Broken Window Practice

as opposed to theory.
Be on the lookout for pre-teen boys on bicycles. One is wearing a red shirt with white writing. The lil’ bastards are throwing rocks and breaking windows in alleys. I screamed at the hellions when I realized rocks were hitting my house. They weren’t aiming for my house, they were aiming for the house next door with the new windows. Rocks and bits of concrete were landing in my yard, damaging my plants, hitting my walls.
I mentioned this to a neighbor walking by and apparently there is a band of bicycling young hoodlums looking for vacant properties and trying to bust out all the windows. They failed with the house next to me, they only got one. I’m sure they would have knocked out more if I didn’t come out screaming like a loud crazy woman.
I called the owner of the house next door, told him what just happened. I’ll let him do a police report if he wants to, as it is his property and his loss.
Oh and a word of advice, get those Pella, and Anderson and [name of brand of windows] off the windows asap, they are attracting an element.

7 thoughts on “Broken Window Practice”

  1. thus far because the police have not been called a crime has not been committed. believe me, if i see scum damaging anything i will call the cops without any hesitation. rr446

  3. Don’t be afraid to file a police report on someone else’s property. My neighbor did it for me when boys threw rocks (and/or bricks) through my back window. But, no surprise, she told the officer “I didn’t actually see what the boys looked like.” One time another neighbor and I called the cops for some boys climbing on garages, and it is actually hard to give a description beyond shirt color.

  4. Bogfrog, unfortunately (based upon this week’s active discussions on the MPD-1D Yahoo Group), the OUC is refusing to take calls/complaints like this unless you are the owner of the property that is being damaged/broken into/etc.) MPD says that this is not the policy but the testimony from 1D residents and Ward Advocates shows that they (OUC) are indeed refusing calls if you are not the owner. Better to lie and say you are the owner to get the cops there – otherwise, they will never get passed the call by OUC.

  5. Here’s a snippet from this week’s discussion on the MPD-1D (MPD-1D@yahoogroups. com ) list … these are Skip Coburn’s comments:

    From: “Skip Coburn”

    Dear Friends,
    Excuse me, but this IS the policy that citizens often run into when attempting to report a “crime” in progress to 911/311. I often receive this complaint.

    Citizens often tell me that when they call 911 to report a “crime” in progress, the call taker asks if they are the owner of the house or the vehicle in question. AND, if the called says that he, or she, is not the owner, the call taker informs the caller that unless they are the owner and/or can verify that the individual allegedly “breaking in” to the house or the vehicle does not have permission from the owner, they are not going to take the complaint or dispatch a police car. I do not know where this notion on the part of call-takers originated, but I wish someone would bring it to an end.

    Sorry, but this IS the fact. I myself have called in an apparent break-in to a vehicle, and had the call taker refuse to take the complaint because I was NOT the owner of the vehicle.

    I have complained about this “policy” or “practice” on the part of call takers before – apparently to no avail.

    If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

    Thank you very much,
    Skip Coburn
    Chairman
    First District Citizens Advisory Council
    c (703) 216-3463

  6. Hey, I've been reading your blog this morning (instead of working). My wife and I have been thinking about moving into the area and it's handy to have information on the area available. We've been looking at a place on 5th St NW between O and P streets, and would be moving from Dupont. According to the crime stats database, that part of Shaw is safer than Dupont. But that's not the whole story, apparently, as you've described in this post. Do you have any insight into the street/block we're thinking of moving to? I'm also a bit concerned because I'll be going to school at College Park for the next 2 years and so would be walking back from the Shaw metro at 7th & R 3 nights a week around 10:30 or 11:00pm. Any insight into this?

    Thanks again for your helpful blog!

  7. Though he hasn’t been blogging lately, Daddy 5-O is a way beeter resource for that question, being at 5th and O and all. Email me at mari at inshaw period com so I can connect you and add something to my answer.

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