Burglary is a problem in Atlanta like it is in all large metropolitan areas, and though property crime was down slightly on a national level, it rose in Atlanta by about 7% in 2008. In fact, Real Clear Politics used the FBI’s 2008 crime statistics to evaluate the least safe cities in America, and Atlanta made it to #2 on this dubious list. Clearly, we have some work to do here to keep the crime rate down, and Atlanta locksmiths play a significant role in that effort.

When the citizenry hears about high crime rates, they want to know what is being done about it, and rightfully so. A lot of candidates for political office run on a platform of being “tough on crime,” and they always vow to put more police officers on the streets. This may have some positive impact, but the recent economic woes have contributed to the crime statistics in 2008. People who are out of work with a lot of time on their hands are much more inclined to consider committing a crime than those of us who are busy working and earning a good living. So the platitudes of the politicians may not always be addressing the real root causes of the problem.

That having been said, every community needs good police officers, and the police academies do a great job of preparing aspirants for this difficult job. Cadets have to go through rigorous training programs before they become full fledged members of the force, and they must meet very stringent requirements to even be accepted into the academy. If you want to be a police officer, you need to obey the laws yourself. Applicants for a position on the police force will be disqualified if they have a significant criminal history, a somewhat recent DUI, or even a less than honorable discharge from the military. So for the most part, if you make it into the police academy, you are an individual who has been on the right side of the law throughout your life, and that is what makes the following story so strange.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution is reporting that a Gwinnett County police cadet has been arrested for burglary. A former neighbor called police when they spotted him lifting a PlayStation from a neighborhood house. The recruit was actually in his cadet uniform when he was committing the burglary. The Gwinnett County police were not pleased.

“The Gwinnett County police does not tolerate the actions of any of its members that may reflect negatively on this department,” said Cpl. David Schiralli, a spokesman for the department.

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. In the what-did-we-learn-from-this department, you have to applaud the former neighbor who called the police for keeping an eye out. A formal or informal neighborhood watch program is one of the best ways to prevent burglaries. It is certainly a good thing that this cadet showed his true character before he made it onto the force.

Source: AJC