Atlanta police officers are facing an upswing in violent crime, and a high-ranking police official recently voiced their frustrations in blunt terms while announcing a crackdown on suspected auto thieves accused of shooting at an officer.
Police said South Fulton SWAT officers searched three homes Thursday and arrested four people as part of a multi-jurisdictional raid that included the FBI and Atlanta police units.
The four suspects were wanted on charges stemming from a Feb. 24 incident during which several gunshots were fired at an Atlanta policeman, South Fulton police officials said.
Authorities recovered five handguns, two assault rifles, key fobs to 14 stolen vehicles, more than 100 rounds of ammo as well as equipment used to steal the automobiles.
While briefing reporters on the arrests Friday afternoon, Maj. Theosie Williams, commander of the Special Enforcement division, had a message for criminals across the city. He said gang investigators, auto crimes unit and fugitive task force officers in the ranks are fed up with the city’s crime.
“They’re all pissed off to the highest level of pisstivity, and that they’re frustrated with the crimes that are being committed in our city,” Williams said. “So if you’re going to commit those crimes against us, we’re coming for you. And we want you to know that.”
Atlanta’s crime rate through the first 11 weeks of 2022, which ended March 19, is actually down 5% overall when compared to last year, according to Atlanta Police Department crime stats. Assaults, robberies, larcenies and motor vehicle thefts are all down, and there have been negligible increases in other categories.
But the level of violence has skyrocketed. There were 35 homicides compared against 25 at this point in 2021, marking a 40% uptick. Rapes have spiked 50% this year while burglaries have risen 16%.
According to South Fulton police, SWAT teams hit homes in College Park, Fairburn and South Fulton during the raids Thursday.
Keith Pharms Jr., 23, and Jokava Harris, 20, were charged with auto theft and aggravated assault, authorities said.
Valerie Grimes, 47, and Akira Brown, 25, were both charged with making false statements to officers. Brown was also booked on a count of auto theft.
Williams didn’t say the gangs with which they suspects are allegedly affiliated, citing ongoing investigations.
Nearly half the recovered key fobs were from stolen luxury vehicles like Mercedes-Benz, Land Rovers and Corvettes, police said. The rest were for Dodge cars.
Police obtained warrants for the suspects following a Feb. 24 call in northeast Atlanta. Officers responded to the 1900 block of Monroe Drive for reports that a Dodge Charger was stolen, according to a news release from South Fulton police. An undercover officer spotted the stolen Charger near the intersection of Huff and Johnson roads and a black Chevrolet appeared to be following it.
Police said when the officer began following the cars, someone in one of the vehicles opened fire on his unmarked patrol car. The officer was not injured, but his patrol vehicle was damaged by the gunfire.
Police chased the suspects but the driver abandoned the Charger near Ga. 166 and escaped on foot.
Atlanta’s auto crimes unit and gang detectives investigated the incident with help from the FBI. Investigators determined Pharms and Harris stole the Charger, and Grimes and Brown lied to police during questioning, the South Fulton release stated.
Atlanta Police Department
Atlanta Police Department
Ironically, the arrests come in a year when motor vehicle thefts have plummeted 23%. There were 627 auto thefts by March 19 compared to 815 through the first 11 weeks of 2021, APD crime statistics show.
But Williams, a nearly 30-year veteran of the police force, reiterated his discontent about the current levels of crime and laid down the gauntlet for violent criminals.
“If you continue to commit these crimes against the city of Atlanta, the citizens of the city of Atlanta and our visitors, we’re coming to see you,” he said. “So prepare yourselves.”
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