Thieves target sheds in southeast Atlanta

ATLANTA - Residents in southeast Atlanta are on high alert after a rash of thefts. The thieves are targeting sheds.

In surveillance video from a home on Atlanta Avenue, a person can be seen walking down the driveway with tools in their hands and hanging from their belt. The owner said the thieves stole a power washer, drills, lawn mower and other tools totaling about $3,000.

Three days earlier and four houses down, another home was hit. Aaron Sibley said thieves broke down his fence and broke the lock on his shed.

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“We had lawn tools and power tools, not cheap stuff, not super expensive stuff,” said Aaron Sibley. “Unfortunately, a lot of things were taken”

Sibley said more than a $1,000 in tools was stolen.

“It’s disconcerting and violating. I don’t believe anyone is going around breaking into houses; they are breaking into the sheds because they don’t want to get into a confrontation.

 

 

Atlanta Police said sheds are an easy target for criminals and advise people to use higher grade locks and possibly have motion activated lights installed facing the shed to deter criminals.  Police also advise to document the tools serial numbers so they can be tracked if pawned.

“It’s brazen, that is the reality is that obviously he shows no fear that he is walking up and down the driveway next to where people are sleeping,” said Russell Leake who lives in the neighborhood where two homes were hit.

 

 

Residents said they want to raise awareness for the neighborhood and do what they can to keep this from continuing to happen.

“I am always looking out and I mean I think we need to look out for each other,” said Leake.

Investigators ask anyone with information to contact The Atlanta Police Department or Crime Stoppers 404.577.TIPS