The Midway Woods neighborhood is a safe and friendly one, but we do see the occasional crime, with opportunistic thefts such as vehicle and shed break-ins being the most commonly reported.
We’ve also noticed that new neighbors can be a common target for theft. And during the holidays, the theft of packages can be an issue.
With that in mind, here are some tips to help to deter these types of crimes:
For your home, make sure that there is:
- Sufficient lighting in your yard (such as: motion lights, flood lights, motion sensor lights).
- Surveillance cameras (Ring or Nest) are very helpful.
DeKalb has followed Atlanta in launching the ConnectDeKalb program, which can
- Inform the police that you HAVE a security camera in your home or business
Or - Give DeKalb police access to your camera feed. This second option comes with a fee and a linking device.
You can opt out at any time.
Participation in the program allows DCPD to request permission to obtain video footage that may be related to an incident that has occurred.
Participants may choose between two levels of camera integration:
- Level One: Participants register their camera with DKPD which enables investigators to know a camera is present at a location and easily request video evidence should an incident occur.
- Level Two: Participants have the option to voluntarily integrate their camera system allowing DKPD direct access to the camera feed. Integration is opt-in and subscription based, which allows 24-hour access to recorded footage/real time streaming.
Interested parties are encouraged to visit connectdekalbcounty.org to learn more and to register their camera.
For more information, call 770-724-7435.
Property crimes, especially car break-ins, tend to rise during November-December, so please do not leave anything visible in your cars at any time, day or night. Ensure that cars and other vehicles:
- Are locked at all times.
- Are empty of visible belongings.
To protect yard equipment:
- Keep these items in a locked location (shed, garage, crawl space).
- Have locks on fence gates and doors.
- Have sufficient lighting in your yard (such as: motion lights, flood lights, motion sensor lights).
You can also check out these crime-prevention tips from the Dekalb County Police Department.
Crime in the neighborhood can be tracked at https://www.crimemapping.com/map/ga/dekalbcounty.
The Dekalb County Police Department Non-Emergency Number (an alternative to calling 911) is (678) 406-7929. More information is available at https://www.decaturga.com/police.
The Decatur Police Department has a limited number of gunlocks and gun safes available free to DeKalb residents. Call the DCPD for more information.
Safety tips from the Dekalb County Police Department.
Midway Woods Security Patrol (2018-2022)
From 2018 through 2022, the neighborhood funded a paid security patrol program, with off-duty police officers from the Dekalb County police department conducting regular patrols of the neighborhood, as well as providing home safety checks and other services.
This program was the direct result of a sincere and widespread interest from the neighborhood, and a specific request for more security.
The Midway Woods board coordinated and managed the program since its inception in 2018, with support (and funding) from the neighborhood.
In more recent years, there has been a reduced interest in the program and there were difficulties in funding the program. The membership drive for the 2022-23 program did not secure enough memberships to fund the coming year, and we were unable to continue the program. The last Midway Woods Security Patrol patrol as part of this program occurred in December 2022.
The Dekalb County police are still the prime point of contact for crimes and other safety issues in the neighborhood. The Dekalb County Police Department Non-Emergency Number is (678) 406-7929.
We hope these tips help in keeping everyone safe and secure.
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Neighborhood Watch Program
Midway Woods does not currently have a formalized Neighborhood Watch program, but this would be one more way to protect our streets.
https://nnw.org has more information about starting a watch program, registering that program, and purchasing neighborhood watch signs.
If there are any neighbors who would be interested in forming a neighborhood watch, or in being block leads in such a program, or if you arepart of an informal neighborhood watch group, please reach out to us at midwaywoodscommunications@gmail.com and the Midway Woods board can work to connect everyone together.
We hope that this information helps everyone stay safe and connected! If you have other ideas for preventing thefts or other crimes in the neighborhood, please let us know!
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Fraud Prevention and Tips to Help from falling victim to scams
The Druid Hills Civic Association sponsored a community meeting in their neighborhood in November, 2023, that focused on neighborhood safety. Among those in attendance was the Commander of the Larceny and Fraud Unit for the Atlanta Police Lt. Bandy. At that meeting, Lt. Bandy shared the following information and tips to help prevent falling victim to fraud and scams:
- Lt. Bandy reported that the top 3 scams and swindles currently are phone scams, stolen checks , and phishing for passwords.
- She said police, IRS, customs, etc. do NOT call you to ask for money. If you receive ANY calls asking for money (claiming to be from banks, PayPal, credit cards, Venmo, etc.) hang up, look up the institution or corporation on line and call that number. Or you can call the APD. One elderly Druid Hills resident recently lost $342,000 in a scam, and another lost $92,000.
- Lt. Bandy advised people to STOP SENDING CHECKS THROUGH THE MAIL. Organized crews, some based overseas, are stealing checks out of the mail or from post office boxes, washing the “pay to” names off, and writing in a new name. Use on-line payment.
- Phishing emails might claim to be from Microsoft, Apple, etc and and try to get your passwords. Do NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKs that ask for your password. Always get your own contact information and call them. Another scam is for people to come up to you on foot and ask to use your phone, and then they check to see if your financial apps have PIN protection. If they don’t, they can quickly transfer money to themselves. DO NOT LET A STRANGER USE YOUR PHONE. Alternatively, do not have/use financial apps on your phone, or do not store/save passwords or pins on your phone.
- Lt. Bandy said the APD Larceny & Fraud Units is usually staffed until midnight, and you can call them at 404-546-5810.