Klaus
09-28-2005, 05:18 PM
Memo warns of New Orleans gangs
By S.A. REID
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/28/05
Atlanta police are investigating reports that New Orleans gangs are moving to the city with plans to take over turf and illegal activities controlled by locals.
So far, police haven't been able to confirm tips received from citizens, informants and other sources.
Atlanta Deputy Police Chief Peter Andresen suggested the information, which was included in an internal memo intended to keep officers abreast of what's going on, could turnout to be just urban legend.
Police say they haven't seen a spike in crime or gang activity since Hurricane Katrina evacuees began pouring into Atlanta.
"We've had a couple of memos to get out," Andresen said. "It's just information. We want to make sure we're on top of crime, but it's not a problem now."
Andresen said the city welcomes evacuees from New Orleans and other Katrina-ravaged areas. "We really don't want to turn this into something bigger than it is or shed a negative light on the people coming from New Orleans," he said.
Andresen and fellow Deputy Chief Harold Dunovant acknowledge police have made some arrests involving New Orleans residents but said those incidents appear to be isolated and are not gang related.
Their department, they said, has gathered information from New Orleans authorities and the FBI regarding gangs that operated in the Crescent City before Katrina. Chief Richard Pennington headed the police department in New Orleans before coming to Atlanta.
It's safe to assume, Dunovant said, that some criminals flowed in with the thousands of evacuees seeking refuge in Atlanta and other cities around the country.
But conducting background checks on evacuees without probable cause would be an unusual step that could raise issues of privacy and confidentiality, they said.
"We're not in the business of putting people in jail that are trying to get help," he said.
Police also say a shooting 7:20 p.m. Monday at Underground Atlanta was not gang related. The three victims are from New Orleans, said police spokeswoman Sylvia Abernathy. The shooting followed a verbal exchange between one of the victims, whom police declined to identify, and a suspect who is still at large, Abernathy said.
The victims — two of which were shot in the leg — were treated at Grady Memorial Hospital for minor injuries and released, Abernathy said.
Find this article at:
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/0905/28metgangs.html
By S.A. REID
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/28/05
Atlanta police are investigating reports that New Orleans gangs are moving to the city with plans to take over turf and illegal activities controlled by locals.
So far, police haven't been able to confirm tips received from citizens, informants and other sources.
Atlanta Deputy Police Chief Peter Andresen suggested the information, which was included in an internal memo intended to keep officers abreast of what's going on, could turnout to be just urban legend.
Police say they haven't seen a spike in crime or gang activity since Hurricane Katrina evacuees began pouring into Atlanta.
"We've had a couple of memos to get out," Andresen said. "It's just information. We want to make sure we're on top of crime, but it's not a problem now."
Andresen said the city welcomes evacuees from New Orleans and other Katrina-ravaged areas. "We really don't want to turn this into something bigger than it is or shed a negative light on the people coming from New Orleans," he said.
Andresen and fellow Deputy Chief Harold Dunovant acknowledge police have made some arrests involving New Orleans residents but said those incidents appear to be isolated and are not gang related.
Their department, they said, has gathered information from New Orleans authorities and the FBI regarding gangs that operated in the Crescent City before Katrina. Chief Richard Pennington headed the police department in New Orleans before coming to Atlanta.
It's safe to assume, Dunovant said, that some criminals flowed in with the thousands of evacuees seeking refuge in Atlanta and other cities around the country.
But conducting background checks on evacuees without probable cause would be an unusual step that could raise issues of privacy and confidentiality, they said.
"We're not in the business of putting people in jail that are trying to get help," he said.
Police also say a shooting 7:20 p.m. Monday at Underground Atlanta was not gang related. The three victims are from New Orleans, said police spokeswoman Sylvia Abernathy. The shooting followed a verbal exchange between one of the victims, whom police declined to identify, and a suspect who is still at large, Abernathy said.
The victims — two of which were shot in the leg — were treated at Grady Memorial Hospital for minor injuries and released, Abernathy said.
Find this article at:
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/0905/28metgangs.html