About 12 people joined Lt. Michael Thornton at last night’s monthly PSA 107 meeting. Special guests included Lt. Paul O’Conner and Firemen Jones, Cunningham and Dunlap from the DC Fire Dept. Engine Company 8 (1520 C St. SE) and MPD Officer Wagner of PSA 107. Here is a quick recap:
- Crime continues to decline in PSA 107. The last 30 days (Jan. 18-Feb. 16) saw a 33% overall reduction in crime over the previous 30 days (Dec. 19-Jan. 17). Crime in Jan. 2011 was also down 30 percent compared with crime in Jan. 2010. Both violent and property crime are down.
- Thefts are beginning to increase. Bikes and delivery packages left on porches are being stolen. Auto thefts are also up over last month – crooks are mainly targeting GPS systems.
- There were five arrests (3 adult males, 2 adult females) at the Stadium-Armory Metro on Thursday morning (Feb. 17). All were charged with assault with attempt to rob. MPD worked closely with the Metro Transit Police on the arrests.
- There have been a few of robberies in the last few days, including one at 14th & E St. SE and another at 18th & A St. SE. MPD officers are working to making arrests in these cases.
- PCP arrests/incidents are on the rise. If you see individuals acting strangely/high on PCP, quickly walk away from the scene and dial 911.
- Residents should document all serial numbers on home electronics, particularly laptops. Keep the numbers written down and stored in a safe place. Also, activate any GPS systems on your laptops or cell phones – this greatly assists MPD is locating stolen items.
- Lt. Paul O’Conner from the DC Fire Dept. joined the meeting and shared some tips for residents, including:
- DC residents can receive one free battery-operated smoke alarm through the DC Fire and Emergency Management Service’s SAVU program. Just visit the SAVU website or dial 311 to request an alarm. The department will install the smoke alarm for you.
- Grilling on balconies and decks is not allowed in DC. Residents can and will be cited if the law is violated.
- I asked Lt. Thornton about efforts to slow traffic down on 17th Street SE and whether a speed camera and/or speed sign could be a solution. Lt. Thornton said that the MPD traffic safety unit has done a study of 17th St. SE and determined that a car with a camera cannot be safely placed between East Capitol St. SE and Potomac Avenue SE for a variety of reasons (Metrobus routes, parking issues). Lt. Thornton will ask the unit to reconsider a camera and, at the very least, to look into placing a temporary speed display on 17th St. SE.
- Lt. Thornton introduced and thanked Michael Bonds of the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA). CSOSA provides supervision of adults on probation, parole and supervised release in DC.
- Lt. Thornton continues to seek block captains to be point of contacts on each block in PSA 107. If you are interested in learning more, e-mail (michael.thornton@dc.gov) or call him at 202-425-7659.
- The March PSA 107 meeting will take place on Thursday, March 17, 7 pm, at Liberty Baptist Church (527 Kentucky Avenue SE).
If you have any questions or comments, please post them below or e-mail me. And please join us this Sunday, Feb. 20 at 6 pm and 8 pm for our weekly Hill East Neighborhood Walks. The walks begin in front of Harris Teeter (1350 Potomac Ave. SE).
Have a great weekend!
Brian Flahaven 