Metro Atlanta firefighters targeted by crooks

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Crooks are now targeting the very people who dedicate their lives to helping others. Cars belonging to firefighters were broken into while they were parked at a DeKalb County fire station.

Overnight thieves broke into three cars parked in the lot of Fire Station Number 8 on Clairmont Road. “It's all around disheartening, these are our neighborhood firefighters,” said DeKalb County Fire Rescue Capt. Eric Jackson.

The chief issued a directive to all firefighters to lock their vehicles and don’t leave anything valuable inside. Firefighters at station 8 are now parking their personal vehicles inside the bay.

Just a few days earlier, 8 cars were broken into at a fire station in Atlanta. A rifle was stolen out of one car; a wedding band was taken from another. It all happened while the firefighters were sleeping.

The station has security cameras that caught the crook in action.

“An individual is seen jumping the fence and checking the cars and breaking the windows out then throwing whatever he could get back over the fence,” said Capt. Scott Powell with Atlanta Fire.

Atlanta fire officials said it's been an on-going problem at fire stations and they’ve made numerous changes. Razor wire has been added to fences around parking lots. Security cameras have also been installed at 14 stations, and more are on their way.