The notes about the recent arrests pertaining to the "garage door opener burglaries" also mentioned some arrests of people charged with stealing catalytic converters off of cars and trucks.
Now, this might not be "news" to some of you (I tend not to watch the late-night local news, so maybe they covered this and I simply missed it), but it turns out that catalytic converters are a hot commodity on the black market, primarily due to the trace amounts of precious metals contained inside (gold, platinum, etc.).
SUVs and trucks tend to have larger converters so, as I understand it, those are prime targets. Catalytic converters from cars, while relatively less valuable, are also being stolen, however. I first read about the phenomenon in the New York Times, so this is not just one isolated local event.
Thus, for those of you who have the option, you might want to park in your garage. For those of you who simply can't, please keep an eye out wherever possible.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Useful Resource: Direct Updates from the CMPD & More
Just a note to everyone of a service I stumbled upon a couple weeks ago. I was originally referred there for updates on the water restrictions, but at the same time noticed you can sign up for other types of updates, ranging from street closings to crime reports from the CMPD.
It's pretty simple to sign up and, depending on how many categories you check off that you want updates on, the emails from them can be pretty sparse (not a nuisance, but rather generally important stuff sent sporadically as it comes up).
http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Subscribe/Home.htm
They include instructions how to unsubscribe at the bottom of each note so, if you decide this isn't for you after receiving a few, it's a simple process to remove yourself from the mailing list.
For those of you who end up joining the list, I'd be curious of your thoughts. Feel free to add comments to this post to let us all know if it's valuable or not.
It's pretty simple to sign up and, depending on how many categories you check off that you want updates on, the emails from them can be pretty sparse (not a nuisance, but rather generally important stuff sent sporadically as it comes up).
http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Subscribe/Home.htm
They include instructions how to unsubscribe at the bottom of each note so, if you decide this isn't for you after receiving a few, it's a simple process to remove yourself from the mailing list.
For those of you who end up joining the list, I'd be curious of your thoughts. Feel free to add comments to this post to let us all know if it's valuable or not.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
CRIME NEWS: Charlotte Observer Article Re: Recent Events
This is the article in the Charlotte Observer describing the arrents described in the post below in the email from the CMPD. This was sent by Chris to the neighborhood, and includes mostly the same information. I'm simply posting this for the sake of completeness.
Police believe thieves who used garage-door openers caught
cesmith@charlotteobserver.com
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said Wednesday they believe they caught two of the three thieves who have been using stolen garage-door openers to break into homes in southern Mecklenburg over the last two weeks.
The arrest followed a confrontation Wednesday afternoon between a suspect and a break-in victim, who used a golf club to defend himself, police said.
Capt. R. M. Golding of the South Division gave this account in an e-mailed release issued Wednesday evening:
Around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, thieves broke into an SUV parked at Providence Country Club off Providence Road, taking the garage-door opener and bills.
They then headed to the victim's home address, in the same neighborhood. The victim, near the golf course, noticed his dog in his yard after leaving the animal in his house. Returning to his house, he saw the burglars' vehicle parked in his driveway with the engine running. The resident took the keys to the thieves' van and went back to the golf course.
One of the suspects chased the victim onto the golf course and confronted him while brandishing a flag from the golf course. The victim was able to fend off the suspect with a golf club, the police account said.
An off-duty police officer, who works for Providence Country Club, happened to be in the area and was able to catch one suspect on the scene. Officials found a second suspect in the Longview Community in nearby Union County.
A third suspect is still on the loose. He is described as a young black male wearing a red shirt and jeans. He was six feet tall with an athletic build and had short to medium hair.
"Even though these individuals were apprehended today, we are still cautioning citizens not to leave garage door openers in their cars," Golding said in the e-mail.
CMPD arrest one of their most wanted
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested one of their top five most-wanted suspects this afternoon after someone called in a tip to the violent criminal apprehension team's hot line this morning.
David Lawon Cousart, 18, was wanted for assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, and breaking and entering. Police say he shot one person during the robbery.
The tip was called in around 10:20 a.m. and CMPD's SWAT and VCAT teams surrounded a house on Downs Avenue near The Plaza and Shamrock Drive in east Charlotte about three hours later.
As officers began to move in, Cousart made contact and surrendered without incident.
It was the second SWAT callout by police in as many days. On Tuesday, officers were involved in a four-hour standoff with a man wanted for stealing catalytic converters.
Police believe thieves who used garage-door openers caught
cesmith@charlotteobserver.com
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said Wednesday they believe they caught two of the three thieves who have been using stolen garage-door openers to break into homes in southern Mecklenburg over the last two weeks.
The arrest followed a confrontation Wednesday afternoon between a suspect and a break-in victim, who used a golf club to defend himself, police said.
Capt. R. M. Golding of the South Division gave this account in an e-mailed release issued Wednesday evening:
Around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, thieves broke into an SUV parked at Providence Country Club off Providence Road, taking the garage-door opener and bills.
They then headed to the victim's home address, in the same neighborhood. The victim, near the golf course, noticed his dog in his yard after leaving the animal in his house. Returning to his house, he saw the burglars' vehicle parked in his driveway with the engine running. The resident took the keys to the thieves' van and went back to the golf course.
One of the suspects chased the victim onto the golf course and confronted him while brandishing a flag from the golf course. The victim was able to fend off the suspect with a golf club, the police account said.
An off-duty police officer, who works for Providence Country Club, happened to be in the area and was able to catch one suspect on the scene. Officials found a second suspect in the Longview Community in nearby Union County.
A third suspect is still on the loose. He is described as a young black male wearing a red shirt and jeans. He was six feet tall with an athletic build and had short to medium hair.
"Even though these individuals were apprehended today, we are still cautioning citizens not to leave garage door openers in their cars," Golding said in the e-mail.
CMPD arrest one of their most wanted
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested one of their top five most-wanted suspects this afternoon after someone called in a tip to the violent criminal apprehension team's hot line this morning.
David Lawon Cousart, 18, was wanted for assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, and breaking and entering. Police say he shot one person during the robbery.
The tip was called in around 10:20 a.m. and CMPD's SWAT and VCAT teams surrounded a house on Downs Avenue near The Plaza and Shamrock Drive in east Charlotte about three hours later.
As officers began to move in, Cousart made contact and surrendered without incident.
It was the second SWAT callout by police in as many days. On Tuesday, officers were involved in a four-hour standoff with a man wanted for stealing catalytic converters.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
CRIME NEWS: Burglary Arrest In Providence Country Club
This is one of the emails sent by the CMPD. Please see the note at the bottom asking for sign-ups. It seems that you can sign up for these alerts two ways:
Go to cmpd.org, as mentioned below, and click on "notify me", or you can go directly to the site that I listed in my other post on the subject (4/11, 5:29pm).
Here's a link to an additional article about the arrests.
From: CMPD - South Division
Date: Apr 9, 2008 6:18 PM
Subject: Burglary arrest today in Providence Country Club
Burglary arrest today in Providence Country Club
At approximately 1:30 P. M. this afternoon, a burglary occurred at 6211 Providence Country Club Drive. The burglars first broke into the resident's SUV which was parked at Providence Country Club. The burglars took the garage door opener and some bills from the vehicle. The suspects were able to get the victim's address from one of the bills and went to the victim's residence. The burglars then went to the residence and used the victim's garage door opener to gain entry to his house.
The victim meanwhile had reached the first green when he noticed his dog in the yard. Since the victim had not left his dog outside, he went to check on his house and then saw the burglars’ vehicle parked in his driveway with the engine running. The resident could see the burglars in his house. The resident took the keys to the van and went back to the golf course. One of the suspects pursued the victim onto the golf course and confronted the victim while brandishing the flag / pin from the green. The victim was able to fend off the suspect by wielding a golf club.
There were two other suspects who left the residence. An off-duty officer who works for Providence Country Club happened to be passing by and was able to apprehend one suspect on the scene. A second suspect was located in the Longview Community in nearby Union County. A third suspect is still on the loose. He is described as a young black male wearing a red shirt and jeans. He was six feet tall with an athletic build and had short to medium left hair.
Based on the method of operation, we are speculating that these are the same individuals that were committing the series of “garage door opener” burglaries that have been occurring over the last two weeks.
Even though these individuals were apprehended today, we are still cautioning citizens not to leave garage door openers in their cars. Many brands of garage door openers offer smaller remotes that can be attached to a key ring. Also, don’t leave documents with your home address in your car. Of course, state law requires that you have your registration with you so consider placing the registration in a place only known to you or anyone who drives your vehicle.
As always, feel free to contact your community coordinator or myself at rgolding@cmpd.org for more information.
In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to help us expand this service. We currently have 1600 subscribers. With 137,000 residents in South Division, we need to have thousands more sign up so tell a friend or two to sign up for “notify me” at http://www.cmpd.org/.
Thank you,
Captain R. M. Golding
South Division
Go to cmpd.org, as mentioned below, and click on "notify me", or you can go directly to the site that I listed in my other post on the subject (4/11, 5:29pm).
Here's a link to an additional article about the arrests.
From: CMPD - South Division
Date: Apr 9, 2008 6:18 PM
Subject: Burglary arrest today in Providence Country Club
Burglary arrest today in Providence Country Club
At approximately 1:30 P. M. this afternoon, a burglary occurred at 6211 Providence Country Club Drive. The burglars first broke into the resident's SUV which was parked at Providence Country Club. The burglars took the garage door opener and some bills from the vehicle. The suspects were able to get the victim's address from one of the bills and went to the victim's residence. The burglars then went to the residence and used the victim's garage door opener to gain entry to his house.
The victim meanwhile had reached the first green when he noticed his dog in the yard. Since the victim had not left his dog outside, he went to check on his house and then saw the burglars’ vehicle parked in his driveway with the engine running. The resident could see the burglars in his house. The resident took the keys to the van and went back to the golf course. One of the suspects pursued the victim onto the golf course and confronted the victim while brandishing the flag / pin from the green. The victim was able to fend off the suspect by wielding a golf club.
There were two other suspects who left the residence. An off-duty officer who works for Providence Country Club happened to be passing by and was able to apprehend one suspect on the scene. A second suspect was located in the Longview Community in nearby Union County. A third suspect is still on the loose. He is described as a young black male wearing a red shirt and jeans. He was six feet tall with an athletic build and had short to medium left hair.
Based on the method of operation, we are speculating that these are the same individuals that were committing the series of “garage door opener” burglaries that have been occurring over the last two weeks.
Even though these individuals were apprehended today, we are still cautioning citizens not to leave garage door openers in their cars. Many brands of garage door openers offer smaller remotes that can be attached to a key ring. Also, don’t leave documents with your home address in your car. Of course, state law requires that you have your registration with you so consider placing the registration in a place only known to you or anyone who drives your vehicle.
As always, feel free to contact your community coordinator or myself at rgolding@cmpd.org for more information.
In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to help us expand this service. We currently have 1600 subscribers. With 137,000 residents in South Division, we need to have thousands more sign up so tell a friend or two to sign up for “notify me” at http://www.cmpd.org/.
Thank you,
Captain R. M. Golding
South Division
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Keep an Eye Out: Suspicious Truck in Crown Colony?
One of our neighbors, from Crown Colony, sent the following note, describing a suspicious Penske moving truck seen in their neighborhood. If you see something similarly suspicious in Kellers Glen, please alert Chris Evans.
From: AMCAPC@aol.com
Subject: Suspicious truck?
One of my neighbors called me over the weekend to say she had seen a yellow Penske truck driving between Crown Colony and Bishop's Ridge last week that concerned her. The first time it was seen, the truck was apparently zipping through our neighborhood pretty fast, which is why it drew attention, so my neighbor followed it and was able to get the license plate number.
A few days later she saw the same truck with the same driver, and in light of recent events, she became concerned about more than the speeding issue. She asked me to check around to see if there might be an African-American neighbor in one of your neighborhoods who drives a Penske truck, or if someone over there moved over a few days last week and used Penske. No one wants to jump to conclusions, but we don't want to miss anything potentially important either.
Thanks.
Alice Council
Crown Colony
From: AMCAPC@aol.com
Subject: Suspicious truck?
One of my neighbors called me over the weekend to say she had seen a yellow Penske truck driving between Crown Colony and Bishop's Ridge last week that concerned her. The first time it was seen, the truck was apparently zipping through our neighborhood pretty fast, which is why it drew attention, so my neighbor followed it and was able to get the license plate number.
A few days later she saw the same truck with the same driver, and in light of recent events, she became concerned about more than the speeding issue. She asked me to check around to see if there might be an African-American neighbor in one of your neighborhoods who drives a Penske truck, or if someone over there moved over a few days last week and used Penske. No one wants to jump to conclusions, but we don't want to miss anything potentially important either.
Thanks.
Alice Council
Crown Colony
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
CRIME NEWS: Update On Providence Commons Break-In
Chris forwarded along the following note, which has some additional information pertaining to yesterday's break-in at Providence Commons. In addition, it reiterates the meeting on April 19 mentioned in a previous post. It also provides some clarification about the police response time, which may or may not actually make you feel any better.
From: CharMeck.org [mailto:webrequests@ci.charlotte.nc.us]
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 10:07 PM
Subject: CharMeck.org Independence News (28105, 28211, 28212, 28227, 28270) Update
Residential Burglaries in the Providence Commons Area
Greetings,
There was a first degree burglary on Garamond Ct this morning, April 1, 2008, at approximately 3:08 a.m. (Providence Commons Community). Fortunately, the occupants were not injured. That was the second burglary at that residence in less than a month. There have been a total of nine residential burglaries in a half mile radius of Garamond Ct since March 1. Our burglary detectives are working diligently to solve those crimes and patrol activities have been increased.
Suspect information:
Suspect #1: B/M, 20 years old, 5’11”, light skin, small build.
Suspect #2: Unknown description
Suspect vehicle: Gold 2000 Lexus RX300 SUV; New York license plate number – 734GTD (driven by suspect #2)
Unfortunately, there has been some misinformation regarding the police response time to Garamond Ct. The call was initially received at 3:08:45 a.m. Officers were dispatched at 3:09:51, and the first officer arrived at 3:20:26. Therefore, the first officer arrived in 10 minutes and 35 second after being dispatched. Our department endeavors to respond to emergency call within 10 minutes; however, sometimes circumstances prohibit us from doing so.
There will be a community meeting at Providence Day School on Saturday, April 19, 2008, at 8:30 a.m. to discuss crime and quality of life issues. I encourage all interested community members who reside in and around the communities of Bishop’s Ridge, Hampton Leas, Kellers Glen, and Providence Commons to attend. Councilman Andy Dulin will be in attendance.
Please contact Sgt. Scott Geiler at 704-841-4918 or sgeiler@cmpd.org if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Captain Davis
From: CharMeck.org [mailto:webrequests@ci.charlotte.nc.us]
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 10:07 PM
Subject: CharMeck.org Independence News (28105, 28211, 28212, 28227, 28270) Update
Residential Burglaries in the Providence Commons Area
Greetings,
There was a first degree burglary on Garamond Ct this morning, April 1, 2008, at approximately 3:08 a.m. (Providence Commons Community). Fortunately, the occupants were not injured. That was the second burglary at that residence in less than a month. There have been a total of nine residential burglaries in a half mile radius of Garamond Ct since March 1. Our burglary detectives are working diligently to solve those crimes and patrol activities have been increased.
Suspect information:
Suspect #1: B/M, 20 years old, 5’11”, light skin, small build.
Suspect #2: Unknown description
Suspect vehicle: Gold 2000 Lexus RX300 SUV; New York license plate number – 734GTD (driven by suspect #2)
Unfortunately, there has been some misinformation regarding the police response time to Garamond Ct. The call was initially received at 3:08:45 a.m. Officers were dispatched at 3:09:51, and the first officer arrived at 3:20:26. Therefore, the first officer arrived in 10 minutes and 35 second after being dispatched. Our department endeavors to respond to emergency call within 10 minutes; however, sometimes circumstances prohibit us from doing so.
There will be a community meeting at Providence Day School on Saturday, April 19, 2008, at 8:30 a.m. to discuss crime and quality of life issues. I encourage all interested community members who reside in and around the communities of Bishop’s Ridge, Hampton Leas, Kellers Glen, and Providence Commons to attend. Councilman Andy Dulin will be in attendance.
Please contact Sgt. Scott Geiler at 704-841-4918 or sgeiler@cmpd.org if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Captain Davis
CRIME NEWS: Police Update Via News Reporter
Chris emailed the neighborhood earlier today, passing along a note from a reporter he spoke to, who had an update from the CMPD:
Just wanted to update you on some things I found out since you were so helpful. I did not realize when I spoke to you which neighborhood Providence Commons was. I was thinking of a different neighborhood I’d been in a few months ago. It turns out the police sent out an email this evening, informing everyone that there have been 9 break-ins since March 1st in a half-mile radius of the home invasion, and they are increasing patrols. We ran into them when we did our 11PM live shot from the neighborhood. Also, they are encouraging everyone to come to the April meeting.
Thanks again for your help, let me know if anything else comes up.
Michelle Boudin
Reporter, WCNC-TV
Just wanted to update you on some things I found out since you were so helpful. I did not realize when I spoke to you which neighborhood Providence Commons was. I was thinking of a different neighborhood I’d been in a few months ago. It turns out the police sent out an email this evening, informing everyone that there have been 9 break-ins since March 1st in a half-mile radius of the home invasion, and they are increasing patrols. We ran into them when we did our 11PM live shot from the neighborhood. Also, they are encouraging everyone to come to the April meeting.
Thanks again for your help, let me know if anything else comes up.
Michelle Boudin
Reporter, WCNC-TV
UPDATE: Limited Lawn Watering Allowed Starting 4/5
Charlotte-Meckenburg Utilities posted the following on their website today:
One day per week lawn watering OK starting Saturday, April 5 2008
Following the latest drought update and continued reports of improving water supplies along the Catawba River, water use restrictions in Charlotte-Mecklenburg will be amended to allow lawn watering one day per week, starting this weekend.
Effective at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 5, the amended restrictions for all Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities customers are as follows: Lawn watering, including the operation of a sprinkler system, is permitted one day per week.
> Customers with odd-numbered addresses may water lawns on Saturdays.
> Customers with even-numbered addresses may water lawns on Sundays.
REMEMBER: Your watering day ends at midnight.
All other restrictions remain in effect - residential car-washing, refilling of empty swimming pools and operation of ornamental fountains are still prohibited activities.
The amended restriction on lawn-watering follows yesterday's drought and water supply update by Duke Energy during a meeting of the Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group (DMAG), and a DMAG news release issued yesterday afternoon stating that all members agreed moving to allow one day per week of lawn watering is an appropriate step at this time.
The DMAG includes nearly 2 dozen community water systems and other significant water users between Lenoir, N.C. and Camden, S.C. During yesterday's DMAG meeting, Duke Energy confirmed lake levels are in relatively good shape for the time being, the U.S. Drought Monitor status has improved slightly and stream flows are looking better. Allowing one day per week of lawn watering is permissible within the regional drought response plan's Stage III restriction guidelines.
Updated restrictions for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities customers were subsequently recommended by Utilities Director Doug Bean and formally authorized today by Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton. The move replaces an outright ban on lawn watering enacted first along the Catawba basin by Charlotte-Mecklenburg on September 26, 2007 - a time when water supply levels were dropping rapidly due to high temperatures and persistent lack of rainfall.
"Conservation is still critical but things are looking up," said Maeneen Klein, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Water Conservation Manager. "We remain in the same stage of drought, but the combination of improved lake levels, Drought Monitor and stream flows is enough to amend restrictions for now and still remain consistent with the regional drought response plan. Another shift in the weather may require us to tighten the rules again later, but for now allowing limited lawn watering is a reasonable step that balances environmental and water supply needs with business and economic needs."
Mandatory details and conservation tips are available at www.cmutilities.com. Additional water-saving information is available at saveyourwater.org. Customers may also contact the City-County customer service center by dialing 311 or 704.336.7600.
One day per week lawn watering OK starting Saturday, April 5 2008
Following the latest drought update and continued reports of improving water supplies along the Catawba River, water use restrictions in Charlotte-Mecklenburg will be amended to allow lawn watering one day per week, starting this weekend.
Effective at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 5, the amended restrictions for all Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities customers are as follows: Lawn watering, including the operation of a sprinkler system, is permitted one day per week.
> Customers with odd-numbered addresses may water lawns on Saturdays.
> Customers with even-numbered addresses may water lawns on Sundays.
REMEMBER: Your watering day ends at midnight.
All other restrictions remain in effect - residential car-washing, refilling of empty swimming pools and operation of ornamental fountains are still prohibited activities.
The amended restriction on lawn-watering follows yesterday's drought and water supply update by Duke Energy during a meeting of the Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group (DMAG), and a DMAG news release issued yesterday afternoon stating that all members agreed moving to allow one day per week of lawn watering is an appropriate step at this time.
The DMAG includes nearly 2 dozen community water systems and other significant water users between Lenoir, N.C. and Camden, S.C. During yesterday's DMAG meeting, Duke Energy confirmed lake levels are in relatively good shape for the time being, the U.S. Drought Monitor status has improved slightly and stream flows are looking better. Allowing one day per week of lawn watering is permissible within the regional drought response plan's Stage III restriction guidelines.
Updated restrictions for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities customers were subsequently recommended by Utilities Director Doug Bean and formally authorized today by Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton. The move replaces an outright ban on lawn watering enacted first along the Catawba basin by Charlotte-Mecklenburg on September 26, 2007 - a time when water supply levels were dropping rapidly due to high temperatures and persistent lack of rainfall.
"Conservation is still critical but things are looking up," said Maeneen Klein, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Water Conservation Manager. "We remain in the same stage of drought, but the combination of improved lake levels, Drought Monitor and stream flows is enough to amend restrictions for now and still remain consistent with the regional drought response plan. Another shift in the weather may require us to tighten the rules again later, but for now allowing limited lawn watering is a reasonable step that balances environmental and water supply needs with business and economic needs."
Mandatory details and conservation tips are available at www.cmutilities.com. Additional water-saving information is available at saveyourwater.org. Customers may also contact the City-County customer service center by dialing 311 or 704.336.7600.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
CRIME NEWS: Providence Commons at 3:00am
A Kellers Glen neighbor passed along the following email string to the neighborhood earlier this afternoon. As with the previous post of emails like this, it likely makes more sense to read this post from the bottom up.
I'd also like to bring your attention to the upcoming meeting on April 19th that Officer Cristy mentioned below. Might be a good opportunity to get some answers from people with the authority to accomplish something.
She wrote:
This is by far the worse one I have read! PROVIDENCE COMMONS at 3am while people were home. See the attached emails!
===============================
From: McDaniel, Monica
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 12:15 PM
Subject: reply from CMPD - Ofcr. Christy
Below reply received from Officer Christy:
Thank you for the e-mail Monica.
We have been experiencing some B/E’s in the southern portion of our district and have been taking some steps to address them. I know of two officers who have been directed to spend a LARGE majority of their time focusing on the neighborhoods along Sardis Rd and Providence Rd(that falls within our district).
My duties have changed somewhat over the last three months and the two community officers in your area are Officer Brent Helms and Officer Jim Brown. These officers have been working with several neighborhoods in the Sardis Rd and Providence Rd area.
There has been a community meeting scheduled for Saturday, April 19th at 0830 am at the Providence Day School Gymnasium. The focus of the meeting will be on reducing crime with several representatives from the Criminal Justice system as well as ELECTED OFFICIALS!!
I want to invite you and your neighbors to the meeting.
Please let me know if you have any questions regarding anything.
For now, we need to stress the importance of calling 911 at the sight of ANY suspicious activity. Stress to neighbors to look out for each other, “the eyes and ears of the neighborhood”. Please know that the CMPD is aggressively pursuing all leads and attempting to identify and arrest suspects in these cases.
We encourage you and your neighbors to share any information they may get.
Dave
Officer David Cristy
Independence Division
Response Area 2 Coordinator
9315G Monroe Rd
(o) 704-841-1477
(f) 704-841-1873
===============================
From: McDaniel, Monica
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 9:16 AM
Subject: RE: Neigh.Watch--BOLD Break-In Last Night--Garamond!
I wrote the below email to our CMPD liaison(s) this morning:
Officer Christy and Helms-
The Providence Commons neighborhood has experienced 4 home invasions/robberies in the past 10 days. The most recent occurred last night on Garamond Court at 3:00am while the family was home sleeping. Unfortunately, this same family was also robbed last week during daylight hours. We can only assume it was repeat offenders from the same ring.
During last night's robbery, the family locked themselves behind bedroom doors while being threatened with their life. Their home alarm was activated (front door kicked in) but it took the police 15-20 minutes to arrive. Having your home robbed while you are away at work is bad enough, having your home invaded in the middle of the night while sleeping is a nightmare. The frequency of occurrence and bold actions of the thieves really needs to be dealt with head on.
What can we do in partnership with CMPD to bring peace of mind to Providence Commons and surrounding neighborhoods?
Monica McDaniel
===============================
From: Servicepeople@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 8:30 AM
Subject: Neigh.Watch--BOLD Break-In Last Night--Garamond!
Michael and Crystal's house was hit again at 3 am (last night/today). I believe it was two black men who kicked the front door in while Crystal, Michael and their 22 year old daughter Erica locked themselves in their rooms.
Michael yelled at the men and was told to "Shut up or I will f---ing kill you!" Crystal thought she would not make it out of the situation alive. They stole her 2008 Honda Accord right out of their garage.
They arrived in a Lexus which was later found in Grier Heights (Eastside of Charlotte) burned. As of this morning her car had not been found. While neighbors heard the door being kicked in and immediately called the police, it took the police almost 20 minutes to arrive.
We need to be vigilant and keep close watch around here. It appears the Char-Meck police are turning a blind eye to crime in our area.
Thanks.
Jill (from Providence Commons)
I'd also like to bring your attention to the upcoming meeting on April 19th that Officer Cristy mentioned below. Might be a good opportunity to get some answers from people with the authority to accomplish something.
She wrote:
This is by far the worse one I have read! PROVIDENCE COMMONS at 3am while people were home. See the attached emails!
===============================
From: McDaniel, Monica
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 12:15 PM
Subject: reply from CMPD - Ofcr. Christy
Below reply received from Officer Christy:
Thank you for the e-mail Monica.
We have been experiencing some B/E’s in the southern portion of our district and have been taking some steps to address them. I know of two officers who have been directed to spend a LARGE majority of their time focusing on the neighborhoods along Sardis Rd and Providence Rd(that falls within our district).
My duties have changed somewhat over the last three months and the two community officers in your area are Officer Brent Helms and Officer Jim Brown. These officers have been working with several neighborhoods in the Sardis Rd and Providence Rd area.
There has been a community meeting scheduled for Saturday, April 19th at 0830 am at the Providence Day School Gymnasium. The focus of the meeting will be on reducing crime with several representatives from the Criminal Justice system as well as ELECTED OFFICIALS!!
I want to invite you and your neighbors to the meeting.
Please let me know if you have any questions regarding anything.
For now, we need to stress the importance of calling 911 at the sight of ANY suspicious activity. Stress to neighbors to look out for each other, “the eyes and ears of the neighborhood”. Please know that the CMPD is aggressively pursuing all leads and attempting to identify and arrest suspects in these cases.
We encourage you and your neighbors to share any information they may get.
Dave
Officer David Cristy
Independence Division
Response Area 2 Coordinator
9315G Monroe Rd
(o) 704-841-1477
(f) 704-841-1873
===============================
From: McDaniel, Monica
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 9:16 AM
Subject: RE: Neigh.Watch--BOLD Break-In Last Night--Garamond!
I wrote the below email to our CMPD liaison(s) this morning:
Officer Christy and Helms-
The Providence Commons neighborhood has experienced 4 home invasions/robberies in the past 10 days. The most recent occurred last night on Garamond Court at 3:00am while the family was home sleeping. Unfortunately, this same family was also robbed last week during daylight hours. We can only assume it was repeat offenders from the same ring.
During last night's robbery, the family locked themselves behind bedroom doors while being threatened with their life. Their home alarm was activated (front door kicked in) but it took the police 15-20 minutes to arrive. Having your home robbed while you are away at work is bad enough, having your home invaded in the middle of the night while sleeping is a nightmare. The frequency of occurrence and bold actions of the thieves really needs to be dealt with head on.
What can we do in partnership with CMPD to bring peace of mind to Providence Commons and surrounding neighborhoods?
Monica McDaniel
===============================
From: Servicepeople@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 8:30 AM
Subject: Neigh.Watch--BOLD Break-In Last Night--Garamond!
Michael and Crystal's house was hit again at 3 am (last night/today). I believe it was two black men who kicked the front door in while Crystal, Michael and their 22 year old daughter Erica locked themselves in their rooms.
Michael yelled at the men and was told to "Shut up or I will f---ing kill you!" Crystal thought she would not make it out of the situation alive. They stole her 2008 Honda Accord right out of their garage.
They arrived in a Lexus which was later found in Grier Heights (Eastside of Charlotte) burned. As of this morning her car had not been found. While neighbors heard the door being kicked in and immediately called the police, it took the police almost 20 minutes to arrive.
We need to be vigilant and keep close watch around here. It appears the Char-Meck police are turning a blind eye to crime in our area.
Thanks.
Jill (from Providence Commons)
CRIME NEWS: Monday in Beverly Crest
This morning, Chris forwarded along a note from the Neighborhood Watch captain in Bishop's Ridge, about a break-in yesterday in Beverly Crest.
Did everyone see where there was a home break-in at Beverly Crest yesterday afternoon? (I think it was yesterday afternoon; I saw a story about it on the local news, WSOC w/Mark Becker.) A woman came home from work in the afternoon and noticed the electrical box on the side of her house was removed and a window was broken...glass was smashed...she then saw two young men running across the street with their arms full of goods from her home.
She shouted at them, "What are you doing?" and one yelled back, "We are breaking into your home!" Pretty brazen I'd say.
Seems to me the homes closest to Providence Rd. (for a quick getaway) are those most in danger.
Marie Wilkinson, Bishops Ridge
Did everyone see where there was a home break-in at Beverly Crest yesterday afternoon? (I think it was yesterday afternoon; I saw a story about it on the local news, WSOC w/Mark Becker.) A woman came home from work in the afternoon and noticed the electrical box on the side of her house was removed and a window was broken...glass was smashed...she then saw two young men running across the street with their arms full of goods from her home.
She shouted at them, "What are you doing?" and one yelled back, "We are breaking into your home!" Pretty brazen I'd say.
Seems to me the homes closest to Providence Rd. (for a quick getaway) are those most in danger.
Marie Wilkinson, Bishops Ridge
CRIME NEWS: Police Looking For A Suspect
Although Chris wasn't sure whether this is related to the recent rash of break-ins we've experienced in our neighborhood, he emailed the following news article to the neighborhood this morning.
Charlotte Police Searching For Men Involved In String Of Crimes
To comment on this story, e-mail Mark Becker.
UPDATED: 6:28 pm EDT March 31, 2008
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Police in Charlotte said three men may be responsible for a string of break-ins and stolen cars that started last week. Detectives are asking officers to watch for a silver Lexus SUV that was stolen during a break-in on Thursday off Randolph Road in Charlotte.
That same SUV was used in a series of break-ins, including two off Providence Road in south Charlotte on Friday and one near Mountain Island Lake on Monday morning.
In two of the break-ins, homeowners came home to find the thieves in their homes, but the men managed to get away. That SUV is a 2000 Lexus RX 300 with a license plate NRX 3159. If you see that car, police want you to call 911.
Charlotte Police Searching For Men Involved In String Of Crimes
To comment on this story, e-mail Mark Becker.
UPDATED: 6:28 pm EDT March 31, 2008
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Police in Charlotte said three men may be responsible for a string of break-ins and stolen cars that started last week. Detectives are asking officers to watch for a silver Lexus SUV that was stolen during a break-in on Thursday off Randolph Road in Charlotte.
That same SUV was used in a series of break-ins, including two off Providence Road in south Charlotte on Friday and one near Mountain Island Lake on Monday morning.
In two of the break-ins, homeowners came home to find the thieves in their homes, but the men managed to get away. That SUV is a 2000 Lexus RX 300 with a license plate NRX 3159. If you see that car, police want you to call 911.
HOA NEWS: HOA Board Working Toward Better Communication With Nearby Neighborhoods
One of the residents of Hampton Leas (Leslie Vilhelmsen) has been in touch with Chris Evans and the Homeowner's Association over the past 24 hours or so.
One of the notes had been sent to the entire neighborhood email list, but there have been additional follow-ups between the Board and Leslie -- who is in touch with various area neighborhoods (Providence Commons, Crown Colony, Bishop's Ridge, and Hampton Leas) -- regarding the set-up of some more formal communications between our neighborhood and our various neighbors.
No decisions have been made regarding any meetings or format, scheduling, or any details (e.g., whether this will just be the various Boards or Neighborhood Watch captains getting together, or whether it will be a larger neighborhoods-wide undertaking).
But, as someone who's becoming equally frightened and ticked off about the recent rash of crime over the past couple months, I figured I'd share with the neighborhood that Jill, Mindy, Melanie, and Chris are working diligently toward setting something up, and at the least doing what they can to make communication between our neighborhoods more efficient.
Stay tuned for updates from the Board and/or Chris.
In the meantime, I've included part of one of Leslie's notes, which talks about some of the "history" of some of the criminal activities, and specific methods being used. This is becoming ridiculously redundant, but I once learned from G.I. Joe that "knowing is half the battle." Sigh.
-- B.J.
===================
Leslie wrote:
Hey Chris, I am so sorry to hear about your incident. We are all feeling so frightened and angry that this is happening! I did not know you had three incidents. Wow! What streets were they on?
We have had a rash of vehicle break ins. It seems to come in waves. They will 'hit' 3-6 vehicles in one evening (we think evening or early morning) then it will be quiet for 2-4 months and then they 'hit' again. This has been going on for about 1 1/2 years...Half of our homes do not have garages or if they do, they park outside of the garage.
They seem to be getting bolder. It used to be only the vehicles on the street, now the car can be parked in the driveway but on an incline just outside the door of the home! These cars are usually locked, though not always.
Items are stowed away (hidden) but they seem to find them AND they have stolen two vehicle registrations. The police do not know why the registrations at this time....The police have told me to tell our group the following: Do not leave anything valuable in the vehicle...even if hidden!! They really stressed the valuables issue. If you are the sole driver of a vehicle place vehicle registration in your wallet or if not, lock registration in glove box!
I guess you have heard about the newest crime, that they are stealing garage door openers and vehicle registrations to break in homes. Hide the garage door opener as well...
One of the notes had been sent to the entire neighborhood email list, but there have been additional follow-ups between the Board and Leslie -- who is in touch with various area neighborhoods (Providence Commons, Crown Colony, Bishop's Ridge, and Hampton Leas) -- regarding the set-up of some more formal communications between our neighborhood and our various neighbors.
No decisions have been made regarding any meetings or format, scheduling, or any details (e.g., whether this will just be the various Boards or Neighborhood Watch captains getting together, or whether it will be a larger neighborhoods-wide undertaking).
But, as someone who's becoming equally frightened and ticked off about the recent rash of crime over the past couple months, I figured I'd share with the neighborhood that Jill, Mindy, Melanie, and Chris are working diligently toward setting something up, and at the least doing what they can to make communication between our neighborhoods more efficient.
Stay tuned for updates from the Board and/or Chris.
In the meantime, I've included part of one of Leslie's notes, which talks about some of the "history" of some of the criminal activities, and specific methods being used. This is becoming ridiculously redundant, but I once learned from G.I. Joe that "knowing is half the battle." Sigh.
-- B.J.
===================
Leslie wrote:
Hey Chris, I am so sorry to hear about your incident. We are all feeling so frightened and angry that this is happening! I did not know you had three incidents. Wow! What streets were they on?
We have had a rash of vehicle break ins. It seems to come in waves. They will 'hit' 3-6 vehicles in one evening (we think evening or early morning) then it will be quiet for 2-4 months and then they 'hit' again. This has been going on for about 1 1/2 years...Half of our homes do not have garages or if they do, they park outside of the garage.
They seem to be getting bolder. It used to be only the vehicles on the street, now the car can be parked in the driveway but on an incline just outside the door of the home! These cars are usually locked, though not always.
Items are stowed away (hidden) but they seem to find them AND they have stolen two vehicle registrations. The police do not know why the registrations at this time....The police have told me to tell our group the following: Do not leave anything valuable in the vehicle...even if hidden!! They really stressed the valuables issue. If you are the sole driver of a vehicle place vehicle registration in your wallet or if not, lock registration in glove box!
I guess you have heard about the newest crime, that they are stealing garage door openers and vehicle registrations to break in homes. Hide the garage door opener as well...
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