Decatur Police Detail Recent Arrests in Response to Resident Feedback
Decatur Metro | July 30, 2013 | 9:53 amSgt. Jennifer Ross sent around this information late yesterday…
One of the things we have consistently heard while attending recent community and neighborhood meetings and speaking one on one with Decatur residents about the issue of crime, is that many residents would like to hear more about when our officers make arrests. We have a habit of answering calls, conducting investigations and making arrests and simply moving on to the next call or investigation. Officers make arrests almost daily in Decatur for everything from traffic offenses to assaults to theft. In response to the interest that has been expressed, here are a few recent arrests made by Decatur officers.
– On 07/22/13 at approximately 1:46 pm, Decatur officers responded to the Decatur Library in reference to a report of public indecency. The complainant, a library security officer, reported a male suspect exposed himself to a staff member in the elevator. The suspect, identified as 26-year-old Justin Worthy of DeKalb County, was arrested and charged with public indecency.
– On 07/23/13 at approximately 3:22 am, a Decatur officer conducted a traffic stop in the 400 block of Church Street for disregarding a traffic control device (red light). Further investigation revealed the driver to be in possession of suspected cocaine and suspected marijuana. The driver, identified as 24-year-old Jonathan Carle of Fairburn, was arrested and charged with VGCSA (Violation of Georgia Controlled Substance Act) possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana less than one ounce and disregarding a traffic control device.
– On 07/24/13 at approximately 8:06 am, Decatur officers responded to the parking lot of Kroger in reference to a motor vehicle theft in progress. The complainant reported her vehicle keys had been stolen from a counter top and a co-worker alerted her that an unknown male was in the parking lot sitting inside of her vehicle. The complainant located the suspect inside of her vehicle attempting to leave the parking lot and confronted him. Officers arrived and the suspect, identified as 20-year-old Jerrel Hairston of Atlanta, was arrested and charged with theft by taking and theft by taking a motor vehicle.
I don’t have a lot of experience with the legal system, so I’ve always wondered about the charge “theft by taking.” It seems sort of redundant. Isn’t theft, by its very nature, the act of taking?
And while we’re at it–how do the terms burglary and robbery fit in?
It’s my understanding that a burglary is with respect to a structure and a robbery is with respect to a person. So if your walking along the street and someone takes your purse you have been robbed. If someone breaks into your house, it is a burglary.
Correct. Robbery is a crime against person, burglary is a crime against property. As additional clarification on a sometimes confusing point, a weapon may or may not be involved in either.
i think robbery may also fit the bill if someone breaks into your house and steals things while you are there.
Distinguished from theft by deception, I believe. What’s the penalty for theft by taxes?
Re-election
Harsh! You’d think all the pols would try to avoid that sentence by getting real jobs instead.
Also to distinguish from Theft x Receiving Stolen Property, Theft x Conversion, Theft x stolen services, Theft x Shoplifting, etc…
The Theft x Receiving is the most important one because the police and prosecutors may not be able to prove who actually “took” the property but they can still charge someone in possession of it as long as that person knew or reasonably should have known the property was stolen (i.e., the guy who “buys” a $25,000 car for $1,500 in cash in the gas station parking lot).
Scrap metal processors successfully avoided this one for a loooong time.
I bet ole Jonathan consented to the search of his vehicle. Just say no people. Just say no.
Aren’t they going to search it eventually? Delaying the inevitable, right?
What glockenspieler said…
But Walrus we can all be thankful that one ounce of weed is off the streets. If Jonathan had smoked it, he might have gotten the munchies and stopped at McDonald’s, which, I think we can all agree, is a real crime.
I know I’m going to sleep better tonight.
Ha. Years ago I used to watch ‘Cops’ (I was in graduate school and needed a mindless diversion once in a while). I was amazed how often people would consent to a search of their car, when they knew full well that they had drugs in it. Why are you saying yes????
@Writerchad – If the cop is lacking probable cause (and a traffic stop is not that), then saying No could very well end the situation right there. If the cop is determined to search, then yeah, they’ll probably figure out something but by not consenting, you also have a reasonable chance of getting the fruits of the search thrown out in court. If you consent, it’s over.
So yeah, Just Say No people…
Unfortunately, all the cop has to do is say “I smell marijuana”, whether he actually does or not…
I hear some Decatur cops have better noses than drug dogs.
Obviously this is settled law, but for the sake of discussion: Why does not a refusal to consent amount to probable cause?
Because you have a constitutional right to refuse to give consent for a search. Exercising your constitutional rights shouldn’t be considered evidence against you.
Right you are, but is the conjecture subject to the same limitations of the 4th amendment as is evidence?
I had a DPD officer attempt to enter my truck in my neighborhood during a traffic stop (no seatbelt). They don’t always ask, Walrus. The door was locked thwarting his attempt, and he left it at that. I wasn’t too happy suffice it to say.
Damn. Another reason to use your phone to record everything they do if they stop you.
I have no doubt, Ben. Man-o-Man, I don’t doubt it.
Hmmm. This report fails to detail what books Justin Worthy was checking out before being arrested.
The Collected Works of Seymour Butz