Decatur Police Alert: Phone Stolen From Pedestrian on Church Street Last Night
Decatur Metro | June 7, 2014 | 7:51 amFrom Decatur Police…
On 6-6-14 at approximately 9:00 pm, Decatur Police responded to a pedestrian robbery that occurred in the 300 block of Church Street. The victim reported she was walking on the sidewalk when two males ran up behind her and one male snatched her cell phone from her hand. Both males then fled on foot through a nearby parking lot and were pursued by a witness. The witness chased the two males who ran to a parking lot in the 100 block of East Trinity Place. The witness engaged in a brief struggle with one of the suspects trying to retrieve the stolen cell phone when three additional males exited a waiting vehicle and joined the fight. One of the additional males held a screwdriver to the witness’ back and told him to let go of the suspect who had the phone. The witness complied and the two robbery suspects and three additional males entered the vehicle which was last seen driving south on East Trinity Place. Neither the victim nor witness were injured.
Robbery suspect #1 was described as a black male, approximately 15-years-old, approximately 6’0 tall, slender build and wearing a red shirt. Robbery suspect #2 was described as a black male, approximately 15-years-old and wearing camouflage shorts.
The three additional males in the vehicle were described as black males in their teens. The vehicle was described as a small, silver, 4-door car displaying “5931” in the tag. THIS IS A PARTIAL TAG NUMBER.
Here’s a streetview of the 300 block of Church Street.
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dearly beloved, we are here to mourn the passing of our wonderful brother, Ralph, whose life was snatched from us all too soon because he so valued his iPhone that he preferred protecting it to remaining here among the living with his wife and two children.
yes, Ralph’s contact list, his collection of apps, his emails, his many photos of his lunches, and all his SMSs were all backed up in the cloud, and could have been restored on his replacement phone in minutes, but just having updated to the 5s for $200 (plus the cost of his Otterbox) losing it was more that he could bear, so he bravely and valiantly struggled to his death to protect it.
as we memorialize the great sacrifices made by our countrymen some 70 years ago today on the beaches of Omaha, let us also honor Ralph for making the ultimate sacrifice for his iPhone—a thin amalgam of plastic, metal, and silicon that, for him, was worth more than life itself.
amen.
Except it was the witness who chased the suspects, not the victim of the theft. But I agree with your point in general.
yes, and my point had general intentions.
I think you’re missing the point of a Good Samaritan’s attempt to help. I obviously didn’t see the incident but it seems like the person who chased the thieves was trying to prevent a crime (and future crimes). If not for 5:1 odds he might have successfully held these kids so that they could be prosecuted (and off the streets for the summer). It was a risk to his safety but maybe a calculated one (two unarmed 15 year olds), and I don’t think he was just trying to save an iPhone.
Preventing a felony is no joke and would’ve helped keep the community safe. So snarky comments aside (which I do understand we’re meant as humor) I applaud this guy for trying to help. You’re right that getting killed over an iPhone would be stupid. But helping someone who just got robbed in order to prevent future felonies may not be.
This. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who feels that way because lately it seems like people around here would rather look the other way for everything.
i’ve been in the witness’s shoes a number of times in my life: have broken up fights, given chase, etc., and it’s my measured opinion that when someone is not physically injured or being threatened with injury by another person, it’s best to let material objects go. it does not mean one doesn’t care, nor is it a reflection on one’s courage. rather, it suggests that putting one’s personal health or that of the perpetrator on the line for something as meaningless as a phone is not a wise decision.
while i admire the instincts of the good Samaritan in this case, the screwdriver he was threatened with could have easily been a knife or a gun, and in the hands of a scared and jacked up teenager things could have gone badly fast. then, we’d have a stolen iPhone and a dead Samaritan, and i seriously doubt anyone would say chasing the perp was a risk worth taking.
i understand we’re all sick and tired of this crap, but i’d rather be pissed than six feet under.
” off the streets for the summer”
Don’t count on that, given our juvenile justice system.
Hi Rick,
You are what is known as a “soft target”. These crimes keep reoccurring because of the ease at which the phones are acquired. By handing over your phones with no resistance you are encouraging proliferation of these crimes.
Best,
Thomas
I disagree that Rick is necessarily a “soft target.” He’s advocating a reasonable position. My point is simply that it’s not wrong to fight (to a point). If a weapon is introduced the analysis changes. But until that time individuals who try to help stop crime,within reason, should be lauded
The other quick point I would like to note is that Decatur PD seems to be making a significant effort to help. I’ve seen more frequent patrols in the past two weeks, in an apparent attempt to stop crime before it starts. I understand they can’t be everywhere but I’d like to thank them for their efforts.
I was thinking more “classless SOB” instead of “soft target”. A witness decides to do the right thing and help a victim of a crime, and Rick chooses to mock him for his brave actions. But, Thomas, you are right. If we keep laying over and taking it in the a**, it is gonna get much, much worse round here.
Is this the “Classy” response to his comment?
Admittedly, no. Rick’s post irked me.
It irked me too.
you don’t read well do you, Mr. Dawg? I was not writing about the guy who chased down the thief—i was writing about “Ralph”—a mythical character who lost his life over an iPhone, in order to illustrate the lopsided risk/benefit of such situations, in general. it was social satire.
specific to the good Samaritan, I’ll bet he’s probably said to himself “putting my life on the line for a phone might not have been the best idea.” and if you asked him if he knew then what he knows now, whether he’d repeat it, he’d probably say no.
while i have no doubt you’re perpetually prepared to open a can of whoopass on any and every threat or offense you perceive, classless SOBs like me prefer to defend people—not things that can be easily and quickly replaced.
It was stupidly written Rick. Accept it, move on.
Rick, it was your tone, and not your message, that bothered me. I doubt I would have given chase over a phone either, but the witness’ actions were brave, and even if he wouldn’t make the same decision again, and he shouldn’t be mocked.
Thomas,
They are easy to acquire because people often use them in an irresponsible manner (walking around an urban area with your eyes glued to a phone or prominently holding it in ones hand is irresponsible). And pointing out a lack of common sense is not “blaming the victim.” Being a victim and being careless are not mutually exclusive.
Using in a phone on the sidewalk in front of Sapori and Victory is not being irresponsible or lacking common sense. It is a lit, heavily traveled sidewalk in a town where we should be able to use our phones without fear. Hell, I used my phone to respond to my kid’s texts about 50 feet from that spot less than an hour ago.
Sorry, but I disagree. Of course we should be able to use our phones without fear of being stolen, but that’s not the reality of living here. A phone that can be snatched out of someone’s hand on the street is the “soft target,” as any Georgia State police officer will tell you.
“walking around an urban area with your eyes glued to a phone or prominently holding it in ones hand is irresponsible”
You edited your initial post, so I will ask. Is that what happened? I wasn’t there so I don’t know. I pulled my phone out for about 60 seconds at Church and Sycamore at 9PM tonight without first scoping the area to make sure the coast looked clear. Irresponsible?
I don’t know exactly what happened, but it was described as a snatch and grab. Regardless, I was responding to Thomas’s generalization about people who don’t fight or chase after thieves as “soft targets” with a generalization of my own regarding how I see many, many people use their phones in urban areas.
Last year there were a number of concealed phones stolen in Decatur. The criminals would ask for the time, victims would pull out their phones to check the time (who wears a watch anymore?) and the phones were snatched. IMHO, you coming perilously close to blaming the victim. The simple fact is that if one is using their phone in public and it is taken, 100% of the blame lies with the punk who stole it. If you or I are being “responsible” as you define it, that only means that a third person’s phone is stolen. Yet, that victim isn’t to blame – just the unlucky one.
Was referring to instances of snatch and grab, not hold ups. Don’t get how pointing out that people make it easy for thieves is “blaming the victim.”
If I remember correctly, those weren’t all hold ups. They were snatch and grabs, only the thieves first tricked some of their victims to pulling out their phones.
+1 to DawgFan.
I wear a watch. I find it to be a more convenioent way of telling time, plus, they look good. Well, some of them do.
You are over 40 right? A new game I play at work meetings is counting how many folks still wear watches. Those under 40 start glancing at their phones as the meeting drones on; those over 50 flick their wrist to view their watch; those from 40-50 may do either or both.
Us old’uns just shuffle over and kick the sun dial.
The part that I didn’t edit in time was to remark that I sometimes use my phone while walking around downtown too, but I recognize that I run the risk of having it snatched (and have taken steps to minimize the damage if it happens). Call me a “soft target” all day, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to risk injury or worse to stop some petty thieves. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is a worth a pound of my a** getting shot or stabbed by some thugs.
Based on my past experience, using the word “thugs” will result in you being labeled a racist, even if your classification is correct.
I’d rather the word thug be applied more widely than censored. Similar to how I hope the word “terrorist” is correctly applied to the white American guy who attacked the Forsyth Co. courthouse.
Hi Thomas,
sorry for the slow reply, i was out getting a pedicure and a low-fat soft target yogurt.
i’d suggest there’s a difference between “handing over phones with no resistance” and being willing to get into fights over a phone with thieve(s) who may or may not be armed.
when it comes to my family, my instructions are: “if someone is threating you with violence over anything that can be replaced, first, if other people are around, yell “fire!” to draw attention, then move away quickly.
if you’re alone, remain calm, hand over the replaceable object, then leave the scene quickly.
if someone is attacking you, someone in our family, or another innocent person, unleash holy hell on them.”
your mileage may vary.
My favorite DeKalb County juvenile justice system story:
My friend’s son was beaten up after school-punched, kicked in the head, knocked to the ground, kicked repeatedly. The school administrator told my friend not to put in a police complaint, that the perps would be out of jail before the ink was dry on the paperwork, and his child would be targeted for even worse. They were not even suspended from school.
Needless to say, that was that child’s last day in public school.
“The school administrator told my friend not to put in a police complaint,”
If I were that administrator’s boss, I’d fire he/she immediately if they admitted to such a statement.
And I like to think that, if I were a parent in that situation, I’d call the police in said administrator’s very presence and wait for them to show up to the school while staring daggers at that idiot, but I know that’s easier said than done when you don’t actually have a child involved.
Wow, it really is like a switch was thrown. School ends, car break-ins and robberies begin. It’s going to be a busy summer for DPD.
Is there any reason DPD can’t have a foot presence in Decatur?
It seems like 4 or 5 strategically located armed police officers would put an end to all this crap…
This was right in front of Victory Sandwich, for Christ’s sake!
I’ve often wondered why there isn’t more of a foot patrol or bike patrol in downtown Decatur.
They do. There is almost always one and generally two bicycle/foot officers in the Square area during business and weekend evening hours. They do get down on Church St from time to time.
Looking forward to the upgrade for iPhone that makes it a useless and valueless brick when it is stolen.
Last year when this went on we were told that police patrols would be increased. Officers cannot be everywhere, but thieves target areas where they know police presence is low or nonexistent. My car has been broken into in front of my house in Winnona Park three times inside of two years, and there are many other property crimes that happen in this area. So, can we increase the police presence, please?
Lots of valid points: not risking your life for material goods; not blaming the victim, need to fight back, etc. But face it, Decatur Man is in reality the Obama Pajama Boy (okay, maybe not so Alpha), and the criminals know it. Sure, Decatur Man can give a helluva indignant look and huff while straightening his Buddy Holly glasses, but my money is on the criminal. Every.Single.Time.
Decatur Man knows a real win from a fake one.
being a teenaged criminal willing to be incarcerated for years in exchange for the $20 he can get for a stolen phone is not a good life plan. let him “win” all he wants—Darwin will have his way—stupid doesn’t pay.
based on the actual crime statistics, Decatur is in no imminent threat of being overrun with crime, regardless of the perception on local blogs.
honestly, i don’t know what most Decatur residents’ histories are regarding living in larger cities and the accompanying levels of (mostly) petty crime they’ve been exposed to. i’ve lived in and traveled among large cities most of my life, and what we deal with here is completely expected based on my experience.
others who have lived more suburban or rural existences most of their lives may have completely different/much lower expectations for petty and property crime—i’d simply suggest they’re not realistic for our location.
Part of the problem is that some of the folks who have paid Alpharetta/Dunwoody prices for their Mayberry/Berkeley/Westchester County experience have unrealistic expectations of the City of Decatur and CSD. I love Decatur but no matter how warm and cohesive it is, it exists in the larger context of an urban environment in a state that values public education relatively less than most other states. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue to advocate for the best possible small city and school system but it will often be painful when our ideal vision for Decatur bumps up against reality.
Pick the state with the highest spending on government schools. I bet people still steal iPhones there.
With or without a weapon? If I have to pick the state with the highest relative spending (adjusting for spending overall) on education, restricting the iPhone taking to armed robbery, I guess Vermont. Although eastern Vermont does have a lot of poverty and drug trade lately. Too close to New Hampshire.
People steal Iphones wherever there a lot of people walking around with them. They’re easy to steal and easy to sell. Until the latter is not true, there’s plenty of room for improvement on the former.
Many of those who speak out against these actions do so because they have experienced crime. I’m a city guy who had to deal with Turkish gangs in Rödelheim, Germany in the 80’s, drug dealing in my DC neighborhood in the 90’s, had a bike stolen here, and was physically tackled by a large guy in Miami while walking a few years back over $20 cash, my credit card, and driver’s license. Are you going to fork over the money to replace everyone’s stolen goods? At some point, you have to push back.
While petty crime isn’t the same as violent crime, it can escalate into it if criminals have the perception that they can easily get away with it. Feeling empowered only makes people act more frequently and increasingly brazen, something I’m not interested in seeing. Had there been a gun or other weapon, I would also relent. But in this case, I would have done the same thing as the “Good Samaritan.”
My other concern is with the city government. Given that they are more concerned with removing citizens’ rights via highly opposed, subjective ordinances, while always remaining mum on objective, preventable matters like these, we are not on the same page. For the high taxes we pay, I expect a lot more and since I have no urge to carry a gun, that includes adequate resources for the police department.
I salute you, pursuing witness! It may have been rash, perhaps even foolish, but it was bold and gallant. In the tradition of Scaramouche, more so than the Good Samaritan.
. . . yes, heroic, even.
as mentioned (in my earlier years) i injected myself into a number of these kinds of situations with the same noble intentions, only to say to myself, after the adrenaline had stopped flowing, “if i’m going to willingly die over something, rescuing that (insert material object here) ______ probably isn’t how i’d like my epitaph to read.”
now, as a wizened veteran of those days, i look at my children and have to provide them general guidance about such matters, and that’s the basis of the perspective i’ve shared.
one can’t instruct one’s kids with policy that’s overly complicated and nuanced, even if reality is, so i keep it simple: “you, my beloved, are more valuable to me (and the world) than anything that can ever be purchased, so don’t put your physical health or life on the line for stuff.”
that’s my perspective as a father, and i’d say the same to anyone else i cared for.
for those who disagree, i’d be very interested in hearing your personal policy about such matters.
what instructions do you give your kids?
True story: when the “crime wave” or at least perception of crime wave happened last year, I instructed free range children not to go TOWARD the police cars to see what’s up (typical Gomer Pyle reaction) but to go quickly AWAY. I also iterated to scream “Fire” when in danger. I figure that the teen frontal lobe can only maintain a limited number of characters at one time so I keep the messages short and few.
While I understand the merits of free-ranging for children, the sound of rotor blades in the distance keeps them on track.
Nah, I wouldn’t advise anyone to be a hero. I’d try to teach the right way to portion out discretion and valor. But my heart skips a beat at a story like the OP. Can’t help it.
I applaud DPD and their continued efforts to protect and serve Decatur.
DPD is and always has been quick to respond – sometimes with four squad cars for a traffic stop.
Their daily patrols are noticeable, as are the officers on foot and bike on and around the square. They can’t be everywhere at all times.
We have a competent group of police officers who do what they can to protect the community.
“sometimes with four squad cars for a traffic stop.”
That’s not a good thing. A friend told me that (maybe about a year ago), she was driving with an expired license due to some mix-up by the DMV, and she was pulled over for a routine traffic violation in Decatur. This is a 20-something young woman who works in downtown Decatur with no criminal record. Upon seeing her expired license, the officer called for backup and 3 additional squad cars arrived on the scene. Three! She was then arrested and taken off to jail where she spent about 8 hours, as her husband was caught at work and could not come to get her right away. Charges were eventually dropped.
Overkill is the word that come to mind.
Yes, it’s overkill sometimes. But at least they respond and do so quickly. Try getting a Dekalb cop to show up that quickly.
With regards to your friend, there was obviously some mix up. But how is the officer to know that? Unfortunately for both parties (officer and citizen), the officer has to do his or her job.
Absolutely agree with Dem. I can understand getting carted off to jail for a repeat offense of driving without a license or if there are other exacerbating issues, but why the hell couldn’t a ticket suffice in the situation described?
But if we’re gonna talk about overreaction, it’s hard to top a stun grenade blindly tossed into a residence and nearly killing a child. But that’s what you get with the Law Enforcement Militarization and Jobs Program–er, I mean the War on Drugs.
And now this… http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/09/us/war-gear-flows-to-police-departments.html?hp
“Protect and serve,” or “intimidate into compliance.” What’s the difference, amirite?
No. You’re wrong. Police officers have a very difficult job. One that could get them killed. Is your job like that?
Police officers might get killed in the line of duty, therefore they need surplus armored vehicles specificlly designed for surviving IEDs in desert combat? I suppose they could use some cruise missles, too?
As for your post below, you’re assuming the conclusion and missing the point, to boot. Whether or not she should have been arrested is secondary to your original point which praised DPD for sometimes having 4 cruisers descend on traffic stops. You seemed to initially agree that this is overkill, but now you seem to be backtracking. Whn 4 cruisers are responding to a routine traffic stip, that means 3 are not out fighting real crime.
All units don’t stay on the scene the whole time. Once it’s clear they’re not needed, the others go back on patrol. There is an “overkill” response because the situation is unknown until resolved.
Just be glad you’re not in DeKalb County, where you might get one unit 20 minutes later.
Thanks, Steve. At least someone on this board understands what I’m trying to say.
You don’t know the circumstances and neither do I. But the officer must have operated within protocol for her to go to jail. The “well she looks nice and doesn’t have a record” approach unfortunately doesn’t work anymore.
And DPD didn’t throw a stun grenade so don’t loop them in with that.
Random thought/question: has anyone ever seen someone open carrying a handgun in Decatur? I don’t think I ever have. I am NOT saying that if the victim was armed the situation would have been better, but I feel like in other parts of the state the perps wouldn’t have walked away from this.
Really? In other parts of the state, citizens are effectively warding off robbers by openly carrying handguns? Is this documented?
My sense is that there’s two kinds of folks when it comes to handguns and feeling safe. There’s those who feel safer having one available. And those for whom having a handgun feels unsafe in itself.
What I’m saying is that in more rural/gun friendly places it would be more likely to encounter an armed citizen. I’ve never seen anyone in this city carrying a weapon openly, which makes sense given that it’s Decatur/metro area. I feel like people would get a bit on edge if they saw someone carrying a weapon…it’s just not normal here
Yes, Hudmo, I have, at a recent public event. Listening to the music and drinking a beer.
*gasp!*
Drinking a beer and open carrying? How many shootouts did said person start?
Well, in “rural areas” there aren’t really a lot of people walking around anywhere, so it wouldn’t really be fertile ground for the type of criminals in this incident, who are essentially pickpockets.