Wrap up: Thursday Borderstan Walk Around
One stop on the March 19 Borderstan Night-Safety Walk Around was the north-south alley between Q and Corcoran Streets just west of 14th Street NW. (Photo: Luis Gomez, Luis Gomez Photos.)
About 15 Borderstanians met Thursday evening at 15th and T Streets NW for the Borderstan Night-Safety Walk Around. The group walked south on 15th to Rhode Island Avenue, stopping along the way and taking quick detours up certain blocks.
Residents pointed out areas that need lighting or better lighting and areas that are prone to different types of crime.
Borderstan.com thanks the residents, members of the MPD and representatives from city departments who participated.
Special thanks go to Dupont area public safety activist Rob Halligan for organizing the Walk Around. (And nice that City Paper and local Channels 7 and 8 gave us coverage; video links below the fold.)It was great to seecommanders of the 2nd and 3rd MPD districts join us: 2D Commander Matthew Klein and 3D Commander George Kucik.
Borderstan supporter (and commissioner for a large part of West Borderstan) Jack Jacobson, ANC 2B04, joined the group as did the two new Ward 2 liaisons from the mayor’s office.
The DC Department of Transportation (DDoT) has responsibility for street lights and have promised to replace burned out bulbs and consider raising the wattage of certain lights. In addition, there are several places where trees block or severely restrict street lights; these will be trimmed.
Police representatives also noted crime spots and will pass the information on to the Borderstan patrols in Police Service Areas (PSAs) 208 (west of 15th) and 307 (east of 15th).
Halligan posted a write up on the Dupont Forum (Yahoo! groups listserv):
Thanks to everyone who organized, staffed, and participated in last night’s Borderstan Walk-Around. Apparently, ABC 7 News staff read about the Borderstan Walk-Around on Borderstan.com and covered it (link to video).
Channel 7 was more interested in the rooftop burglar than general safety in Borderstan, but it was a good story. The event’s main goal was to improve lighting. To that end, the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations helped get DDoT Urban Forestry and DDoT lighting staff out to listen to community member concerns about and make plans to improve overly dark areas on their blocks and alleys.
This event was a good example of what flows out the Dupont–Kalorama Public Safety/PSA 208 Meetings. Please do bring other issues to those meetings. BTW, the April 21st meeting is going to be in the Stead Playground Rec Center building. (I bet lots of you have never been in there). We also have a new push to make community to police liaisoning even more local by re-vitalizing our [PSA 208] Neighborhood Watch program.
Links
- NC8 covers Borderstan safety walk. ROOFTOP BURGLAR STILL AT LARGE!!! – Washington City Paper City Desk News Blog
- News Channel 8 (text)
- Dupont, Logan Circle Residents Walk, Talk About Safety – WJLA TV-Channel 7
