Atlanta

Officer's badge, AR-15 stolen in smash and grab

ATLANTA — Police are seeing a significant number of vehicle smash and grabs across the city.

Police say two weeks ago they had nine break-ins in west Midtown. Last week, there were 10 more, including an officer’s unmarked car, where the thieves stole his badge and AR-15.

Lindsey and Evan Eltinge became two of the latest victims of vehicle smash and grabs in northwest Atlanta.

"I discovered it Saturday," Evan Eltinge told Channel 2’s Carl Willis.

And police say they're seeing it citywide: Thieves smashing their way in through your car windows to get anything of value you may have left behind, usually in plain sight.

It can happen in an instant.

"They saw the bag, smashed the window, grabbed it and jumped out," Eltinge said.

Willis searched through police reports and just in Zone 2 in the West Midtown area there were nine cases two weeks ago and 10 more last week.

"It's a crime of opportunity," Eltinge said. "Nobody is exempt from being a victim."

Not even police.

An Atlanta police officer working security at a Waffle House on Bolton Road had his badge and his AR-15 patrol rifle stolen from his car.

A crime that drew concern from the Atlanta Police Chief George Turner who said more high-powered rifles are being used in crimes, including a deadly shooting at a local recording studio in the area.

"We know that we're being targeted because know that our officers have weapons in their vehicles.

So clearly we have challenges as it relates to what's happening with weapons," Turner said during a community meeting.

The break-ins are also happening in parking lots at busy shopping centers and apartments.

"Two of my neighbors, he's cleaning up glass at 7 o'clock in the morning," Kimberly Lewis told Willis.

"It's just a matter of the public being vigilant calling 911 when they see someone just meandering through a parking lot," said Lukasz Sajdak.