Crime: The Key To Fighting It Is To Remain Aware, Plugged In And Involved

The last few weeks have shown that crime can happen anywhere, whether it's in Inman Park or Virginia-Highland or in Boulevard Heights or Poncey-Highland.

As Lt. D. Brent Schierbaum, Atlanta Police Department's Community Liaison Unit's evening watch commander told us this week, a key to fighting it is the police-public partnership.

Police can't be everywhere.

That's why it's important for residents of all neighborhoods to know what's happening and be kept abreast about crime events in their communities.

Our Patch series this week was designed to give you the tools necessary to lower your chances of being a crime victim.

In this fourth and final installment of our series, we look at the community tools that are available that keep us connected and informed.

The key, police and neighborhood leaders say, is being proactively involved, not just when there's a spike in crime or some incident occurs.

The other part is remaining continually involved and connected.

Here are the resources you need to know to be as plugged in as possible for the communities of East Atlanta Patch and Virginia-Highland/Druid Hills Patch:

Atlanta Police Contacts:

• Emergencies: 911
• Non-emergency Zone 2: 404.848.7231 (includes Morningside)
• Non-emergency Zone 3: 404.624.0674 (includes Summerhill, Peoplestown, Woodland Hills, Chosewood Park, Lakewood Heights, South Atlanta, Thomasville Heights)
• Non-emergency Zone 5: 404.658.7054/7830 (includes Downtown, Georgia State University area)
• Non-emergency Zone 6: 404.371.5002 (includes East Atlanta, Grant Park, Inman Park, Candler Park, Ormewood Park, Kirkwood, Old Fourth Ward, Cabbagetown, Poncey-Highland and Virginia-Highland)
• Crime Stoppers Atlanta: 404.577.TIPS (8477)

APD also has an alerts sign-up page where you can receive alerts to your mobile phone and or e-mail regarding crime citywide or by specific zones. You can sign up here.

The city of Atlanta has an Emergency Alert System for residents, too. Sign up here.

Many neighborhoods have watch groups or security patrols — off-duty police who patrol communities in addition to regular police service — which residents fund by paying into it themselves:

Neighborhood Patrol Resources:

• East Atlanta Security Patrol: http://patrol.eaca.net/
• Grant Park Security Patrol: http://grantpark.org/security-patrol
• Inman Park Security Patrol: http://inmanpark.org/association/inman-park-security-patrol/
• Kirkwood: http://www.kirkwoodsecuritypatrol.org/Home
• Lake Claire: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lakeclaireneighborhoodwatch/
• Morningside Security Patrol: http://mlpa.org/content/morningside-security-patrol
• Old Fourth Ward Patrol: http://www.o4wpatrol.org/
• Piedmont Heights Security Patrol: http://www.piedmontheights.org/Default.aspx?pageId=599948
• Poncey-Highland Security Patrol: http://ponceyhighland.com/
• Trolley Patrol (serves Benteen Park, Boulevard Heights, Custer/McDonough/Guice, North Ormewood Park, Ormewood Park and Woodland Hills): http://sandatlanta.org/item/87505
• Virginia-Highland Security Patrol: http://www.fbacvahi.com/

Social Media:

• Atlanta Police on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/atlanta_police
• Crime Stoppers Atlanta on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/StopCrimeATL
• Several neighborhoods have their own Twitter handles — Peoplestown, for example — they use to disseminate information. Check to see for your individual neighborhood's Twitter handle.
• Many neighborhoods, such as Old Fourth Ward or Cabbagetown, issue alerts via Facebook about crime and general community events. Check to see for your individual neighborhood's page or pages.
• Two Virginia-Highland residents run VHAlerts, an emergency alert system for the neighborhood.

The Crime Series:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Today: