SAVANNAH, GA (September 20, 2014) On Saturday September 20, 2014 Central Precinct patrol units were dispatched to a Burglary call/Auto Theft at an auto dealership in the 500 block of Staley Avenue. Responding officers took the initial report and a lookout was advised on. Approximately 45 minutes later a call came in advising of a “suspicious” vehicle sitting in an apartment complex approximately a mile away. The vehicle was recovered and a lookout of the remaining stolen vehicles was aired. Approximately 20 minutes later the second vehicle was found and recovered in the Tatemville area.
Central Precinct detectives, Patrol and CSU continued to ride the area in attempts to find the other two missing vehicles. 22 minutes later CSU officer Ahuyon, decided to check an area not normally populated in the Tatemville area which included an abandoned warehouse. The last two vehicles, a red in color Nissan and silver in color Nissan were discovered tucked away in the back of that abandoned warehouse. All 4 vehicles were recovered within an hour and a half of the initial report due to diligent and experienced police work.
Although in this case everything worked the way it was supposed to; this does not occur in all cases. We depend on the community to be our eyes and ears. Central precinct serves over 30,000 people and 24 Neighborhoods in just our precinct area alone. So as you can see that 30,000 is on a much grander scale than Central Precinct’s roster.
LOOKOUT!
To all our citizens, friends and neighbors in our Central Precinct community and the surrounding areas we need your help in identifying and calling in suspicious vehicles that are possibly stolen and the subjects/persons driving these vehicles.
Some items to look out for include:
- Vehicles that are dropped off or parked on your street and you witness the subject(s) walk away in a hurried manner or get into another vehicle and leave. This is more suspicious if you know for sure that the subject(s) does not live on your street or in your neighborhood.
- While out walking you notice a vehicle that has accumulated leaves around the tires and vegetation growth underneath the body of the car. This is an indication that it has sat for a while. This may not just be a property maintenance issue, but a stolen vehicle.
- Most new vehicles have push-button start, but most older vehicles do not. An indicator that the vehicle may be stolen is a broken steering column or wires pulled out and hanging from underneath the dashboard/steering wheel area.
- If you witness a vehicle drive down your street and they have their lights off, not only is this an indication of other possible criminal activity but it may be a vehicle that was just stolen and the subject(s) inside the vehicle is attempting to leave the area without being detected. This can also be suspicious when that vehicle and the subject(s) is unfamiliar with the workings of the vehicle. He or she may be trying to figure things out. This is common with stick shift and also mistaking the windshield wipers for blinkers and so on.
- If you see a vehicle that has been parked and has an expired plate; old plate or a plate that is poorly affixed to the car; the vehicle may have had a makeshift plate affixed and can be checked out by the police department using the VIN number and other techniques. A vehicle having no plate is also another possible indicator.
- If you see a vehicle that doesn’t seem to belong or you think it has been stolen, it does not hurt to jot down the tag number, make and model along with color. You can call the non-emergency number at SCMPD which is 912-652-6500 and report it so that an officer can at least check it out.
Remember: Don’t ever walk up to a vehicle that seems to be occupied and attempt to confront the subject(s). Call 911.
Apo Barry Lewis Crime Prevention Office Central Precinct (Blewis01@savannahga.gov) 912-525-3114
SAVANNAH Central Precinct SCMPD (3)
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