Proactive Policing in Decatur
Decatur Metro | June 23, 2009 | 6:02 pm“So, I left my car doors unlocked the other night…”
In most communities, when someone started a sentence with those words, it would almost certainly end with “and someone stole my iPhone jack!” (Poncy-Highlands) or “and someone stole the Renoir I left on the backseat!” (Druid Hills)
But here in proactive-to-a-fault Decatur, it ends like this…
“and I received a little note from Sgt. Clark informing me that my car was a quote “easy target” for lacking of locking.”
So thanks Decatur Police! The momentary horror at the thought of having gotten an inexplicable parking ticket has made a indelable mark on that part of my brain that reminds my thumb to press the lock button on my key fob. (And yes I’m being cute here but not sarcastic.)
And “tsk-tsk” me all you want, but at least I was already following the little blue note’s suggestion not to leave a “laptop”, “jewelry” or a “weapon” on my seat.
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Lucky you. When I forgot and did that my iPod was nabbed.
Not sure I’d call it luck in this case. I just know myself well enough to never leave anything of value in my car (in sight or not).
I once left my rear door open for an entire night when we lived out near Clarkston. (That time I definitely did get lucky that nothing was taken – namely the car.)
I leave my doors unlocked on purpose. Replacing a side window costs a heck of a lot more than anything that would be left in my vehicle.
I thought about that too Ridge. Especially folks with soft tops who fear having their roofs cut open.
When we first moved to Georgia we lived in Midtown, by the park, and we saw so many broken car windows that it occurred to me that the best thing was to leave nothing in the car and the doors unlocked.
Of course, here in Decatur, last year, I had my window broken–and some change stolen–while my doors were unlocked.
Thieving morons don’t care about locked doors.
Can someone tell me why the little side window costs 5 times more than a windshield replacement? That’s the real crime isn’t it?
I’ve wonder that myself. That and why it seems the manufacturers change the entire car mid-year– that is, if your car is a ’93 and made after June, it is considered a 94. I find it hard to believe that manufacturers change the glass, and other parts, every six months.
When I was a kid (and to this day), car factories in Michigan shut down for a couple weeks around July 4 for “re-tooling.” This explains, I think, your mid-year conundrum. This means the upcoming model-year would be available for purchase in August, I’d venture.
Barry: Yeah, the re-tooling makes sense–but my car is a Honda and I don’t see the Japanese making a big deal out of the 4th.
Also, if they retool the factory, do they also change the parts? The whole mid-year/next year thing just doesn’t sound right–I worked in a body shop several years ago and if a customer was buying factory parts we had to make sure the parts matched up to the June of that particular year, but if they were buying after-market parts we only had to make sure we got the model year right. Just seems strange to me, thanks for the post.
Seems like this is a clear indication that the Decatur police force has too much time and money. Their budget may be safely cut.
That last statement was just stupid–I hope it was posted in jest.
Indeed. In the end, this isn’t just a nice note to Metro, but also a sound policing technique. If a neighborhood is known to have a lot of unlocked cars available, it is much more likely to attract thieves. By promoting the locking of doors, the police make the neighborhood safer in an easy, cost-effective way.
This shows just how much the City of Decatur PD is looking after the residents. I remember when it was not this way growing up and I’m proud to live in Decatur and know that the PD has our back and do not play.
Go Decatur PD! Of course we had an attempted theft of dirty jeans from our old Honda Civic (locked on the street). Cost of tiny triangle window in back? $300! This car is now left unlocked. I really appreciate our police force. A source of civic pride for sure.
I hate to be the contrarian (edit: no I don’t) but two things popped into my mind as soon as I read about this.
1. Where was the car (on the street or in a driveway)?
2. How did the cops know it was unlocked?
Are the cops coming into our driveways and opening car doors? I know on my car, you couldn’t tell from just looking. You’d actually have to try to open the door. I know if I heard something outside and then saw someone by my car in the driveway, especially if they were trying to open the door, there’d be some trouble. Even if they said “It’s OK, I’m a cop” my first thought would be “yeah, right, fu*#er!” but I’m still not putting down my gun until I’m 100% sure of that. It’s not hard to imagine how this could turn out bad.
Maybe it’s just me, but it seems the last administration did a great job even here in liberal, hippie Decatur of convincing people that a little erosion of 4th amendment rights was not only necessary but actually a good thing, all in name of “public safety” and “homeland security” and whatnot.
Then again, maybe I just need coffee…
The car was parked on the street and my locks are visible through the window, so no real erosion going on. I’ve got a yard full of English Ivy to prevent that.
Ok, gun freaks/haters, time to pile on! Just kidding DM–we’ve agreed to stop our discussion and interpretation of the 4th Amendment. Rock and roll JT!
I’m confused. Isn’t the fourth amendment about remembering the sabbath or something like that?
Oh wait…it’s about search and seizure.
Jeez, I keep getting religion and government all confused. Can’t we give one set of rules numbers, and the other set, letters? So it would be something like Amendment #4 and Commandment D.
Sorry, didn’t get much sleep last night. Feeling a little punchy.
Uh…and just to make it clear…this was a joke (or at least a lame attempt at humor).
Ha ha ha. Very good, here’s the scoop:
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
Amendment II
W.
So…is that Amendment 2? Amendment 11 (eleven)?
See, we also need to outlaw the use of Roman numerals. Because your “Amendment II” looks like “Amendment 11.”
I need to go back to bed.
The window of our car parked on our Decatur street was smashed a couple of weeks ago despite the car being so old, decrepit, smelly, and full of kid junk it’s hard to believe anyone intelligent would think anything of value was inside. My husband used to leave it unlocked but found it creepy to get into it and find things strewn around. I think thugs just like to smash things and mess with stuff. They aren’t bright enough to be strictly motivated by financial gain. However, in a better economy in which they were employed, maybe they would be too tired at night to go out smashing things.
I maintain that we should keep the car locked even if that means an occasional $200 outlay of cash (Glass Doctor price–and they make house calls at no extra cost) . I just refuse to make things easy for thugs with a fetish for kid junk. Plus I think that window smashers are more likely to get caught what with all the commotion (that we evidently slept through). Now we have a running battle about whether we should cram the car into our crowded shared driveway or keep it on the street. I claim that window smashing thugs are lazy and will prefer easier targets on the street. Half the family claims that luring them up the driveway puts the thugs closer to our house. But as I say, what the heck about this car would allure someone with any logical thinking?….
Eric, that’d be the 2nd Amendment–thought it was apparent from the arm bears/ bear arms State militia theme.
CSD snowflake, if it doesn’t matter, then how about just taking a hammer to the rest of the windows? and leaving it parked on the street.
Truth be told, I’m not sure that I wouldn’t prefer that thugs just take the whole car and be done with it. It has no resale value and maybe they have the time and energy to clean it out properly. But husband dearest seems to like the vehicle and occasionally takes the offspring for a ride in it so I have to insist that it have windows.
Heard that 6 vehicles were broken into last night during a swim meet at Venetian Pools on Scott Blvd. across from Nelson Ferry. Venetian Pools always has a few car break-ins a summer, usually people who leave their purses in the car so they don’t have to carry them in with the kids, beach bags, coolers, etc. Six cars at once during a crowded swim meet is getting a bit brazen….
Sounds about right, we were at the Lake Claire pool last year and a couple of cars were broken into.
Key here:
Leave nothing in the the car that looks like anything remotely valuable–oh, and, leave the doors unlocked.
Goes to show how random property crime is. I just moved out of Candler-McAfee area after living there for over 1.5 years. Always kept my car parked on the street and NEVER had any problems. (Actually, I never had any problems at all, car-related or not.) Two streets over, though…..lots of auto break-ins and thefts, and a double shooting.
Having been the victim of a car break-in (in Athens, GA), my suggestion is to keep all valuables out of sight, keep doors unlocked, and use The Club on your steering wheel. True, The Club can be dismantled, but only by a very sophisticated thief. Windows and IPods can be replaced relatively easily, but the CAR? Not so much….
Anyone else seeing this conversation as an argument to just sell your car and take MARTA? Not only do cars cost a fortune, but apparently we all spend an awful lot of energy worrying about them.
It looks like two cars were broken into (smashed windows) on Woodlawn last night. It seems that our active policing two streets over is not a deterrent to the thiefs.
Actually received a blue “easy target” ticket at Venetian Pool parking lot this morning. I’m kind of hurt because, by OUR family’s standards, we DID clean out the car. All that’s in it is an umbrella in the door pocket, some clothes destined for the cleaners tucked scrunched under the middle drink tray, a booster seat, two rolled up newspapers, a Fresh Air CD jacket, and a sleeping bag in the trunk, also destined for the cleaners.
Re selling car and taking MARTA. I DO take MARTA to work. One year, I actually subscribed to Zip Car thinking that maybe I could ditch hubbie’s junk car, and/or it would be handy if a car were in the shop (or had a smashed window!), and/or it would allow me to lend a car to visitors from out of town. Never used a Zip Car once. We just aren’t organized enough nor do we communicate well enough maritally to schedule ahead of time for trips, carpools, school and activity pick-up, errands, lending the car etc. If I were single, I think I could handle it but there’s a reason that every other family vehicle in Decatur is a mini-van and it isn’t the flair, panache, or prestige of owning one!