ATLANTA — Neighbors are fired up because of a sudden uptick in crime in the past couple of weeks, with robbers pulling guns on residents and guests in the West Highlands community.
Channel 2’s Carl Willis went over the stack of recent police reports with homeowner Matthew Miller on Tuesday.
Miller says guests who were leaving his Christmas party were robbed on Argule Lane on Dec. 11 and police were back out searching behind his house, after another incident over the weekend.
"When packages are getting stolen off of a porches, mail is getting taken out of a mailbox it's an annoyance factor,” Miller said. “It's one thing. It's upsetting, but once it escalated to the event where guns were drawn it was literally shocking. "
Neighbor Claire Lockett tells Willis one of her guests was also held at gunpoint out on Habershal Drive.
"She screamed bloody murder, which actually alerted a lot of my neighbors because they heard her screaming," Lockett said.
And just up the road on the same street, a woman reported a male grabbing her and forcing her into her car at gunpoint.
She reported that the robbery only ended as she threw her car into drive and startled the robber.
"I definitely am not excited to go out alone by myself at night. But I think it's something that we can change," Lockett said.
We did notice security patrols after dark.
When Willis asked Atlanta police what was being done, they told Willis they are dedicating overtime resources to have more of a presence in the neighborhood.
Miller says that help will be vital.
"If we want to continue to build this up and make this a place to be, especially with the Westside Park eventually opening, then we need to make sure we have a handle on crime from the very beginning," Miller said.
WSBTV
