City installs new traffic cameras: see where they are!

Recently the city installed a number of new traffic cameras: rather than speed, these cameras focus on drivers blocking the box (being stopped across intersections), driving through crosswalks, and not coming to a complete stop at stop signs.

You may have seen them, they're big and blocky and on the side of the road, rather than the small ones that catch speeders. I spotted the one here on 11th near Lamont. They're a good thing to improve traffic flow and protect pedestrians, but they also mean that drivers need to be careful.

There were a few snafus with the roll out, namely that the city didn't give enough notice, so they've pushed back issuing tickets until February 1.

But in the meantime, you can check out the city's interactive map of where they are. In Columbia Heights, there's only a few, but some can be moved, so you may need to check back occasionally.

Letter from a reader: what to do about loitering and drugs

The other day I got this email from a local resident talking about loitering and drugs. Read on:

I've lived in DC four years and Columbia Heights for 2-ish, including Mount Pleasant.

I've realized that the way C. Heights was set up was to be kind of a welcoming hangout, especially around the Julia's (may she RIP) and Froyo joints with the fountain there and the cement benches.

Yet most of the hanging happening in the neighborhood is done by perpetual street vendors selling cheap hats, oils, colognes, and sunglasses outside Target, as well as loiterers around 7-11 and the Columbia Heights Metro stop (by Five Guys and Potbelly).

So here's the concern: Why is the loitering allowed? I couldn't care less about the street vendors, it's the loitering around my commute to the Metro that makes me and my friends uncomfortable.

I literally witness the the passing of drugs between people by 7-11 and the Metro on a daily basis. At least, I'm pretty sure what I see them passing between hand shakes and pockets aren't valentine's or candy... No one should be blind to this activity either, especially considering the amount of police activity in the area, sometimes parked not twenty feet from all of this.

And maybe it's these poor saps livelihoods, selling drugs at the Metro from 7am - 6pm every day, maybe even on holidays. Not a fun job either, I imagine, but it really makes me wary of my surroundings and uncomfortable to walk around the area. It also freaks out my friends who commute to my house, having to avoid people standing in the middle of the sidewalk, or attempting to cross the street to avoid walking by this kind of thing.

Is there any reason police ignore this? I'm no detective, but this isn't a rocket science fix for safety. It also seems to be a theme around this area where people just look the other way to shady business. Anecdote: When I lived closer to Howard last year, it was a known fact the person next door sold stolen bikes for a living. He hid them behind a house on a nightly basis and people looked the other way, as to "mind their business," as it were. Plus, who wants to be the end of someone else's rent check in this expensive city, even if it is petty crime we're talking.

Anyway, police complaints are obviously an action, but I feel weird even mentioning this concern as a white person, due to all the stigma associated with judging cultural pastimes. Still, I feel no matter who you are and who the people committing crime in your neighborhood are, you'd feel safer if police actually DID something about obvious CRIME, or there were laws (or signs) in place to reduce discomfort to residents.

What do people think? If you saw someone pass a little baggy to someone else for money in your neighborhood, would you do anything about it? Or, would you go on your merry way saying, "Oh, well, that's just Columbia Heights"? I certainly haven't.

-Concerned Resident

Some interesting points, but I'm not sure I agree with them all. What do you think?

For one, I'm not bothered by the vendors, and I've actually bought stuff from them before: sunglasses, mittens, books and such. 

As for the drugs, I can't say I've noticed people passing drugs outside the 7-Eleven, but maybe I'm just not looking for it. I have noticed a little in the past around 14th and Euclid. That said, police have always said at community meetings that if you notice people selling or doing drugs or prostitution, to call them. Even if they can't get there in time or they don't have evidence (which is probably why they don't do a lot of arrests, like the reader is talking about) then at least they have a report of it, which they use in planning where officers should go and patrol. The more reports in one area, the more they will focus on that. So even if you don't think anything will happen, call the police.

But that's my opinion. What do you think? Do you agree with the reader?

MPD looking for Columbia Rd armed robbery suspect, have you seen this man?

MPD is looking for help to find a suspect in an armed robbery on Columbia Road NW. They tweeted this yesterday with the video below. It looks like the Bank of America ATM on Columbia Road in Adams Morgan. Have you seen him?


Here's their tweet with more info:

VIDEO: Persons of Interest in Armed Robbery, 1847 Columbia Rd, NW, 11/12. Have info? Call (202) 727-9099/text 50411. youtu.be/oVU7fsUQyAw.

MPD says recent attacks in the neighborhood not the "knockout game"

A few weeks ago, there was a spate of attacks in the neighborhood where a group of males would punch an unsuspecting person and run away -- in fact, it happened three times in Columbia Heights, on 14th and on 11th. A lot of folks were concerned about the "knockout game," a supposedly nationwide trend where attackers would sucker punch a person with the goal of knocking them out.

However, the other day I emailed Councilman Jim Graham to ask about MPD's response, and he put me in touch with Third District commander Jacob Kishter. Graham and Kishter said the attacks weren't related to the knockout game. I asked Kishter to clarify:

[In the knockout game] The suspects blind side the victim for no apparent reason and actually sucker punch the victim and knock them out.

Our assaults have been associated with other crimes at the times of the assaults. None of the assaults have been serious.

Graham added that "However, as is always the case, MPD is taking the assaults and public safety in generally very seriously."

This seems to go along with some of the recent reporting on the knockout game, which some reporters and others are calling a myth, or just another name for something that has always happened. 

Young people attacking strangers in Columbia Heights: the "knockout game"?

There's a disturbing trend in our area recently: young people seem to be playing something called the "knockout game," where they hit an unsuspecting person with the goal of knocking them out with one punch.

There have been three such attacks in Columbia Heights in the last week, with one occurring on 14th Street on Thursday around 10 pm, one on Friday in the same area, and another on 11th Street near Clifton. This is also a potentially fatal attack, and in the past people in other cities have been killed, with the perpetrators caught and charged with murder. The victims in DC have sustained bloody noses and other injuries, but thankfully nothing more serious than that.

All the attacks were done by a group of young men, though it's not clear if it's the same males each time. In the Clifton Street incident, the victim, a young woman, was riding her bike through a group of men. In the two 14th Street attacks, a group of males on bikes who rode up.

I don't need to say how terrible and despicable this kind of thing is, but please be mindful of your surroundings. Obviously it's sad to say that you should watch out for groups of men, but that seems to be the M.O. here.

I had a personal experience with something similar a few years ago too when a group of kids in Shaw just attacked me out of nowhere while I was walking on the sidewalk. I wasn't badly hurt and the kids were caught after they ran into the Shaw Metro, but it was a scary experience. I also got really mad afterwards: why would somebody do this? What is wrong with people?

There's a MPD 3rd and 4th district meeting Wednesday, which covers Columbia Heights, so I hope concerned people go and point this out to MPD. So far I haven't heard a response from the police.

The meeting is at the 4th District substation at 750 Park Road NW starting at 7 pm.

ANC chair Kent Boese pointed out on the Columbia Heights listserve two contacts with MPD if you have questions about the meetings or crime in general:

PSA 409 (north of Park Road)
Lt. Judith Mack
judith.mack@dc.gov
202-576-8222

PSA 302 (south of Park Road)
Lt. Jonathan Munk
jonathan.munk@dc.gov
202-391-6942

Wash. Post on ShotSpotter: Columbia Heights, Park View, Petworth a hotbed of gunshots

The Washington Post recently published a lengthy and fascinating look at ShotSpotter, a technology the Metropolitan Police Department uses to locate where gunshots were heard. And the news isn't good if you live in Park View or Petworth.

Basically, different sensors around the city listen for gunshots and the attempt to triangulate their location so police can respond quickly. The Post's analysis includes info on how the system works, how the police use it, when shootings happen and more, but one of the most interesting parts is the interactive map of density of detected gunshots. And it turns out that Park View or Petworth and one of the densest areas in the city for gunshots -- the other dense areas are Trinidad, parts of Southwest, and a few areas east of the river.

The densest area in our neck of the woods seems to extend from about 13th and Quincy southeast to Warder and Irving, with less dense (but still fairly high) areas extending radially from there. It's a little scary, seeing as how many there are in our area. Most of Columbia Heights is in the blue area, meaning 200-350 detected gunshots since 2009.

The article also tracks when they happen, which is mostly at night, centered on midnight, and what time of the year.

It's sort of an interesting counterpoint to my post about if you think Columbia Heights is safe. I still think it is safe, and I bet most of these are targeted shootings but it's still very worrisome and something I want to look into further. We should figure out how as a community we can stop this trend.

UPDATE: Councilman Jim Graham forwarded me an email from MPD Chief Cathy Lanier, who notes that many of the reports were heard but not verified to actually be gunshots -- so some may be false positives. Maybe they were fireworks or some other sound.

Do you consider Columbia Heights safe?

I often get emails from people who are thinking of moving to the neighborhood or who just moved asking about safety. "Is the neighborhood safe? Are there certain places or times I should avoid?" and the like.

I generally tell them that crime could happen any part of the city, even the nicest ones, and that they should be aware of their surroundings and don't do things like walking around alone at 3 am, or drunk and alone, or on your phone.

But aside from that, I'm kind of stumped. I generally think Columbia Heights is very safe. I've only been hassled once in the neighborhood: in maybe 2007 a very scared kid with what looked like a fake gun held up my friends and I. O course we didn't want to find out for sure about the gun, and he got about $20 total from us. We called the police and they came but didn't find anybody (and a couple of cabs drove past us while it was happening and didn't seem to call the police or anything, which was frustrating.) Maybe I've been lucky though, and I hope everyone reading hasn't had a similar experience.

Of course, your results may vary, but it seems mostly random. I've had a hard time finding places where lots of bad things happen to bystanders or passersby. There have been shootings, but I think mostly those are targeted or the result of some dispute, not just a random robber shooting somebody they are trying to rob. (This has happened a little bit though, like the sad shooting during a robbery at Sherman Circle in 2010.)

It's also been a while since there has been a big shooting, like the one around the Faircliff building at 14th and Fairmont in 2008 where a number of people were shot, as well as some cars. The Faircliff building management has since done a lot to address crime there and we haven't heard much from it in a while, to their credit.

I also think the neighborhood certainly seems safer than a few years ago, mainly due to increased foot traffic everywhere. Back before DCUSA was built, the area around 14th and Irving was completely deserted at almost all times of the day. Now there are people there constantly and all over the neighborhood -- though I also usually tell people that they should stick to busier streets and that generally as you go north and east, streets get less busy. I'm not sure if that actually results in more crime, but it can be eerie walking alone on Kenyon and Georgia or something at night.

So those are my thoughts, how about yours? Are we safe? Are certain parts more unsafe for people? Let us know in the comments.

Councilmember Bowser parks illegally, ANC commish spots it and reports it

This is pretty funny: Ward 4 councilmember and DC mayoral candidate Muriel Bowser's car parked illegally the other day, and ANC 1A commissioner Patrick Flynn spotted it. Flynn documented the offense on SeeClickFix, a website where people can submit service requests and violations and the city will respond.

Flynn emailed the photo to me, with a note: "Council members are not above the law! Who does this mayoral candidate think she is!?" As you can see, the car with a Ward 4 council license plate is fully past the "no parking or standing anytime" sign.

Of course it's a pretty minor offense, but he makes a valid point.

And this isn't the first time we've spotted a councilmember parking illegally while in the midst of a campaign: there was a car with a Vincent Orange for Council sign parked illegally on 14th Street a while ago -- complete with a bullhorn blaring that Orange favors aggressive enforcement of DC laws. Sometimes you can't make this stuff up.

UPDATE: I've made a few attempts to contact the councilmember about this, and have not gotten a response. As a matter of fact, I've emailed the councilmember or her staff a few times about neighborhood issues and have never gotten a response. You'd think that someone who's job is to represent constituents would actually respond. I've always gotten quick responses from Jim Graham and Jack Evans when I've emailed them about things.

Police ticketing bicyclists on 11th Street for running red lights

Better be careful if you're a biker. A reader sent me an email today saying that at about 8:45 am this morning, he saw MPD ticket about 4 bike riders on 11th Street for running red lights. He mentioned that another friend saw it too, and apparently this isn't the first time it's happened too.

For a bit of context, the reader added this "Yes, there was traffic, but I don't think anyone was doing anything reckless. I think everyone stopped at a red light, looked for traffic, and ran the light (without cutting anyone off)."
Of course, running a red light is illegal, though I must admit I do it occasionally if there isn't any traffic around. That's still dangerous, and certainly not recommended as there could be a car or pedestrian you don't see or one going fast that comes out of nowhere. Plus 11th Street has the big hill (like 14th and most others in our city) which always makes me nervous to ride down.

But in general, it seems that bikers need to be careful and obey traffic laws. I'm guessing this was the goal here by MPD, getting bikers to think twice.

And needless to say, that goes for cars and pedestrians too -- nobody is without fault in our area. I've seen bikers riding wildly but have also frequently seen people crossing in the middle of the block, Frogger-ing their way through traffic. I've also seen (and experienced) cars speeding through crosswalks, turning through them while pedestrians are crossing and the like.

I think in general, let's all be a little more careful out there.

Some people think UN and NATO troops are training in Columbia Heights

Well, here's something you don't hear every day. The other day on Twitter I saw someone say something about UN troops in Columbia Heights:

@bombecerise)

9/16/13, 12:14 PM Really am trying to bake a b-day cake, but asap, gonna post links w/ UN troops and Park police training in DC. We SAW em in Columbia Heights

I asked for more info, as that's pretty strange, and she said it was on Georgia Avenue, and they were speaking something Slavic or Russian-sounding.

She also responded with a link to a document supposedly by something called the NATO Russia Council about NATO and Russia working together. However, that document doesn't mention DC or Columbia Heights. Then she included a link to a Youtube video of these supposed UN/NATO/NATO Russian Council troops walking in Columbia Heights with an MPD officer, saying that they are speaking something other than English. To me, though, the MPD officer clearly says "How'd that happen?" and the supposed "troops" are wearing the same uniforms as MPD trainees.



Other Twitter folks responding to @bombecerise seem to agree with her, and she replied to me that other "#tinfoil" media is reporting about this -- tinfoil meaning conspiracy theorists I guess. Of course, NATO and the UN are different things, and I don't see any Park Police anyway. I can't find the links she mentions online anywhere either, and she said in a response that there is "no msm [mainstream media] coverage, that's the point."

Even if NATO or the UN were training with MPD (which again, I don't see from these videos and links) what's the big deal? The US sends people overseas to train police all the time.

And if this really were some grand conspiracy (and there are a lot, like the UN being a secret plot for a one world government), why would whoever it is train people in the most densely populated neighborhood in the capital of the United States?

So, at least for the moment, I think our neighborhood is safe from the United Nations. Maybe you can call me a "sheeple." Here are a few of her tweets to me below.

(I should also note I'm not trying to make fun of this person. I just saw something unusual and looked into it. Everybody is free to believe whatever they want, I just happen to disagree.)

@newcolumbiahts (4) Would just be nice to have some "official" explanation rather than the uncomfortably out there.

Show Conversation

bombeceriseSep 16, 5:53pm via Web

@newcolumbiahts (3) And the supposition is there are joint NATO/NRC trainings happening with Park Police in DC and in other jurisdictions.

Show Conversation

bombeceriseSep 16, 5:51pm via Web

@newcolumbiahts (2) They speak something other than english youtube.com/watch?v=1VJuVM… There is a lot of#Tinfoil media reporting on this.

Show Conversation

bombeceriseSep 16, 5:50pm via Web

@newcolumbiahts This is NOT confirmed, but it's odd.
(1) nato-russia-council.info/media/96614/fi…

Help out Pat Walsh, a popular and nice former Columbia Heights resident who was attacked recently

By Jacqui Burger

Following a random violent attack in front of his house on June 22nd that left DC resident and all-around nice guy Pat Walsh with kicked-in teeth and stitches in his chin, friends are rallying by putting on benefit events this weekend to help with the burden of his significant medical bills.

Walsh is known as a fixture in the DC music scene for putting on and attending (at an exhausting rate of up to three shows in one night) band, dj, and comedy performances. He is also legendary for his kindness and generosity to the many people who are friends with him, as well as for his modesty. This became evident when even some of his closest friends were not aware of the attack that has forced Walsh to wear temporary false teeth until he can be fitted with permanent teeth.

In an effort to do something nice for the guy who invites them over for made from scratch brunches, who makes them birthday cakes, and supports independent bands, there will be three fundraising events, two of which are taking place in Columbia Heights, this weekend.

On Friday the 16th at 7pm at Wonderland Ballroom, is the taping of the talk show You, Me, Them, Everybody, hosted by Brandon Wetherbee. Guests include comedians Jenn Tisdale, Adam Friedland, Ben Freed, Tim Kish, Andrew Bucket, and rock trio Southern Problems. Here's the Facebook event, and they'll be taking donations for Walsh.

On Sunday at Noon there will be a potluck brunch at The Dunes (above The Getaway) in honor of all the delicious homemade brunches he’s held in his group house.

Sunday night at 9pm is a dance party at U Street Music Hall, featuring Protect-U,
Nouveau Riche (Gavin Holland/Steve Starks/Nacey), Outputmessage, and Micah Vellian.

Each event requests a donation of at least $5, with all proceeds going to Walsh’s medical bills, which are significant. It’s a great opportunity to do something fun around town this weekend while helping someone who makes our city a little nicer place to live. There's also a Paypal page for him. Check it out, and help out a nice guy!

Photo from his Facebook page

Activists sue the city over undercover cop infiltrating anti-sweatshop protests at DCUSA

This is a strange story -- activists have sued the city over undercover police infiltrating their protests, including in Columbia Heights.

The group, United Students Against Sweatshops, protests outside stores that haven't signed onto a convention about working conditions in Bangladesh, such as Children's Place in DCUSA, and deliver letters to the store talking about the issue. (The convention was written after the Rana Plaza factory collapse earlier this year.)

USAS sued the city over an undercover police officer who they say has infiltrated their group. City law states that undercover officers can't infiltrate advocacy groups without approval from top police officials, and it must be as a last resort and with a proven threat of violence.

A few times the protests were broken up by the police, and organizers began to get suspicious. Then a friend of Lacy MacAuley, who was involved with the protests, suggested she check out a now-deleted Twitter account, @snufftastic, which had a lot of funny tweets and some about being an undercover police officer. MacAuley looked and realized that @snufftastic was a frequent attendee at protests around the city who she knew as "Missy," pictured above at a DCUSA protest and from her Twitter.

MPD Chief Cathy Lanier said she believes the city has obeyed the law.

There's a very detailed (and pretty fascinating) story about the whole saga on a site called In These Times, including more on how the protesters connected Missy with the police using other forms of social media. (Note to undercover officers: perhaps you shouldn't tweet, post on Facebook and have a Tumblr about your undercover operations.)

It's a strange situation, though. What's the harm in allowing groups to protest if they're peaceful and in public space? They aren't advocating any kind of violence against these businesses. I've also seen groups protesting outside DCUSA because some of the stores sell the Soda Stream machine, which the groups claim is made in Israeli settlements in the West Bank that they're opposed to. Are groups like that infiltrated on by undercover cops? What about the other spontaneous protests we see in the area from time to time, like the Trayvon Martin ones? Or even other groups that don't even protest? The drum circle? Maybe that's going too far, and I'm not somebody who is against the police at all, but it rubs me the wrong way.

Obviously the police need to be able to operate and gather information on potential crimes -- but to me a protest about sweatshops doesn't seem like the highest priority. Maybe they're worried these will escalate into the kind of violence that happened in the World Bank and IMF protests in the past, where protesters attacked banks.

Interestingly, the law the group sued under was passed in 2004 after mass arrests at the 2000 and 2002 anti-World Bank and IMF protests, where scores of people, including bystanders and reporters, were arrested en masse. I was at GW for the 2000 protests, when campus was shut down and thousands of people marched all over, followed by police officers in riot gear, and even a police armored personnel carrier. There were rumors of violence by anarchists in downtown DC, but they mostly seemed to be untrue. Some violent protests and mass arrests did happen in Adams Morgan in 2005 too, with lawsuits about police arresting bystanders there.

Those were a weird few years in DC. I guess MPD is trying to make sure that, or even something bigger like the Battle in Seattle, doesn't happen again? Otherwise, I don't get it.

Photo from Gawker, via In These Days

Sexual assault suspect on the loose: contact police if you think you saw him

Yesterday there was a robbery and sexual assault on the 1400 block of Oak Street NW, in the Trinity AME  Church parking lot and nearby. The police are looking for your help finding the suspect. See the video for an image of one suspect, and read below for a message from the police. If you noticed anything like what's mentioned, even if you aren't sure, you should contact the police. You can be anonymous.

DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

Suspects Sought in a Sexual Assault and Robbery: 1400 Block of Oak Street, NW

(Washington, DC)- The Metropolitan Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and locating two suspects in connection with a sexual assault and robbery which occurred in the 1400 block of Oak Street, NW.

On Monday, May 6, 2013, between the hours of 12:50 am and 1:00 am, a female and a male were sitting in a vehicle in the 1500 block of Meridian Place, NW, when they were approached by two unknown males who produced a handgun and forced them out of the vehicle. The male victim was assaulted at that location whereas the female victim was taken to the 1400 block of Oak Street, NW, where she was sexually assaulted. Both victims were robbed of property.

The suspects are described as two black males wearing ski masks and both armed with a handgun.

Anyone with information that can assist in the identification of these suspects is asked to call the police at (202) 727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411.

-Josue Salmeron

Smart 9-1-1 takes emergency response to the next level

By the Otis Place correspondent

Smart 9-1-1 is more than start.  It’s brilliant.  Land lines are becoming a thing of the past.  But what happens if you call 9-1-1 from your cell phone during an emergency at your house, and you get cut off before you can give your address?  Smart 9-1-1 has the answer. And so much more.

As a representative of 9-1-1 explained at last week’s ANC 1A meeting, you can now go to www.smart911.com  and provide emergency responders as much or as little information as you choose that can help them help you when you need it most.  Like your recurring medical condition, medications and blood type so they know better how to treat you in an emergency.  Pictures of your kids so they can tell the difference between Marcia, Jan and Cindy.  A picture of your house so they can find it easily.  Cell phone numbers of all your house mates so that if any of them calls there’s an address associated with each one. 

I went on the website, and in about 15 minutes I created a profile for me and my partner.  I’ll go back later to add some photos and a profile for our house mate once I get his permission.  And then, as the Smart 9-1-1 website says,  when anyone in my house dials 9-1-1 from a phone associated with their safety profile, “their profile is immediately displayed to the 9-1-1 call taker providing additional information that can be used to facilitate the proper response to the proper location. At a time when seconds count, being able to provide 9-1-1 with all details that could impact response the second an emergency call is placed could be the difference between life and death.”

But shouldn’t all work places register too?  I’m just thinking out loud here….