Savannah Property Crimes Spike

Police officials in Savannah today took responsibility for a sharp rise in property crime. Savannah-Chatham Metro Police Chief Michael Berkow released preliminary crime numbers for 2008. And they show that while the economy tanked, thieves and burglars had a good year

Property crimes in Savannah jumped an eye-popping 14% last year. Chief Berkow went before microphones and senior staff and didn't even try to downplay the numbers in year-end crime statistics.

"I can't and I won't sugar-coat the property crimes," he says. "We got our butt kicked this year."

Car thefts, purse snatchings and that bicycle that someone took from your yard in broad daylight -- they're all up. Even while violent crimes decreased about 3%, Chatham County residents lost all types of things to criminals who refuse to get their own. Michael Shortt's laptop and camera were stolen from a locked car in two-separate burglaries.

"It's the same problem that Savannah's always had," Shortt says. "It's property crimes."

Shortt is an anti-crime activist who hosts a local television show on legal issues. He admits, he virtually invited the thief to take his stuff by leaving it in plain sight, a common complaint by police.

"By the same token, you can't help but feel violated," he says. "I mean, your car's parked in your neighborhood and you went to the trouble to lock your car and you can't leave the tiniest thing in there."

Other crimes showed better numbers. Homicides remained relatively steady at 26, rapes decreased by more than half to 37 and a five-year trend showed all violent crimes going down, even while population increased. Rolfe Glover is a money manager who leads a city crime task force. He credits Chief Berkow for improving police operations since he came to office about two-years-ago, but says he's withholding judgement on the property crime numbers.

"What we have seen recently of this police force is that it seems to be organized in a way that can react and be responsive to crime trends," Glover says. "And it'll be a test for this new organization to see if they can react quickly and deal with this issue."

For his part, Chief Berkow is both stopping and passing the buck.

"We accept responsibility for that. We're addressing that. We're attacking it," he says. "But, we're part of the criminal justice system. And we are dramatically impacted by the reality that over 40% of the individuals we've arrested for burglary are still out on the street.

Berkow blames increased property crimes on the down economy and budget cut backs in state crime labs, parole offices, federal grants and the corrections department. He says, the real eye-popping figure is the number of repeat offenders being let loose.

Families of crime victims testify before senate c'tee

Family members and crime victim advocates on Thursday testified before the Senate Victim’s Rights Study Committee in Douglas County.

The panel is charged with examining how Georgia’s criminal justice system deals with those left behind when a loved one is the victim of a violent crime.

Heard county resident Kelly Wiggins testified before the panel, which met in the Douglasville County Courthouse.

Wiggins' testifies before the panel: allowing pretaped testimony will allow "closure" for grieving families. (Dave Bender)

Wiggins' sister Marie was shot to death in Douglas County in 2004.

Wiggins implored the panel to consider pretaped video testimony for family members traumatized in court trials:

“…it would give people in the future, and parents the opportunity to say, ‘You know what? That was my right. That’s the only right I have as a victim to speak. And I did it. I couldn’t speak words at the time, but I did it in advance and the jury heard, in my own words, how this crime has affected me.’ It’s really, really important.”

Carrollton Republican Senator Bill Hamrick chairs the five-member committee, which was established in May, 2008. The committee will report its findings to the 2009 General Assembly.

Click here for more GPB coverage of criminal issues.

Property Crime Up Where the Economy is Down

Property crime in two economically troubled Northwest Georgia cities is on the rise, according to data compiled by the Dalton and Rome police departments.

In Rome, crime statistics show an increase of about 30 more burglaries and property theft cases since this time last year. In February, there were over 100 of these cases. Similar crimes in Dalton rose about ten percent during the same time period. Both rates are higher than the national average.

The two towns are entering recession, and a Rome police department spokesman told GPB "anytime there’s tough times economically there’s some increase" in property crimes.

The statistics also show an increase of DUI, and domestic disturbances in Dalton.

The overall crime rate, including violent offenses, is down.

GBI, FBI tackle cyber-crime

The Federal and Georgia Bureaus of Investigation are taking aim at cyber-crime at a new training center.

Officials say the recently established FBI and GBI facility will be used to investigate child pornography, fraud, identity theft and other computer-related crimes.

GBI Director Vernon Keenan says the training is specialized and the gear is high tech:

"We're talking about equipment that allows the investigator to interface with the service provider; software which allows the investigator to capture electronic images and to download data, so that it is held as evidence and can be presented in court."

The facility is located at FBI headquarters in Atlanta, and has held several training classes since it began operations two months ago. 70 police and sheriff's departments statewide are taking part in the program.

Keenan added that the facility will reduce training costs, since local law-enforcement officials will not have to travel to FBI headquarters in Washington.

The FBI officials say cyber-crime fraud costs the US $4 billion dollars annually.

2 Crime Victims Kill Suspected Assailants

Police say two crime victims in metro Atlanta killed their attackers in separate incidents on Saturday.

Cobb County police say a Marietta resident, who was shot in his own garage Saturday night, grabbed the wound-be robber's gun and shot and killed the man.

Officials identified the would-be robber as 33-year-old John Harrison of Palmetto. Harrison shot and wounded 38-year-old homeowner, Richard Ellis, in the leg.

In Atlanta, police say a woman fatally stabbed a robbery suspect who broke into her apartment while her 11-year-old child slept.

The suspect was identified as 34-year-old Jerome Davis of Atlanta. The woman's name was not released.

No charges were filed in either case.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says over 120 thousand gun applications were submitted in 2008, an almost 80-percent jump from the roughly 68 thousand the year before.

Click here for more GPB News crime coverage.

(AP)

GA Supreme Court: new definition of kidnapping

The Supreme Court of Georgia has adopted a new legal standard for the crime of kidnapping, ruling that prosecutors must consider four factors before deciding that significant enough movement of a victim has occurred to warrant the charge of kidnapping. In a split 4-to-3 decision written by Presiding Justice Carol Hunstein, the Court has overturned a Georgia Court of Appeals decision and thrown out kidnapping charges against Joey Allen Garza of Lee County. The high court has upheld his convictions for false imprisonment and aggravated assault.

At issue is the amount of movement required to establish kidnapping. Traditionally, the movement requirement was one of great distance. “In its earliest incarnation, the common law crime of kidnapping required the movement of the victim out of the country,” the 18-page opinion says. Georgia’s first kidnapping statute required that the victim be transported across state or county lines. But increasingly, the majority finds, the state’s kidnapping law has been used to charge people with the more serious charge of kidnapping when the facts support the less serious crime of false imprisonment.

Accused crime-spree con pleads guilty

An ex-con who police say burned down a Georgia mansion while on a multistate crime spree has pleaded guilty to murder charges. Michael Woodbury admitted to killing a New Hampshire store manager along with two customers. Authorities say Woodbury got out of prison in Maine May 4th and headed South committing crimes. They say he broke into a home on St. Simons Island June 12th, then set it on fire.

Perdue Signs Victims' Rights Bills

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue has signed a pair of measures aimed at protecting victims' rights. One measure allows the loved ones of a slain victim to testify during the sentencing phase of a murder trial by offering a pre-recorded audio or video statement. Current law requires them to do so in person and without showing emotion. The second gives crime victims who have suffered a mental injury access to therapy and services. Georgia law now extends that help only to victims who suffered a physical injury. Today's signing coincides with National Crime Victim Rights Week and also featured relatives of victims in high-profile cases.

(Associated Press)

Ga. tops U.S. as source for recovered crime guns

Guns bought in Georgia were recovered from more crime scenes nationwide in 2007 than those bought in other states. The review of federal data by The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence shows 2,600 guns were traced to Georgia gun stores.

That figure ranks Georgia first, ahead of Florida and Texas, as a source for guns recovered in other states. Most weapons seized in Georgia crimes were also purchased here.

Alice Johnson, with Georgians for Gun Safety, says the numbers reflect Georgia’s gun-friendly reputation: “It’s a function of weak gun laws, easy access to firearms, significant numbers of gun shows, and swap meets, and flea markets, where these guns are sold without a background check.”

Some gun-rights advocates have criticized the report as misleading and insist, if anything, Georgia gun laws are too restrictive. In July, a new law will allow gun owners with permits to carry weapons on mass transit, into restaurants and in public parks.

(updated)

Senate committee approves limits on "no-knock" warrants

Police say "no-knock" search warrants are a critical crime-fighting tool at times when regular search warrants do not work.
“We have served search warrants before where, as soon as they see you coming, they’re running to the bathroom to either hide evidence or destroy evidence,” says Fayetteville Police Chief Steven Heaton. “And in the case of a gang house, where you’ve got weapons at home, or potentially have weapons at home, they’re hiding weapons and they’re hiding other evidence.”
Heaton says "no-knock" warrants give police a fighting chance in those instances.
But Atlanta Senator Vincent Fort says police are using them "wily nily." He belives if a judge had not given Atlanta police a no-knock warrant, 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston might be alive today.
Johnston died in a gun battle with police in November. The police had obtained a no-knock warrant, although evidence indicates that they had no real proof of crime occuring in Johnston's home.
Fort has offered a bill stating that officers could only obtain no-knock warrants if they could show a judge probable cause that lives would be in danger, and evidence would be destroyed otherwise. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the measure by an unanimous vote. Police say the measure limits their ability to obtain no-knock warrants, but not to the point where it would hinder their work.

Ga. Supreme Court adopts new kidnapping standards

Georgia's top court adopted a new legal standard for kidnapping, ruling that prosecutors must consider four factors before deciding to pursue kidnapping charges.

The Georgia Supreme Court's 4-3 decision Monday requires prosecutors to consider how far the victim was taken and whether the movement endangered the victim.

It also says authorities should weigh whether the movement occurred during the commission of a separate crime and whether it was a key part of that second crime.

The new standards came as part of an 18-page ruling that threw out kidnapping charges against Joey Allen Garza of Lee County. The court upheld his convictions for false imprisonment and aggravated assault.

Click here for more GPB News coverage about this issue.

(AP)

DNA frees convicted rapist

A man who spent nearly three decades behind bars for a rape he didn’t commit is free today. DNA evidence cleared 48-year-old John Jerome White of the crime. White left Macon State Prison last night, 27 years after a jury in Meriwether County convicted him of sexually assaulting an elderly woman. The Georgia Innocence Project worked to clear White of the crime.

Carroll County Man Charged in Amy Yates Murder

A judge in Carrollton ruled that a 20-year-old man accused of killing an eight-year-old neighbor in 2004 will be tried in Carroll County Juvenile Court. That's because Chris Gossett was 16 at the time of the crime.

A special grand jury decided to prosecute Gossett for involuntary manslaughter. Gossett, who is mentally retarded, was 16 when Amy Yates was strangled.

Last year, he admitted to committing the crime but later recanted. Because of his admission, however, a 14 year-old who had been serving time for the murder was set free.

Jeff Hunt with the Carroll county D-A's office says it will be a difficult case to prosecute.

"If it goes to a full-blown hearing in juvenile court... I mean, everything we used to try to get the first juvenile convicted is now going to be used against us," he said. "It's going to be used to exonerate Chris Gossett."

If convicted in Juvenile Court, Gossett faces less than a year in prison. That's because juvenile detention only goes until age 21.

Valdosta police warn of crime spree

Police in Valdosta say armed robbers are victimizing citizens in their homes. The crime spree in the south Georgia city prompted authorities to put out a warning about the rash of home invasions. Police say at least three armed robberies have occurred in homes over the past week-and-a-half. No arrests have been made. Police are turning to the public for help in solving the crimes.

Senator: Make Tampering w/ CRCT Scores a Crime

The CRCT testing scandal has officials considering whether to make it a crime to tamper with standardized test scores. Head of Georgia's Senate Education committee Dan Weber wants educators to know just how serious it is to mess with them.

"If you cheat and change answers... there should be criminal sanctions for that," said Senator Weber(R-Dunwoody), "These people, they're professionals. They're put in a position of trust and these families and our state rely on them to do the right thing or else the kids are cheated."

The Republican from Dunwoody is calling for the new law after a state audit of four schools revealed answers were changed on 5th grade CRCT tests to improve scores.

The Governor's office is evaluating whether a new law is necessary.

"There's clearly a law on the books that makes it illegal to tamper with government documents," said Governor's spokesperson Bert Brantley. "There's not one specifically for school documents and if we need to look at that we'll be glad to work with Senator Weber."

The investigation continues. So far, one principal has resigned from a Dekalb County school where tampering is suspected.

Columbus: FBI reports rise in violent attacks

The just-released FBI national crime report says violent crime in Columbus nearly doubled in 2006. A total of 1,188 violent crimes were reported last year, a rise of 992 from 2005.

The incidence of murders since 2005 stayed the same, at 22, according to the report. Columbus Police report that there were 17 murders, and chalk up the difference to a likely discrepancy in classification.

The number of reported rapes dropped from 24 to 16.

More information is available at the FBI website.

Launch of anti-dogfighting program

A group of religious leaders is taking on the crime of dogfighting. Today the Humane Society of the United States launched the "End Dogfighting in Atlanta" program. A contingent of Atlanta religious leaders will denounce the violence of dogfighting and sign a pledge to help combat the crime. It will focus on youth anti-violence intervention, dog training classes, community outreach and law enforcement partnerships.

(Associated Press)

GBI head calls for passage of hate crimes bill

The director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is urging state lawmakers to pass a hate crimes bill when it returns to work in January.

Vernon Keenan says this particular law would be a statement that a crime committed of hate or bias is a serious matter. Senate Bill 555, sponsored by Senate Democrat Vincent Fort of Atlanta, remains stalled in the Senate Rules Committee.

In 2000, the state Legislature passed a hate crimes law, only to have it struck down by the Georgia Supreme Court in 2005. It was called too vague. This version of the bill is more specific as to what constitutes a hate crime.

Budget cuts may close GBI crime labs

Law-enforcement officials confer near a Georgia Bureau of Investigation mobile lab in the parking lot of Doctors Hospital, Columbus, GA., after a shooting rampage there on March 27, 2008. (Dave Bender)

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation may close two of its eight crime labs. Forensics labs in Midland near Columbus, and Moultrie, in South Georgia are on the chopping block.

The move comes after Governor Sonny Perdue asked all state agencies to cut their budgets by six percent.

The GBI’s John Bankhead says he’s still not sure what will happen to the employees:

"I don't know at this point how many it's going to affect. There will be some that will be offered transfers to headquarters lab, and maybe a regional lab, but at this point we'll have to make that decision once it gets closer to the date it would be effective – if it goes into effect."

The two labs cover a 46 county area. Evidence would be sent to the six remaining GBI labs in other parts of the state.

The legislature will vote on the proposed cuts in January. If approved, the labs would close by next July.

Click here for more GPB News coverage about the GBI.

GA Supreme Court hears Wilson case

The Georgia Supreme Court heard the case of Genarlow Wilson today. Wilson was 17 years old when he was sentenced to a mandatory ten years in prison for engaging in consensual oral sex with a younger girl.

A lower court reduced the crime to a misdemeanor earlier this year. The primary issue today was whether that ruling is valid. Since Wilson was convicted, Georgia law re-classified consensual oral sex between minors from a felony to a misdemeanor.

From the bench, the justices questioned whether courts should criminalize teenage behavior.

Presiding Justice Carol Hunstein said, "Not that this kind of conduct should be encouraged, but teenagers make mistakes. Where is the justice in a ten year sentence being on the sex offender registry for the rest of one's life?"

Meanwhile, Genarlow Wilson remains in prison, having refused a plea deal offered by prosecutors.

Post-hearing statements

Following the hearing, defense attorneys met with reporters. The head of Wilson's defense team, BJ Bernstein said, "There's been so much discussion about what the legislature should do and what others should do, and the politics involved but in the end and in this case, it's been to change the laws to protect children and to let justice be served."

Attorneys for the state and from Douglas County District Attorney's office were unavailable for comment.

In a written statement released to the press, Attorney General Thurbert Baker said his job is to equally enforce Georgia law irrespective of his personal opinion.

D.A.under fire

In recent weeks, the district attorney who handled the case has come under fire for distributing copies of the Wilson sex tape to state legislators and to the media.

On the federal level, the U.S. Attorney for northern Georgia has issued a statement saying that handing out copies of the tape amounts to distribution of child pornography, a crime punishable under federal law. Attorneys for the D.A. disagreed saying it was covered under Georgia's open records act.