APD Makes Arrests in Buckhead Kidnappings, but Controversial Roadblocks Helped Little

Jim Burress | WABE

April 12th, 2013

Atlanta police say they’ve made four more arrests in a string of brazen robberies and kidnappings in Buckhead.

At a press conference Friday, APD said the nature of the crimes led them to work especially hard on solving the cases.  

Part of the extra effort involved traffic checkpoints on Lenox Road.

“We know a lot of times the individuals who commit those crimes in the Zone 2 area are driving into the area. So we figured with a targeted enforcement of traffic, that might help us reduce those numbers,” Maj. Van Hobbs told WAGA-TV on March 28th. 

Roadblocks for general crime fighting purposes are unconstitutional, although APD stands by the practice, saying it’s within the law.

But it appears controversial roadblocks some say are illegal did little to help the department solve the crimes.

“I don’t know if that’s played into the arrests,” said Lt. R. Woody of the roadblocks Friday.  

In fact, APD credits arrests in Clayton County and South Carolina, as well as a surveillance video, for leading them to the four suspects in the Buckhead robberies and kidnappings. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-yKDJEMdn2U

Meanwhile, police say they’re now trying to piece together the puzzle of how the crimes could be linked.

They’re still looking for four other suspects. 

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