Atlanta Crime Trend Similar To Decatur
Decatur Metro | February 8, 2009…and that trend would be “crimes against property UP, crimes against people DOWN”.
The AJC looked at Atlanta crime statistics – like we did for Decatur a few weeks back – and came to a similar conclusion: For all the emotion surrounding recent high-profile killings, crimes against people on the east side of Atlanta were actually down in most areas for 2008.
DM reported a similar trend here in the city of Decatur when the PD sent out their annual statistics last month.
According to the AJC – and backed up by countless reports on the Oakhurst Message Board – its theft of flat-screen TVs and GPS systems that are really driving the numbers right now.
At least we seem to rid ourselves of those ridiculous “blue jean bandits” for the time being (knock on virtual wood).
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It should be noted, however, that violent crime right across our south and west border, in Kirkwood/East Lake, is up 34%. For many of us in the southwest portion of Decatur, this statistic is of great concern.
Noted Decaturguy.
But looking at the AJC’s data, it looks like an increase in aggravated assault is the difference between East Lake/Kirkwood and other neighborhoods. And aren’t many of those usually domestic in nature? Obviously that doesn’t make those aggravated assaults any less despicable, but its less worrisome in terms of “random acts of violence”.
I don’t know DM, the biggest jump in East Lake/Kirkwood appears to be robbery (up 71% in one year alone) which means stealing something through the use of or threat of the use of force. Typically this means someone tries to rob your person or your home with a weapon or through some other form of threat of force. I don’t think you can classify this type of crime as “domestic in nature” and I’m not sure that the criminals are really smart of enough to realize a jurisdictional border or not (after 6 years in South Decatur sometimes I’m not even sure). Not trying to be alarmist or anything, but people do need to be aware of what is going on and I’m a firm believer in the broken glass theory that pretty crime eventually turns into something worse if allowed to continue.
To draw a fine line, robbery is a crime against person. If someone enters your home and there is no one there, even if they have a weapon, it’s still burglary.
That’s exactly right Steve and a good point. All the more disturbing that robberies have increased 71% in the past year in Kirkwood/East Lake.
I was originally referring to assaults because that’s was the one difference in the AJC stats from the different neighborhoods.
But the robbery point is a good one. In Decatur, robberies actually declined vs. last year, unlike in Kirkwood/East Lake. Definite cause for concern for those along that border.
I think we should not forget that property crimes, like burglary and smash & grabs from cars, though not technically crimes against persons, still impact people. I live in Kirkwood and my BF’s car, which was parked in front of my house, was broken into this morning. Granted, he shouldn’t have left the GPS holder attached to his windshield last night (he usually doesn’t) but it still isn’t right and it still sucks. I’m not as scared as much as I’m incredibly mad.
The main driver of current public perception is the flat-screen tv robberies. While they are apparently classified as property crimes, they are distinctly worse in my opinion than car break-ins or purse snatchings or whatever makes up the majority of that stat. As we have all seen from the videos, they involve multiple people violently kicking in a door and invading people’s homes. This is extremely unsettling, and the fact that it has been going on for months doesn’t help.
Also, DecaturMetro readers might be interested to read today’s AJC article about two would-be robbers who were killed by their victims overr the weekend.
E–interesting article in the AJC. I also noted that neither victim used his/her own handgun to fend off his/her attacker.
I guess this all boils down to the line between “violent crime” and “potentially violent crime”. Is there a difference when it comes to public perception? APD thinks so.
APD seems most concerned about dispelling the notion that there is more violent crime then before…since they made such a mess out of the John Henderson murder. The stats for most neighborhoods back up the argument that violent crime is down in most areas of Atlanta, while crimes against property are up.
Property theft is also very disconcerting, but nothing compared to the pit I felt in my stomach after it was wrongly reported that Henderson had been killed “execution-style”.
I do think though that criminals get more brazen when they get away with “harmless” property crime for a long period of time. If you bust into enough homes to steal a flat screen TV eventually you are going to bust into the wrong person’s door who might fight back and lead to a shooting. That’s just the odds of a criminal enterprise.
And the fact that the criminals are breaking into people’s homes when they are apparently actually there (as with the 71% increase in robbery in Kirkwood/East Lake) eventually that is going to lead to tragedy.