Recent crimes around Buckhead and Brookhaven have neighborhoods on alert.
Over the past few weeks, police reported several burglaries and pedestrian robberies in neighborhoods including Chastain Park, Peachtree Battle and Historic Brookhaven.
There have been reports of burglars knocking on doors during the day to check if anyone is home. If someone answers the door, the visitors will claim to be selling door to door or say they are looking for someone. If there’s no answer, they’ll break into the home, homeowners believe.
The Historic Brookhaven neighborhood organized a meeting with Atlanta and Brookhaven police to discuss security. However, the meeting was canceled due to the recent ice storm.
Atlanta Police Department Zone 2 Commander Maj. Van Hobbs told the North Buckhead Civic Association in an email that there have been several pedestrian burglaries recently in Buckhead.
“We have seen a spike in pedestrian robberies over the last two weeks,” Hobbs said. “Although we have made arrests, we have requested additional resources to be in the area as well as using our crime suppression units to quell the issue.”
Hobbs said the suspects seem to be following people home and approaching them once they get out of their cars. He recommended residents be mindful of their surroundings and watch out for people who may be following them. He said anyone who sees something suspicious should call 911.
“As always, we are aware of the situation and are taking steps to address it,” Hobbs said in the email. Attempts to contact Hobbs directly were not successful before the deadline for this article.
Brookhaven Police Chief Gary Yandura said he has had conversations with neighborhoods in the city who are interested in providing his department with access to security cameras. He said video footage can provide police with clues they need to find suspects.
“Cameras are good for us for follow up investigations,” Yandura said.
The Historic Brookhaven neighborhood, which straddles the city line between Atlanta and Brookhaven, is looking to install security cameras at the entrances to the neighborhood, according to Mike Elliot, a member of the board of the Historic Brookhaven Neighborhood Association.
Yandura said he has spoken with Atlanta Police Chief George Turner about sharing security camera footage.
“It’ll assist us. It’s almost like having extra police on the street,” Yandura said. “We’re trying to work out a program where we can share the same information.”
Like its neighboring cities of Atlanta and Sandy Springs, Yandura said Brookhaven would like to one day have a network of security cameras that can be used to help solve and prevent crimes.
“That’s something in the works,” Yandura said.