From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.

Click for the MPD crime mapping application. (Screen shot)

The Metropolitan Police Department’s crime mapping application is up and running again after months of downtime following a switch to a new records management system in the department.

The system, which allows the public to view the frequency and location of serious crime incidents, had been offline since September 17 (DC Police Crime Data Still Not Available Online).

Visitors to the site can search for crime data based on a specific address, or by using MPD geographic divisions (i.e. District, Police Service Area) or DC geographic divisions (e.g., Ward, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, etc.).

Borderstan falls primarily in Police Service Areas (PSA) 301, 305, and 307 with a small portion in 308 in the Third District and 208 in the Second District. Users can also choose what timeframe to examine. Data are currently available through March 29, 2013, and the application automatically compares the date range chosen to the same time period in the previous year.

The advanced features on the application can be used to download data on specific incidents in Microsoft Excel. These data provide the criminal complaint number, type of incident, the date and shift when it was reported, and the street block and Census tract where it occurred (see Using the Crime Map Application from MPD).

Crime data for Borderstan are also available from the Daily Crime Reports posted to the Second District and Third District Yahoo! Groups, which include information on all serious incidents in the past 24 hours. The Daily Arrest Report has temporarily been suspended, but Chief Cathy Lanier said in late February that these reports would be posted again as soon as possible.

MPD press releases on major incidents and arrests are posted to the Yahoo! Groups and are also available on the department’s News Room Page. Alerts on crime incidents are also available through the Alert DC system, as well as MPD’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Look for additional posts soon with the latest on crime statistics for the Borderstan area.

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Universal Gear at 1529 14th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)

The 14th Street NW clothing store, Universal Gear, was robbed by thieves for the third time since December on Saturday, March 23. The two suspects entered the store at 11:45 am and left with merchandise less than two minutes later. The store manager was assaulted and suffered a sprained arm.

Video footage of all three incidents are on the store’s YouTube page; the store was also the victim of thieves on December 17 and January 10.

According to owner David Franco,when the store was robbed in 2010 the store’s security camera footage went viral and several suspects were arrested. “Unfortunately, when the suspects were brought to the court hearing, the DC Police investigator did not show up and the suspects were set free.”

Franco said his store has been robbed seven times since 2009. ”Beat patrols should be the number one priority for our police,” said Franco. “I have said this time and time again.”

Franco is offering a $500 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Saturday’s suspects. Contact him by email, info[AT]universalgear.com, or call 202-319-0136.

Attracting Retail to Area

Franco also brought up the claims being by some supporters of a liquor license moratorium for the 14th and U corridor. “Some people are saying that too many bars are preventing more retailers from opening in the area. That’s not true. The fact, that no one wants to talk about, is that shoplifting/robbery is a serious problem for retailers in the area… if you want more retailers you need to make it safe for them, their staff and their shoppers.

“If we have more beat cops on patrol, I think many of these thieves would think twice before shoplifting, or committing a violent crime. We’re at the end of our rope! I’m tired of hearing debates on funding more police… my message to the mayor and council: ‘just do it,’” said Franco.

Universal Gear was formerly located at 17th and Q Streets NW before moving to 14th Street, just south of Q Street.

Foot Patrols on 14th and U Corridor

What is the current foot and bike patrol presence on the 14th and U corridor?

MPD Third District Commander Jacob Kishter said, “There are usually foot patrols on the beat during all three shifts, as well as mountain bike and segway patrols. On the weekends and during nightlife hours there are additional foot officers assigned to the area. The number of officers varies depending on manpower. There is a minimum of one officer on the day and evening shifts and up to 10 on weekends on U Street between 9th and 14th Streets NW.”

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From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.

Crime news from Dupont-Logan-U Street.

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested a suspect for stealing a cell phone from a woman’s purse on the morning of March 16, according to a post to the Third District Yahoo! group. The incident occurred just after midnight at the bar at the Brixton, 901 U Street NW.

In a similar incident on the evening of March 16 in Adams Morgan, a suspect was arrested for stealing multiple cell phones at Grand Central, 2447 18th Street.

The MPD has a number of tips on pickpocket prevention and being aware of your surroundings to avoid robbery victimization. These include men carrying their wallet in a front pocket or a jacket pocket instead of a back pocket.

Pockets that can be zippered or buttoned shut also make it more difficult for pickpockets to grab your possessions. Putting a rubber band around your wallet can make it easier to detect a pickpocket in action, because the rubber band rubbing against your pants will create friction.

Police encourage women to avoid carrying their wallets in their purse and instead keep their wallet or any valuables in a zipped pocket on their person. If possible, women should also carry a small purse or handbag that can be easily held. Purses that have zippers or snaps also create a bigger challenge for pickpockets.

For women who are wearing a purse with a strap, keeping the strap diagonally across your body (instead of on your shoulder) helps keep the bag in front of you, which makes it harder for a pickpocket to strike from behind. Most importantly, do not leave any valuables unattended on a table or bar, even for a moment, as pickpockets and thieves only need a few seconds to steal your possessions.

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Protesters against the Keystone Pipeline talk to morning commuters and the media following this morning’s protest at TD Bank, 1489 P Street NW. (Borderstan)

A small group of protesters occupied the ATM lobby and a small space on the sidewalk in front of the TD Bank branch at 1489 P Street NW Tuesday morning. The group was protesting TD Bank’s funding of the Keystone XL Pipeline. One of the group members said there was no organization behind the protest, although some of them had come from the Occupy DC movement.

DC Police were on hand in full force, and the 1400 block of P Street was closed to traffic at 7:30 am Tuesday morning. By 8 am, the two protesters inside the ATM lobby and the sidewalk protester — who was chained to a 300-pound chunk of cement — had been removed by police.

The protesters were giving media interviews and talking to early morning foot commuters at 15th and P NW. Police on the scene said no arrests were made. There was no representative of TD Bank on hand to confirm that the bank was not pressing charges against the protesters.

The scene shortly before 8 am this morning at 15th and P NW. (Borderstan)

The planned fourth phase of the Keystone Pipeline has yet to receive final approval from the U.S. Government, and is the subject of considerable controversy; it is opposed by a number of major environmental groups, including the Sierra Club.

According to TransCanada, “The Keystone XL Pipeline is a proposed 1,179-mile (1,897 km), 36-inch-diameter crude oil pipeline beginning in Hardisty, Alta., and extending south to Steele City, Neb. This pipeline is a critical infrastructure project for the energy security of the United States and for strengthening the American economy.”

As Wikipedia explains, “The Keystone Pipeline System is a pipeline system to transport petroleum products from Canada and the northern United States “primarily to refineries in the Gulf Coast” of Texas.(USSD SEIS March 1, 2013 p.ES-2). The products to be shipped include synthetic crude oil (synbit) and dilbit (diluted bitumen) from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) in Alberta, Canada, and Bakken synthetic crude oil and light crude oil produced from the Williston Basin (Bakken) region in Montana and North Dakota. Two phases of the project are in operation, a third, from Oklahoma to the Texas Gulf coast, is under construction and the fourth is awaiting U.S. government approval as of mid-March 2013.”

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Crime news from Dupont-Logan-U Street.

There was an early morning robbery, December 2, involving force and violence at 1019 U Street NW. The incident occurred shortly after 3 am.

From DC Police Alerts: “Police Alert-3D Robbery (F/V). 3D Robbery (F/V) 0304 hrs side of 1019 U. St, NW LOF 5 B/Ms, 1 wearing gray hood, 5’10″, med build, med complexion w/ blk hat. DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20120605360.Sent on: 12/02 03:40.”

Sign Up for Alerts

You can sign up for alerts through Alert DC and get alerts  by e-mail, cell phone, pager or wireless PDA. When signing up, you can select alerts on crime, transportation, utility outages/issues, government closings, breaking news, DC-sponsored events and Amber Alerts. You can follow the DC Police on Twitter @DCPoliceDept.

You can get more information about crime in the Borderstan area through the MPD listservs for the Second and Third Districts on Yahoo! Groups.

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Crime news from Dupont-Logan-U Street.

There were two gun robberies Tuesday night, November 27, about one hour apart. The first incident was around 9:30 pm at 19th and R Streets NW — just east of Connecticut Avenue NW — and involved three men. The second robbery occurred around 10:20 pm on the 1800 block of R Street NW, just west of New Hampshire Avenue, and also involved three suspects.

From DC Police Alerts:

• “Robbery Gun. Robbery Tact #2 CONFIRMED A Robbery @ 19th & R St., NW LOF: 3B/M’s, 20′s, wearing blk puffy jkts. DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20120597827. Sent on: 11/27 21:04″
• “Robbery (Gun). 2084 CONFIRMED A Robbery (Gun)/ 2022 hours/ 1800 blk R St NW/ LOF: (2) B/M, 6’2, thin build, med complexion, dark skull cap amd (1) B/M, 6’2, thin build, med complexion, dark skull cap, green puffy coat  DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20120597824. Sent on: 11/27 22:00″

You can sign up for alerts through Alert DC and get alerts  by e-mail, cell phone, pager or wireless PDA. When signing up, you can select alerts on crime, transportation, utility outages/issues, government closings, breaking news, DC-sponsored events and Amber Alerts. You can follow the DC Police on Twitter @DCPoliceDept.

You can get more information about crime in the Borderstan area through the MPD listservs for the Second and Third Districts on Yahoo! Groups.

Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.

Crime news from Dupont-Logan-U Street.

There was a robbery involving force around 8:30 pm, Monday, November 26, on the 1600 block of 8th Street NW (between Q and R Streets).

From DC Police Alerts: “FS3081 CONFIRMED A Robbery Force in the 1600 blk of 8th St, NW. No Lookout given. DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20120596308. Sent on: 11/26 20:34.”

You can sign up for alerts through Alert DC and get alerts  by e-mail, cell phone, pager or wireless PDA. When signing up, you can select alerts on crime, transportation, utility outages/issues, government closings, breaking news, DC-sponsored events and Amber Alerts. You can follow the DC Police on Twitter @DCPoliceDept.

You can get more information about crime in the Borderstan area through the MPD listservs for the Second and Third Districts on Yahoo! Groups.

Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.

Crime news from Dupont-Logan-U Street.

There was a stabbing shortly after 1 am at 15th and L Streets NW on Sunday, November 25, just south of Massachusetts Avenue NW. The two suspects were last seen near Thomas Circle at 14th Street and Vermont Avenue NW.

From DC Police Alerts: “Stabbing 0111 hrs 15th & L St NW LOF: 2 Lt Skn B/M’s with corn rows L/S 14th & Vermont Ave NW  DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20120593829. Sent on: 11/25 02:05.”

You can sign up for alerts through Alert DC and get alerts  by e-mail, cell phone, pager or wireless PDA. When signing up, you can select alerts on crime, transportation, utility outages/issues, government closings, breaking news, DC-sponsored events and Amber Alerts. You can follow the DC Police on Twitter @DCPoliceDept.

You can get more information about crime in the Borderstan area through the MPD listservs for the Second and Third Districts on Yahoo! Groups.

Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.

Crime news from Dupont-Logan-U Street.

There was an a robbery around 1:15 am on the 1900 block of 14th Street NW on Sunday, November 25 (between T and U Streets). The robbery involved the use of force and violence; police are looking for one suspect.

From DC Police Alerts: “3D Robbery (Force and Violence) 0117 hrs 1900 14th St, NW B/M, 20-25YRS, 5”8″, BLACK SWEATER, BLACK JEANS  DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20120593836. Sent on: 11/25 01:52.”

You can sign up for alerts through Alert DC and get alerts  by e-mail, cell phone, pager or wireless PDA. When signing up, you can select alerts on crime, transportation, utility outages/issues, government closings, breaking news, DC-sponsored events and Amber Alerts. You can follow the DC Police on Twitter @DCPoliceDept.

You can get more information about crime in the Borderstan area through the MPD listservs for the Second and Third Districts on Yahoo! Groups.

Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.

Crime news from Dupont-Logan-U Street.

There was an a robbery around 8 pm on the 1500 block of Q Street on Tuesday, November 20. The robbery involved the use of force and violence. Police are looking for two men on bicycles.

From DC Police Alerts: “3060 CONFIRMED A 4D has a Robbery Force and Violence, in the 1500 block of Q Street, NW.  Look out for: 2 males, unknown race, wearing black sweatshirt, riding bikes. DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT 120120587502. Sent on: 11/20 19:59.”

You can sign up for alerts through Alert DC and get alerts  by e-mail, cell phone, pager or wireless PDA. When signing up, you can select alerts on crime, transportation, utility outages/issues, government closings, breaking news, DC-sponsored events and Amber Alerts. You can follow the DC Police on Twitter @DCPoliceDept.

You can get more information about crime in the Borderstan area through the MPD listservs for the Second and Third Districts on Yahoo! Groups.

Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.