Atlanta Crime: Perception or Reality? ATLANTA, GA (WABE) - Crime has become a major issue in this year's campaign for Atlanta Mayor. Atlanta Police and FBI reports show crime has gone down in the past year. However, ask a resident of an in-town Atlanta neighborhood, and you could hear a different story. Whether or not the numbers tell the truth, the perception of crime is causing people take action. Susan mittleman reports.

Kirkwood resident and handyman Mark Sauerhoffer has installed about a hundred or so glass security doors in the past year and half. This will be his third on the same street.



"The glass is unbreakable and it has a 3 point locking system."



Today he's installing one for Kevin Ready, who's replacing a broken storm door with the security door.



".. Because some other neighbors have gotten them. You can't break-in through them, it doesn't cost much different, might as well be safe. You can't kick through the door."



Ready's home has not been burglarized. But like many residents, in neighborhoods all over Atlanta, he's concerned about crime hitting home.



"It feels like there seems been more break-ins lately, but it could be more people are reporting and people are louder about it with the internet."



Whether crime is up, or perceived to be, people are taking actions to protect their stuff.

Atlanta based Ackerman Security Alarm Systems says their business has increased 18% over last year.



And at the East Atlanta burglar bar, Elizabeth Stevens says they can barely keep up with demand.



"We can work 24-7 and not get caught up because of the break-ins and crime."



Her husband, Rev. Leotha Stevens, has owned the Burglar Bar for 40 years.
Today, Elizabeth Stevens says, crime is so bad, even churches are fair game.



"They broke into our church, I mean they came back in the church, they took everything, I mean everything. They even took until they took the clock off the wall."



Iron Bars over your windows, doors, and ac units, says Elizabeth, can seriously deter to a would-be bad guy.

"A burglar is lazy, so if they go to your home and you have bars, then they'll go somewhere else."



Somewhere else' appears to be all over the metro area these days.



" When I first started it was more just the Atlanta area, and Decatur, but now it's all over. We go to Rutlidge, Covington, everywhere, because crime is up that bad."



But according to the Atlanta Police and the FBI, crime is down.



"This is year to date - burglary is down 5% ytd. Overall in city crime is down 12%."

Major Rene Propes is commander of zone 6- which includes Kirkwood, East Atlanta, Ormewood Park, Moreland Ave. Like others in the Atlanta Police Department, Propes has felt pressure from communities who say the numbers don't reflect reality.



" Of course, if you've been a victim of a crime, or know somebody who's been a victim, who cares what the numbers say? It is about how you perceive it to be."



Propes has been with the APD for 26 years and thinks there's been a shift - crimes used to be more like drug dealer on drug dealer. Today, she says, criminals are targeting average citizens.

That, along with social networking getting the word out, is making crime feel more personal than numbers ever could.



"I think when we started seeing people talking more bout crime, and seeing some of these violent crimes perpetrated against people really for seemingly no reason- a guy weed-eating, when you see those types of crimes, it hits home, becomes more real, it's in your face. And you're like how can numbers be down if we're seeing this occur?"



Zone six has been given some overtime funds to put more officers on the street. But there are still limited resources throughout the department - a nagging issue facing the next mayor - whoever he or she may be.



FOR WABE NEWS, I'M Susan Mittleman.

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