These bikes were spotted in my alley. There is a chance that they could legitimately belong to people visiting or living in the house behind where the bikes sit. Yet, if that was so, why are they out in the alley? On the off chance that these are being stashed, and belong to someone who has no idea of where they are, email me. mari at inshaw.
Tag: crime
Bear attacked
An Eckington blog reports that one of the doors (windows?) of the Big Bear was broken last night. Whether it was vandalism or burglary, or by chance a really stupid accident we should support the Big Bear to hopefully get the glass replaced quickly.
Ugly naked man
The azzh*le across the alley from me decided to show off what he was. For some odd reason, but in line with his periodic jerky behavior, had his rear deck doors wide open and was running around buck naked, showing off his rear. I’m almost convinced that he was doing it on purpose. Not knowing where I put my camera, so I could post the fat chunky dark side of the moon for your enjoyment, I just called the cops. More accurately I called Dispatch, who then called me back 30 minutes later, asking if I wanted to talk to the police. By then he had already blasted 3-4 songs from his stereo (I decided to let someone else call the cops for that), closed the doors and abandoned his large dog on the deck.
I and B. feel bad for the dog. Poor thing howls constantly at night and doesn’t appear to be properly socialized. B. is wondering when I’ll call the city to investigate the dog’s care. I don’t know what exactly the jerk is doing that is illegal, cause ignoring your dog, not illegal. No, I’m not going to call the city. Not until he starts leaving the poor puppy out in bad weather, again. And I couldn’t tell if the dog was left out in last night’s rain, as it could have just wandered under the deck.
Crime and safety
As I briefly mentioned three men were charged as suspects for Robbery 1 in Northern Truxton (1700 blk of NJ and 200 blk of R). This hopefully will put an end to the robbery spree that was experienced lately. In the BACA meeting (I’ll make an attempt to put the notes up today- notes are up user-thismeeting pwd- neverhappened) the police officer (either Ofc Babcock or McCollough) noted that crime is down. Um, yay.
The problem is although crime statistically may be down, but the feeling of safety hasn’t exactly spiked up. And one of the conclusions I came to during the meeting is some of the things that don’t make me feel at ease aren’t exactly illegal. Teenagers sauntering down the street emulating the thug/ gangsta hoochie momma image yelling profanities and loudly rapping the most profane lyrics, not exactly illegal. Some people just exude and cultivate an air of negativity that you can feel.
The question of is this Shaw/Truxton a safe neighborhood, usually comes from other women. My answer has been, and is, this is an urban neighborhood, not the suburbs. Also I’m not going to say, and you are not going to make me say, ‘oh, this is a bad neighborhood,’ because I live here. If you ask do I feel safe? It could be better, but I’m fine. I do not dread walking home (unless it is in this oppressive heat). If it is late at night, I may take a bus or a cab. Not owning a car, having an employer who does the Metrochecks, and biking, my transportation costs are pretty low, even with the occasional cab ride.
There are shifting degrees of safety I feel. I don’t think I’ve ever felt unsafe, well maybe except for that one time when the woman with the dog kept following me, that freaked me out. I try to be aware of my surroundings, I walk like I know where I’m going, and I try to reduce my risk, because this area is what it is, and slowly it has and will get better.
North Capitol, Catania Bakery
For news about the TC it seems I have to keep up with the Eckington listserv. How wacky is that? Anyway, as some of you know Saturday Catania Bakery was robbed, as sadly one of the many summer crimes that has occured in the area in the past month or so (I’ll be so happy when school starts up). Discussion on the listserv about the robbery brought up this from ANC leader Kris Hammond:
There is some good news. Nicole the owner is currently renovating one of the buildings. Pat Mitchell, myself, Jessica (Nicole’s granddaughter), and Paul of Warehouse on 9th Street recently viewed the property for artist studio potential. We all want the buildings filled and it has been very slow, but I recently learned that there have been some personal extenuating circumstances that are part of the reason. Hopefully it will all change soon. Nicole/Catania just recently successfully rented out office space on the second floor of another building.
Kris
Well good thing that office got leased out.
Crime and spats
King Karl has reported that the most NW block of the TC has had another robbery this weekend, making it about 5 in the last month for that block. This is a problem, living on the edge of 5D, the getting ignored bit. I don’t know if more patrols would help as for 3 of the 5 (I don’t know what the other 2 were) the houses were entered from the rear. So it would not have been something a passing patrol car would have noticed from the street. Another thing was 2 of the houses, maybe three, had alarm systems. From what I know it seems that having a motion detector helps inspire intruders to vacate promptly.
And filed under ‘I’m not quite sure what to do with this information’ is a spat between neighbors. Not literal neighbors, but people who live in close enough proximity to give the other nasty looks on a regular basis. The problem for me is I know both and a possible 3rd party, and I consider them all to be very nice people. Neighbor A accuses Neighbor B of committing a very bad neighborhood sin (I’m not going to say what it is lest I attract the attention of Neighbor L who gets all worked up about these things) via possible Neighbor C. A confronted B about the thing C was doing on behalf of B. B dismissed A who is now pissed and telling the story. The event seems a little out of character, but completely possible*, for B. So it is another set of people who need to stay away from each other.
I remember surprising someone on the topic of old timers vs newcomers that old timers can have longstanding neighborhood feuds with other old timers. Wrongs that were committed way back when that have never been forgiven or things that were started and just snowballed from there. Newcommers, the same, just the start date is more recent. And sometimes, newcommers can join the old vs old spat and visa versa.
This whole thing just ruined what I was planning on posting, inspired by my priest’s sermon on ‘who is your neighbor’. He said a neighborhood does not make love, love makes a neighborhood. Maybe spats do too, but I’d like less of them, cause I really can’t remember who all can’t be in a room together.
*All things are possible. It is possible that you may find me running down the street 1/2 naked chasing someone with a kitchen knife, unlikely, out of character, but possible.
G&G
Last night round 9ish PM I came home noticing 5 police cruisers in the parking lot of GG Market on the 1500 block of New Jersey NW. Anyone know anything? Please tell me it was an impromptu PSA 501 meeting and not what I think it could be.
Summer and Crime
Some folks on the other side of New Jersey Avenue report a shooting on Q or P and 7th or 8th Streets on Monday night and the possible end to the gang truce (unless this wasn’t gang related then truce on). Over on this side a resident was mugged by kids hanging out behind G & G market around midnight on the weekend.
And well, this would sort of fall under the heading of crime prevention, but I really, uh, take it however you’d like. Last night, or more accurately this morning at 12:30AM I passed by the Florida Avenue park, where the characters hang out, and the police were there. Big bright blinding lights, a police van and some bored looking men in blue. For a time that was the safest corner in the hood.
Is this your SUV?
This SUV has been sitting on the 100-200 block of Q St NW for a week now. Your back window has been busted and the glass is still in the road. There is a temporary tag on it. Please tape up your back window or I’m reporting it as a possibly stolen vehicle.
Vandals attack truck
Editorial: After some thought, I decided that the title was poorly chosen. So I changed it. In looking at this posting and asking if there is anything else that needs changing, the answer is no. I was writing about my gut feelings, thought processes and opinions and they are what they are. And I’d be almost lying if I changed it and if it didn’t reflect my complex and contradicting personality.
When I saw this a week or more ago I was angry. The truck belongs to the neighborhood handyman, a nice fellow, good AfrAm businessman, and great neighbor. So some punks coming in and defacing the property of this all around good guy is just wrong. Letting the incident stew in my mind for a while I have come up with two thoughts on the matter:
Thought 1- Stupid White Kids
Okay kids, when you go around in transitional neighborhoods, randomly attacking property you stand a good chance attacking the property of minorities. Of course, you really shouldn’t be attacking any one’s property but your own. Since the most famous of you vandals is some suburban white kid from Potomac, when I see a certain type of graffiti, I immediately think that it’s another self-hating angry white young man who wants to take out his frustrations with life out on a city with no representation in Congress. Instead of attacking the city, where you don’t live, to strike back at the white middle class or upper class establishment from which you sprang from, go to the established white mid-class neighborhood and launch a less destructive protest there. Unless it is that you hate diversity, small businesses, and a disfranchised citizenry’s efforts to make one’s neighborhood a better place.
Thought 2- Stupid Kids, can’t stand to see someone else succeed
There is the possibility that the perps were Black.
There are those of us who can’t stand to see someone else get ahead and succeed. Shame, shame, shame. What you should be doing is spending more time trying to improve yourself than running around marking up stuff.