At around 9:30 Thursday night, a young woman living off Womack had just returned from work at the family nail salon, and police believe she was followed by a group of three armed black men who surprised her from behind while she was unlocking the door. The men assaulted the family in the home and left with a lot of cash that was in the house (from the nail salon proceeds). Fortunately, no one in the home was seriously hurt or worse. Police believe the family involved are one of several salon owners and/or pawn shop owners who have had home invasions recently, due to cash being brought home.
I am also told the disappointing fact for many of the residents who live in the same neighborhood was that it took the DeKalb Police Department 20 MINUTES to respond to the families 911 call for assistance and then I am told that DeKalb Police put on a neighborhood helicopter show for an hour looking for the assailants who were by then, long gone.
If anyone finds the specifics on the radio archive, please let me know. I would be interested in hearing the radio chatter from the evening.
http://dekalb.ga.scanamerica.us/modules.php?name=FeedArchive
I am sorry for the family and I am curious about the response time, but it is important for the community to understand that these home invasions are happening all over to small business people who bring cash home with them.
ReplyDeleteThere is a definite pattern here-- it doesn't mean that a home invasion can't happen to a random person,but this probably wasn't a random crime.
Twenty minutes doesn't seem like that long of a response time. It's not like we are paying the same type high taxes that folks up in the Chicago or New York suburbs that would warrant a more timely response. You get what you pay for in life.
ReplyDeleteMy e-mail lit up with various accounts of what took place on Thursday night and I attempted to wade though the details and report the perceptions of the community as they were expressed to me. I spent well over an hour attempting to find the calls on the radio link trying to verify the details one way or another but couldn't confirm the facts.
ReplyDeleteThe police department doesn't always tell the community of everything that has happened while it is happening therefore the immediate perceptions of the neighbors involved may be well off base from the true facts.
When more details are obtained, I will post what I receive but thought it was important to post something regarding this matter as I heard the public's concerns.
only one thing would have stopped these three animals - the young lady (and her family) carrying a firearm. I encourage all of you permitted to by law to purchase, learn to use, train to use, and then legally carry a firearm. The only thing that stops bad people with guns is good people with guns.
ReplyDeleteHow asinine and paranoid! More people die because there are guns in the home and an angry spouse uses it against their mate, or a child finds it and uses it on a playmate. Only a coward thinks they need to protect themselves with a handgun. I still have one from disarming an enemy of our country in actual combat but would never think that I need to use one for protection of my family or self. Stop cowering under your bed with little your popgun and get a dog for protection.
ReplyDeleteGary, think a dog would have saved that young lady and family? Not a chance. More innocent people die because people like you are cowards and do not carry a gun as is your right. Perhaps your choice not to use a gun for protection is not a sign of cowardice but rather your insecurity in the proper use of the weapon. If you are too old to make quick decisions on use of lethal force then please keep the war relic locked up. If you are in good condition then take a training class and head to the range a couple times a month. But calling me a coward for carrying a gun to protect myself and family (and you and other community members) is not something I'd expect form a former soldier.
ReplyDeleteLastly, your anti-gun chatter of the improper use of weapons is typical of the Brady crowd. No need for me to point out the statistics on gun ownership (doctor errors kill 9000 times more people than guns in the home) as your mind seems set on the issue. Good luck to you and your dog in the event three men decide to due harm to you and your family.
All I can say to this fascist blather is as it was in Viet Nam and Iraq when the upper class and upper middle class requested that the lower class fight their wars for them is "It is the sacrifice of the best of us, by the worst of us." WB Yeats. Calling somebody who fought for this country a coward because they won't purchase a gun is typical of the logic of of the privileged and elite class in this country whose avarice is responsible for the current economic mess we are in. I have no more to say except pity for such ignorance.
ReplyDeleteMr. Heneghan and others,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Captain Kevin Ellison and I am the Asst. Commander of the North Precinct. A concerned Dunwoody citizen brought this issue of call response to my attention. I was already familiar with the call from last week and I looked into the issue further.
I found out that the call in question was on 01/15/2009.
2156 – Call received by 911
2157 – Dispatched to a police unit
2200 – Helicopter was dispatched to area
2207 – First officer arrives on scene
2207 – Helicopter begins take off procedures at heliport
2230 – Helicopter is on scene
Our response time was 10 minutes for the first officer to arrive. 2 additional officers responded to circulate in the area and a supervisor went to the scene. I prefer that we arrive quicker than 10 minutes to this type of call. I will look into this further.
We had information from the victim that the suspects blew a tire when fleeing the scene. There was a good possibility that the vehicle was disabled in the area and we had armed suspects on the ground.
In addition, it is common practice to dispatch aerial support for violent felony crimes anywhere in the county.
I hope this clears things up.
In addition I have been with DeKalb PD for 21 years and I have spent 7 of those years working in the North Precinct at various rank levels.
I can speak for the precinct in that we look forward to working with the city and the new police department. I met Chief Grogan and Mayor Wright at the swearing-in ceremony and I believe they will do a fine job in their new positions.
If you have any questions please call me at 404-297-3814.
Thank You
GaryRay,
ReplyDeleteSo its OK for you to call me a coward for carrying a gun but not for me to call you out for not? By the way, if you do indeed have a service weapon left over from Viet Nam or Iraq (as you claim above)Uncle Sam probably wants it back. If it is full-auto I hope you have your paperwork in order.
Capt. E,
Make the move to Dun PD
And I for one am very very grateful for the excellent job that the DeKalb police has performed in Dunwoody through the years. Though I have been the recipient of two speeding tickets by two of their honorable officers, I state in all earnestness that the DeKalb County Police force has been the most skilled, responsive, and diligent of any police department in all of the communities I have resided in my long life.
ReplyDeleteThank you Captain Ellison, your response is much appreciated and tells the side of the story that the neighbors were unaware.
ReplyDeleteJohn,
ReplyDeleteIf the DeKalb police can get a chopper in the air within 30 minutes of a call and it is standard procedure to do so for violent felonies, what are we going to do with CoD? We won't have a chopper so what will the standard procedure be for a situation such as this?
Captain E, Thank you for your response. Your time and effort is appreciated.
Staceka, I believe the standing operating procedure would be to have an intergovernmental agreement with another agency to use the equipment or services as needed at a predetermined price. DeKalb is one option for this specific piece of equipment and Doraville, Chamblee and Sandy Springs would be available for others. Most agencies operate under various mutual aid agreements to assist each other where possible.
ReplyDeleteOne shepherd is guarding 200 sheep. The herd is then attacked by a pack of 5 wolves. The shepherd will defend the herd with the possibility it might cost him his life. Obviously 1 trying to protect 200 against 5 is not good odds for the shepherd or the sheep. As citizens this is what you face everyday usually without giving it a second thought. The question is how many shepherds are you willing to pay for and what fool would want the job in the first place?
ReplyDeleteThere's approx 35-40k residents of Dunwoody. During the day the number balloons to what, 100-300k people and more on the interstate. Now you'll have 5-8 officers covering all those people at any given time. Does that make you feel safe? Are you willing to pay more to get more? Only you can answer these questions but when the poop hits the fan please don't blame the poor shepherd who was just trying to do his/her job.
be your own shepherd and protect your own flock
ReplyDelete