WEST END ATLANTA

By TIM EBERLY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Metro Atlanta burglars have tuned in to a popular target: flat-screen televisions.

Police in Atlanta and Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton counties all report flat-screen TV thefts are up in their areas. And Clayton police recently arrested members of what they called the “hit squad,” a group police said was responsible for the theft of more than 200 flat-screen TVs. Atlanta police say flat-screen TV thefts are responsible for a jump in the number of burglaries in the city in 2008, so police are setting up a metro task force to track and attack the thefts.


At times, flat-screen burglars work in groups. One will kick in a home’s door and others then will rush in to snatch TVs. Police say homeowners can take action to protect themselves and their TVs. Here are some steps police recommend that homeowners take to cut down the chances they’ll become victims of the flat-screen thieves.

WATCH WHO’S WATCHING YOU

Police say some thieves cruise around neighborhoods, looking through windows to figure out which homes have flat-screen TVs. To keep your home off their hit list, keep your blinds or curtains closed or put the flat-screen in a part of the house hidden from passing cars.

BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES

Many TV thieves break into homes by kicking down residents’ doors. Police advise homeowners to install heavy-duty doors or to strengthen the doors they already have and to install dead-bolt locks.

SPEAK UP

Before they break in, thieves often knock on the door to see whether anyone is home. If a suspicious person knocks while you’re home, speak up and let them know someone’s inside the house, then call police.

KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS

TV burglars often strike so fast that they’re long gone before police arrive. But residents who band together can make it more difficult for criminals by looking out for one another and sharing information.

CUT UP THE BOX

When you buy a new flat-screen TV, don’t leave the box it came in on your front lawn. “That is a big no-no,” said Atlanta police Maj. Moses Perdue said. “Break those boxes down, put them in your car and take them somewhere.”

GO WIRELESS

Burglars are learning to cut power to homes to disable alarms. Consider purchasing a wireless alarm system or a backup wireless system.

MARK YOUR PROPERTY

When police recover stolen TVs, they often can’t return them because owners can’t provide a serial number or other identifying information. Police advise owners to record and keep in a safe place the serial number, make and model and to engrave the TV with an identifying mark.

— Staff writers Andria Simmons, Doug Nurse, Kent A. Miles and David Simpson contributed to this report.

An apartment was burglarized on saturday the 14th of november. The couple left the place and the neighbor heard a young lady/girl knock on the apartment of the victim and the neighbors door. She asked for someone that never lived in the building. About 20 minutes later the neighbor heard some noise in the stairwell and thought it was a tenent that was going upstairs. Low and behold that was the low lives breaking into the door with a crowbar and stealing a flat screen and computer. The property is at the corner of Queen and Oglethorpe. If anyone saw anything please contact police or me at 404 456 4118.
Be on the look out for a champagne crown vic or mercury grand marquis. The vehicle was seen at the scene of another burglary on Lucille in the westview community. There is a car that I know of that is on lucille ave that I believe is the vehicle. I have more info as to why I know that it is the car.
Always call the cops if someone comes to you home and asks for someone that doesn't live there and if someone is cutting through backs of houses or side yards. This is how these parasites operate. This is how they can see if you have flatscreens and computers also. Always call and always get license plate numbers of suspicious cars. The holidays are comming and when you shop at the mall they will be looking to shop in own homes.