Crime Blotter: 30030 Decatur Burglaries On Rise

Since March 1, Decatur - 30030 - has been hit with 14 burglaries, including five within city limits.

Burglars have hit three Archstone Crossing apartments, which have security gates, off DeKalb Industrial Way in the unincorporated DeKalb section of Decatur. Another burglary in the same complex took place in early February.

Burglars appear to be hitting the apartments either in the early morning or between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., according to Crimemapping.com, the service used by DeKalb County Police Department to track crimes.

"We take matters regarding crime at our communities seriously and are working on a number of measures to address the situation," said Patricia Shelton, Archstone's vice president of operations for the Atlanta Market. "As these types of crimes are unusual for the community, we are in discussions with the DeKalb County Police Department and our residents to work together in putting best practices in place."

According to police reports, residents left windows open or cracked, which is how burglars gained entry in three of the cases. The other was a forced entry.

Archstone, an international apartment investment firm, rents its one to three bedroom Decatur apartments ranging in price from $800 to $1,500, according to the company website. The website also says that renters insurance is a requirement.

"Recently, we've held several community meetings, including one in partnership with the police department," Shelton said. "While we can't eliminate all crime from the community, we're confident that by working together we can minimize it and stop the recent pattern. In addition, our ground floor apartments are equipped with alarms for our residents to enable at their discretion."

In addition to Archstone, another burglary occurred in the Ashbury , where five others in the vicinity have happened since Jan. 16. The burglary happened on Tuesday, March 29, in the 1000 block of Ashbury Drive.

Other burglaries include:

- Residence in the 700 block of Derrydown Way on Wednesday, March 9 at 7:30 a.m., in unincorporated DeKalb.

- Residence in the 900 block of South Candler St. at approximately 6:25 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, in City of Decatur.

- Residence in the 500 block of Kirk Road at 4:49 a.m., on Sunday, March 27, in City of Decatur.

In addition to the above burglaries, a on March 23 on Kirk Road, near where it intersects at South Columbia Drive. See the story on Patch .

Other crimes in 30030 Decatur (including parts of unincorporated DeKalb):

Breaking and entering: 2

Vehicle break-ins: 8 (including two during College Heights PTA meeting on 3/17)

Theft of auto: 6

Theft by taking: 9

Vandalism: 1

Theft/Larceny: 7

Assault: 4 

And 1 stolen vehicle was recovered.

If you have any tips that can help, please contact DeKalb County Police at 770-724-7600 or the City of Decatur Police at 404-373-6551.