Law enforcement records say young men have reported they were targeted by criminals in the affluent Buckhead area of Atlanta between 2021 and February 2024, and police have issued a warning regarding the situation.
Officials recently told people who enjoy the area to stay in a groups when going out, keep an eye on their drinks, and be aware of their surroundings, Fox 5 Atlanta reported Friday.
In a statement, Atlanta Police Department (APD) spokesperson Teralyn Griffin said officials are aware of the cases and are working hard to investigate them.
“Investigators routinely look for connections to similar, nearby cases as well as for any possible connection to potential cases throughout our jurisdiction and in surrounding areas,” Griffin said.
Fox 5 reported on March 13 that a man claimed he was drugged at a Buckhead bar before being kidnapped and robbed.
Law enforcement said many bars located in the area hire off-duty officers as a way to prevent criminal activity.
A Breitbart News report from March 2023 hightlighted a Buckhead initiative in response to a surge in crime:
Ten Republican Georgia senators joined all Democrats this past week in dealing a legislative blow to the Buckhead City Committee, which has long been pushing for the wealthy Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta to disannex from the city.
The state Senate on Thursday voted 33–23 against SB 114, a critical bill for the Buckhead City Committee, whose aim is to see a ballot referendum for neighborhood residents to vote on the creation of Buckhead City.
…
Committee CEO Bill White, a Buckhead resident, is largely responsible for organizing what started as a grassroots movement more than a decade ago into a well-funded and vocal committee in 2021 in response to a surge in violent crime in the area.
One alleged victim in Buckhead recently told 11 Alive he felt violated and hoped his story would protect others from being hurt.
“This is organized crime. This is people like actively preying, like a predator,” he commented:
“I can’t even trust going to a bar anymore. I don’t know if it was a bartender or if it was someone at the bar. I don’t know if it was some random person that just picked me up off the street and was like, ‘Let’s take him for a ride,'” the man said.