Police: Reports of Gang Activity ‘Totally False’

A report of a rash of Brookhaven neighborhood robberies as part of gang initiations are nothing more than rumors, said DeKalb County Police Monday.

Mekka Parish, spokesperson for the department, said “This is totally false. There were robberies, but they were random and weren’t even in Brookhaven.”

At least one email and subsequent Twitter messages circulated the web indicating a Village Park neighborhood resident had called for assistance with the armed robbery of a couple walking home from a restaurant along Dresden Drive around 9 p.m. last week.

Jefferson McConkey, a Village Park resident and former home owner association president, issued the following to residents via an email redistributed by North Precinct Public Education Specialist Al Fowler:

“As a former HOA President here at Village Park, I can tell you that sometimes people's best intentions can backfire and cause widespread panic within a small neighborhood, let alone an entire community," McConkey wrote.

The message continued, "I can report, that with some serious effort, I was able to verify after speaking on three separate occasions today with our DeKalb County North Precinct Commander, Major R.K. Ellison, that the report of an armed robbery in-fact did occur, only it 100% DID NOT take place on Connasauga, walking home from Verde. The incident occurred on Briarwood, at the Montego Apartments...”

Parish confirmed the above information and said two female victims were walking from the El Potro Mexican restaurant on Buford Highway where they were attacked on July 10.

McConkey classified the event in his note as a case of, “one person taking what they heard from another and disseminating it as gospel before thoroughly researching and gathering all the facts.”

Fowler recommended in the same email that concerned citizens contact him or the precinct directly to verify information before it is disseminated among neighborhood group lists and social media.