Crime Initiative

Note: Please continue to be the extra eyes and ears on your block for the Metropolitan Police Department. Call the Office of Unified Communication’ s (OUC) non-emergency hotline (3-1-1) to report suspicious activity and nuisance issues in our neighborhoods, and dial (9-1-1) for emergencies. Remember, neither of these phone lines are answered by police officers, they are answered by the city’s OUC operators, who dispatch calls to either fire or police services.
Around the country, 9-1-1 and 3-1-1 calls are prioritized and responded to, based on life-threatening emergencies. So if it takes a little longer to respond to a non-emergency call, you will know the reason.

THIS WEEKEND’S CRIME INITIATIVE:

This weekend’s crime initiative (which kept more than 3,000 sworn and civilian staff on the city’s streets during 12-hour shifts) was not just about cracking down on crime. It was also about getting to know members of the community and having officers (whose police beats (PSAs) include patrolling their neighborhoods) work in partnership with the people they serve.

This past weekend, MPD engaged in:

– community cookouts,

– open houses at police districts,

– community walks,

– outdoor roll calls,

– vehicle compliance checkpoints (similar to road blocks),

– CSOSA accountability tours (checking on the status and compliance of former inmates who are on probation in our neighborhoods) ,

– conducting search warrants in connection with recent crimes,

– DUI Enforcement,

– youth summits,

– bike registrations,

– joint patrol programs [i.e. Assisted with compliance checks with members of the city’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA)]

– visits with the local Boys & Girls Clubs & Recreation Centers,

– posted materials in the community to promote next week’s Last Day of School/Summer of Safety program,

– border patrol footbeats,

– registering kids for police-run summer camps,

– Asian Liaison seminar in Chinatown

– Intel mediation with local crews (formerly called gangs)

– emergency drills

– police ride-alongs (by community members)

– nuisance abatement with members of the mayor’s Core Teams.

In addition, two Commanders attended local graduations and presented special awards from MPD to teens. These awards coincide with the Chief’s Summer of Safety program, designed to give the city’s youth structured and supervised activities this summer to reduce juvenile delinquency. (4 huge last day of school/summer of safety block parties will be held this Thursday, June 14th around the city, beginning at 12noon) to continue the outreach efforts to youth (details at the bottom of this message.)

The award letters for free summer camp and summer employment with MPD were provided to students who may not ordinarily have these opportunities. The commanders (Commander Joel Maupin & Commander Robert Contee) presented the students with personal letters during their graduation ceremonies. The letters that were written by Chief Lanier and contained introductions stating the following:

Summer Employment

“It is with great pleasure that I offer you a Summer Youth Employment position with the Metropolitan Police Department for the Summer 2007. Your work will include planning events for teens, just like yourself all summer long as part of the department’s Summer of Safety Outreach to Youth program.”… …

Free Summer Camp

“It is with great pleasure that I offer you an opportunity to attend a free summer camp. You can attend a local District camp, during the summer months, beginning June 25, 2007 to August 10, 2007 or you can attend a free one-week get-away as a Camp Brown Camper.”…. .

Info about the four block parties this Thursday (June 14th) & the coordinators are below:

1) Bancroft Elementary School for Districts 2, 3, and 4. (Marco Santiago, 671-6604, Alicia Rucker, 576-7247) Sgt. Gwen Mapp (2D) will assist.

2) Hechinger Mall Parking Lot for Districts 1 and 5 (Fayette Vaughn-Lee, 698-0188)

Sgt. Yvonne Tidline (1D) will assist.

3) #14 Boys and Girls Club for the 6th District, (Benning Rd) (Officer Dixon, 698-0849)

4) Malcolm X Elementary School for the 7th District (Lendia Johnson, 698-1454)

WE WILL HAVE:

1) MORE THAN 1,000 SOS TEE SHIRTS WITH THE LOGO FOR 202-IM-BORED;

2) OVER 1,000 CANVAS BAGS,

3) FREE FOOD AND DRINKS,

4) ENTERTAINMENT (MOON BOUNCE, LIVE BANDS, DEE-JAYS, ETC.)

5) REGISTRATION FOR LOCAL POLICE CAMPS AND CAMP BROWN,

6) AN EXTENSIVE CALENDAR FROM MPD OF OVER 300 ACTIVITIES PLANNED BY LOCAL PSAS AND POLICE PARTNERS (Including exclusive visits to certain hot spots by the Skate Mobile with MPD and DPR.)

7) Summer Curfew Reminders & Info on Next of Kin Meetings.

8) THE CITY’S DC SUMMER FUN GUIDE, WITH LISTINGS OF OTHER CAMPS IN THE CITY.

9) LAST-MINUTE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM (DOES).

PURPOSE: All of this (including the award letters to graduating students) will be done to show that MPD is playing a significant role in making sure youth are involved in structured summer events to reduce juvenile delinquency.

Let’s make Summer 2007 the best Summer yet for our city’s youth. Take a child under your wings this summer. We encourage members of the clergy and their congregations to pray for the city’s youth and their safety this summer. We encourage community groups to host activities that are kid-friendly; and we encourage you all to do something positive in the lives of our youth!

Share your community’s kid-friendly activities with us so that we can include them on our Summer Activity Hotline, 202-Im-Bored.

Yvonne Smith, Community Outreach

Executive Office of the Chief of Police

202-727-8809