A DeKalb County man says he was left feeling ignored after his vintage Ford Maverick was stolen, and he says police failed to respond for more than two hours.
Scott Armstrong told FOX 5 he stopped at a Chevron on Snapfinger Road around 9:45 p.m. Saturday to pay for gas and grab snacks. When he walked back outside, his 1971 Ford Maverick was gone.
He says the car is worth more than $50,000 and is well known locally. It has been featured in music videos, car shows and even appeared on the TI-produced TV show “Da Partments.” Armstrong says he regularly rents it for film shoots for as much as $1,500 a day.
Armstrong says he called DeKalb County Police seven times over the next two and a half hours but no one showed up.
“I kind of thought it was like a prank, but I felt bad after that, and then I felt helpless as a citizen, not being responded to. I called DeKalb County seven times and nobody showed up,” the 44-year-old mechanic said.
“I pay my taxes, I paid for my vehicle. I paid for everything. Did what I was supposed to do. And didn’t get anything that I was supposed to be getting as far as public service,” Armstrong said.
DeKalb County Police issued a statement late Monday saying officers had to prioritize multiple urgent situations at the same time.
“For DeKalb County Police, the safety and security of the community is our number one priority. Our officers respond to all calls for help, including stolen vehicles, as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson said.
“Shortly after we received the call about the stolen car, we received calls of an active theft, an active shooting and an active street racing incident. In this situation, our officers were dispatched based on which incidents were urgent and impacting public safety. When the gentleman called to report his car stolen, he did not give any information to 911 that suggested it was an immediate emergency. So an officer was dispatched as soon as possible.”
A suspect or a description of a suspect has not been released.
It was unclear if there was any video of the theft.
Armstrong says an officer eventually called him back by phone to get a report. He believes the car will be found, but says the lack of in-person response was unacceptable.
