A resident writes in…

Crime Alert:

Friday night after 3:00 in the morning, vandals threw an object at the front door of a house on Ridgeland Ave and broke a window pane. The homeowner, who had been asleep, immediately walked outside to investigate and found a large, dark-colored SUV parked in the middle of the street at the corner of Ridgeland and Fairview. Two boys appeared to be looking at another car parked in the street. When the boys saw the homeowner, they ran towards the SUV. One of the boys was approximately 16 years old, African American and 5 feet 8 inches tall. The other boy was White, approximately 14 years old and 5 feet 4 inches tall and called the first boy “Jay” or “Jake.” As the SUV drove away, the homeowner tried to see the license plate but was not able to see the plate clearly in the dark. The homeowner thought he saw W65 9V1, however, the police did not get a hit on this number. It’s possible though, that part of plate number is correct.

If you have relevant information about this vandalism, you are encouraged to contact the investigating officer, Investigator Bellis, at 678-553-6616 or dan.bellis[at]decaturga.com.

A 1924 pic of Decatur’s first police car over on Next Stop…Decatur is must see.

Also, Dennis has a 1957 pic of East Courthouse Square on his Flickr page that is quite interesting; mostly because the block is nearly unrecognizable.

In the midst of a dog walk last night, we saw the aftermath of this accident at the eastern intersection of Ponce and Commerce.

A crushed car on the sidewalk.  Decatur and DeKalb police and fire on the scene.  Police tape across the intersection and smoke rising from the center of the action.  I’m now kicking myself for not taking a blurry pic with my cameraphone.

Though I couldn’t get much info from anyone at the scene, the rumor mill is full of info this morning.  Robbie tweets in response to Andisheh that the crash is the result of a police chase and that one suspect fled on foot.

Lynne writes in with a report from an eyewitness that reasserts that the driver fled.

A work colleague saw a terrible car wreck early evening on Thursday at the corner of Commerce and E. Ponce (near Decatur First Methodist Church). A black SUV sped through a red light heading west on Ponce, and crashed into the line of waiting cars going east. One woman had to be cut out of her car. The driver of the vehicle that ran the light got out of his car and ran away on foot. Anyone know anything more?

I’m trying to get confirmation from Decatur PD on all of this.  Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Police Chief Booker provided details in the comments section.

Wow…I’m amazed this one flew under the radar.  From the Superintendent’s overview for next week’s school board meeting…

Unfortunately, three of our buildings were broken into last week (Clairemont, Westchester and DHS). Windows were broken out in Westchester. Maintenance worked to close up and fix the damage and now we set about the business of determining what was taken. It is very sad to know that schools are not safe or off limits for criminals.

I’ve already followed up with CSD.  We’ll see what else can be learned.

UPDATE: More details from Associate Superintendent Thomas Van Soelen…

At the time of the board meeting, we believed that three facilities had been affected. We were notified by the Decatur Police that two schools were broken into right before the opening of school. The high school had two break-ins, with the second resulting in a loss of equipment in our video production classroom. DHS will soon have a state of the art security system with many cameras at various locations. In the future, it should be more difficult for thieves and others to damage the school property without being identified.

Westchester, the central office site, was also affected: glass being smashed at the rear entrance. This appears to have been a malicious act as nothing was taken from this site.

We have alarm systems but ask the neighbors to please keep a watch on the school property.

On Monday, the City Manager presented the City Commission with some daunting figures. Losses of over $40,000 in 2008, and a projected loss of $72,000 in 2009. What insidious instrument could possibly be leaching away funds from our city coffers at such an alarming rate?

If you’ve ever turned left from Scott onto Clairemont (or vice-versa) you’re well-aware of the answer. It’s the red-light camera at the intersection of Clairemont and Scott Boulevard!

According to the City Manager’s letter to the commission (page 97), this camera is the grand-daddy of all red-light cameras in the state; the very first.  Since it’s installation in 2004, there have been no reported fatalities at the intersection and the number of vehicles running the light has declined.  The ongoing problem has been that the money brought in from fines has never off-set costs.  And while those costs were once “tolerable”, the city can no longer stomach the growing cost.

The city has attempted to renegoiate contract fees, but has been unsuccessful.  So the City Manager has decided the best course of action was to take the camera down.  “Therefore, unless the City Commission wants to continue this program, we will begin steps to end the City’s current program. It is regretful that this action is necessary but given the current financial environment, it does not seem prudent to continue a program that incurs significant program costs.”

In a note to DM, the City Manager confirms that while the city commission regrets the “demise of the program”, they have gone along with the decision.  She continues, “We will retain the equipment and should the need arise in the future, we’ll have the ability to reestablish the program.”

And just like that, Decatur is now just the latest in a long line of Georgia cities that have abandoned their red-light cameras, because they were just too darn expensive.

Nick sends along this pic and reports (via Twitter) a pretty nasty accident at East College & Commerce around 2:15p this afternoon.  He also mentions that traffic is pretty much “FUBAR” at this point while responders clean up the mess.  No word on injuries.

Needless to say, you probably want to avoid this intersection for a bit.

With all the recent, heightened concern about crime within the city limits, this 8 week program offered by our police and fire departments seems more apt than ever.

Decatur PD’s Communication’s Director, Juanchella Francis sends along this note giving the details.

The Citizens Public Safety Academy (CPSA) is an exciting way to learn about police work and how the community can respond to emergencies. Through a well-prepared curriculum, taught once a week for 8 weeks, students will learn about all aspects of police operations. Academy participants will meet many of the men and women who serve in the Decatur Police and Fire Departments as they explain the functions of patrol officers, investigators, administrators, and firefighters. Academy participants will also learn how officers are trained and how one can protect against crime and fire hazards. Interesting demonstrations will illustrate the many skills and abilities police officers and fire fighters must have to effectively protect Decatur.

An important and exciting phase of the Academy is the opportunity to leave the classroom and view police work first hand by riding with patrol officers. [editor's note: There is also a tour of the DeKalb jail.]

Applicants must submit to a limited background investigation by the Decatur Police Department that will include a check of criminal history and driving record. Individuals who do not meet the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council standards will not be accepted into the CPSA program. Read the rest of this entry »

Rus reports he saw a City of Decatur policeman on a motorcycle ticketing someone on Commerce this morning.

So, I join Rus’ refrain:  Sweet!  When did Decatur get motorcycle cops?!

Guess the city figured that a Scooter Cop wasn’t all that imposing.

UPDATE: Rus points out this isn’t the first time Decatur has had a lawman on two wheels.  The Police Dept’s time line notes motorcycle cops in both 1916 and 1933.

UPDATE: Again, from the OMB…

DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT
NEWS ALERT
On Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 4:35 PM, the Decatur Police Department received a report of an armed robbery, which had just occurred. The victims were seated at the Oakhurst Park pavilion on Third Avenue when they were approached by a lone male. The male was dressed in a silver or bluish-gray “hoodie” jacket with his face partially concealed by the jacket. The male produced a handgun and demanded the victims’ money. The victims complied and neither was injured. The suspect fled the area on foot. At this time the suspect has not been apprehended. The suspect’s description is as follows:

African-American male
Medium to dark complexioned
5′8″ to 5′9″ in height
Slender build
“dreadlocks” hairstyle
Silver or bluish gray “hoodie” jacket

Anyone having information about this crime is encouraged to contact the Decatur Police Department at 404-373-6551 or the Decatur Police Department-Criminal Investigations Division tip line @ 678-553-6677.
Investigator J.S. Ross is the lead investigator for this incident.

Sherina Clough
President
Oakhurst Neighborhood Association

Sigh…

Left Wing points out this new message on the Oakhurst Message Board…

There was an armed robbery at Oakhurst Park today 2.11.09 @ 4:30 pm. My wife was going up to Snap fitness when a young girl around 20 years old came running up to her car to tell her that someone came up to her with a gun. My wife called Decatur Police and 3 units arrived in less than 5 min. I will post more about this as I get more details from her.

Stay tuned.

Over on the Oakhurst Message Board, Simon writes this eyewitness account of a car chase that ended in Oakhurst Park yesterday…

Yesterday (Wednesday at 1:00pm) I was walking my dog near Oakhurst Park, and heard police sirens. Two police cars were chasing a Ford Taurus driving up 3rd Ave towards the intersection of 3rd Ave and East Lake Drive. They boxed the car in. However, the driver somehow maneuvered his car out and tried to escape at top speed up 3rd Ave. He hit the curb at that twist in the road and blew out his tire next to the tennis court at Oakhurst Park. The driver (young African American male) jumped out his car and ran towards the playground in Oakhurst Park. What cracked me up is the fact that the guy tried pulling his jacket over his head so nobody would recognize him. All of this in broad daylight.

Of course, by this time there must have been five or six police cars on the scene. One cop car chased the guy into Oakhurst Park, while a few others cop cars flew around to Leyden Street to intercept the guy. Other cops drew their guns and arrested the passenger. It was like an episode of Cops (except it was on my doorstep). Full credit to the police, they did an incredible job catching and arresting both guys.

Yikes. Glad no one was hurt. I wonder who the suspects are and if we’re talking Decatur or DeKalb PD. I’ll follow up with our police department and see if they can fill us in.