Click to enlarge: There were 21 robberies with a gun (shown above) in the first nine months of 2009 in Borderstan; there were another 43 robberies without a gun. In addition, there were 4 assaults with a gun, for a total of 25 gun crimes. This is up from 12 gun crimes during the same period of 2008. (Map: MPD crime database)

One can slice and dice crime stats the same way you can any other set of statistics: a million different ways. Personally, I find the most complete way of looking at crime trends is to get the numbers for the previous year (365 days), and then compare them to the same period the year before. This gives you one full year that takes into account seasonal differences.

Calendar-Year Reporting

However, the city and police department work on the calendar year. For example, you have probably read that the number of murders on a year-to-date basis in DC is down. (DC’s murder rate is down this year and much lower than in the 1980s and 1990s).

Moreover, crime stats are reported to the FBI on a calendar year basis. So, I decided to run the crime stats for the Borderstan reporting area¹ stats for the first three quarters of 2009, the third quarter having ended on September 30. I then compared them to the first nine months (three quarters) of 2008 and 2007. Following is what I found from the MPD online crime database.

Click to enlarge: Of the 64 Borderstan robberies between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, 2009, a total of 43 were committed without a gun; those committed without guns are shown here. (Map: MPD crime database)

Total Crime

Total crimes for the January 1 through September 30 period by year:

• 492 in 2007
• 514 in 2008 (4% increase over 2007)
• 598 in 2009 (16% increase over 2008 and 22% increase over 2007).

Read the full story

PSA 208 covers the Dupont Circle neighborhood and part of Kalorama Circle. West Borderstan (west of 15th Street) is in PSA 208. (Image: MPD Web site.)

The public is invited to the October meeting of Police Service Area (PSA) 208 is tonight at 7 p.m. at 1620 V Street NW at the MPD 3rd District headquarters (even though PSA 208 is now part of the 2nd District). PSA 208 covers the Dupont Circle neighborhood, including West Borderstan.

PSA 208 meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month and a forum for residents to meet with members of the MPD to discuss issues of concern. You can join the MPD 2nd District listserv on Yahoo! Groups. The PSA 208 commander is Lt. Scott Dignan.

Here are recent crimes of note in Police Service Areas (PSAs) 208, 307 and 305 for the October 1-11 period in the Dupont Circle, U Street and Logan Circle areas. Crimes of note are stolen autos, burglaries and violent crimes such as robberies and assaults. Read the full story

Click to enlarge: This map shows the location of violent crimes between July 24 and September 22 in the Borderstan crime reporting area. (Image: MPD Crime Search database)

I decided to look up the Borderstan¹ crime stats for the past 60 days and compare them to the same 60-day period in both 2007 and 2008. I had a feeling that the past 60 days were worse than last year; this was the case for the month of August. (See “UPDATED: Borderstan August Crime Up 37% From Last Year” and “Borderstan Crime Up 15% in August; 26% in 2 Months.”)

And my hunch was that it was the last 60 days or so that were noticeably worse. My hunch was based on the seemingly large numbers of robberies with guns in the area recently. I even looked at the numbers for the last 90 days—overall crime was up compared to the previous two years, but not as much as when one only looks at the last 60 days.

For the July 24 to September 22 period in Borderstan, violent crime is up 57% over 2008 (robberies and gun crimes increased substantially) and up 5% over 2007. Property crime is up 31% from 2008 and up 48% over 2007. Total crime (both categories) is up 34% from  2008 and up 41% over 2007.

IMPORTANT NOTES: The increases in crime in the Borderstan reporting area are in noticeable, concentrated areas. The increase in violent crime, especially robberies, seems to be concentrated in an area between Rhode Island Avenue and U Street and from around 9th to 16th Streets NW. When you look at the stats for this 60-day period for Police Service Areas 208 (Dupont Circle) and 307 (Logan Circle-Shaw), the picture is a bit different.

In PSA 307, crime was slightly down (including violent crime) and the number of robberies was the same in 2009 as in 2008 for this 60-day period. In PSA 208, violent crime is virtually the same for this period in 2009 as it was in 2008 (robberies went up to 39 from 35 last year). However, property crime in 208 is up a whopping 41% from last year for the July 24-September 22 period, driven by increases in thefts and thefts from autos; burglaries are up slightly.

For the Borderstan crime reporting area¹, here are the specifics for the July 24-September 22 period: Read the full story

PSA 208 covers the Dupont Circle neighborhood and part of Kalorama Circle. West Borderstan (west of 15th Street) is in PSA 208. (Image: MPD Web site.)

The September monthly meeting of Police Service Area (PSA) 208 is Tuesday evening, September 15 at 7 p.m. at the Palladium, 1325 18th Street NW. It will be in the Community Room on the Penthouse level. The location is south of Massachusetts Avenue NW and north of N Street NW. PSA 208 covers the Dupont Circle neighborhood, including West Borderstan.

Two robberies to report this evening, one in the west and one in the east. These are from Police Alert.

• 7:45 p.m., Robbery/Hold Up with -Knife, Dupont Circle and P Street NW. If you have information, call 911 with Event #I20090500321.

• 10:22 p.m., Robbery (Fear), 900 block of T Street NW. If you have information, call 911 with Event #500630.

Here are recent crimes of note in Police Service Areas (PSAs) 208, 307 and 305 from the past week (August 31 through September 7) in the Dupont Circle and Logan Circle areas.

Crimes of note are stolen autos, burglaries and violent crimes such as robbries and assaults. All of the nine crimes below are robberies. Six of them were committed using a gun while two were with force and violence and one was a snatch on the street.

Read the full story

Stuff seems to happen on this particular block. A gun robbery about 15 minutes ago (okay, I just happen to be online) in the 1300-block of R Street NW. From Alert DC:

Important Alert from DCRSAN. ROBBERY GUN _ 2056HRS @ 1300 B/O R ST NW LOF:2 B/M’S APPROX. 15 YOA S1 BLUE JEANS BLACK SHIRT DRK COLORED BACK PACK S2 BLUE JEANS LONG SLEEVE DRK COLORED SHIRT W/A DRK COLORED JACKET DRK L/S RUNNING NORTH ON 13TH ST TOWARDS U ST NW DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20090498538″

There was robbery committed with a gun last evening at 10:17 p.m. on the 1300-block of T Street NW. There was also a gun robbery on Monday evening around the same time on the 1200-block of S Street NW.

Got this DC Police Alert last evening: “Robbery (Gun)_2217 hours_1300 Block T Street, NW_Lookout for suspect (1) B/M, 5’10″, wearing dark sweat shirt, suspect (2) med complextion, 5’6″.  DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #20090490517. Sent on: 09/03 22:25″

From Alert DC: “Robbery Hold-Up Gun_2245 hours_1200 block of S Street, NW_L/O for S-1 wearing a black sweater with a white stripe shirt with dreads S-2 B/M wearing a baggy black shirt  last seen walking on 13th Street, NW DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #484345.”

This was on the 1200-block of S Street NW at 10:45 p.m. last night.