Tag: crime

Self-righteous tourists vandalize Logan Circle Bank


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Originally uploaded by In Shaw

I thought it was a mistake when I read the Washington Post about the IMF protesters breaking windows at 14th and P of the PNC and Wachovia banks. Seriously, you have to get through Dupont to get here from the IMF offices. There are banks there. Should Trinidad be on high alert?
On my way back to church I went to take a look and lo and behold, plywood, bringing a little ghetto back to the hood. There was a security guard out in front of Wachovia and the ATM for Wachovia was working fine, as there was a short line. The sidewalks of the 1400 block of P Street were filled with diners. So besides the plywood it was a normal looking Sunday.

Supposedly the vandals had an ideological problem with banks. Something, blah, blah, about foreclosures. You wanna prevent foreclosures? Ban mortgages. Tell people if they don’t have 100% the money up front, they can’t buy a house.

Papered Arrests in the TC

From The 5D Court Report for March 2009 (PDF):
Date of Arrest/Time/Charge/ Defendant’s Name/ Location of Offense

3/3/09 20:23 POSS OF A CONTROL SUBSTANCE -MISD ROSE, KARL F/O 1625 N CAP NE
3/6/09 19:39 POSS W/I TO DIST A CONTROL SUBSTANCE HANDY, LEROY A 45 New York Ave, NW
3/18/09 00:30 POSS OF A CONTROL SUBSTANCE -MISD WELLS, TONY D 107 Q ST NW
3/18/09 18:50 POSS W/I TO DIST A CONTROL SUBSTANCE WALLS, LARRY A UNIT BLK OF HANOVER PL NW
3/19/09 20:25 ASSAULT ON A POLICER OFFICER-DANG WEAPON HOWARD, JAMES 1300 N.CAP ST NW
3/24/09 16:10 POSS OF A CONTROL SUBSTANCE -MISD PHILLIPS, HOUSTON UNIT BLK OF HANOVER PL NW
3/26/09 14:50 DIST OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE SMITH, ERIC D unit blck new York Ave, NW
3/28/09 16:00 POSS OF A CONTROL SUBSTANCE -MISD BURNEY, SHENEISE 100 BLK Q ST NW
3/31/09 10:22 ASSAULT WITH A DANGEROUS WEAPON HERRING, CALVIN 1200 blk of Kirby St, NW
Not in 5D but close enough to be of interest:
308 3/19/09 02:30 ASSAULT ON A POLICER OFFICER-DANG WEAPON EFREW, KIFLE 1544 NEW JERSEY AVE NW
308 3/19/09 02:30 POSS OF A CONTROL SUBSTANCE -MISD RICHARDSON, OZIAS 1544 BLK NEW JERSEY AVE NW

Hopefully this is the end of crime week at InShaw.

Pray for Jennifer

I really hate hearing about these sort of things. Because everytime, I swear everytime, things begin to look better, when it looks like the past has passed, crap like this pops up. I got the following in an email:

I am surprised that there is no mentioned in your report of the assault on Sunday of Jennifer Ragins of ### Bates Street. She was one of the instrumental people that started Bates Street Civic Association. She was attacked by a wantobe thug. This thug blind sided her with punches.
She was taken to the hospital. This thug lives at ### P Street NW.

This is a house that has been raided by the police several times. This 15- year-old thud attacked a person twice his age. He is twice her size and weights twice as much. What African American parent raise a child to seek and attach a grown woman. I cannot say an alleged attack because there are witnesses that saw it and also heard him brag about it.
It was not a robbery because he took nothing. This was a set-up by the drug boys to silence someone who has been instrumental in improving this neighborhood. The 20 years plus I have live here, I have been a mentor and tutored to many young folks. However, there are those that are not reachable and need to be dealt with accordingly. This is one. I hear that a warrant has been issue but he has not been arrested. Where can a 15-year-old go to avoid arrest unless he has criminal help.
Jennifer needs your prayers and support. I hope that as this crime was occurring, those folks who were aware of it assisted in helping her as I did when a white woman on my street was attached. I did not bother about the color, I placed my self in harms way and I think if I had not she would have received more harm as in the case of Jennifer.

We can not just look out for our clicks or have our private groups. You cannot have an e-mail system or group that only glorify your click. For this community to address these types of criminal elements, all of us need to take a stand.

I’ve blocked the house numbers for privacy reasons. Jennifer and I don’t see eye to eye on the neighborhood’s name, and some other things, but she’s in need of our prayers, thoughts, and support. Pray for healing and justice.

Sexual Assualt in 3D

I wish I could find another source other than DCist on this about a home invasion on Marion Street NW in Shaw. The MPD website has nada, this isn’t the first time I haven’t been able to get wanted/information posters, whatever from the MPD site. According to DCist:

The suspect, described as a medium complexioned black male in his late 20s, 5’10”, wearing a black jacket and blue jeans, may have entered through an unlocked door. Kucik reminded residents to ensure doors and windows are locked at night, and to call 911 if you see any suspicious subjects in the area.

UPDATE: Source on the 3d listserv- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MPD-3d/message/6273 &
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MPD-3d/message/6265

Robbery on R

I saw it on the TruxtonCircle.org discussion list and there was this on the 5D listserv:

PSA: 501
CCN: 09042554
RPT DATE: Mar 31, 2009
SHIFT: EVN
OFFENSE: Robbery
METHOD: Gun
BLOCK:
LOCATION: Sidewalk
START DT: 03/31/2009
START TM: 20:57:00
END DT: 03/31/2009
END TM:

There is no street or block but the time and the sidewalk location makes me think that it is the same sad crime that occurred Tuesday when a man was collecting his garbage can near his home. It makes no sense, but DC criminals have their own logic.
I pray this is an isolated crime. But I know that the stretch to the better and safer neighborhood we deserve will have these set backs.
Speaking of crime in the TC, I was informed of two incidents, I think happening in the same month of burglaries on Sq 509E. One was where the thief got in through a tiny back window and stole cash from a New Jersey Avenue home. The other was another burglary on 4th, I don’t know the specifics but it occurred when the occupant was out of town. I can’t stress the importance of having a neighbor look in on your place when you’re on vacation or a business trip. Papers, chinese restuarant menus, and gold and brown notes from the UPS guy pile up and scream ‘We’re not home!’

Is this neighborhood safe

A few months ago whilst shopping at Timor, I got to chatting with a fellow (cause , people hang out and chat @ the Timor) about a question. He was saying he was talking with a guy about become a roommate and the guy had asked if the neighborhood was safe. I get that question too when looking for roommates. I hate that question.
I feel safe, but I don’t know about you–
Most of the time when I’m walking back from the metro after work, I feel safe enough. But I’m aware. I’m aware that muggings and other street crimes occur. And I remain somewhat aware of my surroundings, though Jimbo and I disagree on if I’m still aware with one earphone in my ear. Most of the time I feel safe enough, within reason.
However, when I get the question, “Do you feel safe around here?” I tend to dissect the question. I still have a reference textbook from library school with a section on questions. The problem is some questions that people ask are not the right questions to get to the information they want to know. So the question I think they are really asking is if they would feel safe around here. And I really can’t answer that well.
I can’t answer it because, typically I don’t know the person well enough. I don’t know what risks they take. Do they walk home after 10PM, at 1AM? Sober, buzzed or drunk? Do they constantly walk and yabber on their cell phone or zone out with their ipod? Do they have a car? How well do they lock their bike? But I do answer the question, and depending on my mood determines the answer I give. And really the neighborhood is as safe as you are.

Scooter Crime

A couple years back there was a huge, huge rash of scooters being stolen. Criminals had gotten so brash as to attempt to scooter-jack people. I don’t know if scooter crime disappeared for a short while, but the reports of a scooter getting stolen in southern part of the TC brought back memories.
On-line on the 5D listserv there was some good back and forth between the person reporting the stolen scooter and the police. Over on the TruxtonCircle.org discussion list TC residents are keeping an eye out for the scooter. In all this a stolen scooter was located but not the one stolen from Hanover St. NW.
So, be on the lookout for a blue/black Kymco scooter, license plate MT6797.

Sympathies

‘Cause apparently what little I heard from the DC cop wasn’t sounding all that sympathetic.
To the owners of the vehicles parked on the 400 block of R Street, next to the Africare lot, you have my sympathies. But living in the burbs won’t make you immune to knuckleheads smashing your windows. And to counter what I heard, just because we live in the city doesn’t mean we’re supposed to accept being victims of vandalism. My cousin who lives in the far reaches of Fairfax Co. told me that a whole block of tires were slashed in his subdivision. So the whiff of suggesting that moving to VA or MD is not a crime prevention suggestion.