Midtown Violence (Atlanta, College Park, Norcross: crimes, college, living)

[pollen]

Originally Posted by CCATL

If that's the case, then now I'm really PO'd that the police told me there was no way to find the license plate of the guy who pulled a gun on me. They wouldn't even look at the cameras because of what I said that they said about the cameras. Ugh.

Maybe the specific camera that would have captured the crime wasn't good enough? The cameras aren't uniform; the newer ones are better. There are also a ton of private/commercial cameras that the police can monitor through Operation Shield, and those may have varying image quality. Or, maybe they figured the car was probably stolen anyway, and finding the license plate wouldn't make a difference?

Also, I'm really sorry that happened to you. While crime is relatively rare, it's really traumatic and sucks when it happens to you. My house was broken into when I lived in Michigan, and it just changes how you feel about the safety of your own home and neighborhood.

[TheKiwi]

I live very close to this intersection, and walk around there all the time, day and night (though not by myself late at night). It's always a good reminder to be aware of your surroundings. Always keep your valuables put away and walk with a purpose.

[onemanarmy]

How did this story not make AJC?

[Atlwarrior]

Originally Posted by onemanarmy

How did this story not make AJC?

Your question is the answer. Its the AJC.

[0nyxStation]

Originally Posted by Atlwarrior

Your question is the answer. Its the AJC.

AJC is anti midtown?

[bu2]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

What the heck is a YBM?

BTW, one of my co-worker's friends was mugged at gunpoint in the parking lot of the Variety Playhouse. It was pretty late at night, but since we've got people on this board advising people to walk from Star Bar to the Inman Park MARTA station on a Thursday night after a show, I think a little dose of reality around here is probably warranted.

Yeah, I know someone who got mugged a couple of months ago about midnight getting out of her car in Candler Park.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by arjay57

It is pretty brazen to do something like that on a busy street in the middle of the day. Not good and despite prior claims I don't believe people are doing this to put food on their family's table.

Well one did it in the Georgia Tech business building not that long ago in daytime.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by 0nyxStation

AJC is anti midtown?

Not really, but ever since they moved to Dunwoody a few years back they've been more focused on suburban issues to pander to dwindling readership.

[CCATL]

Originally Posted by arjay57

It is pretty brazen to do something like that on a busy street in the middle of the day. Not good and despite prior claims I don't believe people are doing this to put food on their family's table.

Why not? Have you spoken to them, personally? You don't know what people are going through. I know in the past I've made this "claim", but I don't mean literally every single time it is to put food on their family's table. I know I have personally spoken with many teens who have stolen from others or prostituted themselves to literally put food on their family's table though, so it isn't unheard of. Regardless of the reason, people steal to make money. The rich and poor do this, although in very different ways (you know, embezzlement vs armed robbery). Almost always, a criminal in the streets is desperately poor, and needs to make money one way or the other to live. Is this always the case? No. The majority of poor people won't commit a crime. The majority of rich people won't commit a crime. Some people, rich and poor, commit crimes for other reasons (greed, drug dependency, etc.). But I would definitely argue that of those poor people committing crimes, it is because they NEED money and see no other options. They have no hope, for one reason or the other. Instead, they join gangs, they rob people on the street, they turn to drugs and alcohol. That is a societal problem. Give people hope, increase the minimum wage, provide good social safety nets, provide access to equal educational opportunity, among other things, and you will see crime decrease. Go away, no - never. But there will be a decrease.

[kferq]

Originally Posted by bu2

Yeah, I know someone who got mugged a couple of months ago about midnight getting out of her car in Candler Park.

Crime happens everywhere. I know people who got mugged at the airport in a parking lot, on Peachtree Dunwoody just North of 285, and walking outside the Galleria in Cobb. These are isolated incidents and doesn't mean there is a crime problem in these locations. Just that everyone should have some care for their surroundings wherever they are. I walk in midtown at night at least several times a week and have never been a victim of a crime. Given the large number of people walking in midtown, there is obviously going to be more crime there than in locations with fewer people walking, but your risk as an individual is not very high.

The real concern for midtown should be that after years of declining crime there was a noticeable upswing last year. That is what the community meetings are about and what the police wants to address. The absolute crime rate remains fairly low, but we always want to be lower and need to keep working on reducing it. When we become complacent that is when crime rises.