From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.
Crime news from Dupont-Logan-U Street.
Police continue to investigate an attack inside of Manny and Olga’s Pizza at 1841 14th Street NW early Sunday morning. Based on video from the incident posted to WorldstarHipHop.com, a drag performer is involved in a verbal altercation with two females that turns into a physical fight.
The two females seem to instigate the physical fight after one was spit on, although it is not clear if the video shows the entire incident. The performer is identified by Metro Weekly as Heidi Glüm, whose real name is Miles Denaro (although he uses the last name DeNiro).
The video shows Denaro being pulled by the hair and beaten, and at the end of the clip he is bleeding from a head wound.
As Queerty reported, the video shows other customers and employees are slow to break up the altercation, and some seem to be cheering for the fight to continue. Denaro said he suffered cuts on his arms, hair loss, and a huge gash on his head in the incident. Queerty also published Denaro’s tweets from immediately after the attack, in which he claims he did not want to fight back because the attackers were female. He also used racially offensive language in one of his tweets.
Manny & Olga’s Pizza on 14th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
According to the Washington Blade, both Denaro and one of the females in the video have filed police reports in the incident. Denaro did not call police at the time of the incident but accused both women of simple assault and a hate crime in a report filed Monday with the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Denaro, 24, says the women were making fun of his shoes and makeup and that led to a verbal altercation that turned physical after one of the women slapped him in the face and he spit on her. His report claims, and the video seems to confirm, that he was punched and kicked repeatedly in the incident.
One of the two women in the video, filed a complaint against Denaro accusing him of biting her in the leg and claiming he gave her HIV. That assault was classified in the report as an aggravated assault.
Denaro admitted to the Blade that he bit the woman, but says he did so in self-defense. Denaro, who is HIV positive (according to the Blade), can be heard in the video saying “you’ve got AIDS now,” but it is unclear if this is related to the bite or blood from head wounds sustained in the attack.
Both reports remain under investigation, and police have not yet made any arrests in the case.
Prior to the attack, Denaro was performing as Heidi Glüm just down the block at the Black Cat’s monthly “Gay/Bash” event. Glüm is scheduled to appear at next month’s event on July 12.
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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.
A shooting occurred on a basketball court near the intersection of 9th Street NW and Rhode Island Avenue NW around 8:30 pm Monday night according to the Metropolitan Police Department. The closest basketball court to that area appears to be the one adjacent to the Shaw Skate Park on 11th Street NW.
According to police, a suspect fired multiple shots, one of which struck an adult male in the hand. The man who was hit is being treated for non-life threatening injuries. Witnesses reported two suspects who may be involved in the shooting leaving the scene towards R Street NW after the incident.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call MPD at 202-727-9099.
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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.
Four robberies took place in Borderstan Friday night and early Saturday morning, one of which involved a handgun. A stabbing and a robbery at knifepoint were reported early Sunday morning.
At 5:45pm Friday a gun robbery was reported at the intersection of 14th Street NW and S Street NW. The suspect is described as an approximately 50 year old black male about 5’8″ to 5’10” tall with a dark complexion. He was armed with a silver handgun.
At about 10:15pm Friday a robbery with force was reported in the 1800 block of Vermont Avenue NW. Police are seeking four black female juveniles in that incident.
Just after 10:48pm Friday a robbery fear was reported at the intersection of 8th Street NW and Q Street NW. The suspect in that case is described as a black male about 5’8″ tall with a medium complexion.
In the final Friday night incident, a robbery with force was reported at about 1:25 am Saturday in the 1600 block of S Street NW. The suspects are described as four black males.
On Saturday evening into early Sunday morning, two incidents took places in the U Street area. A stabbing was reported in the 1900 block of 9th Street NW just after 3:30 am. No further information on a suspect or the condition of the victim was available.
At about 4:15 am Sunday a victim was robbed at knifepoint at the intersection of 12th Street NW and V Street NW. The two suspects in that case are described as black males between 19- and 24-years-old, one with dreadlocks in a ponytail.
No injuries were reported in any of the robberies, and police have not announced any arrests. There is no indication that any of these events are related. Anyone with information in any of these cases is asked to call the Metropolitan Police Department at 202-727-9099.
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The December 10 gun robbery on the 1400 block of P Street NW topped the list of 2012 Crime stories. (Luis Gomez Photos)
It’s that time again… a look back before we start 2013. Like last December, we will provide you with a list of the most-read stories on Borderstan by category. Today are the Top 10 from the Crime section.
The web is forever, so they say. Posted stories continue to get hits a long time after originally going up on the site. As a result, some of the most-read stories for the year were sometimes published the year before — especially if they were published late the year before.
Top 10 Borderstan Crime Stories of 2012
These Crime t stories were Top 10 most read last year on Borderstan.com. Crime writer Cody Telep had five of the Top 10 stories while in the Crime section.
- 6:30 PM Monday Gun Robbery, 1400 Block of P Street NW (Cody Telep)
- Man Shot in Vicinity 17th and Corcoran NW Saturday Afternoon (Luis Gomez)
- Stabbing at Tabaq Bistro Early Saturday Leads to Temporary Closure (Cody Telep)
- Police Tips: Protect Yourself From Robbery, Assault (Bordertan)
- Update on 17th and Corcoran Shooting: Second Suspect Sought (Cody Telep)
- 10:15 PM Shooting on Saturday, 1400 Block of R Street NW (Borderstan)
- Update on Early Saturday Morning Shooting, 1100 Block U Street NW (Cody Telep)
- 2 Victims in Early Sunday Morning Stabbing at 14th and U NW (Borderstan)
- Logan Prostitution Operation Nets 10 Arrests (Cody Telep)
- Gun Robbery Early Sunday Morning on 14th Street NW (Borderstan)
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Mayor Vincent Gray. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.
The D.C. Council rejected two proposals from Mayor Vincent Gray that would have provided funding to add 100 officers to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD; see coverage from The Washington Post and The Washington Examiner). Council Chairman Phil Mendelson had expressed his intention to vote down the measures prior to Tuesday’s legislative meeting.
Mayor Gray had requested hiring 48 officers by reallocating an extra $1.7 million in the budget. The other 52 officers would have been funded with money from traffic camera fines.
Mendelson felt the mayor was rushing the proposal and that current MPD force numbers are sufficient. He also encouraged MPD to continue to use civilianization as a means of putting more sworn officers on the street.
MPD Chief Cathy Lanier mentioned Borderstan neighborhoods in a letter to Mendelson on Monday asking him to reconsider his stance prior to Tuesday’s votes:
During the past year, we have conducted a comprehensive analysis of ongoing development throughout the city. The historical lessons we have learned from areas such as Chinatown and Columbia Heights suggest that several other areas of development will experience an upward trajectory in Workload — both calls for service and crime…Several other areas — including the H Street corridor, U Street and 14th Street NW, CityCenterDC, DuPont Circle, Adams Morgan, and the St. Elizabeth’s campus, to name a few — are undergoing substantial amounts of new or continued development. All of these areas will have a significant impact on police services. Our analysis has made it clear that due to the dense development, the areas will demand a different type of police deployment — more foot, bike, and Segway patrols, which are not able to cover as large of an area” (emphasis added).
Mendelson did agree to revisit the issue in 2013. Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) was the only councilmember to vote for the reallocation of funds to hire 48 officers. The Council unanimously rejected using traffic camera fine money to hire more cops.
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From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has created a card with safety tips designed to help citizens prevent becoming the victim of a robbery.
The card encourages residents to always be aware of their surroundings and to pay attention to activity happening around them. Avoiding distractions from electronic devices is particularly important.
Trying to multi-task while walking can lead to victimization– MPD stresses it is best to walk with a purpose and with confidence and not try to text, take phone calls, listen to music, or check email while walking. Many of the recent robberies in Borderstan involved the snatching of iPhones from distracted victims. If possible, do not walk alone and only walk through well-lit and well-traveled areas.
MPD also recommends only using ATMs in well-populated areas when it is light outside. Do not display large amounts of cash or expensive jewelry or electronic items.
To prevent pickpocketing, men should avoid carrying their wallet in a back pocket and instead carry it in a front pocket or an inside jacket pocket. Women are encouraged to carry a small purse that can held in their hand.
MPD also announced on Monday that citywide crime data updated daily would now be available on the Statistics and Data page. The DC Police Crime Mapping application remains down as MPD continues to work on integrating the new records management system with the mapping software.
While data for just the Borderstan area remain unavailable, citywide data suggest that robbery numbers for the year are almost identical to 2011. Violent crime is up 3 percent on the year, because of increases in aggravated assaults and sex abuse incidents. Total property crime is up 4 percent citywide, driven by increases in thefts.
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From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
Click for a larger map: ANC 2B covers the Dupont Circle area and has 9 seats. (DC Board of Elections)
Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B will hold it’s monthly meeting on Wednesday, December 12 at 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW from 7 pm until 10 pm.
At the height of they city’s impending bill to reform liquor licensing, voluntary agreements (VAs) and the role of neighbors in influencing a businesses liquor license, the ANC will discuss a consideration of waiver of VA interior hours restrictions during Inauguration Week (January 15 through January 21).
The meeting will also discuss a resolution on planned school consolidations, routine regulatory applications, zoning and development updates and public safety concerns — which should be an interesting discussion, considering the recent spike in crime in the area.
The meeting is open to the public. For more information, visit ANC 2B’s website.
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From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com
Oscar Mauricio Cornejo-Pena, 31, pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor counts of sexual abuse in D.C. Superior Court on Thursday. Cornejo-Pena was arrested in August (Police Arrest Man for Sexual Assault Incidents in Dupont Area) for a series of sexual assaults in which he approached women from behind on a bicycle and fondled them before riding away. He became known as the “bicycle groper.”
Crime news from Dupont-Logan-U Street.
The four incidents all occurred in August. Cornejo-Pena pleaded guilty to two assaults in the 1200 block of Connecticut Avenue NW, one in the 1900 block of Q Street NW, and a fourth at the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue NW and U Street NW.
Sentencing in the case was delayed until Wednesday, November 14 at 9:30 am to allow for victim impact statements. According to the The Washington Post, Cornejo-Pena faces up to 180 days in jail for each offense.
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DC is no longer one of the Top 10 most dangerous cities in America. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
According to a list released last week by Forbes, DC is no longer one of the top 10 most dangerous cities in America. The yearly list ranks U.S. cities with a population over 200,000 according to their violent crime rate as reported by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports database; this year, DC came in 16th.
So how did DC, a city that has been one of the top 10 most dangerous cities for several years, manage to escape the list this year?
According to a separate Forbes article, gentrification, tax breaks, and urban reforms are responsible for the drop in crime and homicides. (In the early 1990’s, the city was racking up 500 homicides a year; this year, DC is on track to have 100.)
John Roman, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute and a contributor to the article also explains that the expansion of the federal government and lobbying and consulting firms help to drive-up incomes in the area. Additionally, the article points to the demise of Prince George County’s high-rise public housing towers, which were replaced with garden-style apartments.
According to the article, “gentrification can be a brutal process for the residents who are priced out of their neighborhoods… but in DC, three to four square miles went from brownfields to upscale condos.” Many examples of this change can be seen in the Borderstan area with the revitalization of the 14th Street, U Street and Shaw areas.
Detroit, St. Louis and Oakland were the top three most dangerous cities on the list.
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Click to enlarge. Location of 25 robberies committed with a gun in 2009. (Data and image: MPD Crime Database)
The year-end 2009 crime stats for the Borderstan crime reporting area¹ confirmed a year-long trend: rising property crimes and gun crimes, a slightly lower violent crime rate, and a slightly higher total crime rate because of more property crimes, primarily thefts and thefts-from-autos.
Total Crime Up 4% in 2009; Violent Crime Down
For the year, the total crime rate (violent and property crimes) rose 4%: violent crime decreased 3% while property crime rose 5%. Property crimes comprised 87% of the 711 total crimes.
The single largest increase was in thefts, which were up 20% from 2008. Thefts-from-autos increased 6%.
Here are recent crimes of note in Police Service Areas (PSAs) 208, 307 and 305 for the October 17-23 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.
This week, nothing but robberies to report–four of them with guns. (more…)
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).
(more…)
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. (more…)
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: (more…)
