Alpharetta Public Safety Issues Alert After Home Invasion

Recent residential burglaries and a home invasion have the  issuing a warning today for city residents.

The city experienced "a small rash of burglaries in the Crabapple and Windward areas of Alpharetta over the past two weeks," said George Gordon, spokesperson for the department in its news release.

Gordon said most of these burglaries occurred in the morning after residents left for work or while the homeowners were out of town. Most of the time suspects forced open a back door or window of the homes.

A more serious incident happened on Nov. 23, when a , though police have only confirmed the incident happened.

Gordon said the investigation revealed the victims were targeted because of their ethnicity.

While it was not mentioned in today's release, another . Both Glen Abbey and Park Glen are near the Johns Creek city border.

Gordon said Alpharetta's department of Public Safety has these crimes under active investigation and is pursuing available leads, with additional resources, personnel, and strategies being to be deployed.

"Residents will notice an increased police presence in the subject areas," Gordon said. "To aid in these efforts, Alpharetta residents are urged to be aware of activity in their neighborhoods and to call 911 immediately if they observe any suspicious activity."

Police also recommend a few simple things that you can do to protect your home and property:

• Do not leave valuables in your vehicle at any time or electronics in plain view of a residence.

• Take a photograph and record the serial numbers of all appropriate valuables and store these items in a safe location.

• Most importantly, if you observe a suspicious vehicle or person within your neighborhood, call 911 to report the activity.