Cobb County Police Department

Precinct 4 BOLO


THE PENS DISPATCH
Thursday May 9, 2013:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am aware that several emails and texts are circulating regarding the following incident that took place on Hembree Road. This incident is being followed up on by the Crimes Against Children's Unit as a matter of precaution due to the complainant's age.

On Monday, May 6, 2013, a teenage female was walking home from school on Hembree Road. A male in a yellow van stopped and offered her a ride which she declined. The male drove off and returned a short time later. He inquired about her age and complimented her appearance. He then provided a business card to the female and asked her to call him sometime.

The male did not make any threatening actions toward her nor did he attempt to forcibly get her into the van. It does not appear at this time that any criminal act occurred.

While understandably, any type of incident involving a young person causes alarm, I would ask that you do not forward any emails or texts other than this official version of the incident.

This incident provides an opportunity to remind your children and teenagers that they should never engage in conversation nor accept anything offered by someone in a situation such as this. Should they feel threatened, they should run to a nearby house or business or flag down passing motorists to draw attention to themselves and the situation. Police should then be notified as quickly as practical so that officers can check the area and attempt to identify the individual.

Thank you

Lieutenant Destiny Davidson
Cobb County Police Department
Crimes Against Property
Precinct 4



MONTHLY EDITION APRIL 2013

Welcome to the April edition of THE PENS DISPATCH. This bulletin is brought to you from the Precinct IV Criminal Investigations Unit and is designed to keep you aware of crime trends in your area and measures you can take to keep you and your family safe.

CONTENTS

Public Safety Topic of the Month
Crime Trends
What You and Your Neighbors Can Do
Featured Arrests
Links To Helpful Resources

PUBLIC SAFETY TOPIC OF THE MONTH

As recent events have shown, violence can be bestowed upon innocent people in many forms and can erupt at any time and in any place. While we are fortunate in Cobb County to have a professional and well trained police department, the fact remains that resources are finite and officers simply cannot be everywhere at once. And while everyone deserves to go about their daily lives free from harm, this is simply not the world we live in.

Situational awareness is a mindset that anyone can develop and incorporate into their everyday life in an effort to contribute to their own personal security. It can be applied at work, school, places of worship, in shopping malls, or even when out walking the dog. Developing this mindset does take discipline but so does everything else in life that’s worth doing.

The first step in developing situational awareness is accepting that threats do exist, even in “nice neighborhoods”.  For someone that has never been a victim of a crime or involved in a violent encounter, this can be a difficult concept to face. Of equal importance however is understanding that you can develop situational awareness without having to be obsessed with security or live in a constant state of paranoia.

There are several simple habits that you can develop to enhance your situational awareness and enable you to react quickly if necessary.

•Whenever you enter a building, pay attention to the location of doors, windows, and stairways.

•Teach yourself to briefly scan any room you enter and take note of who is in there and what their body language is saying.

•Avoid “zoning out” while you are commuting, whether on foot or in a car, by visually scanning the areas around you.

•Limit the use of phones and other distracting devices when in public places.

In addition to the previous information and in the ongoing effort to educate the public regarding  actions they can take to protect themselves, law enforcement agencies across the nation are distributing a video produced by the Department of Homeland Security titled RUN.HIDE.FIGHT.

The information presented in this video and additional information regarding preparedness for an active shooter event is summarized in the Department of Homeland Security ACTIVE SHOOTER HOW TO RESPOND document for easy reference.

CRIME TRENDS

We recently experienced an increase in Entering Autos in 412 beat in the areas of Garrards Xing and Kettering Drive. In most cases the perpetrators smashed windows and took items of value. In a couple of instances however, windows were smashed and bags were taken that appeared to contain valuables but ultimately did not.

WHAT YOU, YOUR FAMILY, AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CAN DO

As the weather warms up and summer vacation approaches, crimes such as Burglary and Entering Auto often increase. Please review your current habits related to crime prevention and make adjustments where necessary to keep your homes and vehicles safe.

•Lock doors and windows and set the alarm every time you leave.

•Keep garage doors closed and locked.

•Remove all valuables and anything that would appear to a thief to contain valuables from your vehicle every night and lock the door.

•Install outdoor security lighting, preferably on a timer.

•If you go on vacation, have a friend or neighbor pick up your mail and check on the residence.

•Don’t post vacation plans on Facebook or other social media sites and don’t post vacation photos until you return.

•Record Make, Model, and serial numbers to all firearms and electronics and email the list to yourself.

•Remember, if you see something suspicious, call 911 right away!

FEATURED ARRESTS

413, 415, and 417 Beats

The February 4th arrest of the individuals responsible for the nighttime residential burglaries
and entering autos in neighborhoods along Lower Roswell Road was highlighted in the February PENS Bulletin.  That investigation has been ongoing and earlier this month, the suspects were charged with Burglary and/or Entering Auto in addition to the subsequent Identify Fraud and Financial Transaction Card Fraud for 13 additional residences they victimized in East Cobb.
 
412 Beat

During the latter part of February, four homes were burglarized in 412 beat on Weymouth Drive, Stillbrook Pass, and Hembree Trace. The assigned detective canvassed the neighborhood on foot and developed potential suspects. At the conclusion of the investigation three adult teenage brothers, who resided within the neighborhood, were charged with the crimes.

In addition to these featured arrests, the uniformed officers and detectives at PCT IV made over 120 arrests this month for a variety of charges, including Aggravated Assault with a weapon, DUI and other alcohol related charges, Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act, Wanted Person Located, and numerous driving offenses. All of these arrests go a long way toward keeping East Cobb a safe place to work and live.
This concludes the April PENS Bulletin. Please continue to stay involved, stay vigilant, and help look out for your neighbors!

LINKS TO HELPFUL RESOURCES

Cobb County Police Department
Cobb County PD on Facebook
Cobb County Fire and EMS
Cobb County Board of Education
Cobb County Animal Control
Cobb County Community Development/Code Enforcement
County Ordinance Violation pamphlet (revised April 2012)
Neighborhood Safety Commission Safety Commission
GA Department of Driver’s Services (new documentation requirements)