have made her vehicle a target.
Hey, you gotta watch leaving those garage doors up all night, see the below…..
412 Beat-
050709 1900 to 050809 0800 hours.- Timberline Dr.-Entry was made into an open garage. Inside was the victim’s unlocked vehicle from which a Dell laptop, back pack and ten Battalion coins were taken.
Burglary trend near Wheeler High School (416 beat) —
050509 0943 to 0950 hours.- Counsel Dr. Entry was made by forcing open the carport door. Two thin build teenaged black males wearing hooded long sleeve shirts and blue jeans and carrying a red guitar were seen in the area by numerous witnesses. Note: A neighbor saw the two males walk up the driveway, heard a bang, and saw them walking away with a computer monitor. She called the victim and later called the police. Compaq monitor, Red Nintendo DS and athletic socks were taken.
Second incident on Counsel Dr, same day, probably the same perpetrators---
050509 0900 to 1222 hours.- Counsel Dr.-Entry was made by forcing open the carport door. Items were moved with nothing reported taken.
What you and your neighbors can do-
Take everything out of your car and lock it.
Please keep your garage doors pulled down, especially at night.
Put away your windshield or dash top mounted GPS Nav Unit anytime you are not in your car. That includes the mount and the ring left on the windshield. If you don’t…. see the above mentioned incidents.
If you see suspicious activity or a crime in progress, call 911 immediately. An example of what happens if you don’t--
050509 0943 to 0950 hours.- Counsel Dr. Entry was made by forcing open the carport door. Two thin build teenaged black males wearing hooded long sleeve shirts and blue jeans and carrying a red guitar were seen in the area by numerous witnesses. Note: A neighbor saw the two males walk up the driveway, heard a bang, and saw them walking away with a computer monitor. She called the victim and later called the police. (Call 911 first) Compaq monitor, Red Nintendo DS and athletic socks were taken.
Cobb police responded to the area immediately to include beat officers, detectives and K9. There may have been a high probability of catching the suspects had the response been minutes faster. Please call 911 first. There was a second incident that occurred just a couple of hours later that might have been avoided altogether.
The below information came to us from the U. S. Attorney’s Office and is good advice-
DON’T FALL FOR FRAUDS: SOME TIPS
Identity Theft--
Do not give out your personal information over the phone or internet.
Legitimate companies will never call and ask you for personal information over the phone or internet.
If you receive a call or email claiming to be from a company you do business with requesting your
personal information, look up the number and call them back yourself to verify. Companies you use already have your information so will not be asking you for it. When in doubt - don't give it out.
Be wary of people offering anything (e.g., money, services, gifts, food) for personal or medical
information.
Shred documents and all mail with personal information before throwing them out. Suspend mail
delivery if you anticipate being away for an extended period. Do not leave mail visible in your car.
For more information or to report identity theft, contact-
Website:
Federal Trade Commissions Identity Theft
Hotline:1-877-438-4338 or 1-877-ID-THEFT
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft
Medicare Fraud--
Carefully review Explanation of Benefits forms and other medical records you receive to be sure
you are getting billed only for the services/procedures used, on the days they were provided.
Be wary of people offering you free products/services or telling you Medicare wants you to have them.
Be wary of telemarketers or door-to-door solicitors for products or services that your physician did
not discuss with you or that you may not need. Go through your physician for medical needs.
For more information or to report Medicare fraud, contact-
.
Website:
GeorgiaCares 1-800-669-8387 or the Office of Inspector General's Hotline:1-800-447-8477 or 1-800-HHS-TIPS
http://www.medicare.gov/fraudabuse/Tips.asp
Investment Fraud--
Be wary of people offering investments via phone, door-to-door, internet or fax. Be particularly wary of being pressured into making a quick decision, and of people who resist sending you something to consider in writing.
Be wary of promises of investments that guarantee high rates of return or claims of a “once in a
Life time opportunity.” All investments have some risk. Generally, the greater the potential return, the greater the risk. If you are being told otherwise, be careful. In general, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
Ask questions, do research, check references, ask to see something in writing, and sleep on
your decision, even if you are being solicited by someone you know.
When in doubt, stick with the names you know (i.e., deposit and invest with well known financial
institutions) and still do your research. Check out your broker or his or her firm at:
http://www.finra.org/Investors/ToolsCalculators/BrokerCheck/index.htm
For more information or to report investment fraud contact:
GA Secretary of State's Office, Securities Division 404-656-3920. Websites for more information:
http://www.finra.org/Investors/ProtectYourself/index.htm
http://sos.georgia.gov/investor_education/default.htm
Provided by U.S. Attorney’s Office, NDGA, 75 Spring St. SW, Ste. 600, Atlanta GA Phone: 404-581-6000.
The East Cobb community is doing a great job at holding down our crime statistics. Continue to be diligent in protecting your valuables and let’s give the criminals a reason to go elsewhere.
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted May 5th, 2009
BOLO (Be On the Look Out) 416 Beat
On 042609 1145 to 1205 hours, A Burglary occurred on Meadowbrook Ln. in 416 beat.
Entry was made possibly through the front door, small pry marks were found. An HP 32” LCD TV, two Westinghouse LCD 26” TVs, a Sony Vaio laptop, Xbox 360 with games and a Motorola Razor cell phone were taken. A black male and black female were seen by neighbors loading an older Silver Honda Accord.
Be on the lookout for any suspicious activity in your neighborhoods that may match such a description. If seen call 911 to have Officers respond and check.
Posted May 1 2009
PENS Bulletin
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site- http://p4.police.cobbcountyga.gov for reports and details.
The push is on for members of the East Cobb community to actively participate in PENS. The more members of our community we have receiving the emails and bulletins from the police the more effective this crime prevention program will be. Encourage your community as a whole and your friends to participate in this worthwhile program. If they are members of your HOA, please get them signed up for your PENS emails. If you have family or friends living in a different East Cobb community, please make sure they know about PENS.
Most of you know how this works. Representatives of the PENS program for Precinct Four meet quarterly with representatives of our East Cobb homeowner associations and businesses to discuss current events like crime trends and crime prevention. Those representatives are also on a special email distribution list and receive more information than just that provided on the monthly PENS Bulletins.
If representatives from your community or business are not currently on our HOA/Business representative email distribution list and/or attending our quarterly meetings, please contact us through the website contact link and make that request. Or you may call me (Lieutenant Chenoweth) at 770-499-4521. We would like to see a larger participation from our community especially the business leaders.. We ask for two individuals to serve as PENS representatives for their community. Those individuals are then placed on that email distribution list for direct two way communication with the police through our PENS email address. Those representatives will share the PENS information they receive with the other members of their community.
If you are an individual and would like to receive the emails from the precinct, and do not have a homeowners association representative in your neighborhood, please forward your information through the Precinct 4 PENS website contact link and stipulate in the subject line “No Available Homeowners Association”. Your email address will be added to the distribution list with other individual homeowners. Our email lists are now protected from Open Records demands thanks to Senate Bill 26 and demands for your information will not be provided to anyone requesting the distribution list.
Anyone interested in receiving our PENS Bulletins and Alerts should click on the below link, enter their email address, then on the Registration Page just check the box for Precinct 4 PENS Alerts-
Click here-
http://communications.cobbcountyga.gov/signup-page.htm
Public Information Releases-
Incident(s) Brief:
Armed Robbery / Aggravated Assault (04/22/09 @ 2350 hours in Zone 4) The Cobb County Police Department’s Robbery Squad is investigating an armed robbery which occurred at 1120 Powers Ferry Road in Marietta, Georgia.
According to investigators, the male clerk for Texaco exited the business and while he was outside he was confronted by two males. One of the males produced a knife and a struggle ensued. The clerk was then forced back inside the business where the second male produced a handgun and demanded money. After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, the two males fled the business on foot in an unknown direction. The clerk was treated on-scene by Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services personnel for lacerations to his arms received during this incident, but he refused to be transported to the hospital.
OFFENDERS: Black male, 6’02” tall, described as being in his late 20’s to early 30’s. He had a thin build and was last seen wearing dark clothing and a cap, and gloves. He was armed with a handgun.
Black male, 5’08” to 5’09” tall, described as being in his 20’s. He was last seen wearing dark clothing, and gloves. He was armed with a knife.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call (770) 499-3945.
Questions and Answers-
Question-
Mark...
I get these types of messages regularly in my e-mail. I'm sure many other people also get them. It's clearly a scam to obtain personal info possibly to be used for identity theft. Is there anything that we can do to stop these e-mails and also warn others to ignore them? (Here is the email that was received)--
Your Western Union Payment.
Dear Friend,
Are you ready to pick up this $7,500.00 sent today.We have concluded to effect your payment through western union $7,500.00 daily until the $950.000.00 is completely transfered. Meanwhile, Aloy Bruno has western union $7,500.00 in your name today.
So contact Western Wnion Agent to pick up this $7,500.00 now:
Contact person: Mr JOHN,)
Tel: +229 98898682.
E-mail: transiferwesternunionagent@ubbi.com
Ask him to give you the mtcn, sender name, question and answer to pick the $7,500.00. But you have to pay them $275 before the will give you the mtcn. Also you should send to him your informations;
YOUR FULL NAME-----
YOUR ADDRESS-------
YOUR PHONE -------
YOUR EMAIL--------
Thanks
MrPrince Gomez,
Answer-
I forwarded this information to the lieutenant of our High Tech Crime Unit for input. Here is his response-
With the internet there is no way we can stop these types of e-mails. Most are coming from out of the country and/or out of our jurisdiction. The FBI, Secret Service, etc. is overwhelmed with these types of crimes and unless there is a significant loss not much is done about them on the federal level. Unfortunately, we cannot stop those citizens who blindly respond to e-mail’s, fill out online forms without verifying who the information is going to; respond to get rich quick schemes, etc. (kind of like those who refuse to lock their cars and leave laptop computers on the front seat.)
What we (our department) can do is try to educate folks about schemes such as these through PENS, Internet Safety Classes, etc.. Unfortunately, over the last several years I have conducted many Internet Safety classes in the community. Not once have I had a room full of folks. Normally less then 20 attends. From my experience there is not a lot of open concerns or folks willing to take the time to educate themselves until someone becomes a victim. Regardless we still work daily to get the message out. Currently our most effective means to get the word out is just what you have done. Send it to PENS and let it go out to the Cobb County community. It seems to have a significant impact. If your group wants to sponsor an Internet Safety Class in the community I will be more then happy to do a presentation on the current trends. It takes about 2 hours for the presentation and ½ hour for questions. Day or Evening is okay.
Current crime trends-
We have really put a stop to the problem of night time residential Entering Autos by “flippers”. Let’s hope we can continue with that crime prevention.
There has been a lot of talk lately about Door to Door Sales activities being on the rise. Here is an email exchange I had recently with other members of our community-
I received the below from a member of our community today. This isn't the first time I have heard this. I am not commenting on the legitimacy of the organization because I have not personally had an opportunity to check into it yet. My only comment is, I DO NOT do business with individuals showing up at my door wanting me to buy something, no matter what their story, especially if it involves me giving them money in hopes of getting something in return at a later time. Right!! There is a much larger possibility that it is a rip off than it is a legitimate opportunity for you to donate to charity or help some kid go to college. There are much better ways to handle that. I will only do business with organizations I am familiar with or with my friends, neighbors and co-workers. Here is the email I received-
It was nice chatting with you this morning. Love the PENS report. You asked me to send you a note about the door-to-door scam that hit our neighborhood last Friday. We live off of Shallowford Rd and Wesley Chapel. On Friday afternoon, at 2:30 and 3:30, two different young men knocked on our door regarding a school fund-raising program for the Savannah College of Art and Design. They were Caucasian, very clean-cut looking, 20’ish. They said they were neighbors of ours and were fundraising for a trip to London by selling subscriptions, these subscriptions are then donated to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
The second young man said some things that were inconsistent with the first, so I called the college to confirm the program. The college said there was no such program and no such student (the first one had given me a name). I called the police, but I think the guys were gone long before the police arrived.
They showed some legitimate looking subscription flyers like the kind the kids bring home from school. Soft-hearted that I am, I told the first one that I do not support companies who sell this way, but like to help kids who are doing programs like this. So I wrote him a check for $20, making it out to “his” name. I got a receipt-- again, very legitimate looking with the name of a company and all of the typical legalese for these types of subscriptions. The website existed, but no phone number or address. It said it was a marketing company designed to help young people with their marketing and selling skills, building self-confidence, etc.
I mis-placed the receipt. I will send you the website once I find the receipt. I called my bank, who has put a stop payment on the check and are not charging me the usual stop payment fee because it is a situation of fraud. I suspect he is unable to cash the check because it is not a legitimate name.
End of email.
More on the topic of card skimmers being used to steal your money—
There was an interesting article in the Macon Telegraph paper that was sent to me by one of our members on card skimmers being found on gas station pumps along I-475. What does what’s happening in Macon have to do with East Cobb? Does anyone go to Florida for vacation? Thought so.
This is a segment of the email I received from our PENS rep. for Providence Corners HOA-
Last week in Macon, at least five people fell victim to card skimmers at gas pumps. Their cards were not stolen, but all the card info was stolen by way of the skimmers, and then the info was used in the Atlanta area to steal money from their accounts. This situation can be especially bad if you use a debit card because once your card info is stolen and used, your bank very likely will hold you responsible for any overdraft fees.
The Macon Telegraph ran an article yesterday (Sat. Apr.25) about card skimmers being placed on gas station pumps in the Macon area. (Great, I was going through Macon just over a week ago and used my debit card at a gas station pump). So far, at least five victims have discovered that money has been stolen from their bank accounts. Their card info was skimmed from gas pumps in the Macon area, and then the card info was used at ATMs in the Atlanta area to steal the money.
This is the advice provided by Macon police-
To avoid being a victim-
• Don’t carry your credit/debit card personal identification number (PIN) with you.
• Don’t give your card or PIN to anyone else.
• Review monthly account statements, investigate suspicious charges and report suspicious activity immediately.
• Avoid ATMs that have signs saying screen directions have been changed, especially if the message is posted over the card reader.
• If you fall victim to identity theft, contact your financial institution. Place fraud alerts on your credit files.
If it looks different, go somewhere else.
Overnight Business Burglaries Trend-
413 beat
033109 1800 to 040109 0730 hrs- 3535 Roswell Rd- suite 22 (Esthetic Dentistry at Providence Park)- front window broken out. Entry made through the window. Business office searched through but nothing appears to be missing.
033109 1830 to 040109 0750 hrs- 2551 Roswell Rd- suite 415- Marietta Healthcare- front door forced open. Interior searched through. Dell Inspiron laptop taken. Black bandana was found on the ground near the point of entry.
033109 1830 to 040109 0750 hrs- 2551 Roswell Rd- suite 410- Wellness Revolution Clinic- entry made through a common door to adjoining business (above). Nothing appears to be missing.
412 Beat
040909 1745 to 041009 0703 Hours.-2854 Johnson Ferry Rd. (Interact Holdings and Bartlett Controls)
Front door found open with deadbolt pried, the door was not entered to Interact Holdings. Bartlett Controls was entered from a shared hallway. 32 inch Sharp Aquos television was taken.
410 Beat
041009 0445 to 0514 Hours.-965 Piedmont Rd. (Bal Shipping Line, Inc.)-Officers responded to an alarm and located forced entry to the front door with small pry marks. No items were taken, some valuables overlooked.
Overnight 041609 to 041709-The Williamscraft Office park at 2623 Sandy Plains Rd.(Across from Sprayberry H.S.) Five separate businesses were entered by forcing open the front doors. No items reportedly taken. Offices were searched, possibly for cash.
414 Beat
041909 0525 Hours.-2440 Sandy Plains Rd. Bldg 5 (Sandy Plains Executive Office Center) Officer’s responded to an alarm and located the front door pried open. No suspects were seen and nothing was taken.
041909 0445 to 0525 Hours.- 2440 Sandy Plains Rd. Bldg 4A (Oral Cosmetic Dental Ceramics) Officer Fowler found the front door was pried open when checking the area after a similar burglary in Bldg 5. “petty cash” was taken from the business.
Note: Businesses had been zone patrolled at 0435 to 0445 Hours.
416 Beat
041809 0230 Hours.-1360 Powers Ferry Rd. (Los Bravos) Entry was made by prying open the rear glass door to the dining area. Office was ransacked and cash was taken. A cash register drawer was pried.
A black extended cab Chevrolet or GMC pickup with tinted windows was seen leaving the complex by the owner at a high rate of speed. A review of the video displayed a black male prying open the cash drawer.
(See related arrest below.)
Apartments Burglary Trend-
Burglaries
416 Beat
040109 1300 to 1407 hours- 2560 Delk Rd (Madison Hills)- entry through a bedroom window. A Dell Inspiron laptop was taken. Former boyfriend is the suspect.
040309 1430 to 1610 Hours.-2650 Bentley Rd. (Ivey Ridge Apts.) Door kicked in leaving muddy shoe print (photographed) Jar of US coins taken.
041309 0345 to 0348 Hours.-1049 Powers Ferry Rd. (Signature Place apts.) Entry possibly made through an unlocked sliding glass door. A black male 6’00” tall, 170 lbs wearing all black was standing in the apartment and ran out the sliding doors when the victim screamed. A black laptop was taken.
041509 1100 to 1130 Hours.-2575 Delk Rd. (Abby E. Cobb Apts.) Front door was kicked in while victim was home asleep. He did not see anyone when he checked the door.
041509 0700 to 1230 Hours.-1049 Powers Ferry Rd. (Signature Place Apts.) A rock was used to shatter a bedroom window. An Acer laptop, unknown make MP3 player and Proactive lotion were taken.
041609 1130 to 1640 Hours.-705 Powers Ferry Rd. (Barrington lane Apts.) -Forced entry was found to the front door, damaging the door frame. Nikon Cool Pix and Nintendo DS were taken.
*Burglary Attempt*.
041609 0900 to1000 Hours.-1049 Powers Ferry Rd. (Signature Place Apts.) Front door to the apartment had a large crack by the dead bolt from an attempt to kick in the door. Same apt was Burglarized on 041409
What you and your neighbors can do-
Card skimmers- again----
• Don’t carry your credit/debit card personal identification number (PIN) with you.
• Don’t give your card or PIN to anyone else.
• Review monthly account statements, investigate suspicious charges and report suspicious activity immediately.
• Avoid ATMs that have signs saying screen directions have been changed, especially if the message is posted over the card reader.
• If you fall victim to identity theft, contact your financial institution. Place fraud alerts on your credit files.
If it looks wrong or different, go somewhere else
Entering Autos-
Incidents are down right now. Let’s keep it that way. Take everything out of your car and lock it.
Residential Burglary-
Incidents are down right now. Let’s keep it that way. If you observe something suspicious at your neighbor’s house or if something doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t and you should call 911 immediately.
Business burglary-
This is the only real crime “trend” in East Cobb right now. Please don’t leave large amounts of cash inside the business. Provide lots of exterior lighting and consider electronic surveillance cameras that actually record to a DVR.
Recent arrests in Precinct Four-
Beat 410
Theft by Shoplifting (M)
04/11/09 at 1145 hrs--3428 Canton Road / Dr No's Comics & Games--a white male suspect secured several collectible comic books on his pants and various portions of his activities were witnessed by two employees and one other customer. One of the employees obtained the tag number from the red car in which the suspect departed alone. Video footage was obtained from within Dr No's also. An investigation that began with the tag number led to a person of interest found through computer checks. This investigation has resulted in the below arrest for shoplifting.
Timothy Famillette
21 year old white male
Woodstock, Ga
Beat 415
Financial Transaction-Card Fraud (f)/ theft by taking (m)
03/30/09 1430-1500 hours/ Balhousie Place - On 03/30/09 the victim reported her wallet was taken from her vehicle and her debit card was used. The victim stated she believed the suspect was a friend who had stopped by and went into her vehicle to get some of the suspect’s items. The victim advised that the suspect knows her PIN number. Through an investigation, Det. Yager found the suspect did take the wallet and use the debit card at several locations and had taken the debit card on three separate occasions in February to withdraw money for the victim’s account. A warrant was taken for the suspect, Jennifer Pearson, for the following charges:
16-9-33 (f) Card Fraud Attempt-Financial Transaction one count
16-9-33 (f) Card Fraud-Financial Transaction six counts
16-9-31 (f) Card Theft Obtain-Financial Transaction five counts
16-8-2 (m) Theft by Taking, Misdemeanor one count
Charged:
Jennifer Pearson
19 year old white female
Kennesaw GA
Beat 416
Burglary/ Business/ Force
04/18/09/ 0230-0255 hours/ 1360 Powers Ferry Rd On 04/18/09 uniform officers responded to an alarm and found forced entry to the business of Los Bravos. The owner of the business arrived shortly after officers and saw a black extended cab truck exiting the rear parking lot at a high rate of speed. The video from the business was collected and put into evidence. On 04/29/09 at 0024 hours, Officer M.C. Gasque, while patrolling his zone, saw a Black Chevy Silverado pull into the closed business of Elite Package Store parking lot. Officer Gasque drove behind the business and saw the suspect running back to the truck. Officer Gasque conducted a traffic stop and found the vehicle was stolen. Officer Gasque arrested the suspect for Theft by Taking of a Motor Vehicle and Loitering & Prowling along with traffic charges. Through investigative follow up by Detective Kristin Yager, the suspect has also been charged with the burglary at Los Bravos.
Charges:
Burglary (F)
Theft of Motor Vehicle (F)
Possession of Burglary Tools (F)
Loitering/Prowling
Expired License and license restrictions
Suspect:
Jawanza Lackey
18 year old black male-
Marietta, GA
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted April 22 2009
CarFit Check-Up Event for Seniors (05/06/09 @ 1330 hours)
The Cobb County C.O.P.S. (Color of Public Safety) organization is sponsoring an event on Wednesday, May 06, 2009 through the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension in conjunction with G.T.I.P.I (Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute).
Personnel from the G.T.I.P.I will be training approximately twenty police officers and citizens who will be assisting with the event. Anyone interested in becoming a technician should attend the G.T.I.P.I. Instructors course to be given at the Department of Public Safety Training Center located at 2109 Valor Drive in Marietta Georgia. The training will take place in the auditorium at the D.P.S. Training Center the morning of the event from 0800-1200 hours.
The trainers will then assist with the actual “CARFIT” checkup event which will take place at the Department of Public Safety Training Center’s E.V.O.C. (Emergency Vehicle Operation Course) located just south of the Public Safety Village (currently under construction) at 1220 Al Bishop Drive in Marietta, Georgia. The checkup stations will be open to mature drivers from 1330-1530 hours.
CarFit is a national education program designed to give seniors a quick, comprehensive check on correct positioning, distance from airbags, and how well their vehicles suit their abilities.
For more information and required registration please visit G.T.I.P.I.’s website at www.ridesafegerogia.org (click on CarFit for Mature Drivers) or call G.T.I.P.I. at (678) 413-4281 or call toll free 1(800)342-9819.
PENS Bulletin
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
Senate Bill 26 passes. YAY!! -
The bill was designed to protect all email distribution lists which are maintained by government agencies for the purpose of sharing public safety information with private citizens and businesses. The bill was introduced by State Representative Judy Manning at the request of members of Cobb County government as well as from private citizens.
This exempts our PENS email lists from any Open Records request. The bill will protect any police or other public safety email distribution list. Many of you know that from the inception of this program we promised our members that we would not use the PENS list for anything other than public safety information. We quickly learned that some individuals desired to obtain our email lists for other purposes. On more than one occasion our PENS email lists were in fact requested through Open Records. In an effort to honor our commitment to our members, we requested this new legislation and I am pleased to announce the passing of this very important bill.
This bill is the result of the combined efforts of many. I would like to recognize the efforts of Karen Hallacy and the other members of the Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission to help ensure the passing of the bill.
I would personally like to thank and recognize State Representative Judy Manning for sponsoring and presenting this important legislation.
We recently held our quarterly meetings with Homeowner Association representatives and business leaders. If representatives from your community or business are not currently attending our meeting, please contact us through the website and make that request. Or you may call me at 770-499-4521. We would like to see a larger participation from our business community.
Here’s another glowing example of PENS at work-
After uniform made the below mentioned arrest in Sibley Forest last week, we were still holding property that we could not place. I contacted the PENS representative for Sibley Forest and asked her to send out an email asking any victim to come forward who had not reported their incident. I then received a call from the below victim.-
417 Beat
040709 2300 to 040809 1100 Hours.- Indian Hill Rd.(Sibley Forest) -Unlocked vehicle entered and 10 inch kicker speaker and a gray speaker box were taken.
We are in fact in possession of his stolen property. So this case will also be cleared by arrest.
Here’s the original arrest-
040809 0250 to 0309 hrs- Gunby Rd and Sibley Forest Dr- Officer Gasque, Officer Kelly, Officer Walton and Officer Wentz responded to Sibley Forest regarding a suspicious vehicle call. Officer Gasque observed the vehicle attempting to leave Sibley Forest near Paper Mill Rd where he executed a traffic stop. The vehicle was occupied by two subjects and held what appeared to be several stolen items. After interviewing the suspects, who made admissions to entering unlocked vehicle, both subjects were arrested and charged with 3 counts Entering Auto, VGCSA (felony), Open Container/Underage Possession of Alcohol. Follow up investigation will be conducted by CIU 4 due to other suspected stolen property remaining in the vehicle. This vehicle also matches the description of an Entering Auto suspect this same night in Precinct One off of Bells Ferry Rd
That’s how it’s supposed to work! Good job Sibley Forest.
Public Information Releases pertaining to East Cobb
1) Felony Apprehension (04/01/09 @ 2124 hours in Zone 4) Last evening, the Cobb County Police Department and the Atlanta Police Department worked jointly to arrest an individual who initially fled from an Atlanta police officer.
At 2124 hours, an Atlanta police officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a silver 1995 Mercedes C220 for a traffic violation, near the connector in downtown Atlanta. The driver of the Mercedes failed to yield to the officer as they continued to drive northbound on I-75 and into Cobb County. With the assistance from Atlanta Police Department’s Air Unit, the suspect was eventually tracked into east Cobb County where several attempts to stop him failed. When the driver, identified as 21 year old Cina Nikdel of Marietta, Georgia turned into the cul-de-sac in front of 4658 Amberwood Trail, the P.I.T. technique was used by an officer from the Cobb County Police Department to stop him.
After a brief struggle, Nikdel was taken into custody and charged with:
Attempting to Elude (F)
Failure to Stop for an Accident (M)
V.G.C.S.A. (Marijuana-M)
D.U.I. (Alcohol-M)
(2) counts of Reckless Driving (M)
(2) counts of Aggravated Assault (F)
Obstructing Law Enforcement (F)
Criminal Damage to Property (F)
Criminal Trespass (M)
Interference with Government Property (F)
Cina Nikdel is currently being held (without bond) at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.
This issue of coyotes in East Cobb has come up again. Here is some information that was sent out through PENS several months ago on this topic-
Coyotes
I have talked with experts on the subject who have basically advised me that coyotes are pretty much everywhere. They are wild animals just trying to survive day to day, pretty much like deer.
Wild animals determine where they want to live by their needs. They need a water source- The Hooch, creeks, ponds, etc, shelter- wooded areas, and food. If they are having their needs met, they will remain and/or come back. I was told that we can try to trap them all we want, but other coyotes will just move in, if the environment is to their liking.
If you want the coyotes to go away, you MUST remove one of their needs. The only one of those that you have any real control over is the food. These are food sources for coyotes- bird & squirrel feeders, domestic pet food left outside, garbage left outside- even in cans, barbeque grills, and small domestic animals, especially cats. Anything that produces a scent of food draws their attention. Take away the food sources and scents, and they go elsewhere.
There is apparently some good information on the internet dealing with this subject. Type in the buzz words on suburban coyotes, coyote control, control/repelling wild animals, etc and you will receive several links. There is information available from these links for repelling wild animals, various chemicals or odors that you can spread around to discourage them.
But I was also told that you probably will be repelled /repulsed by the same scents. One of the best sources of information is probably the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Statistics-
Here are the current monthly statistical comparisons property crimes in East Cobb-
Current crime trends-
The only reason trend in East Cobb at the moment is business burglary.
Current Issues-
There have been ATM skimmers discovered at a couple of area banks. Both happen to have been Bank of America. If you use an ATM machine please use caution. If something doesn’t look right about the ATM, don’t use it and report your concern to the bank.
Business Burglaries- Johnson Ferry Rd, Roswell Rd, Sandy Plains Rd. (night time hours)
Robberies in the East Lake area- businesses and pizza delivery drivers
Census Bureau- scammers- We have received a report from the Census Bureau of complaints about Census Bureau workers asking for personal information. Legitimate bureau field workers will have proper ID, a handheld GPS device, cloth bag that says “Census Bureau”.
We are currently in pretty good shape on residential burglary and Entering Autos-
Coming up-
With the improving weather and end of school we anticipate an increase the below situations-
Door to Door Solicitors will become more active. I received two complaints over the weekend concerning this situation.
Vandalism / Trespassing in your pool and common areas will again prove to be a problem.
Flippers (Entering Autos) will become more active at night. Please exercise extra care with removing valuables from your cars and lock them.
Recent arrests in Precinct Four-
Beat 413
Theft by Shoplifting
3/22/09 between 1600-1610 hours/ Sunglass Hut 4475 Roswell Rd Ste 905. On 03/22/09 at around1600 hours the suspect entered the business with her daughter. The video shows the suspect try on a black Ray Ban Sunglasses worth $169 and take them off and put them in her purse and leave the store without paying. The suspect was identified and charged with shoplifting.
Sherri Davis
51 year old black female
Atlanta, GA
414 Beat
*Burglary Arrest*
040909 1312 Hours- Garden Cir. Officer H. Ayers, Officer M. Goodman and Lt. Forrester, had responded to a Burglary that just occurred. The suspect, Perry Van Adams, was confronted by the homeowner and ran. Officer Goodman located the suspect on Sandy Plains Rd. The immediate investigation led to the arrest for Burglary.
Theft by Shoplifting (F)
03/19/09 at 1536 hrs - Banana Republic at 4475 Roswell Rd . On 03/19/09 at 1536 hours a manager at the J. Crew store in the Avenues At East Cobb calls plaza security to report seeing a known shoplifter in the shopping center. An Avenue’s security officer responds and attempts to approach the Hispanic male subject, who runs to a white minivan and attempts to flee the parking lot. Rush hour traffic prevents the suspect from getting onto Roswell Rd., so he pulled into an adjacent parking lot and ditched the still running van to flee Westbound on Roswell Rd. on foot. Around the same time, a second Hispanic male suspect was then seen by other witnesses running from the Banana Republic store while shedding stolen items that he had tucked in his clothing. This male entered a separate Gray or Silver van and also fled the scene. 123 items of women’s clothing from five separate Avenues stores valued at $6861.00 were recovered from the abandoned van. Later checks with the Neiman Marcus store at Lennox mall revealed details of the previous incident / arrest advised by the initial witness, and he later identified one of the suspects from photos taken after the Lennox Mall arrest. A warrant was taken for the suspect for five separate counts of theft by shoplifting (f). The suspect also has an active warrant for Shoplifting through Atlanta P.D.
Perez, Edison
Lawrenceville, GA 30045
417 beat-
Entering Auto
Arrest-
040809 0250 to 0309 hrs- Gunby Rd and Sibley Forest Dr- Officer Gasque, Officer Kelly, Officer Walton and Officer Wentz responded to Sibley Forest regarding a suspicious vehicle call. Officer Gasque observed the vehicle attempting to leave Sibley Forest near Paper Mill Rd where he executed a traffic stop. The vehicle was occupied by two subjects and held what appeared to be several stolen items. After interviewing the suspects, who made admissions to entering unlocked vehicles, both subjects were arrested and charged with 3 counts Entering Auto, VGCSA (felony), Open Container/Underage Possession of Alcohol. Follow up investigation will be conducted by CIU 4 due to other suspected stolen property remaining in the vehicle. This vehicle also matches the description of an Entering Auto suspect this same night in Precinct One off of Bells Ferry Rd
Charged were-
Drake Meyer
18 year old white male
Woodstock Georgia
Katelyn Kulik
18 year old white female
Marietta, Georgia
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted April 7 2009
PENS Bulletin
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site at p4.police.cobbcountyga.gov for reports and details.
Public Information Records for Precinct 4-
Incident(s) Brief:
- Armed Robbery (03/25/09 @ 2147 hours in Zone 4) The Cobb County Police Department’s Robbery Squad is investigating the robbery of a person, which occurred at 2000 East Lake Parkway in Marietta, Georgia.
According to investigators, the male pizza delivery driver for Domino’s Pizza was confronted in the parking lot of the Eastlake Apartment complex while making a delivery. The two offenders (one of which was armed with a handgun) demanded the victim’s wallet and keys. Before fleeing the area, the perpetrators forced the victim into the trunk of his car. It wasn’t until the victim’s employer called approximately an hour and a half later to check on his welfare that it was discovered that he had been robbed. The victim was located a short time later physically unharmed.
OFFENDERS:
1- Black male, 5’10” tall, described as being in his early 20’s. He had a medium build and was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and a dark bandanna over his face. He was armed with a handgun.
2- Black male, 5’10” tall, described as being in his early 20’s. He had a medium build and was last seen wearing all dark clothing and a baseball cap and stocking over his head.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call (770) 499-3945.
Incident(s) Brief:
- Homicide (03/20/2009 @ 1837 hours in Zone Four) The Cobb County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons unit is investigating a homicide that occurred at 2349 Post Oak Tritt Road, Marietta, GA.
According to investigators, officers from precinct four were dispatched to a person down at 2349 Post Oak Tritt Road. Upon arrival officers found the victim, 67-year-old John Harvey Bedford III deceased in his residence. Officers determined Bedford’s death was suspicious in nature and called Homicide Detectives to the scene. After the initial investigation, detectives secured an arrest warrant for Bedford’s roommate, 43-year-old Randall Keith Fisher, for murder. Fisher is possibly in the victim’s vehicle, a gold/ beige 2008 Honda Civic.
PERPETRATORS:
Randall Keith Fisher, 43, of Marietta, GA
VEHICLE:
Gold/Beige 2008 Honda Civic, Georgia tag: AAC5870.
***UPDATE***
On 03/21/09, the Pike County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Cobb County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons unit and advised they had located Randall Keith Fisher near Zebulon, GA. According to investigators, a Pike County Sheriff’s Deputy and a Zebulon Police Officer initiated a traffic stop on the 2008 Honda Civic, driven by Fisher. The law enforcement officers confronted Fisher and found that he had apparently shot himself during the traffic stop. Fisher was transported to a local hospital where he died.
BOLO cancelled-
The below BOLO is cancelled as the escapee has been captured in Tampa Florida-
Be On The Lookout-
Please see the below information being released by Cobb Police on an escapee from Coffee County, Tennessee that occurred in Cobb County yesterday. Should you observe this individual please call 911 immediately.
B.O.L.O. (BE-ON-LOOKOUT on 03/03/09-Headquarters) The Cobb County Police Department in conjunction with the Coffee County (Tennessee) Sheriff Department is asking for the public’s assistance in capturing an individual that escaped from Coffee County officials this afternoon at 1423 hours at the Waffle House located at 3340 Frey Road in Kennesaw, Georgia. (The corner of Frey and Chastain Roads)
Law Enforcement authorities are looking for 34 year old Christopher Daniel Gay. He is described as a white male, 5’04”-5’05” tall, 140 lbs. He has short black hair, a goatee and tattoos on both arms. He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and black pants. Although he is not believed to be armed, he is wanted by Cheatham and Robinson counties in Tennessee. He is also being sought by Nashville Tennessee authorities as well as Troup County authorities in Georgia.
Questions and Answers-
Q-
Lt. Chenoweth,
One of my neighbors reported that they had trash stolen from their trash can Sunday night (it was set out for early Monday collection). They have placed fraud alerts with credit agencies, but I'm concerned that someone may be working other angles that we have not thought of. It also occurred to me that other trash cans may have been emptied in an effort to steal personal information that could be used to make money illegally. If this is occurring, most people would never know since they have no reason to check their trash before it is picked up.
Given this one complaint, it is my intention to alert the neighbors to make sure they shred all personal papers before putting them in the trash. Before I put out an alert to the neighborhood, I wanted to check with you to see 1) if you might have had similar reports from anywhere else, 2) what other reasons crooks might have for stealing trash, and 3) whether you have any other suggestions for protecting residents from invasion of their privacy.
Thank you for whatever advice you may be able to give us.
A-
I really can only think of 4 reasons a person would go through someone else's trash-
1) Identity theft
2) Law Enforcement purposes. Yes, we will "dumpster dive" from time to time in our investigations.
3) Private detective hired for some domestic situation
4) Kids. Sometimes kids will look through "interesting looking" trash for goodies, like thrown away games or electronics.
Your advice is very sound. In today's times, there is no reason anyone should throw away paperwork containing personal information or banking information without shredding it first. Shredders are cheap and identity theft / fraud is a problem. I don't know of a trend of trash theft right now, but how would we know? Like you said, most people would never notice.
My other advice on how to protect one's identity? In past PENS emails and bulletins, I have recommended that people not use their mailbox to send or receive mail that would contain information that could be used to steal identity.
I personally do all of my banking on line and only receive electronic bank statements. I believe that to be much safer than using a mailbox. Or, a person could utilize a post office box to send and receive personal mail. I know that sounds extreme but is it really in today's times?
Just for information purposes, once personal trash is placed on the curb for disposal, it's fair game. It's considered abandoned property. Anyone can go through it! Even Cops and Robbers.
We are here to answer any of your law enforcement related questions, so if you have one, please ask and we’ll do our best to get you an answer.
Current crime trends-
The community and our precinct officers did an outstanding job in reducing the number of Entering Auto occurrences for the month of March. In February, East Cobb suffered 66 Entering Auto incidents with 52 of those occurring within our single family residential neighborhoods. Through crime prevention, community awareness and some outstanding police work by our officers, those numbers were reduced in March to a total of 27 occurrences, with only 10 of those occurring within our single family residential communities. Please see the below arrest announcements.
Business burglary- we are still seeing an increase in business burglaries.
Robberies- There has been a sudden increase in robberies along Roswell Rd in the East Lake Shopping area.
What you and your neighbors can do-
Bear with me here! This is a long one and I know it, but for good reason.
Our Precinct Four PENS program has grown considerably since its inception in October 2006. Our email distribution list has grown from a handful to over 4600 members. A lot of these members are fairly new and I felt it would be appropriate to revisit some of our crime prevention tips from the past for the new members and as a reminder for those of you already in the know. So here ya go, please keep these in mind.
Residential Burglary-
A while back, I had a member of our group ask for some advice to share with their neighborhood concerning residential burglaries. Here it is again-
There is only so much a homeowner can do to protect against a burglary. Fact is, if someone wants to get into your home, they will. But, most residential burglaries occur during the day time working hours, while everyone is anticipated to be at work. A burglar does not want a confrontation with the homeowner. Just make sure that all doors and windows are locked, if you have an alarm system- use it. If you are considering getting a dog - make it a BIG one. (That's kinda tongue in cheek but they really are a great crime deterrent!). Case in point, just this month-
414 beat
031609 0805 to 1750 hrs- Barnes Mill Rd (Rosemont City View)- victim arrived home to find her front door damaged by someone trying to kick it in. No entry was made she feels because of her dog waiting on the inside.
416 beat
030809 1435 to 1830 hrs- Freydale Rd- pry marks found on a window in the front of the house. No apparent entry made. Victim believes family dog scared off the perpetrator.
Large dogs or large sounding dogs inside a house tend to scare off criminals. Again, the criminal will probably look for an easier target or at least a potentially less painful target elsewhere. Disclaimer- nothing in the previous comments is intended to imply that that you should allow a BIG dog to run loose in your community terrorizing your neighbors and children! End of Disclaimer.
Knocking on the door or ringing the doorbell prior to forcing entry is a common tactic used by burglars. Remember, they usually do not want contact with the homeowner. If the homeowner makes their presence known, the burglar will most likely leave or make up an excuse for their presence without further incident. This typically occurs during the daytime when the burglar would expect the homeowner to be at work. But, just this month, for instance-
032009 2245 to 032109 1300 hrs- Malibu Dr- victim stated that at 2200 hrs a black male rang her door bell asking for Rachel. She noticed another person was parked in the street but couldn’t identify the car. She told him no one lived there by that name and closed the door. She left to go to the club and returned the next day at 1300 hrs and noticed her back window open. She discovered her son’s cell phone missing and the last Corona taken from her refrigerator.
I do not recommend that the homeowner open the door but rather turn up the TV, ask through the door " who's there?", etc. Allow me to emphasize that I am not recommending that you tell your teenager who is home alone to answer the door. Most parents tell their home alone kids not to answer the door. That is still good advice, but they should in some other way let the other person know that there is someone home- "My dad is in the shower, can I tell him who's there", "Grandpa, someone's at the door", " I've called the police", etc, etc. Whatever you feel is best for your situation.
Please remember that a knock at the door or a ringing of the door bell could be from someone legitimately attempting to contact the homeowner such as UPS, FedEx, etc. But failing to acknowledge the person at the door could also falsely lead a criminal to believe no one is home resulting in an uninvited entry into your home. Just something to think about. It’s your call.
Pull your garage doors down at night and keep the interior garage door locked. That does two things, it keeps a burglar out of your house while you are asleep and it keeps them out of your garage stealing items from your cars parked inside. It also keeps the kids from stealing the beer out of your garage refrigerator! They call it "garage hopping". Unfortunately for them, the State of Georgia calls it Burglary- entering the dwelling of another for the purpose of committing a theft or felony therein...felony, punishable by 1-20 years, first offense!
Please record serial numbers to all of your electronics, power tools and firearms. Photograph and otherwise document any expensive jewelry that you may want to have any chance of getting back. Speaking of jewelry, I recommend that you store your jewelry somewhere besides on top of the dresser or chest of drawers in the master bedroom. Everybody does it and all burglars know it. They’ll come in and go straight for the master bedroom.
Entering Autos-
The biggest crime problem in East Cobb has been Entering Autos. Most victims will call 9-1-1 to report that their car has been “broken into”. Well, here’s the fact of the matter. Most incidents of Entering Autos occur at night while everyone is in bed asleep. A lot of people are in the habit of leaving valuables inside of unlocked cars parked in the driveway. Thieves we call "flippers" will walk through the community at night, flipping door handles looking for unlocked cars. Then they just help themselves to your GPS Navigation Units, satellite radios, iPods, purses and laptops left laying on the seat and unfortunately, firearms. They will even take your sunglasses and loose change. I strongly recommend that you never leave a firearm in an unattended vehicle- locked or not. If taken, that firearm is now in the hands of a FELON and could be used in a violent crime in the future.
In a recent interview with an Entering Auto arrestee he commented that a lot of this could be avoided if people would just lock their cars. Hmmmmm, seems I’ve heard that somewhere before!!
Most thieves will not take a chance on forcing entry into a locked vehicle (shattering a window) and exposing themselves for an unknown reward. They tend to do that only when they see something of value to them laying in plain view. This usually occurs in our retail and commercial parking lots. And, if you choose to leave valuables in plain view inside of a locked car….. well, I’d have the phone number to a glass repair business stored in your cell phone. One day, you’ll need them.
GPS Navigation Units are currently the hottest item to steal from a vehicle. Most people are in the habit of leaving them stuck to the windshield of their car. If you are one of those people, please read the above paragraph again. Take them out of your car and wipe off the little circle left on your windshield by the suction cup. Otherwise, get ready to buy a new one (and probably replace a window).
Sooooo…..….the moral to the story is, everyone needs to take everything of value out of their car and lock it. There ya go, crime prevented!.
Seems simple doesn’t it? A recent unofficial crime analysis study of the Entering Autos in East Cobb revealed that 98% of our incidents were preventable by the victim. They involved unlocked cars holding valuables or locked cars where there was forced entry to gain access to valuables left in plain view.
Enough about that.
Business burglary-
Any access to the business from the roof should be secured. Suspects have also used the rooftop HVAC system vents to gain access. Those should also be secured. Alarm systems should be audible and the type that automatically reports an intrusion if the power is disabled to the alarm system. Please do not keep large quantities of cash in the business when closed. If you keep cash in the business, I recommend that you not keep it in a cash register or cash box in an obvious location. Empty cash drawers daily and place money in a large safe or deposit it in the bank. Consider placing your cash registers where they are not visible from the outside. Provide proper exterior lighting and set your alarms.
Theft of wallets from shopping carts-
Ladies, please safeguard your purses while shopping. There is a place on the shopping cart we call the “steal me spot”- the baby seat. Women tend to place their purses there while shopping, frequently open and unsecured. We recommend securing your purse to the cart and make sure it stays closed. By the way, this once was a real problem in East Cobb but our community has done a tremendous job in reducing the number of occurrences. Should your credit cards be stolen, report that to your lenders immediately. Most stolen financial transaction cards are used by the thief within an hour of being stolen.
Fitness Centers and Parks-
I recommend that you not take anything of value to a fitness center or to a park. Entering Autos are a problem at both locations. Why? Because everyone tends to leave valuables such as purses and laptops inside of their car while visiting these locations. Guess who else knows that?
If you must take valuables with you, please place them inside your trunk prior to arriving at your final destination. Here’s why I advise that…..
416 beat
100708 1100 to 1123 hrs- 480 Terrell Mill Rd (Terrell Mill park)- victim secured her purse in the trunk after she arrived at the park. She returned to her vehicle to find a window shattered and the trunk release utilized to open the trunk and take the purse.
We have been talking with management of our local fitness centers concerning the problems with Entering Autos in their parking lots and our crime prevention suggestions. Management is aware of the problem and is cooperating with us in improving their security.
But with all of that said, please remember that East Cobb is a wonderful community to live in and we have a generally low crime rate in comparison to surrounding areas. Our biggest problem is theft and thankfully not violent crime.
Exercise the above mentioned crime prevention tips and most of our crime simply goes away.
It’s Spring and with the improving weather, here are a couple of additional reminders worth repeating-
Door to Door Solicitors will be out in full force. Although we commonly use the general term of “Solicitor” to define these persons, Cobb County specifically defines them in two distinct categories, Door to Door Salespersons or Peddlers. The most common complaint coming from the community seems to be against Door to Door Salespersons selling subscriptions to magazines to pay their way through college. This may or may not be the truth as it is believed this is a common marketing tactic used to play on ones sympathy. Whether or not you conduct business with salespersons or peddlers is up to you. I personally do not.
For further details on Door to Door Salespersons or Peddlers below is a link to the Cobb County Ordinance where you will find the definitions of, requirements for, and your rights when dealing with these individuals.
http://160.73.201.71/cobbpolice/ord/ch78.htm
Joggers-
Women are cautioned against jogging during hours of darkness or alone. If you have a dog, take it with you. They need exercise too and may keep a potential attacker at bay. It is also advisable to carry a means of communication and a personal protection device such as pepper spray- (fends off dogs too).
If you see suspicious people or vehicles in your neighborhood do not hesitate to call the police so we can check it out. If you spot a suspicious vehicle, one of the first things you should attempt to record is the tag number if you can do so covertly and without placing yourself in harms way. Then call 9-1-1 immediately please.
Recent arrests in Precinct Four-
Beat 410 and 411-
Entering Auto (4 counts) and Financial Transaction (12 counts)
03/10/09-03/11/09 between 2100 hrs and 0752 hrs On 03/11/09 at 1220 hours Woodstock Police responded to a call of a possible hit and run vehicle and domestic dispute at the parking lot of Woodstock Florist located at 9515 Main Street Woodstock, GA. Officers located the two suspects and found one of the suspect, Johnson, had thrown some credit cards belonging to Virginia Kremer on the ground. Further investigation, Officers located items stolen in four entering autos (three victims) in the suspects’ vehicle. The suspects had used some credit cards taken from one the victims at several locations. The suspects are currently in custody at Cherokee County jail. Warrants were taken for the suspects for 4 counts of Entering Auto (F) and 3 counts of Financial Transaction (F) and 9 counts of Financial Transaction Attempt (F).
Arrest #1- Christopher Johnson
21 year old white male
Acworth, GA 30102
Arrest #2- Carolynn Dupree
22 year old white female
Woodstock, GA 30188
Beat 415-
Entering Auto (8 Counts)
Theft by Receiving (M) 2 counts
The suspects were stopped in Indian Hills Sub Division on 021609 at 0118 hours. The resulting immediate investigation by uniform led to the probable cause and charges taken out for 6 counts Entering Auto in Indian Hills, Dogwood Forrest and Mitsy Forest subdivisions; along with traffic and drug charges. Property that was recovered on the scene led to a follow-up investigation. One additional entering auto was reported the following day on High Green Drive; which occurred during the same timeframe and close proximity to the other Entering Autos in Indian Hills sub division. (Entering Auto 1)
There were seven reported Entering Autos, all off of Karl’s Gate Dr., which occurred overnight Friday 021309 to Saturday morning 021409. Items recovered from the suspects when stopped in Indian Hills were confirmed to have been one victim’s property off Karl’s Gate Dr. Witnesses placed the same vehicle in the area and the matching Modus Operandi resulted in 7 additional counts of Entering Auto
The suspects were found to be in possession of a white North Face backpack found to have been the property taken during an entering auto at Ormond Trace in 412 Beat (Theft by Receiving)
They were also found to be in possession of a Tom Tom GPS device that was determined to have been taken during an Entering Auto on Spinnaker Dr in Alpharetta. (Theft by Receiving)
The investigation also included related arrests of Salvatore Insigna, suspected of fencing the stolen property. This investigation has resulted in a current stoppage in the residential unlocked door (flippers) Entering Autos in the East Cobb area. A significant decrease has also been reported from the surrounding Roswell and Alpharetta jurisdictions.
Arrested:
A 16 year old white male
Marietta GA. 30062
Watkins, Myles
18 year old white male
Roswell GA. 30075
Thanks for bearing with me.
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted March 11 2009
PENS Bulletin
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site at www.p4.police.cobbcountyga.gov for reports and details.
The below link to Cobb Police precinct maps is courtesy of the East Cobb Civic Association-
Having trouble picturing where events took place when you're reading PENS Bulletins? Want to know the police beat your home is located? Here’s a handy map that should clear it up-
Police precincts and patrol beats
Be On The Lookout-
Please see the below information being released by Cobb Police on an escapee from Coffee County, Tennessee that occurred in Cobb County yesterday. Should you observe this individual please call 911 immediately.
B.O.L.O. (BE-ON-LOOKOUT on 03/03/09-Headquarters) The Cobb County Police Department in conjunction with the Coffee County (Tennessee) Sheriff Department is asking for the public’s assistance in capturing an individual that escaped from Coffee County officials this afternoon at 1423 hours at the Waffle House located at 3340 Frey Road in Kennesaw, Georgia. (The corner of Frey and Chastain Roads)
Law Enforcement authorities are looking for 34 year old Christopher Daniel Gay. He is described as a white male, 5’04”-5’05” tall, 140 lbs. He has short black hair, a goatee and tattoos on both arms. He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and black pants. Although he is not believed to be armed, he is wanted by Cheatham and Robinson counties in Tennessee. He is also being sought by Nashville Tennessee authorities as well as Troup County authorities in Georgia.
In the past, he has stolen a large (box type) truck, a tour bus, and a semi tractor/trailer.
Anyone with information about 34 year old Christopher Daniel Gay is asked to contact any law enforcement agency by dialing 9-1-1.
Questions and Answers-
Q-
Paraphrasing, the question was- Have you ever heard that calling *77 from your cell phone is a direct number to the police to confirm that the police car attempting to pull you over is a real police officer and not some impersonator ?
A-
No I had not. But my first reaction is; why wouldn't a person just dial 911? It involves no more digits and it will absolutely call the police. But curiosity got the best of me so I called * 77 from my cell phone. I was advised that the number could not be connected as dialed. So I then tried # 77 and was immediately connected to the Aggressive Driving Hotline for the NEW JERSEY State Police. After a nice conversation with them (actually, teasing about who had the worst accent!) I learned that # 77 is strictly for the NEW JERSEY State Police Aggressive Driving Hotline. So, unless someone in Georgia wants to call # 77 and wait for a very long response time from the New Jersey State Police, I'd recommend dialing 911.
I also agree that if a person is being stopped by a police car, marked or not, and they are uncomfortable with the surroundings or circumstances that they signal their intention to stop by slowing down, turning on their flashers and wait to pull over (within a reasonable distance) where they feel safe. That is perfectly acceptable.
February Statistics-
Business Burglary- 17
Residential Burglary- 55
Entering Auto- 66
Theft by Taking- 41
Criminal Trespass/Damage- 45
These statistics are slightly elevated over previous months.
Current crime trends-
Business Burglaries-
We are still experiencing an unusually high number of business burglaries along the Johnson Ferry Rd corridor. We have reason to believe that they are possibly connected. Please pass the word to your neighbors and friends who own or operate a business, especially in this area. The suspects are taking extreme measures to ensure that they are not detected and are going straight for the cash. Some of these businesses have lost a large amount of money. The cash isn’t protected by a safe. Business owners and managers should take measures to protect their cash. I strongly urge you to not leave any large sums of money in the business over night while we actively work these cases. Here they are-
412 beat-
030509 0204 to 0748 hrs- 2995 Johnson Ferry Rd (Montana’s)
415 beat-
021509 1930 to 021609 0830 hrs – 4961 Lower Roswell Rd – (Bradley’s Bar and Grille)
030909- 4961 Lower Roswell Rd (Bradley’s Bar and Grill)- second occurrence.
022809 1500 to 030209 0530 hrs – 4961 Lower Roswell Rd ( Women’s Premier Fitness)
417 beat -
022309 1800 to 022309 0445 hrs – 4930 Davidson Rd (Gold’s Gym)
022209 1400 to 022309 1045 hrs – 4930 Davidson Rd (Trilogy)
Investigation continues.
Criminal Damage to Property-
Please note the suspect information. It is believed all of the below are the result of a B & B gun.
411 beat
022709 1700 to 022809 0930 hrs –Oaktree Ct. (Windsor Oaks S/D) –Victim reported that the rear windows to his vehicle were shattered. Nothing reported missing.
022609 2100 to 022609 2200 hrs – Roselle Way (Rosemary Place S/D) – Victim stated that he observed a older model blue panel van, occupied by two white males believed to be teenagers, who were shooting a rifle BB gun at the gas lights to the entrance of the subdivisions. Three of the four lights were damaged.
022709 2300 to 022709 0000 hrs – Loch Highland S/D – Victim reported that the lighting to the spillway of the lake was damaged.
022709 2200 to 022809 1200 hrs – Highborne Dr. (Highland Point S/D) – Victim reported that the side windows to his vehicle were smashed. Nothing reported missing.
022709 2130 to 022809 1300 hrs – Summit Way (Windsor Oaks S/D) – Victim reported that his passenger side window to his vehicle was smashed. Nothing reported missing.
022409 0800 to 022609 1500 hrs – Pete Shaw Rd (Shaw Commons S/D) – Victim reported that the window above the front door of her foyer was shot out by some sort of an object. Victim stated that she suspects the next door neighbors children.
022809 0800 to 022809 1405 hrs – Millstone Dr (Millstone S/D) – Victim reported that the rear window to her vehicle was smashed. Nothing reported missing.
The good news is our residential Entering Autos have almost disappeared since the major arrest we made last month. We are still investigating several of reported incidents and believe we will clear many more in the coming weeks.
What you and your neighbors can do-
Business burglary-
I recommend that businesses deposit their receipts daily or secure them in the business some place besides a cash register or cash box. If the business has a safe, secure it to the floor and use it, keeping it locked at all times. The best course of action is to remove the cash receipts daily.
Entering Autos-
In order for Precinct Four to see a reduction in the occurrences of Entering Autos, citizens would need to remove everything of value from their vehicle and lock it. As long as we continue to leave expensive electronics, purses, firearms, etc. in our unlocked or locked cars, we will continue losing them to criminals.
If you leave your GPS Navigation Unit on the windshield of your car, you will eventually lose it. These are currently the hottest item to steal.
Please keep your garage doors down even during the times that someone is home. It only takes a minute for someone to enter your garage and then your unlocked vehicle to take something of value.
Recent arrests in Precinct Four-
Beat 410 and beat 413
Burglary/ Business/ Force
On 2/28/09 at 0024 hours uniform officers responded to an alarm call at 3920 Canton Rd suite 220 the business of Jilli’s and found the back door was pried open and the business was entered. The officers found several other doors in the business plaza had been pried on including pry marks on the back door with attempt to enter suite 210 belonging to Anointed Hair and Beauty Salon and Suite 140 Melody Lane Diner. Officer C. L. Fowler checked the surrounding businesses for the suspect and found the suspect’s vehicle parked behind the businesses of Blackwell Shopping Center. Officer Fowler found a back door pried open at Chuck’s Cleaner. Officer Fowler, Officer Peterman, and Officer Lignitz located the suspect inside the utility storage room and arrested the suspect . The suspect was linked to four business burglaries that occurred on 02/21/09 at 1401 Johnson Ferry Rd . The investigation continues on further burglaries in the area that the suspect may have committed.
The following charges were taken for the suspect:
6 counts of Burglary 16-7-1 (F)
5 counts of Possession of Burglary Tools 16-7-20 (F)
2 counts of Criminal Attempt to commit Burglary 16-7-1 (F)
1 count of Loitering and Prowling 16-11-36 (a) (M)
The suspect’s information-
Binger, Jourdan Tyler
White male- 18 years of age
White, GA 30184
The suspect’s vehicle:
1989 White Chevrolet Cavalier
415 beat
Burglary
02/27/09 0830-1030 hrs-- Indian Hills Pkwy (Indian Hills s/d)--the home was entered via forced entry to the rear basement door. Stolen from within were a laptop computer, jewelry items, and cash totaling $3,850.00. At 1050 hours a blue Voyager van was stopped in the Osborne High School area by members of the Burglary Task Force, based on a littering offense. The van contained three subjects. The van contained multiple items believed to be possibly stolen property. Detectives issued citations to two of the three males and released them, but collected a laptop computer for investigative purposes. Later in the day it was determined that the laptop from the van near Osborne belonged to an Indian Hills burglary victim. Further investigation was performed by multiple detectives from the Burglary Task Force and CIU 4 between 02-27-09 and this date, resulting in applications being made for all three males for the offense of being party to the crime of burglary. This was based on possession of property stolen in a burglary within two hours of the offense and about 12 miles away. Charged were-
Sean Osigbeme
19 year old black male
Marietta, GA, 30062
Mark Pratt
17 year old black male
Austell, GA, 30106
Christopher Sanchez
17 year old Hispanic male
Marietta, GA, 30060
Beat 417
Burglary
07/28/08 at 1145 hrs-- Stovehill Ct (Old Paper Mill s/d)--on 07-28-08 a burglary occurred at the residence at 1145 hours, resulting in over $13,000 in property being stolen from within. The majority of these items had been jewelry. The case was investigated for a couple of weeks and inactivated. The case was re-opened in early February of 2009 based on an AFIS fingerprint hit. That hit led to further investigation and as of this date the following subject has been charged with burglary:
Jonatan Roberto Lozano
26 year old Hispanic male
Honduras (illegal alien within USA)
No known OLN's or SSN
Twice deported from US
417 Beat
09/16/2008 at 1800-2000 hrs/Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area at 4001 Columns Drive. The victim parked his vehicle in the gravel parking lot and went into the recreation area. He later returned to his vehicle and discovered that someone had entered his unlocked vehicle and stole his wallet and cell phone. Items belonging to the victim were later recovered in an abandoned stolen vehicle and processed by detectives for latent prints. Latent prints identified a possible suspect and further investigation confirmed that Michael Dunlap as the person who had committed the Entering Auto.
Dunlap, Michael
31 year old black male
No reliable last address (history in Fulton and Dekalb Counties)
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted March 3 2009
Please see the below information being released by Cobb Police on an escapee from Coffee County ,Tennessee that occurred in Cobb County yesterday. I have attached a photo of the escapee that you can hopefully pull up. Should you observe this individual please call 911 immediately.
B.O.L.O. (BE-ON-LOOKOUT on 03/03/09-Headquarters) The Cobb County Police Department in conjunction with the Coffee County (Tennessee) Sheriff Department is asking for the public’s assistance in capturing an individual that escaped from Coffee County officials this afternoon at 1423 hours at the Waffle House located at 3340 Frey Road in Kennesaw, Georgia. (The corner of Frey and Chastain Roads)
Law Enforcement authorities are looking for 34 year old Christopher Daniel Gay. He is described as a white male, 5’04”-5’05” tall, 140 lbs. He has short black hair, a goatee and tattoos on both arms. He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and black pants. Although he is not believed to be armed, he is wanted by Cheatham and Robinson counties in Tennessee. He is also being sought by Nashville Tennessee authorities as well as Troup County authorities in Georgia.
In the past, he has stolen a large (box type) truck, a tour bus, and a semi tractor/trailer.
Anyone with information about 34 year old Christopher Daniel Gay is asked to contact any law enforcement agency by dialing 9-1-1.
ATTENTION MEDIA: See the “Attached” picture courtesy of Orange County, Florida authorities.
Posted February 27 2009
PENS Bulletin
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
Update on the Attempted Kidnapping in the Riverhill community- representatives from Precinct Four ( Captain Cox, Lieutenant Flynn and I ), Crimes Against Persons Detectives and Officer Ballard of Crime Prevention attended a meeting last Wednesday evening with members of the Riverhill community. Sergeant Herman of the Crimes Against Persons Unit briefed the community on the status of the investigation which is continuing. He assured everyone that he is confident there is no connection between this incident and the Home Invasion Robbery that occurred in the Ward Mead Farms community. Both cases remain active and the investigations are ongoing.
The best news is….. there have not been any repeat occurrences.
Questions and Answers-
Q- Is it true that if a person is being forced to withdraw money from an ATM against their will, they can reverse their ATM user code and it will automatically call the police?
A- It's false. There have been several attempts to generate legislation for it and a couple states have actually adopted legislation but the banking industry has resisted it so nothing has ever developed. A person has developed a patented system for it but can't get it moving. So, apparently technology is there but hasn't been implemented.
Current crime trends-
The largest crime trend in East Cobb continues to be Entering Autos, especially in 412, 413 and 415 beat. But fortunately, Precinct Four has made a significant arrest that we believe will result in many case clearances with close to 30 cases be cleared by arrest.
Through this investigation we have learned that these individuals are targeting unlocked cars in driveways and open garages. Most of these incidents are perpetrated by suspects living in East Cobb and who are familiar with the area. The suspects reminded us of something we already know and that is, the community can drastically reduce the number of incidents by simply locking their cars. That is a statement right from “the horse’s mouth” so to speak. If the car is locked, they simply move on to the next one.
The trend of Entering Autos by flipping door handles of unlocked cars has been called a “fad” and is being taught to teenagers looking to make some quick and easy cash primarily to support a drug habit.
The stolen property is then commonly sold on craigslist or ebay to avoid pawn shops.
Precinct Four detectives are working with Roswell P.D. and Alpharetta P.D. detectives who have suffered similar incidents that we feel are related.
Business burglaries are slightly elevated this month. We’ve had a number of incidents in the businesses along Johnson Ferry Rd, Roswell Rd and Lower Roswell Rd. Here they are-
413 beat
022109 1800 to 022209 0730 hrs – 1401 Johnson Ferry Rd (Learning Express) – Victim observed all of the cash register’s drawers opened and the money missing from inside. $450.00 cash reported missing. Per the surveillance tapes a young white male, carrying a screwdriver was observed in the business after closing. Subject is described as a white male, 18-25 yoa, 5 10 tall, 160 lbs and blonde hair.
022109 1800 to 022209 0730 hrs – 1401 Johnson Ferry Rd (Massage Envy) – Store was entered through the rear entrance, $200.00 cash was taken. Suspect is described as a white male, 18-25 yoa, 5 10 tall, 160 lbs and blonde hair.
022109 1800 to 022209 0730 hrs – 1401 Johnson Ferry Rd (Luxury Nails) – Store was entered after hours, nothing reported missing. Suspect is described as a white male, 18-25 yoa, 5 10 tall, 160 lbs and blonde hair.
022109 1800 to 022209 0730 hrs – 1401 Johnson Ferry (Fitness Resource) – Store was entered through the rear entrance, $300.00 cash was taken. Suspect is described as a white male, 18-25 yoa, 5 10 tall, 160 lbs and blonde hair.
Suspect info on the above- young white male with blondish hair. Video surveillance info has been emailed to uniform patrol and we are attempting to identify the suspect.
415 beat
021509 1930 to 021609 0830 hrs – 4961 Lower Roswell Rd – Bradley’s Bar and Grille - Suspect cut phone lines on the rear of the building and used forced entry to the back door of the business. Suspect opened a safe, possibly with its combination and took 2 cash drawers which contained $500.00 cash each, $585.00 petty cash, $2000.00 weekend drop cash, video game bag, $525.00 lottery sales and 3 bottles of Jagermeister. Suspect cut opened the ATM machine and took an undisclosed amount of cash.
417 beat
021509 2340 to 021509 2351 – 1 Chattahoochee Plantation Dr (Chattahoochee Plantation Tennis Club)– A white male kicked the rear door to the Tennis Shop opened and took a cash box that contained $100.00 cash. The suspect is described as a white male, 18-25 yoa, wearing a dark color hooded sweatshirt and light color pants.
022309 1800 to 022309 0445 hrs – 4930 Davidson Rd (Gold’s Gym) – Forced entry – Approximately $300.00 - $400.00 cash were taken.
022209 1400 to 022309 1045 hrs – 4930 Davidson Rd (Trilogy) – Forced entry – The hard drive to the surveillance camera was taken and then recovered. The suspects attempted to take a safe, but were unsuccessful. Several latent prints were lifted.
What you and your neighbors can do-
Business burglary-
I recommend that businesses deposit their receipts daily or secure them in the business someplace besides a cash register or cash box. If the business has a safe, secure it to the floor and use it, keeping it locked at all times.
Entering Autos-
Do yourself and your community a favor. If you have unlocked cars in your driveway or open garage, please go out right now and remove your valuables, lock your car and pull down your garage door. Also remember, it does little good to lock your car if you leave valuables in plain view. If you choose to do that, I recommend that you have the phone number for a glass repair business on speed dial. Sooner or later, you'll need their services.
We are encouraging these criminals to continue victimizing our community by our habits. They have learned that we leave our cars unlocked with valuables inside, valuables that they can sell on ebay, craigs list or trade for drugs. Unless we change our habits, incidents of Entering Auto will continue.
In order for Precinct Four to see a reduction in the occurrences of Entering Autos, citizens would need to remove everything of value from their vehicle and lock it. As long as we continue to leave expensive electronics, purses, firearms, etc. in our unlocked or locked cars, we will continue losing them to criminals.
If you leave your GPS Navigation Unit on the windshield of your car, you will eventually lose it. These are currently the hottest item to steal.
Please keep your garage doors down even during the times that someone is home. It only takes a minute for someone to enter your garage and then your unlocked vehicle to take something of value.
Recent arrests in Precinct Four-
410 beat
Theft by Taking Arrest
021309 1608 to 1615 hrs- 3862 Ebenezer Rd- On 02-13-09 victim calls police to report that a back pack leaf blower and a hedge trimmer had been stolen from his work trailer while he did landscaping on Ebenezer Rd. The victim also advised that a neighbor of the address where he was working witnessed the theft and chased two male suspects from the scene. The suspects were seen in a Green Jeep Cherokee fleeing the scene and the first witness advised that he could not see the vehicle’s tag and believed that it was covered with something.
As uniform units responded and checked the area, a second witness approached an officer and advised that she saw the same two male subjects in the Green Jeep stop, and as the passenger got out and removed the covering from the tag she obtained the tag number and provided it to officers. Officers on scene used this information to find the driver / owner suspect’s home address, and the address was watched while other units continued to check the area. Officer Barnett eventually spotted the Green Jeep re-entering the subdivision and stopped it for a traffic violation. The driver was then arrested for driving while suspended and theft of the lawn equipment. The passenger was arrested for theft. Detective Mason and Detective ONeal responded to the scene to interview both suspects. Charged with Theft by Taking were-
Spencer Martin- 24 year old white male
Christopher Becker- 26 year old white male
412 beat
022509 0149 hrs- 2960 Shallowford Rd (Kroger)- victim was looking at products in an aisle when she noticed a white male walk up and stand next to her. She felt the male was uncomfortably close to her and stepped away. The white male then grabbed her, pinned her down and held his hand over her mouth while committing an act of sexual assault. The victim was able to get free and the suspect fled the store. The suspect was later apprehended by Officer Formato of Uniform Patrol. Arrested and charged with Sexual Battery, False Imprisonment, Simple Battery and Public Drunkenness was-
Carl John Sparks- 28 year old white male
Marietta, Georgia
415 beat
Entering Auto arrest-
021609 0001 to 0140 hrs- Clubland Ct (Indian Hills)- Morning Watch officers responded to an Entering Auto call. Upon their arrival Corporal Fowler and Officer Vaughn made contact with the suspects, occupying a black Jeep Cherokee. Officer Vaughn initiated a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle after observing it traveling at a high rate of speed on Clubland Dr. Inside the vehicle was multiple items of suspected stolen property. 6 incidents of Entering Auto occurred in Indian Hills. Charged with Entering Auto, Loitering and Prowling, Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act, Reckless Driving, Too Fast for Conditions and Failure to Maintain lane were-
A 16 year old white male East Cobb resident, and
Myles Watkins- 19 year old white male
Roswell, Georgia
Beat 415
Theft by Receiving (F)
Theft by Receiving (M)
On 021809, Det. Clere with Sgt T. Nelson of Precinct Four CIU, along with Marietta Police and Alpharetta Police conducted a joint investigation involving the above mentioned Entering Auto incidents that led them to an apartment in Laurel Hills Apartments on Bells Ferry Rd. During this investigation reported stolen property from Roswell and Cobb County were recovered from this apartment. Charged with 2 counts of Theft by Receiving Stolen Property was -
Salvatore Insigna- 30 year old white male
Marietta, Georgia
Be safe out there. Lt Chenoweth
Posted February 11, 2009
PENS Bulletin
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
Rumor Control-
I have received phone calls and emails about a Home Invasion Robbery that occurred in Ward Meade Farm subdivision in 417 beat on Tuesday, Feb. 11th. I can confirm for you that the incident did occur and that I have been in contact with our Crimes Against Persons detectives. Based on information available to them, they believe this was an isolated incident and NOT a random act of violence. There is no reason to believe that this incident is related to the Attempted Kidnapping in Riverhill. I wanted to get this information to you as soon as possible to calm the fears.
Rumor Control-
There is a rumor going around about an attempted child abduction in Waterford Green. To our knowledge that is absolutely false so please squash it. You know that if that were true, we would know about it and you would know about it because we would have alerted you. I appreciate everyone who forwards information to me for confirmation. It gives us an opportunity to confirm or deny it and it seems to be really helping with false rumors.
The incident that I believe has caused that rumor is- On January 31st a person reported a suspicious auto to us where there was a Hispanic male in a gold sedan who was looking at or taking pictures of teenaged girls near the tennis court in the Meadow Chase Subdivision in 413 beat. The members of that neighborhood have sent out an email to be on the watch for that car. So there you go. There is the beginning of the email chain. We don't know the reason this person was taking photos. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons that people are in the neighborhood taking photos where it may appear suspicious. There certainly is no supporting evidence of an "attempted abduction". It's simply suspicious activity. I have no information where there was an attempt by the person to make contact with any of the teenagers
Recent Public Information Releases pertaining to East Cobb-
COBB COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
PUBLIC INFORMATION RECORD
Incident(s) Brief:
***CORRECTION***
Please note the correction in the victim’s name.
- Fatality Crash Investigation (02/03/09 @ 0242 hours in Zone Four) The Cobb County Police Department’s S.T.E.P. unit is investigating a fatal vehicle collision that occurred on Johnson Ferry Road at Little Willeo Road.
According to investigators, a silver 2000 Mercedes E320, operated by 39-year-old William R. Maxwell of Marietta, was traveling north on Johnson Ferry Road approaching Little Willeo Road. For unknown reasons, Maxwell’s vehicle left the roadway to the right, re-entered the roadway, and overturned. The vehicle came to rest in the southbound lanes of Johnson Ferry Road. Maxwell suffered fatal injuries relating to the accident. Investigators believe that Maxwell was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the incident.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators with this case is asked to contact the Cobb County Police Department’s Traffic Services Division,
(770) 499-3874.
- Attempted Kidnapping (02/03/09 @ 2345 hours in Zone Four) The Cobb County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit is investigating a report of an attempted kidnapping, which occurred in Riverhill in 417 beat.
According to investigators, the victim had just returned to her residence and parked her car in the garage. A suspect approached the victim and grabbed her. After a brief struggle, the victim was struck with a firearm and pulled into the driveway. The victim was able to fight off the suspect and he fled the area on foot. Witnesses observed the suspect entering a dark-colored Honda Accord driven by a second suspect.
PERPETRATORS:
Suspect #1: W/M, 5’10”, medium build, 180-200lbs, wearing a ski mask.
Suspect #2: No description available
This incident is currently an active investigation by the Cobb County Police Department’s Crimes Against Person’s Unit, anyone with information regarding this case should contact (770) 499-3945
As of this bulletin there are no further updates to the Attempted Kidnapping.
COBB COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
PUBLIC INFORMATION RELEASE
Incident(s) Brief:
1) Pedestrian Fatality Investigation (01/24/09 @ 0452 hours in Zone 4) The Cobb County Police Department’s S.T.E.P. (Selective Traffic Enforcement Program) Unit is investigating a pedestrian fatality, which occurred on Piedmont Road at Rio Montana Drive in Marietta, Georgia.
Preliminary information from investigators indicates that a male was walking in the northbound lanes of Piedmont Road when he was struck by a vehicle. After that vehicle fled the scene, the victim who was lying in the roadway was struck by a 2008 Toyota Tundra truck.
The pedestrian identified as 23 year old Charlie Enricky Jones of Fairburn Georgia was transported to the Atlanta Medical Center by air ambulance in critical condition, but died a short time later as a result of his injuries.
The driver of the Toyota has been identified as Mr. Nenesack Chanthaboury of Marietta, Georgia. Investigators do not expect to file charges against him at this time.
The vehicle which originally struck the victim has not been located and anyone with information which may assist investigators in identifying it or its driver is asked to call (770) 499-3987.
SEE UPDATE BELOW
***UPDATE***
Through further investigation the Cobb County Hit and Run Investigations Unit believes the vehicle that originally stuck 23-year-old Charles Enricky Jones, is described as a
2000 - 2004 Infiniti I30 or I35, unknown color. If you have any information regarding this incident that may assist in the investigation, please contact (770) 499-3900.
Please see the attached photos of a vehicle that investigators believe is similar to the aforementioned involved vehicle
Current questions and answers-
I was asked about a website mentioned in an email chain called keepgeorgiasafe.org. I have made contact with the coordinator of that website and am comfortable with it being legitimate. I am not endorsing the website but simply advising you that I believe it to be safe and legitimate.
Current crime trends-
We have been getting an increasing amount of entering autos in 412 and 413 beats along Post Oak Tritt, Holly Springs and Hembree Rd corridors in recent days. There have been several incidents were "flippers" have gone right up the street opening unlocked cars. *Special attention- night time hours.* A vehicle of interest to us is a black Nissan Maxima, probably occupied by young white males. Extra precautions are required at this time. In almost every incident, the vehicle was unlocked with valuables still inside. Main targets have been GPS Nav Units and purses. I need to mention that we have lost 2 firearms from these unlocked vehicles. Please ask your communities to remove items of value and to lock their cars. AND, please do NOT leave firearms inside a vehicle-especially unlocked ones.
Update on the above-
A joint investigation between CIU 4 and Roswell PD detectives has resulted in a significant arrest with multiple clearances and recovered property for Cobb and Roswell. 3 East Cobb residents are in custody. Full details will be provided at a later date once we complete the investigation.
We have been suffering a number of Entering Autos in 415 and 417 beats especially in the communities east of Johnson Ferry Rd. Latest victims have been the communities along Lower Roswell Rd, east of Johnson Ferry. In each case, the incident involved shattered windows to gain access to laptops or purses left in plain view or simply unlocked cars. I encourage everyone to please take everything of value out of your car and lock it. CIU 4 has made multiple arrests in recent days of Entering Auto perpetrators but the trend continues.
Please remember to take everything of value out of your car and lock it. Also please keep your garage doors pulled down, especially at night. One of the primary reasons criminals come into our community is to steal property from our cars and from our open garages. This gives them the chance to commit other crimes of opportunity once they get here. It’s my belief that if we take away the drawing card maybe some of these other crimes would never occur. If that makes sense.
We suffered multiple incidents of house and car spray painting in the Northampton subdivision in 412 beat over the weekend. Black spray paint was used to spray obscenities, racial slurs and graphic images of body parts on vehicles and on the houses. There was a significant amount of property damage during this incident. Anyone with any knowledge or information is requested to call 770-499-3962.
Also don’t take anything of value to a fitness center. We are currently working a few theft cases from area L A Fitness centers where someone is using bolt cutters to gain access to lockers. Obviously should you see anyone with a pair of bolt cutters in a locker room bring it to the attention of management immediately.
Recent arrests in Precinct 4-
414 beat-
01/12/09 0925 hours/ ABC Supply Co. at 1938 Dorsey Road -On 01/12/09, the victim reported he saw the suspect by the back of his vehicle and yelled to him and the suspect ran towards Canton Road. The victim found his back tires were cut and three hoses under the vehicle. The victim recognized the suspect as an ex-employee of the business. A witness saw the victim chasing the suspect and saw the suspect get into a vehicle. The witness followed the suspect and got the tag of his vehicle. The tag matched the information the victim had. The suspect could not be located. A warrant was taken for the suspect for Criminal Trespass (m).
Arrested-
Andrew Gasque
Georgetown, SC 29440
414 beat
Burglary Arrest-
020509 1020 to 1116 hrs- Newton Rd- victim arrived home to find that her house had been ransacked. She observed two young white males walking across her backyard and called 9-1-1. Responding officers located the suspects walking up the street and they subsequently ran on foot. They were no match for fleet footed Officers Gardner and Goodman who were able to quickly apprehend them. The suspects were found to be in possession of some property taken in the burglary. CIU 4 detectives arrived on the scene for follow up investigation. The suspects claimed that this was their first time but little did they know that detectives from CIU 1 were on to them as well and they executed a search warrant on a residence later that evening where additional stolen property from another Precinct 4 burglary was located. Thank you CIU 1 for your assistance with the below case----
From: Trulove, Berry T.
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 3:49 AM
To: Chenoweth, Mark
Subject: RE: CIU-4 update-020509.doc
We recovered all of the property highlighted in green except for the title and the credit cards tonight on a search warrant. The suspect is Ty Sells who was arrested yesterday on another burglary in Precinct 4. I will be contacting the owners when I return in the afternoon.
413 beat
020309 0830 to 1900 hrs- Baramore Oaks Dr- rear door kicked in. Sony blueray DVD player, Samsung 42” LCD TV, Toshiba Satellite laptop, Cannon S3/15 Power Shot digital camera, Minolta 35mm film, title to a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer and 2 credit cards taken. Property recovered by CIU 1 detectives on a search warrant.
Arrested for Burglary , Obstruction of Officers and Criminal Trespass were-
W/M Juvenile -
Marietta, Ga
Ty Sells- W/M
Kennesaw, Ga
415 beat-
01/23/09 / 2300 hours / Ashebark Ln, Marietta -- On 11/10/08 this residence was burglarized. The suspect entered an open garage and removed items from an unlocked car. Several weeks later, Atlanta PD apprehended the suspect, Michael Dunlap, driving a car stolen in a Sandy Springs burglary. In the car the officers and SSPD discovered items belonging to the victim in a case from Precinct 4. One month prior to this case, Det. O'Neal and Det. Mason investigated similar burglaries involving the same Modus Operandi. Det. O'Neal's victim lived as close as 1.5 miles from this incident. In that case, Det. O'Neal arrested Dunlap based on a fingerprint from the scene. Based on the similar Modus Operandi of the three cases and the suspect’s criminal history, Det Quinlan charged Dunap with Burglary.
Arrested:
Michael Dunlap
address unk.
416 beat-
On 01/09/2009 at approximately 1600 hrs a leasing agent at Ivy Ridge Apartments went to check on the work status at a vacant apartment. The agent was unlocking the door when a male, holding a screwdriver, opened the door from the inside. She asked the male who he was and he stated he was with maintenance, which she knew not to be true. The leasing agent left the apartment and called police, but the suspect was gone prior to police arrival. Upon entering the apartment the leasing agent found that the suspect had removed an inexpensive light fixture, but left it behind when confronted by the agent. An investigation later identified the suspect as Derrick Connell Evans, who also resided in the apartment complex. On 01/30/2009 Mr. Evans was charged with Criminal Trespass (1ct.).
01/26/09 / 2300 hours / Little John Trail, Marietta - On 06/30/08 this residence was burglarized. No suspects were developed at the time. Based on recent AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) hits from fingerprints taken at the scene, however, Det. Quinlan identified a Michael Allan Cox as a suspect. His fingerprints were found on the interior and exterior of the kitchen window used as the point of entry. Suspect charged with Burglary.
Arrested:
Michael Cox
Marietta, Georgia 30067
And……Be SAFE OUT THERE! Lieutenant Chenoweth
Posted January 21, 2009
PENS Bulletin
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
Change in command at Precinct Four-
Precinct Four Commander Major Rolla Green is retiring from the Cobb County Police Department on January 30, 2009 after serving our community for more than 45 years. We wish him and his family the very best in his well deserved retirement.
Replacing Major Green will be Captain Tim Cox. Below is a short biography of Captain Cox’s career with the Cobb County Police Department-
Cobb County Resident for 45 years, 23 of those years were in the East Cobb area.
Employed by Cobb Police Department in February 1985.
Served 9 ½ years in the Uniform Bureau (assigned to Precinct Three, DUI Task Force, Hit @ Run Unit and STEP).
Promoted to sergeant in June of 1994.
Served 9 years as a sergeant in the Uniform Bureau (supervising at Precinct Four and the STEP Unit).
Promoted to lieutenant in March of 2003.
Served 4 ½ years as a lieutenant in the Uniform Bureau (supervising at Precinct One, Precinct Two, Precinct Five, DUI Task Force, TAC Unit, Hit @ Run Unit, and STEP Unit). In addition, he also was assigned to Chief Hatfield’s office and served as adjutant to Chief Hatfield, Deputy Chief Storey and Deputy Chief Mull.
Promoted to captain in December of 2007 where he supervised the Central Records Unit, Permits Unit, Crime Prevention Unit, Crime Analysis Unit and Evidence Unit as well as adjutant to Deputy Chief Houser.
Captain Cox states his goals are:
1: To continue with the successful PENS program that Lieutenant Chenoweth has established.
2: Maintain a good working relationship with the business owners and residents of East Cobb.
3: Work towards maintaining a low rate of crime for the residents of East Cobb.
4: Continue to strive for a high quality of living for the residents of East Cobb
Congratulations to Captain Cox.
COBB COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
PUBLIC INFORMATION RELEASE
Incident(s) Brief:
2) Robbery by Sudden Snatching (01/10/09 @ 2303 hours in Zone 4) The Cobb County Police Department’s Robbery Squad is investigating a robbery by sudden snatching, which occurred at 3010 Canton Road in Marietta, Georgia.
According to investigators, a male walked up to the drive thru window from the parking lot of the McDonalds. When the female cashier saw that he was dressed in all black clothing with a mask or his hood from his sweatshirt pulled around his face, she ran to the interior of the store. The male offender then pushed open the drive thru window and grabbed the cash drawer from register. The male was last seen fleeing the area on foot.
PERPETRATOR: Black male, 6’00” tall, approximately 160 lbs. He was dressed in all black clothing.
Anyone with information about this crime should call (770) 499-3945.
Current questions and answers-
Question-
What is the ordinance regarding how many "large" breed dogs someone can own and what is the ordinance regarding barking. These dogs start up at 5:30 am. If there is an ordinance do I have to contact the county or could the police do a citation?
Answer-
We have no ordinance which regulates the number of dogs (regardless of size) a person can own. The ordinance merely stipulates that the animal(s) must be properly cared for i.e. food, water, and shelter.
Animal Control can site a home owner for nuisance animals (barking) if an Officer witnesses the barking for a period exceeding 15 minutes or if the complainant is willing to sign a complaint and testify as the only witness to the problem. The obvious problem here is that it puts neighbor against neighbor and Animal Control is merely the mechanism to get the parties into court
Current crime trends-
Shhhhhhhhhhh. I currently have no real crime trends to report. Just remember, please keep your garage doors pulled down at all times and take everything of value out of your car and lock it.
As of January 20th, East Cobb is currently on a statistical pace to end the month with 22 Residential Burglaries and 21 Entering Autos.
Also don’t take anything of value to a fitness center. We are currently working a few theft cases from area L A Fitness centers where someone is using bolt cutters to gain access to lockers. Obviously should you see anyone with a pair of bolt cutters in a locker room bring it to the attention of management immediately.
Speaking of L A Fitness, Detective Sergeant Tim Nelson has been doing a lot of work with their regional management discussing upgrades to their safety procedures. They are planning to install video surveillance cameras at their facilities in areas outside of the locker rooms and possibly in the parking lots. They have also installed special “valuables” lockers near the front counter that members are encouraged to use for that purpose.
Recent arrests in Precinct Four-
410 beat
011909 0145 hrs- Dylan Chase- house egged. Victim looked out the door and observed three young white males, occupying a silver Chevy Tahoe throw eggs toward the rear of the residence. They then fled onto May Breeze Road. After taking the report, Officer Hultberg checked the area and observed a vehicle matching this description pulling out of Ebenezer Farms subdivision. He initiated a traffic stop at which time the victim pulled up and identified the vehicle and occupants as the perpetrators of the damage to his residence. Suspect vehicle was impounded. Arrested and charged with Loitering and Prowling, Criminal Trespass/Damage to Property and Expire Tag were-
Derek Young
18 year old white male
Marietta, Georgia
Kyle Fitzgerald
17 year old white male
Marietta, Georgia
412 beat
011809 0042 hrs- Interlaken Drive- Officer Tyus was on routine patrol when he observed two teenaged white males run from the entrance of the Heartwood subdivision into the Providence Place business park. He entered the business park to investigate and ordered the subjects to stop. They continued to run behind the office buildings. Responding officers located the subjects hiding along a fence line on Interlaken Drive. After a brief investigation, the subjects were charged with Loitering and Prowling, Obstruction of Officer, Possession of Alcohol by a Minor. Arrested were-
Louis Cole- 17 year old white male
Marietta, Georgia
Cameron Whiting- 17 year old white male
Marietta, Georgia
416 beat-
Theft by Conversion
10/29/06 - 01/07/09 - Hadleigh Ct., Marietta) - From about 10/06 to 05/08, the victim, had contracted with the suspect, Richard Allen, to build a pool. The victim made up to $18,000 in payments to Allen, but the pool was never completed. Allen failed to complete many of the agreed upon tasks he had taken money for, including obtaining a county permit. Detective Quinlan investigated this case as criminal instead of civil due to a trend of behavior by Allen. Detective Quinlan contacted three other victims from outside jurisdictions who were defrauded in the same manner, and there are undoubtedly other victims as well. These other victims show intent on Allen's part to obtain the victim's funds with no intention of completing the work. A warrant was obtained for Allen.
Arrested-
Richard Allen – white male
Quarterly PENS Homeowner Association Representative meeting-
We had our quarterly meeting with Homeowner Association Representatives and business leaders on January 15th. Here is a summary of the meeting-
It was a fun meeting and I believe everyone enjoyed interacting with Sgt Staud discussing the new Alarm Ordinance. I found it interesting that there are already individuals being FINED for excessive false alarms. That means they have already had 3 false alarms because we give 2 freebies. The ordinance just went into effect January 1st, and this is only mid January. Interesting. The Cobb County Police Department responded to over 46,000 alarm calls in 2008. Somewhere around 98% (or more) of those were false alarms. From the time an officer is dispatched to the alarm call until they clear the scene of a false alarm is usually between 20-30 minutes. You do the math. Those lost manpower hours could be much better spent protecting our community.
The Quality of Life Unit gave a very interesting and eye opening presentation on their unit operations and showed us before and after photos of properties they have investigated. Quite a difference they are making in combating the "Broken Window Theory". They have agreed to email their PowerPoint presentation to me so I can send it out to you. As soon as I get that I'll send it on.
Ms Pat Giuliani presented the Cobb Safe Neighborhoods/Safe Homes program. A primary focus of the program is underage drinking and access to alcohol. Those of you interested can go to the Cobb Underage Drinking Taskforce website for more information.
Evening Shift Uniform Patrol Commander, Lieutenant Kevin Flynn, once again entertained us with some information and statistics related to uniform patrol activities. We are very grateful that he was able to announce that all of the officers assigned to protect our community went home safely every day to their families in 2008 with only a few bumps and bruises or a wrecked knee here and there. He also thanked the East Cobb PENS group for the outpouring of support you showed us during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons through the cards and goodies of Thanks and the food prepared for the officers working the holidays so others could enjoy them safely. I too worked the holidays because I knew what was coming!
And yes, I rambled through some of my usual information about crime in East Cobb. The bottom line to that is, we are doing a great job in East Cobb keeping a lid on crime. We have very few incidents of violent crime in our community. During the holiday shopping season of December we suffered only 33 Residential Burglaries and 33 Entering Autos at a time when theft related crimes tend to spike. Those are great statistics. When we HAVE developed a crime "trend" in East Cobb, our officers and detectives have been quick to recognize it and squash it, making several great arrests.
Like I told the group, the fact of the matter is, if we could just get everyone to keep their garage doors pulled down and to take everything of value out of their cars and lock them, a significant amount of our crime in East Cobb simply goes away. Also, please do not take anything of value to a fitness center.
In addition we said an emotional farewell to our Precinct Commander, Major Rolla Green, retiring on January 30th. I personally want to thank Major Green for his years of service to our community and for his support of the PENS program. I went to him 2 1/2 years ago seeking permission to start this program. Had he not said OK and give the green light, PENS would not be where it is today. He's been a great boss. Major Green gave an emotional thank you to the crowd for allowing him to serve them for more than 47 years calling it a privilege. You just can't replace 47 years of police experience.
But, new Precinct Four Commander, Captain Tim Cox, will try to and was introduced to the crowd. Captain Cox and I have worked together for many years and I know he will be an outstanding precinct commander and an advocate of the PENS program. Welcome Captain Cox
And……Be SAFE OUT THERE! Lieutenant Chenoweth
Posted January 7, 2009
PENS Bulletin
Happy New Year Everyone !!
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is a summary of trends that we are seeing in your area. Be sure to check your PENS Web site for reports and details.
We get a lot of inquiries about noise violations and the 11pm-7am stipulation in the ordinance. I received this question from a member of the community concerning “band practice”.
Question-
Is there anything that be done about a neighbor who has a band practice/jam session in their house everyday from 3:30 to ~9:00? The sound is loud enough to be heard inside our house which is more than 50 feet away. The neighbor insists that there is nothing we can do because it is outside the 11:00 pm to 7:00 am time window. Is this true?
Answer-
Well, actually that would be false. What your neighbor is referring to is the "prima facie" stipulation of the ordinance which is mentioned in the paragraph below. If the noise can be heard from a distance of 50 feet between the hours of 11pm-7am it is an automatic violation of the ordinance and there doesn't need to be someone complaining of it or any other conditions present. If an officer is driving by between those hours and can hear it, he can issue a citation to the violator if they so choose.
Would it seem reasonable that the law would allow a person to disturb the peace or cause a significant annoyance to their neighbors at any other time of the day except between 11pm- 7am? It doesn’t seem reasonable to me. I believe the law would require the offending party to take measures to ensure they are not disturbing the peace of their community by either turning down the volume or in some other way sound proofing the room.
There are no time constraints on the prohibited noises mentioned in the paragraphs I have highlighted in red- paragraph (b) and paragraph (2). They apply 24 hours a day. This is just my opinion of the ordinance.
Here is an excerpt from the ordinance-
Official Code of Cobb County-
Chapter 50
ENVIRONMENT
Article VII: Noise
Sec. 50-256. Violations and penalty.
(a) It shall be unlawful and punishable as provided in section 1-10 for any person within the unincorporated areas of the county to violate any of the provisions of this article.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to make, continue or cause to be made or continued any loud, disturbing or unnecessary noise or any noise which either annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others in the unincorporated areas of the county.
Sec. 50-257. Enumeration of prohibited noises
(2) Radios, phonographs, musical instruments. The using, operating or permitting to be played, used or operated of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, phonograph or other machine or device for the producing or reproducing of sound in a manner as to disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of the neighboring inhabitants or at any time with a volume louder than necessary for the convenient hearing of a person, not hearing impaired, who is within 40 feet of the device if outdoors, or in the room, vehicle or chamber in which the machine or device is operated, and who is a voluntary listener thereto.
The operation of any set, instrument, phonograph, machine or device between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet from the device if outdoors, or 50 feet from the building, structure or vehicle in which it is located shall be prima facie evidence of a violation if this article.
End of response.
Here is another question from the community-
Question-
A friend of mine just sent me the following email. Mark, is there any truth to this??? I wanted to hear from you before broadcasting an email out to my neighborhood.
The email-
"This is pretty scary...
WELL WELL WELL, THE CROOKS WIN AGAIN,
I locked my car and as I walked away I heard my car door unlock I went back and locked my car again three times. I looked around and there were two guys sitting in a car in the fire lane next to the store. When I looked straight at them they did not unlock my car again.
How to lock your car safely:
While traveling my son stopped at a roadside rest area. He came out to his car less than 4-5 minutes later and found someone had gotten into his car, and stolen his cell phone, laptop computer, GPS navigator briefcase... ..you name it ...
He called the police and since there were no signs of his car being broken into the police told him that there is a device that robbers are using now to clone your security code when you lock your doors on your car when using your key-chain locking device.
They sit a distance away and watch for their next victim. They know you are going inside of the store, restaurant, or bathroom and have a few minutes to steal and run.
The police officer said, be sure to manually lock your car door by hitting the lock button inside the car, that way if there is someone sitting in a parking lot watching for their next victim it will not be you.
When you hit the lock button on your car upon exiting it does not send the security code, but if you walk away and use the door lock on your key chain it sends the code through the airwaves where it can be stolen, something totally new to us, and real.
Be aware of this and please pass this note on.
Be safe, be healthy everyone
End of email.
Answer-
Here is the link to snopes.com concerning this matter if you want to read the whole story.
www.snopes.com/autos/techno/lockcode
Basically what it says is that it used to be very possible for thieves called "code grabbers" to steal the electronic code to your remote door lock by using a device to grab it from the air waves. But, technology changed in the mid-1990's making it very impractical if not impossible to do this on the newer cars. The code grabber would have to spend a lot of time trying to de-code your remote door lock, which is something they are not willing to do for fear of being caught. Apparently it is still possible, but extremely unlikely. I know of no such incidents in East Cobb.
Current crime trends-
Statistics for December 2008- compared to November 2008
Business Burglary- 7 Business Burglary- 3
Residential Burglary- 38 Residential Burglary- 35
Entering Auto- 27 Entering Auto- 33
Theft by Taking- 50 Theft by Taking- 45
Criminal Damage- 40 Criminal Damage- 42
East Cobb did a fantastic job of keeping a lid on the increase in crime that is normally associated with the Christmas shopping season. There was only a slight increase in Burglaries and Theft cases while our reports of Entering Auto decreased. Those are great statistics for this time of year. Congratulations East Cobb.
Some of you may have seen the TV reports of the thefts occurring at our fitness centers, particularly at L A Fitness. East Cobb is no different as we too have had reports of theft at the centers.
Entering Autos continue to be the focus of the PENS program and our attempts to reduce these occurrences. This is the most preventable of all crimes by the victim.
What you and your neighbors can do-
In order for Precinct Four to see a reduction in the occurrences of Entering Autos, citizens would need to remove everything of value from their vehicle and lock it. Please remove GPS Navigation Units from view.
Be observant to your surroundings and make a note of any suspicious persons or autos.
Please record serial numbers to your firearms, power tools and electronics. Photograph and otherwise document any expensive jewelry you want any chance of getting back.
Ladies, please remember to safeguard those purses. Please keep them closed and safely secured to your body or shopping cart. Leaving them open and in the child seat of a shopping cart exposes your wallet to theft. Fraudulent use of credit cards is something our financial institutions and retail establishments can ill afford in this current economic environment.
I recommend that you not take anything of value to a fitness center or to a park. If you must, please place valuables inside your truck prior to arriving at your final destination.
Recent arrests in Precinct Four-
412 Beat
11/14--11/15/08 / Mountain Creek Drive, Roswell--the main house was entered by screen-cutting and window breakage. Stolen from within were a watch and frozen sausage biscuits. The resident of the separate apartment building on the same property claimed that he and a friend had been followed home by two Mexican males from a restaurant, and that the two Mexicans had committed the break-in. The tenant claimed he'd intervened in the burglary-in-progress and was assaulted by the two males. The tenant’s story was later determined to be false. He was charged 12-19-08 with burglary (F), making false written statements (F), and false report of the crime of assault (M).
416 beat
Theft by Taking-Card Theft Obtain-Financial Transaction
12/09/08 1000-1300 hours/ 1550 Terrell Mill Rd - On 12/09/08 the residence of 1550 Terrell Mill Rd called to report the tech that installed her Comcast internet had taken her wallet with cash, credit cards, and IDs. After the victim made the report she was able to get the suspect to return most of the items taken and recorded him returning the items on an audio digital record she owns. Through an investigation I was able to identify the suspect and he did admit to taking the wallet with the credit cards. A warrant was obtained for the suspect for theft by taking (m) and card theft obtain-financial transaction (f).
Burke, Damien
Lithia Springs, GA
Additional Burglary charges-
During the months of September and October, the north side of East Cobb was suffering from a rash of burglaries. Investigative efforts led to the discovery of a suspect vehicle; maroon Nissan, which had been stolen from one of the burglaries. Two suspects had emerged who had pawned stolen items and an acquaintance had picked them up in Forest Chase subdivision on Forest Chase Drive. Based on this information Detectives Clere and Strayhorn initiated a patrol of Forest Chase and the maroon Nissan was spotted by an informed citizen from a PENS update. The vehicle was subsequently located and stopped by Detective Strayhorn and Detective Clere. The juvenile driver was charged with multiple offenses.
In association with that incident all other related burglaries were investigated for potential associations and charges. Two cases were found to have had probable cause for further charges.
Burglary/Residence/ Force
Det. L.M. Mason
100708 0600-1900 hours- Oxford Way (Wesley Hills)
Uniform Patrol reported a burglary at this location where entry was made by kicking in the back door. Shoe prints were discovered and photographed on the back door. Subsequent investigation determined the shoe print matched the shoes taken off of the juvenile when he was arrested on 100908.
Burglary/Residence/ Force
Det. Sgt. T.A. Nelson
100708 1100 to 1138 Hours-Forest Way (Forest Chase SD)
Uniform Patrol reported a burglary at this location where entry was made by kicking in the back door. The victim had arrived home and drove into her garage. She heard a door slam and found the back door open. When speaking to dispatch she saw a black male walking between bushes. The male got into a maroon Nissan and backed away. The suspect getting into the maroon Nissan was later positively identified as the same juvenile by the victim, on 100908, when he was arrested in the maroon Nissan. This incident occurred during the same time frame and similar modus operandi as that on Oxford Way, where the juvenile’s shoes had matched the shoe print.
Entering Auto arrest-
413 beat
121508 0001 to 0815 hrs- Winsted Way (East Hampton)- Officer Gardner and Officer Sebek responded to a suspicious person call in East Hampton. Upon their arrival they located the suspect on Kinsmon Way. They found on his person property belonging to the victim at the above address. They made contact with the owner who said that all of the recovered property was in his unlocked car in the driveway. Suspect has been charged with Loitering and Prowling, and Entering Auto. . Arrested was-
Phillip A Strickland- W/M
Alpharetta, Ga
Entering Auto arrest-
The below Entering Auto incidents have been cleared by the below announced arrest-
413 beat
121108 0930 to 1415 hrs- 1401 Johnson Ferry Rd (Nail Studio)- window shattered. Apple 16gig iPod, Garmin GPS Nav Unit, Coach wallet with usual contents taken.
415 beat
121108 1340 to 1400 hrs- 4400 Roswell Rd (L A Fitness)- window shattered. Envelope containing documents and two checks left in plain view taken.
These subjects drove here from the south Florida area to commit these thefts-
On Thursday(12-11-08) at approx:2150hrs, Five suspects were apprehended at the L.A.Fitness center at 2995 Cobb Parkway, Atlanta,Ga. breaking into vehicles. These suspects were stopped and during a search of their vehicle we found numerous items including several GPS units, a laptop computer, purses, an AMT semi-auto pistol and other items. Some of these items have already been identified from Entering Autos in Atlanta, Dekalb County and other locations inside Cobb County. The suspects apparently rented their vehicle (Gold 2008 Dodge Caravan) in Lauderdale, Fl. on 12-10-08 and drove all the way to Atlanta to commit several entering autos. Access to the vehicles was made by using a window punch tool.
The following suspects were arrested and charged:
Aneesah McNeal B/F
Jackie Fuller B/M
Michael Forbes B/M
Roy Arteaga B/M
Aundrea Strickland B/M
Beat 417
Burglary arrest-
Burglary/ Residence/ Force-3 counts
Obstruction-1 Count
Loitering and prowling-1 count
12/18/08-1148 hours/ River Heights Walk -On 12/18/08 uniform officers were dispatched to a possibly burglary with two suspects still in the area. Officer Goodman located the suspect’s vehicle and found that both suspects had fled into the woods. After a foot chase and search of the area, Officer Goodman with the help of Officer Gardner and Officer Petrea were able to locate both suspects and take them into custody without further incident. Precinct 4 CIU detectives Lieutenant Chenoweth and Detective Yager responded to the scene to assist the uniform officers and for crime scene processing and suspect interviews. Their follow up investigation revealed that the suspects are believed to have committed three residential burglaries in the area. A large amount of property was found in the suspect vehicle as well as scattered around the area where the suspects dropped it upon taking flight. Most of the items were recovered and is being returned to the victims. A warrant was obtained for both suspects for 3 counts of burglary, 1 count of Obstruction of an Officer, and 1 count of Loitering and prowling. Some of the property taken was wrapped Christmas presents.
The suspects were also in possession of property taken in a residential burglary in Sandy Springs this date. Additional charges are anticipated by Sandy Springs Police.
Arrestees are:
Caudrey Laboard - B/M
Norcross, GA
Andrew Morris
Stone Mountain, GA
Suspect vehicle: 2003 Silver Mercury Grand Marquis
And……Be SAFE OUT THERE! Lieutenant Chenoweth
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