The East Lake Terrace neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia, is reportedly facing an epidemic of burglaries with dozens of break-ins occurring in recent months.
“I know three neighbors that have been broken into three times each…the items that are usually taken are electronics…the entries are often a window that’s not set right,” said resident Chris Durham-Henderson, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
Durham-Henderson told the outlet that neither Atlanta nor DeKalb County Police have been able to solve the problem, and that there have been a total of 60 reports of break-ins filed since August 2022 – all of which are still active investigations.
“Very frustrating…to the point that some people have sold or moved…they don’t feel there’s enough action from the police not in just patrolling but in solving the crimes that are already there as well,” Durham-Henderson added.
DeKalb County Police Chief Mirtha Ramos said she understands the residents’ frustration during an interview with Fox 5 Atlanta’s Joi Dukes.
“It’s frustrating anytime you’re a victim of a crime and you’re not getting the information that you think you need,” she said. “We do want to get to the bottom of this…we don’t want anyone living in fear in DeKalb County.”
No arrests have been made despite investigations and increased patrols in the area. According to Ramos, that is because burglaries are very difficult to solve.
“The national clearance rate is about 13 percent and while we are at 23 percent, we still think that number is too low,” Ramos said.
