Weekend robberies put Little 5 Points on alert

Two robberies in the past two weekends in the Little Five Points district have workers, businesses and visitors on alert.

Atlanta Police said early Saturday morning after midnight, two gunmen ambushed two people in their car in The Vortex's parking lot and stole their phones and purses.

Police said one robber even reached into a woman's shirt and fondled her chest to find any other valuables.

Last Sunday night around 10 p.m., at the corner of Euclid Avenue and Colquitt Avenue, police said several teenagers were robbed at gunpoint and  patted down by the robber; the gunman then told them to run down the street.

"We haven't heard of many [of these] situations since recently," says Atlanta Councilman Kwanza Hall, who has been working to address crime in the area.

Hall said police have stepped up car and foot patrols since two murders by The Vortex this past spring.

Hall also believes private properties in the district need more lighting for pedestrians and customers, as well as a designated security patrol; a recently-created Community Improvement District that Hall helped push through City Council will help businesses afford these safety improvements, Hall said.

"Then you have dedicated, sworn officers to manage the problems that occur here on a regular basis," Hall said.