Tag: crime

Corruption ain’t cute, even with a Hermes Scarf

I remember a couple conversations with some relocated New Orleans citizens who seemed to take a light hearted attitude regarding the corruption in their city/state. This was before the student activity fund and the tax office embezzlement news, and I state then as I say now, corruption will destroy the republic, so it ain’t cute.
For one, I already pay enough in taxes, why on earth would I agree to higher taxes when I believe it is not only supporting schools, housing, roads, and someone’s lunchtime shopping spree? There are many, many things that the government does that requires tax money but until there is a mass purging of the system I won’t trust it. Calls for more funding will ring hallow until the city cleans house.
I’m not calling on Fenty to do the cleaning, I’m calling on all agency heads, make it part of making city services more open and accessible to the people. Unfortunately it is part of the city culture to obscure itself in cries of low staffing, outdated systems that make clarity impossible, and general incompetence.

Mugging ’round Mt Vernon Sq

This morning I got this email from a guy:

Last night I was mugged at the corner of 10th and M–literally within sight of my apartment at Mt. Vernon Plaza across the street. A young male jumped me, grabbed me by the throat and tried to choke me, pushed something hard into my stomach, and demanded my cash. Out of shock (or stupidity), I said no, kicked him in the shin and jumped into the street. In the process, the guy tried to steal my ipod but got away only with my new (and fab-o) earbuds.

I was making all the wrong moves before it happened–listing to loud music on my ipod, not paying attention, and doing my little ipod walk/dance thing. Keep your eyes open ladies and gentlemen. And why would it be so difficult for this city to light its streets? The corner of 10th and M is a busy street yet it’s pitch dark there after the sun goes down.

One thing, though, that the city did do right was the police response. After dialing 911, it took the police about 45 seconds to arrive. Two squad cars scoured the alleys and streets to no avail. A fantastic female cop and her partner even drove me around looking for the jerk that jumped me.

I’ve lived in the city now for more than ten years and have been a part of this neighborhood for six of them. Word from the (now) streetwise, your blog readers should their eyes peeled and their legs taking you down lit streets after dark.

Even when it is not dark be aware of your surroundings. M Street has been having some problems with choking/muggings as been reported on the Mt. Vernon Sq listserv. In broad daylight I’ve been hyper-aware of my surroundings when walking down M lately, accounting for every single person on the street. But this has been east of 7th.

Shooting at 1st & O NW

So much other stuff to write about, more positive stuff, but anyway…. Saturday (I think maybe the 20th, unless the message was about an earlier incident)’round 3AM there was shooting on the unit block of O st. Someone attempted (not clear) to break into SOME. No one was hit, but a car was damaged.
CORRECTION: It seems it may have been a man with a gun trying to protect his car. Whether the gun is legal is one question and there is no link to SOME.

Construction and Renovation Safety pt2

Picking up from Part 1 we’ve had some problems, not a lot, but some in the area where there have been some construction related crimes. Not too long ago someone reported a break in on the TC discussion board at a house under construction.
Well here’s my experience and what I’ve heard from others.
Tell your contractor to protect his stuff
Before construction started on the house I told David, the contractor, that there had been some incidences of tools being stolen in the area from job sites. So David got these huge metal box lockers with big fat nasty looking chains that sat in the middle of the house for most of the renovation. The only thing that I know of that got stolen was a saw from another job they were doing on the block.
Be aware what permits do
A friend over in Bloomingdale who was having a major renovation in his basement and some minor-ish work in the main house woke to the sound of someone trying to beat down his door. It seems those permits you have to keep up attract some criminals. You can’t take them down so you just have to be aware that they advertise that the house is under construction.
Just because its heavy doesn’t mean it won’t get stolen
I’d been offered a replacement part for a broiler, but when the person offering went to retrieve said item it was gone. Nathan & BL had a nice fat radiator sitting on their back porch for the longest, but one day, it up and grew legs. Those radiator things are heavy, get 2-4 guys to lift it heavy. I’ve also been told of air conditioner whateverthingies (big heavy things that go on the roof) that was placed there by a crane, being stolen.
and lastly….
Beware of ladders
This endangers the safety of your house when it is not under construction. Tall ladders left around by construction guys and not locked or chained up can be used to break into other peoples houses. This will make you unpopular.

Construction and Renovation Safety pt 1

Below is a citizen reporting an incident that appeared on the 5D Listserv Oct 2nd via the Brookland Listserv. There are some issues that I’ll address in another posting, but there are practical bits of advice that seem to go against what we are told about giving people the benefit of the doubt, not relying on stereotypes, yadda, yadda, yadda. Read it, tell me what you think. Also be safe out there:

Today at 4:50pm the construction workers renovating the owned but unoccupied house opposite mine were robbed at gunpoint (15th/jackson) .

I saw the crimnals 1 minute before the actual robbery took place, as I was pulling away from the curb they were walking up the front steps. Fortunately, no one was physically harmed as all three had guns; unfortunately, I did not get a good look to give a better description: 3 young adult males approx 17-early 20s, medium black complexion, average height, lanky build, one in a gray sweatshirt and jeans, the other two dressed in black sweatshirts/ black pants.

What I learned from those robbed — one guy came by earlier and walked in the open door as they were working. When questioned why he was there he said he was looking to buy a house. They told him that it was owned and was not selling. They regret not calling the police at this first round because the age, dress, and line and method of inquiry (walking in and looking around, no standard questions in line with home buying) of the person clearly demonstrated ‘kid’ more than ‘potential home owner,’ and thus after the fact realize this was the stakeout for the later return in the day, when his friends were available to assist.

What I learned FROM THE POLICE — 1.) construction workers are an easy target for robberies of their property (tools, $) and your household property, because since they don’t know every one of your relatives, friends and neighbors, they allow themselves to be approached by strangers visiting. [SNIPPED by InShaw] 3.) the pre-visit is a common robbery set up pattern, on a type of people commonly marked – contrators.

So my take away from this experience is this:
1. If someone shows up on your property that doesn’t quite ‘fit the bill,’ better to be suspect and guarded, as you are only protecting yourself and your property. If the person is innocent, well the questioning by the cops ultimately does him/her a service to wake up and realize that in today’s time you just don’t walk up on someone’s property and into an open door uninvited. They should know they were lucky to encounter you, a nice person who only called the cops to check them out — another person may not be so nice and may try to physically protect their property…
2. If you are not in your property yet, make it a point to visit often, even if it is an inconvenience since you have so many other things to do … Meet your neighbors now, not the week you move in. Let them know point blank that they are free to question anyone on your property. The neighboring young new couple had expensive things stolen from their house (whole central air/heating system) because they were
never ever there in a one years time of construction. ..
3. Same for your contractors — let them know that a) you demand they work behind locked door, no matter how much of an inefficent hassle it is; b) no friendliness to strangers you have not specficially pointed out to them are on the ok to fraternize with list, not even the elderly woman in the floral apron with a plate of home-baked cookies who claims to be your mother, and c) they must call the cops immediately.

Report Stupid People

Alrighty, the notes for the BACA meeting are up. User name: Thismeeting psw: neverhappened .

In there is a sizable bit about hate crimes. The thing I want to share on this side of the blog is that Law & Order: Hate Crimes Unit, not just for gays. You can report incredibly stupid white people who use the N word, in the presence of Black people. Though being stupid is not a crime and saying stupid stuff is protected by the first amendment, you can report racial slurs (along with anti-homosexual-semitic-latino-etc) as an incident to Hate Crimes.
Because of the diversity of the neighborhood and the tensions along various lines, even straight white middle class guys can be the victim of a hate crime. If the criminals attacking you mistakenly attack because they think you are gay/ latino/ whatever, you may be the victim of a hate crime even if you aren’t gay/latino/whatever.
I’m doing this not because I want to promote victimhood, but I see it as a tool to bring more police attention to our area. We are a diverse area and there are forces that try to use that diversity against us, I see working with Hate Crimes as one way to deal with that which would undermine our unity.

The Hate Crimes Hotline is 202 727 0500.

In comments, be nice or be deleted.

Slummy history: 1944

In my occasion search to find the earliest time the neighborhood was started to be called by it’s school border’s name, Shaw, I find stuff. So in the March 11, 1944 issue of the Washington Post, an article titled “Alley Dwellers in Slum Areas Sordid, Senate Group Hears.” It begins, “sordid conditions in the slum area in the heart of Washington– streets on which it was decent women feared for their safety and ‘real men’ avoided to escape prostitutes…” The Thomas C.R. Gray the then president of the East Central Civic Association, which claimed its borders as 3rd St NE, FL Ave, 7th St NW, and Mass Ave, testified to the deplorable housing conditions of alley houses with no heat, no indoor plumbing, no bathtubs, no electricity, and infested with vermin.
Along with poor housing, there was crime. Prostitutes on Pierce St, in Glicks Alley & on Fenton Ct, and some sort of dangerous condition (not really stated clearly in the article) along the east side of 7th St between L & O Sts.

Crime & Fashion

This weekend, possibly Friday, two women were shot on N. Cap and S walking their dogs. The suspect was a black male wearing a white T-shirt and jeans. When I read that the first thought that jumped into my head was that a lot of the neighborhood characters wear white t-shirts and jeans. Unmarked white tees. No logos. No distinguishable markings of any kind.
This got me to thinking about what are the white shirt/ blue jeaned young males wearing these days and the differences in the sea of white shirts. Sticking with the T-shirt, you have your low and high v-necks, scoop neck (but isn’t that more of a feminine style?), crew neck. I also know there are several ways to wear a tee, there is tight, slim, loose, and baggy. Baggy being if it were to be tucked in it would look ridiculous. Also some male styles that are slim there are shirts that are long, particularly tank tees. Then there are also ribbed t-shirts, but sometimes you have to get close to tell. Rarely seen, and thus not likely worn, are the muscle shirt and mock neck.
Then you have jeans. No acid washed. No flared pants. Rarely any tight fitting ones among the hang out on the sidewalks of Shaw crowd. I haven’t looked closely enough to spot if a certain style of jeans, like carpenter pants, is shunned or favored. The pants favored do fall in the relaxed and baggy, as they leave a lot of butt room. Apparently, regular fit will show if you got a saggy rear.
Since I’m not a guy, are there other details in causal men’s clothing that I missed? Also when white boys in striped polos and khakis become a usual description for perpetrators, I’ll take a closer look at them too. Just to be safe be be wary of the ones with popped collars.

References:
Hanes Men’s Clothing| Men’s T-Shirts
Levi’s Jean finder