MPSA Mailbag 8/24/2010
What our neighbors are telling us – as always, these do not necessarily reflect MPSA position…
Nuisance property update - So, our action had a result with the Silver Grill building owners. Sometime late last week they not only cut down the overgrowth (weeds, bushes, etc.), they Clear-cut it! There is nothing left. I cannot complain, although with the school bus orange/yellow color of the building might be a new target for the graffiti artists. We shall see.
Street robbery - On Friday evening, August 13th around 10:45 PM; a resident of Piedmont Crest was robbed at the front of the building. The suspect was armed and took the resident’s wallet. Fortunately nobody was harmed. The police were contacted and a report has been filed. It seems that there has been a significant increase in crime lately. I have urged our residents to please dial 911 for any incident or suspicious activity they come in contact with. And to tell everyone they can in hopes that the presence of authority will deter these types of incidences.
Car break-in – I live at The Dakota Condo and parked my company vehicle on the corner of 6th and Piedmont Ave NE. When I pulled into the parking space there is already glass on the side walk from a previous car being broken into. I was just coming home from a long day of traveling for business. I had a suit case and laptop bag that I brought up stairs into my condo. I still had a backpack with some tools and an oscilloscope that I meant to go back down to get since the O-scope is worth about $7K. I fell asleep and unfortunately it was left in the car, however out of view. I have a minivan and the bag was in the back and the windows are very dark you can’t see in it. I called the police to obtain a report.
Bicycle Theft – I wanted to make you aware of the recent bicycle thefts at Midtown Promenade. I have received four reports of stolen bikes within a one-week period. All incidents reported occurred between 2:00-7:15pm. Three of the bikes stolen were locked to the handrail in front of the Yoga studio and were taken during class.
Street prostitution – Thank you for the helpful information and updates in the 8/16 edition of Eye on Midtown. I noticed an item about prostitutes/johns in the neighborhood and had to remark that I, too, have noticed an increase in activity lately. I’m an Instructor with Operation Boot Camp, so I’m often driving to the morning workouts around 5:30 AM weekdays. This week, I’ve noticed prostitutes and pimps at the corner of Ponce & Myrtle Street three times (Monday, Tuesday, and this morning) as well as others on Juniper near Ponce and the Kindred Hospital.
Door-to-door street scam? – We seem to have a new scam working the east side of Midtown. She was working the Vedado Way and Greenwood area this afternoon, and was on Monroe Drive yesterday. This evening she was seen later with three thugs cruising up Monroe. This does not bode well, as there is a door-to-door crew working Southside neighborhoods, and doing so VERY aggressively (like breaking into 6 houses in one area in two days or some such). Those were/are all guys, driving in an old white Dodge Intrepid (so, old rickety excuse for a poor American sports car) missing a hub cap on the front driver’s side. They knock on the door, asking if someone is home; they all were using the same name… and rapidly burglarizing the homes where no one was home. So, keep your blinds pulled so our house caser cannot look in, and don’t open your door if you can help it (provide her no vantage). Reply from Major Williams, who was among the recipients of this e-mail: Good morning, in this era, we must be suspicious of any scenario. If home, NEVER allow any unknown person into your home or car. Simply reply through a closed door that you have called the police to assist you. As neighbors, we must become more involved and dial 911 when suspicious persons and vehicles are in our communities.
Update – Overnight Cruising and Drug Activity Near Piedmont Park
In response to complaints from the neighborhood about apparent drug activity along 10th Street and in the park especially during overnight hours, APD has been proactively addressing the drug and nuisance activity. In the last week APD has conducted several traffic safety checks on and around 10th Street, and have carried several sweeps through the park each night. Every night APD makes several arrests related to being in the park after curfew. The traffic safety checks have also yielded arrests. Proactive police, patrol, and neighborhood watch coverage appear to have brought the level of blatant drug activity down a good bit. But undesirables are still coming to make drug transactions in front of the Children’s School and in front of Grady High School, putting children and adolescents at risk of finding drug paraphernalia on their way to and from school.
Street Criminal Profile: Lawrence Christian Aubuchon
While conducting routine research we have identified another dangerous criminal to watch for – one seen frequently in the area. He first came under our radar when he tried to get into the car of an MPSA board member in the parking lot of Zesto. He frequently wanders the area, appearing as if in a daze, and he wears the same clothes without washing for days and even weeks on end.
He also has serious criminal history in Washington State and in Arizona.
Lawrence Christian Aubuchon is currently listed as being in custody for armed robbery, possession of a knife during commission of a felony, and entering auto. Other charges for local arrests include theft by receiving auto, entering auto, loitering, and prowling. We will continue to monitor his jail status. Below are some mugshots and a field photo.
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- Fulton County Sheriff’s Dept mugshot
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- Fulton County Sheriff’s Dept mugshot
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- Fulton County Sheriff’s Dept mugshot
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- MPSA Field Photo
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- MPSA Field Photo – Not good resolution but shows his style of dress
Volunteer Opportunities for the 2010 Midtown Festival of the Arts
It will take over 500 enthusiastic volunteers to make the Midtown Festival of the Arts the premiere Midtown event. The Festival will take place on Saturday, September 25th and Sunday, September 26th. There are also volunteer opportunities for the Art Auction on Friday, September 24th and on Monday, September 27th. Volunteers are needed for all four days.
Volunteer NOW…to help stage the only Arts Festival on Atlanta’s Peachtree Street. To learn more, go to www.MidtownFestivalOfTheArts.org and click on Volunteer. Every volunteer will get a free t-shirt.
AJC: Bank near Ansley Mall robbed
Police are working to identify the subject of this AJC article: http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/bank-near-ansley-mall-596046.html
Sponsors
Many thanks for our community sponsors! While the majority of our funding comes from residents and small businesses, a significant portion of our neighborhood patrol funds comes from the following sponsors:
