VACATION TIME
The 4th of July weekend is upon us once again, and many of you will be taking a much-deserved vacation. Please don’t forget – MPSA members can request a vacation check during their absence. Please send an e-mail to info@midtownponce.org – a day or two of advance notice preferred in case the patrol has questions – with the following information:
- Dates of departure and return
- Address
- Emergency phone numbers
- Whether someone may be at your home at certain times (pet sitter, yard man, etc)
- Name & number of local contact with key in case of emergency
The patrol and trusted volunteers will check on the house at least once per day, and remove or hide signs of absence (trash receptacles at street, newspapers, etc). They will not take out trash or feed animals.
When away from home, we urge you to suspend newspaper and mail delivery, double check all doors and windows, set lamp timers, and give the above information to a trusted neighbor or local contact. Let your immediate neighbors know you are away so they can keep watch over your house.
Burglar Back on the Streets of Midtown
Back in 2009 the Atlanta Police arrested an area street criminal and drug addict as he attempted to burglarize a business on Ponce de Leon Place. In the several years leading up to that incident he was criminally active in Midtown and surrounding area. He was booked into Fulton County jail ten times for offenses ranging from drug possession to auto theft and burglary. He became a court watch case for us, and was sentenced as a recidivist to two years in the state prison system.
Well, he’s baaaack! He wasted no time getting back to the drug life on Ponce, and area residents should be very attentive to his presence. Before his last prison stint he demonstrated a propensity to support a drug habit by committing crimes in the neighborhood, most notably theft and burglary. He has been seen wandering in the residential area east of Monroe. He often maintains high visibility on Ponce, sometimes walking around shirtless, and in a drugged-out state of mind. We have posted some recent field photos of this criminal at the link below. While he is not yet wanted by the police, we ask you to let us know if you see him wandering around residential areas.
People like Donald Rayfield drive the need for a neighborhood patrol like ours. The more people who join, the more effectively we can work to protect you and your neighborhood against people like this…
Below is a collection of photos from our files. More mugshots at http://www.midtownponce.org/p1199.html.
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- 2009 mugshot
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- June 2011
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- June 2011
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- June 2011
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- June 2011
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- June 2011
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- June 2011
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- June 2011
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- June 2007
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- May 2008
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- June 2008
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- June 2008
MPSA Mailbag 6/21/2011
What the neighbors are telling us. As always, mailbag items do not necessarily reflect MPSA position…
Abandoned clothes bin #1 – Wow, that first photo really says it all – can’t even imagine what that rotting pile of accumulated clothes and who knows what else must have smelled like. Wonder who delivered this thing, so many years ago that none of us can even remember. Thanks to you and MPSA for getting that wretched thing out of there.
Abandoned clothes bin #2 - Ahh, that’s one artifact of the Ponce de Leon corridor that I don’t think anyone will miss. It has certainly been there as long as I can remember. I hate to think how much crime scene evidence had probably been discarded in that thing over the years, but it was definitely time for it to disappear forever.
Interesting news story – I saw this clip this morning and I would not be surprised if we see this in Atlanta. Groups of teens organize using social media to overwhelm and rob stores. I don’t know how you police something like this.
Car break-in – Just for your statistics, last night my family’s car was broken into while it was parked in front of our house [east of Monroe]. It happened between 7 pm and 10 am. We didn’t hear or see anything suspicious. Nothing of value is ever left in the car therefore nothing of value was taken we are aware of and there was no damage to the car although it was tossed lightly. We think this was related to Screen on the Green last night.
The perils of panhandling – While going to the gym at 5:30 I passed a middle aged black male in a wheelchair panhandling on the white line between the two southbound lanes on Monroe just before Ponce. He was staying between the lanes moving up and down even when traffic started moving. With Eloise back in traffic, the heavy set lady crossing without looking, and an elderly black male with a UGA T and hat – all darting in the traffic – someone is going to get hurt. This is not an everyday occurrence but we see at least one of the group frequently.
Door-to-door – there is a white man, probably in his early forties, clean, glasses, black t-shirt, jeans, silver bracelet, glasses, going door to door looking for work or asking for money to eat. He was rather persistent when told no.
You’ve got company – As I sat in the kitchen, I heard a noise and was surprised my daughter was getting up a bit early and coming down stairs. Alas no – it was a white male in my house – who came in without knocking or ringing the doorbell, at 9:10am this morning. About 5’10 – 5’11”, medium build, late 30s to early 40s, tee shirt, shorts, ball cap, very sweaty, thick brown mustache. He said he was doing work in the area and was looking for Danny. [Long story short], He beat a very hasty retreat out of the house, to the sidewalk got his dark grey mountain bike, and walked it to the neighbors and looked like was going to go up to their front door. I scooted back to fetch my cell phone, and called MPSA. As I was heading back out to figure out what he was doing, he was gone. MPSA called it in, APD on patrol in Midtown heard the call and looked for him before coming to my place to take a report. I did not ever sense I was in danger (although I have since been yelled at for not buying a gun ! – like I would have my gun sitting next to me first thing in the morning having coffee clearing out junk emails).
Park issues – I am seeing a lot of traffic in the park thru the week as well as weekends between 4:30am and daylight. Sunday I was walking my dogs in the park and so a drug deal wanted to take a photo but I was scared too. I reported it to security. What bothers me is I see those guys in the park all the time . I gave him a good description and he said one of them was under his radar as well. Last week when I was going to work around 4:30am I saw one of them so cracked out in the middle of the road I almost hit him.
Memo from Major Leighty: Car break-ins
MPSA file photo
Thefts of property from inside motor vehicles is always a challenge for the Atlanta Police Department, and Zone 5 is no different than anywhere else. I’m happy to report, however, that we’ve made significant progress in the past month. Specifically, we’ve had a 14 percent drop in vehicle larcenies in the past 28 days, according to the most recent weekly APD crime stats. Last week alone, we saw a 40 percent drop. That’s great news, but we know it’s a constant struggle. We also know that you have a direct role in helping us reduce vehicle larcenies. Remember to never leave anything of value in your car and always lock your windows and doors. GPS units, laptops and purses left behind make for attractive targets for thieves. By removing these and other valuables from your car you can ensure you never become a victim of this opportunistic crime.
Major Christopher Leighty – Commander, Zone 5
Street Criminal Andrew Patrick Voyles
On the evening of 6/06/2011 a security guard from the Kroger shopping center flagged down Sgt. Cooper as he chased someone on foot into our patrol area. The subject had stolen something from Model T’s and then ate half of a pizza at a next-door restaurant and walked out without paying for it. Sgt. Cooper placed Andrew Patrick Voyles under arrest, and charged him with Theft by Taking, and Theft of Services.
Voyles has several bookings from the last five years at Fulton County jail, and three in Dekalb County. His long criminal history consists mostly of Theft by Taking, Heroin Possession, Shoplifting, and driving offenses. According to DeKalb records, he claims a Glen Iris Lofts address. He first came under our radar in 2008 when he was the subject of a prowling call. He also has warrants in other jurisdictions from time to time.
Below are some Fulton County jail mugshots and MPSA file photos of this chronic criminal…
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:
