Crime Wave Hits EAV

The first week of May was marked by 10 reported crimes in East Atlanta, including three daytime home burglaries on the same day, and an armed robbery the next night, Atlanta Police Department reports show.

That was the single-highest number of crimes for APD's Zone 6, which includes the EAV, Kirkwood and East Lake neighborhoods, according to the East Atlanta Security Patrol, which keeps weekly tallies on incidents.

The armed robbery occurred on May 3 behind the Graveyard Tavern.

Graveyard's owners, recently purchased the lot behind the restaurant, which had been a point of concern for residents and patrons of bars and restaurants in the Village because of car thefts, vandalism and robberies.

In February, Philip Christansen, one of the Graveyard's co-owners, told the East Atlanta Community Association that since the purchase of the lot, the bar began incorporating new such as increasing lighting and hiring off-duty police.

The burglaries — all taking place May 2 — occurred in the 800 block of Clifton Road SE, 1600 block of May Avenue SE and the 1500 block of Marbut Avenue SE.

The East Atlanta Security Patrol added there also was an attempted break-in in the 1400 block of May Avenue.

Eight air-conditioning units were stolen from the shopping center at Flat Shoals Road and Maynard Terrace, continuing a trend Zone 6 commander Major John Dalton warned about at recent neighborhood group meetings in East Atlanta and East Lake.

Thieves have been hitting churches, too, he said. including the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, which faces the shopping center.

The crime stats for the first week of this month is a slight increase from the last week of April, where nine crime incidents in EAV were reported to police:

• 1 rape
• 3 stolen autos.
• 3 burglaries — two on Bouldercrest Drive and the third on Glenwood Avenue.
• 1 residential robbery
• 1 larceny

The East Atlanta Security Patrol also reports that Patterson Avenue SE has been a favorite of burglars in the last few weeks. The incidents on that street may be connected to a white minivan residents have reported seeing in the area. The license tag on the minivan — BJE 9788 — was actually matched to a Pontiac Grand Am.

If you notice anything out of the ordinary or believe someone is behaving suspiciously, call 911 and also call the East Atlanta Security Patrol at 404-954-1568.