From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.
Welcome to another of our occasional profiles of Borderstan People — interesting and sometimes even well-known people who happen to work or live in the Dupont-Logan-U Street area. Today’s profile Q&A is with Michael Reese, Second District Commander for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Police Service Area 208 in MPD’s Second District covers the Dupont neighborhood in Police Service Area (PSA) 208; see map below. Also, see the profile of Third District Commander Jacob Kishter.
Commander Michael Reese of the MPD’s Second District. (Courtesy MPD)
This is the fourth in our series of profiles of MPD personnel who work in Borderstan. Our first police profile was of Diane Groomes, Assistant Chief in charge of the Patrol Services and School Security Bureau. Our second profile was of Third District Commander Jacob Kishter and our third profile was of Second District Commander Michael Reese.
Borderstan: First, a little bit about your personal background. Where did you grow up? When did you decide you wanted to be a police officer?
Reese: I grew up in Hammond, Indiana. My uncle was a police officer and retired as a police officer. I developed an interest at an early age. Just prior to attending Indiana State University, Northwest Indiana residents lost thousands of jobs as many job were transferred overseas. I became interested in police work because of the nature of the work and for job security.
Borderstan: When did you join the MPD? Were you an officer at another law enforcement agency?
Reese: The first department I was with was the Gary, Indiana, Police Department. I joined MPD on September 16, 1985.
Click for a larger map: MPD’s 2nd District includes Dupont’s PSA 208 in the lower right-hand corner. (Courtesy MPD)
Borderstan: What positions have you held in the MPD? How long have you served in the Borderstan area?
Reese: Officer, Detective, Vice Sergeant, Detective Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant, Detective Lieutenant, Patrol Captain, Detectives Captain, Internal Affairs Captain, Director of School Security (Inspector), Patrol Inspector, Commander. I have been Commander of the Second District since January 9, 2011.
Borderstan: What’s the most rewarding part of your job… your years as an officer in DC?
Reese: Helping others.
Borderstan: What’s the most challenging part of your job?
Reese: Solving challenging cases, providing day to day services that facilitate a peaceful quality of life, and ensuring that the community remains safe.
Borderstan: What does a “typical” day entail?
Reese: Reviewing crime reports; deploying resources; communication with citizens, supervisors, subordinates, and other law enforcement agencies; resource management; union issues.
Borderstan: What recommendations or tips do you have for citizens to help them stay safe? What can citizens do to become more involved in MPD’s efforts?
Reese: Be mindful of your surroundings, don’t leave valuables visible in vehicles, and secure your home by closing windows and locking door when people are asleep or not at home.
Borderstan: Anything else you would like to share with the readers of Borderstan about your life or working in MPD?
Reese: Borderstan is a vibrant and diverse area. I live in Bloomingdale, and I have many friends in the area as well. I truly enjoy providing this service to the people that live, work and visit the area.
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The body of Narciso Neria Sanluis was found July 14 in the alley between P and Church west of 17th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
The DC Police have released the name of the dead man who was found Saturday morning, July 14, in the alley between P and Church Streets NW, on the west side of 17th Street NW. He was 50-year-old Narciso Neria Sanluis of Northeast DC. Police were unable to provide a cause of death at this point.
However, foul play does not appear to be a cause. Neria Sanluis was found fully clothed and near the side of a building.
Around 6:30 pm on July 14, the DC Mayor’s Office of Community Engagement sent the the following tweet: “EOMONE@EOMONE1 @borderstan We hear man found this morning is considered a natural death. No foul play. Latino male. May or not been homeless.”
An online obituary for Neria Sanluis indicates his body was taken to Mexico for internment.
Saturday morning alley crime scene between P and Church Streets, west of 17th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Luis Gomez. Catch his photos at One Photograph A Day. Follow him on Twitter @LuisGomezPhotos.
A dead man was found by a local resident this morning, July 14, around 9:45 am in the alley between P and Church Streets NW, on the west side of 17th Street NW. The body, a white male, was found near a building in the alley and was fully clothed, according to MPD Second District Captain Jeffrey Herold.
DC Police Captain Jeffrey Herold at the crime scene. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Herold could not say at this point whether there was any sign of trauma that might indicate foul play in the man’s death. He said this would not be known until the medical examiner’s report is available, possibly within 24 hours (an autopsy will take longer). Herold declined to give an estimate on the age of the dead man or how long the man had been dead.
However, around 6:30 pm on Saturday, the DC Mayor’s Office of Community Engagement sent the the following tweet: “EOMONE @EOMONE1 @borderstan We hear man found this morning is considered a natural death. No foul play. Latino male. May or not been homeless.”
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From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.
About 45 residents, government officials, and community leaders attended a public meeting on improving public safety hosted by the Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC 2B) Wednesday night at the Jewish Community Center (see Wednesday: ANC 2B Hosting Public Safety Forum at JCC).
ANC 2B’s public safety liaisons Kishan Putta, left, and Noah Smith at Wednesday night’s meeting (Kishan Putta)
The meeting, entitled “A Safer Dupont,” was moderated by new ANC 2B Public Safety Liaisons Kishan Putta and Noah Smith.
The goal of the meeting, as Smith described, was “to reach out to the community and hear from residents and business owners about what concerns they have regarding public safety. This meeting was really a listening session and opportunity for folks to influence what Kishan and I plan to work on in the next few months.”
Auto and Smartphone Crimes
Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) gave opening remarks and touted the improvements in public safety in the District in recent years.
The 40 homicides as of June 20 are a decrease from 52 at this point last year and put D.C. on pace to have less than 100 homicides for the first time since 1963.
Evans also pointed out that thefts of electronics from automobiles and robberies involving smartphones are increasingly a problem and residents need to be more conscious of their surroundings and take precautions to avoid becoming victims of crimes of opportunity.
ANC 2B Chair Will Stevens (ANC 2B-08) noted that the ANC meeting agenda is often dominated by regulatory applications and so liaisons and other public meetings like this one are an important way for the ANC to be more proactive about issues like public safety.
Road Safety, Biking Discussed
The meeting included discussion of both road safety issues and crime and law enforcement concerns. A number of representatives from the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) attended the meeting to hear resident concerns. Shane Farthing, executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), recognized that as a result of the 20 percent growth in bicycling in the past year, there may be some conflicts between bikes, cars, and pedestrians.
While bicycle riding on the sidewalk is only prohibited in the Central Business District, WABA encourages all riders to avoid sidewalk riding entirely. Residents encouraged DDOT to improve signage explaining the boundaries of the Central Business District and also recommended improvements to the bike lanes on 15th Street NW.
A draft DDOT report on bicycle facilities includes a number of recommendations to improve the lanes, including better traffic signals for southbound bikers. A number of residents also expressed concerns about traffic signals in Dupont Circle and the inability for cyclists and pedestrians to safely navigate the circle.
Bias Crimes
Hassan Naveed of Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV) provided statistics on bias crimes in the District. There were 91 such offenses citywide in 2011, up from 68 in 2010. Fifty four of these were related to sexual orientation or gender identity, up from 45 in 2010. Naveed encouraged victims of any bias-related crime to call 911 first, but also contact the Metropolitan Police Department’s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit (GLLU) and GLOV. The GLOV website has a number of safety tips and victim resources.
A number of MPD officers were in attendance, including Second District Commander Michael Reese, Third District Commander Jacob Kishter, and Police Service Area Lieutenants John McDonald (PSA 208) and Nicole Lindsey (PSA 301).
Possible Joint PSA 208 and 301 Meetings
McDonald and Lindsey announced they are considering combining their monthly PSA meetings, because of the overlap of issues and concerns in PSA 301 and PSA 208. As a good example, the meeting location at the Jewish Community Center is in PSA 208, but across the street to the north side of Q Street NW is the south boundary of PSA 301. Meetings for both PSAs are currently held on the third Tuesday of the month, but this date may be changed to avoid a schedule conflict with the Meridian Hill Neighborhood Association monthly meetings.
Kishter reminded attendees to call 911 if they see any suspicious activity and also encouraged residents to make use of MPD’s text tip system if they want to report information anonymously. The number to text is 50411. For minor property damage or theft, residents can also make use of MPD’s Online Reporting Tool.
Bicycle-related issues emerged again during the law enforcement portion of the meeting as a concern of residents. MPD officials admitted that bicyclists are not cited often for failure to obey red lights and other traffic signals, although bicycle officers are directed to enforce traffic laws. Commander Kishter noted that bicycle thefts are fairly common and that residents should have pictures or other identifying information so they can claim a stolen bike if it is recovered. Bike owners are also encouraged to register their bike with the free National Bike Registry.
Putta and Smith will follow up with the concerns at the meeting and plan to hold a series of discussions on public safety issues in the Dupont area.
Kishan expressed his satisfaction with how this first meeting turned out: “Despite the hot-weather advisories, we had a full-house and productive, non-heated discussions between us, the residents, the police, the interest groups, and the government. We’re not going to solve every problem to everyone’s satisfaction, but, by continuing the kind of collaboration that we had tonight, we can work together to improve many aspects of safety in our neighborhood.”
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With MPD redistricting, Police Service Area 208 lost territory to PSA 301, but picked up a bit of 307. (DC Citizen Atlas)
From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at [email protected].
As of January 1, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) introduced new District and Police Service Area (PSA) boundaries (see New Police Service Areas Take Effect January 1). In recent weeks, we’ve done brief overviews of the boundaries of the new PSAs and how to contact the police personnel in charge of each area. We previously covered PSA 305, PSA 301 and PSA 307.
This week, we take a look at PSA 208 — see the Google map or the map at the DC Citizen Atlas. PSA 208 decreased in size substantially with the boundary changes. Previously, PSA 208 was a “super-PSA,” but these larger PSAs have now been eliminated. As we noted before, much of the northern part of the old PSA 208 is now part of PSA 301.
PSA 208’s first community meeting of 2012 will be held Tuesday, February 21 at 7 pm at the MPD office at 1369-A Connecticut Avenue NW (the entrance is on the Massachusetts Avenue NW side of the SunTrust Bank building, just off Dupont Circle).
208 Boundaries
The southern border of PSA 208 is now M Street NW stretching east to west from 14th Street NW to 23rd Street NW. Moving north, PSA 208 goes up 23rd Street NW and then onto Rock Creek Parkway and wraps around the parkway until reaching Connecticut Avenue NW. The northern boundary of the PSA goes down Connecticut Avenue NW, then up Florida Avenue NW, and back down 18th Street NW to Q Street NW. The northern boundary follows Q Street NW from 18th Street NW over to 14th Street NW, which serves as the eastern boundary (view Google map or map at DC Citizen Atlas).
Only the parts of PSA 208 surrounding Dupont Circle and Scott Circle fall within the Borderstan coverage area.
PSA 208 Contacts
- Acting Lt. John McDonald remains the PSA Lieutenant for 208. He can be reached by phone at 202-715-7344 (office) or by email at [email protected].
- Captain Melvin Gresham oversees PSA 208 (and also PSA 207). He can be reached by phone at 202-715-7366 (office) or by email at [email protected].
- Michael Reese is the Commander for the Second District, a position he has held since January 2011. Commander Reese can be reached by phone at 202-730-1901 (office) or by email at [email protected].
Related Posts
1000 Block of U Street NW: It was No. 4 on the list of blocks in the area for crime in 2011. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From last week: New Police Service Areas Take Effect January 1.
From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at [email protected].
The total number of serious crime incidents in Borderstan increased about 14% in 2011 compared to 2010, based on a review of crime data from the DC Data Catalog. This increase was driven largely by an upsurge in property crime (which grew by 18.4%), not by violent crime (which actually decreased 3.8%).
The breakdown by Police Service Areas (PSAs) is below. In 2011, the Borderstan area was primarily part of three PSAs: 305 (U Street), 307 (Logan), and 208 (Dupont) with a small portion in 308 (Convention Center). Let me remind you that these PSA boundaries are changing for 2012: New Police Service Areas Take Effect January 1.
All four of these PSAs showed crime increases in 2011 compared to 2010, with the greatest percentage increase in PSA 208. Note that these figures only represent the part of each PSA that falls in the Borderstan coverage area.
| Police Service Area (PSA) |
2010 Crimes |
2011 Crimes |
% Change |
| 305 (U Street) |
735 |
814 |
+10.7% |
| 307 (Logan) |
716 |
787 |
+9.9% |
| 308 (Convention Center) |
126 |
142 |
+12.7% |
| 208 (Dupont) |
836 |
1013 |
+21.2% |
| Total: |
2413 |
2756 |
+14.2% |
As noted earlier, a review of offense types in 2010 and 2011 shows that violent crime levels stayed fairly steady in 2011, while some property crime categories showed increases. Assaults with a deadly weapon showed a very slight increase and robberies declined about 6.5%. While the numbers for homicides are quite small, compared to the five that occurred in 2010, 2011 saw just one homicide (although a second was committed adjacent to Borderstan’s boundaries).
The biggest jump came in thefts from auto, which increased from 748 in 2010 to a shocking 1,115 in 2011: an increase of about 49%. The combination of thefts and thefts from auto make up 71.2% of serious crime incidents in Borderstan, up from 64.8% in 2010. Stolen cars, however, declined by nearly 24% from 192 in 2010 to 146 in 2011.
| Offense |
2010 Frequency |
2010 % |
2011 Frequency |
2011 % |
| Assault with a Deadly Weapon |
111 |
4.6 |
118 |
4.3 |
| Arson |
1 |
0.0 |
1 |
0.0 |
| Burglary |
203 |
8.4 |
213 |
7.7 |
| Homicide |
5 |
0.2 |
1 |
0.0 |
| Robbery |
322 |
13.3 |
301 |
10.9 |
| Sex Abuse |
15 |
0.6 |
16 |
0.6 |
| Stolen Auto |
192 |
8.0 |
146 |
5.3 |
| Theft |
816 |
33.8 |
845 |
30.7 |
| Theft from Auto |
748 |
31.0 |
1,115 |
40.5 |
| Total: |
2,413 |
100.0 |
2,756 |
100.0 |
What were the “hottest” blocks for crime incidents in 2011? The full year data paint a similar picture to our earlier analysis for the first ten months of 2011 (Crime in Borderstan: Do You Live on a “Hot” Street Block?). The 1400 block of P Street NW ended up as the “hottest” block, totaling 47 incidents, one more than the 1300 block of U Street NW. The top three blocks in terms of total incidents stayed the same in 2011 as in 2010.
There were some notable changes in the top 10 crime-ridden streets in 2011 compared to 2010. The 1000 block of U Street NW, for example, saw a sharp rise in incidents from 12 in 2010 to 35 in 2011. The 1400 block of R Street NW saw a marked decline from 30 incidents in 2010 to just 12 in 2011. This same block, however, was the site of an early evening shooting in November (Thursday 5pm Shooting, 1400 Block of R Street NW).
|
2011 |
2010 |
||||
|
Rank |
Street Block |
Crimes |
Rank |
Street Block |
Crimes |
|
1. |
1400 B/O P Street NW |
47 |
1. |
1400 B/O P Street NW |
46 |
|
2. |
1300 B/O U Street NW |
46 |
2. |
1300 B/O U Street NW |
43 |
|
3. |
1600 B/O Connecticut Avenue NW |
36 |
3. |
1600 B/O Connecticut Avenue NW |
37 |
|
4. |
1000 B/O U Street NW |
35 |
4. |
1500 B/O Connecticut Avenue NW |
35 |
|
5. |
1500 B/O Connecticut Avenue NW |
28 |
5. |
1400 B/O R Street NW |
30 |
|
6. |
1700 B/O P Street NW |
27 |
5. |
1400 B/O Rhode Island Avenue NW |
30 |
|
7. |
1200 B/O U Street NW |
26 |
7. |
Dupont Circle |
28 |
|
8. |
1700 B/O T Street NW |
25 |
8. |
1200 B/O U Street NW |
25 |
|
8. |
1900 B/O 14th Street NW |
25 |
9. |
1700 B/O Connecticut Avenue NW |
23 |
|
10. |
1800 B/O 14th Street NW |
24 |
9. |
1400 B/O U Street NW |
23 |
|
9. |
1700 B/O Massachusetts Avenue NW |
23 |
|||
An important reminder on these data and analyses: incidents can be reclassified or removed later, and so the numbers presented here should not be seen as exact and can be subject to later modification and correction.
Click to enlarge: For the October 9-23 period there were 23 thefts from autos in the area centered around 15th and Q Streets NW, compared to 7 in the same two-week period of 2010. (Source: MPD Crime Database)
From Matty Rhoades and Luis Gomez
The last several weeks have seen a dramatic increase in the number of thefts from autos in an area around 15th Street NW. The number of cars with smashed windows has been particularly noticeable on the 1500 blocks of O, Church, Q and Corcoran Streets NW.
For the October 9-23 period there were 23 thefts from autos in the area centered around 15th and Q Streets NW (see map at right), compared to seven in the same two-week period of 2010.
Nine of the break-ins were on Church Street NW and the large majority occurred west of 15th Street. Thefts from autos are either the most common or second most common crime in the area, the other being thefts.
Police Tips: Leave nothing visible in your car… never leave a jacket or clothing on the seat… don’t leave electronic device hook-ups visible… never leave any type of bag or container either on the floor or seat… and remove valuables from the trunk of your car. Educate friends and family who may be visiting you in the neighborhood.
Arrests, Extra Patrols
According to Second District Commander Michael Reese, two arrests have been made in the smash-and-grabs and he hopes this will show a decrease in the number of these crimes in the area.
“There has definitely been an upsurge of car break-ins in the area. We have had patrol cars recently on these residential streets off 15th Street NW and have made some arrests of people who were part of this,” said Reese.
Leave Nothing Visible In Your Car
“We emphasize over and over again to residents to not leave anything visible in their cars,” said Reese. “The Dupont-Logan area has become very popular with visitors from outside the neighborhood and many of them don’t understand that you cannot leave a jacket on the seat or a navigation system on the windshield.”
One neighbor whose car was broken into last Thursday night told Borderstan that he had removed his GPS system from the windshield. “Unfortunately, the suction cup imprint for the GPS was visible on the windshield, so they broke into the car and found it in the glove compartment,” he said.
Reese also emphasized the people should never leave items of value in the trunks of their cars. “Thieves will break into cars just to get into the trunk, even if they don’t see anything of value in the front interior,” he said.
The west side of 15th Street is in MPD’s Second District and Police Service Area (PSA) 208; the eastern side is in MPD’s Third District and PSA 307.
In Police Service Area (PSA) 208, which covers Dupont-Kalorama, there have been 28 thefts from autos (the official police term for the crime) for the two-week period ending October 23 — compared to 25 in the same period of last year. In PSA 307, which covers the Logan Circle area, there have been 19 thefts from autos in the last two weeks — compared to 14 in the same period of 2010. In PSA 305, which covers the U Street-Howard University area, there have been 34 thefts in the last two weeks compared to 28 during the same period last year. All numbers are from the MPD Crime Database.
Thefts from autos are the second most common type of crime in the area after thefts. There were 54 reported "smash and grabs" in September in PSA 208, which covers the Dupont-Kalorma area. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Matty Rhoades. Email Matty at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @mattyrhoades.
The total number of crimes in September’s Police Service Area (PSA) 208 report shows a 17% decline from the previous year. Last month there were 162 crimes in the PSA that covers the Dupont-Kalorama area — compared to 195 in September 2010. Fewer robberies and burglaries were major factors in the decline. All numbers are from the MPD Crime Database.
There were 12 burglaries in the Dupont-Kalorama area in September, down from 26 the previous September. (MPD Crime Database)
The news was particularly good in that there were year-over-year (YOY) declines in both violent and property crimes. There were 19 violent crimes last month in the Dupont area compared to 27 the previous September, a 30% drop. Property crimes — which account for the vast majority of crimes — declined by 15%. There were 143 property crimes in PSA 208 last month compared to 168 in September 2010.
Notable Numbers
The major decrease in violent crime was in robberies: there were only 10 last month compared to 20 in September last year. The number of assaults was essentially unchanged; 8 last month compared to 7 the previous September.
In September, the noticeable decreases in property crime were in burglaries (down from 26 to 12) and thefts (down from 82 to 69). However, the number of thefts from autos (“smash and grabs”) was up slightly on a YOY basis: there were 54 last month compared to 49 in September 2010. Thefts from autos are consistently one of the two most common types of crimes in the Dupont area.
Three-Year Trend: 2008 to 2011
What does the three-year trend (2008-2011) for the month of September in PSA 208 show? Violent crime has decreased 23% while property crime is down 7%. Total crime — property and violent crime — has decreased by 11% for the three-year trend. Detailed numbers are in the chart below.
| Crime in Police Service Area 208: September 1-30 | ||||||
| Crime Type | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | % Change 2010 to 2011 | % Change 2008 to 2011 |
| Homicide | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N.A. | Down 50% |
| Sex Abuse | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | N.A. | Down 100% |
| Robbery without Gun | 17 | 12 | 19 | 7 | Down 63% | Down 59% |
| Robbery with Gun | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | Up 200% | Down 40% |
| Assault with Dangerous Weapon (no gun) | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | Up 14% | Up 60% |
| Assault with Dangerous Weapon (with gun) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N.A. | N.A. |
| Total Violent Crime | 29 | 21 | 27 | 19 | Down 30% | Down 23% |
| Burglary | 18 | 14 | 26 | 12 | Down 54% | Down 33% |
| Theft | 67 | 104 | 82 | 69 | Down 16% | Up 3% |
| Theft from Auto | 53 | 90 | 49 | 54 | Up 10% | Up 2% |
| Stolen Auto | 14 | 8 | 11 | 8 | Down 27% | Down 43% |
| Arson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N.A. | Down 100% |
| Total Property Crime | 153 | 216 | 168 | 143 | Down 15% | Down 7% |
| TOTAL CRIME | 182 | 237 | 195 | 162 |
Down 17% |
Down 11% |
There were 23 violent crimes in Dupont’s PSA 208 in August, up from 15 in August 2010. The number of property crimes declined. (MPD Crime Database)
From Matty Rhoades. Email Matty at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @mattyrhoades.
The total number of crimes in August’s Police Service Area (PSA) 208 report shows little change from August 2010: there were 206 crimes this year as compared to 207 crimes in August 2010.
That said, within that number, the proportion of violent crimes has increased while the proportion of property crimes has dropped. All numbers are from the MPD Crime Database. There were 23 violent crimes last month as compared to 15 in August 2010. Robberies, assaults and sex crimes were all up; exact numbers are listed in the chart below.
There were 12 burglaries in the Dupont Circle area last month, which is down from 19 in August 2010. (MPD Crime Database)
Property crime decreased (aside from auto-theft, which increased 86%) in August YOY: there were 183 property crimes (burglaries, thefts and stolen autos) last month compared to 192 in August 2010.
Three-Year Trend: 2008 to 2011
What does the three-year trend (2008-2011) for the month of August in PSA 208 show? Violent crime has decreased 23% while property crime has risen 24%. Total crime — property and violent crime — has increased 16% for the three-year trend. Detailed numbers are in the chart below.
| Crime in Police Service Area 208: July 1-31 | ||||||
| Crime Type | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | % Change 2010 to 2011 | % Change 2008 to 2011 |
| Homicide | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N.A. | N.A. |
| Sex Abuse | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | Up 100% | Up 100% |
| Robbery without Gun | 14 | 21 | 9 | 12 | Up 33% | Down 14% |
| Robbery with Gun | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | Down 100% | Down 100% |
| Assault with Dangerous Weapon (no gun) | 10 | 6 | 3 | 6 | Up 100% | Down 40% |
| Assault with Dangerous Weapon (with gun) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N.A. | N.A. |
| Total Violent Crime | 30 | 34 | 15 | 23 | Up 53% | Down 23% |
| Burglary | 10 | 17 | 19 | 12 | Down 37% | Up 20% |
| Theft | 67 | 108 | 121 | 95 | Down 21% | Up 42% |
| Theft from Auto | 55 | 73 | 36 | 67 | Up 86% | Up 22% |
| Stolen Auto | 15 | 13 | 16 | 9 | Down 44% | Down 40% |
| Arson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N.A. | N.A. |
| Total Property Crime | 147 | 211 | 192 | 183 | Down 5% | Up 24% |
| TOTAL CRIME | 177 | 245 | 207 | 206 |
No Change |
Up 16% |
There were 35 violent crimes in PSA 208 in July 2011 compared to 33 the previous July. All of them were robberies or assaults; 2 robberies involved a gun. (MPD Crime Database)
From Matty Rhoades
Both violent and property crime were up slightly last month in the Dupont area when compared to July 2010. The MPD crime statistics for Police Service Area (PSA) 208 show a year-over-year (YOY) 6% increase for violent crime and a 12% increase for property crime in July.
There were 35 violent crimes in July in PSA 208 — which covers the Dupont-Kalorama area — compared to 33 in July 2010. On the property crime side, there were 173 property crimes last month compared to 154 in July 2010. All numbers are from the MPD Crime Database.
There were 19 robberies last month compared to 20 the previous July. However, the number of assaults increased from 11 in July 2010 to 16 last month. There were two gun crimes in July 2011 compared to one last July (all were robberies).
Click to enlarge: Burglaries soared in the first six months of 2011 in PSA 208. (MPD Crime Database)
From Matty Rhoades
Two weeks ago, we looked at D.C.’s crime stats for the first six months of 2011, as compared to the first six months of 2010.
Big picture: the numbers for the entire city are mixed across the January through June period. While property crime has risen by 8%, violent crime has decreased by 7%. That said, because property crimes constitute a vast majority of all crimes, the total crime rate was up by 4% on a year-over-year (YOY) basis. (See what the three-year trend for D.C. crime shows — the news is good.)
Citywide vs. Dupont: January through June
How does 2011 compare to 2010 for the first six months of the year?
District of Columbia: Property crime up 8%, violent crime down 7% — resulting in a 4% total crime increase.
PSA 208/Dupont-Kalorama: Property crime up 30%, violent crime down 3% — resulting in a 25% total crime increase.
Let’s take a closer look at the Dupont, Logan and U Street areas; PSA 208 covers the Dupont and Kalorama areas.
Never leave anything of value visible in your car. Thefts from autos are the most common crime in the area. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Matty Rhoades
The number of crimes in Police Service Area (PSA) 208 in May was virtually identical compared to May 2010. On a year-over-year (YOY) basis, there were 198 crimes last month compared to 199 in May of last year. Violent crime decreased slightly while property crime increased slightly overall.
Year to date, violent crime in 208 is basically unchanged from the same period in 2010: there have been 119 violent crimes compared to 122 last year (January 1 to June 26 period). But, year to date, property crime is up 32%: 992 property crimes so far this year compared to 753 last year.
A big chunk of the increase is due to thefts from autos. There have been 398 so far this year compared to 228 in the same period of 2010. Burglaries have doubled from 49 in the January 1 to June 26 period of 2010 to 105 so far this year.
May Numbers
How do the May numbers compare to April and March in the Dupont area? In April, violent crime was steady from the previous year while property rose 31% YOY. In March, property crime increased 69% on a YOY basis from March 2010 in PSA 208. The most noticeable increase in March was in thefts from autos, which were up 146%; thefts and burglaries also increased in March.
The number of thefts from autos in PSA 208 increased again in May. (MPD Crime Database)
May 2011 Decreases: There were decreases in robberies (15, down from 20 last year), thefts (75, down from last May’s 93) and stolen autos (eight last month, compared to 12 a year ago).
May 2011 Increases: The big increase was in thefts-from-autos (“smash and grabs”) — there were 75 last month compared to 57 in May 2010. Assaults were up slightly in May (nine last month compared to seven in May 2010). Burglaries were also up in 208 (16 compared to nine in May 2010).
PSA 208 covers the Dupont-Kalorama area. We compare crime statistics on a year-over-year basis by month; this helps account for seasonal differences in crime. All numbers are from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Crime Database.
The current boundaries of PSA 208, which serves the Dupont-Kalorama area. (DC Citizen Atlas)
From Matty Rhoades
MPD has started a series of seven meetings around the city to present new police district and police service area boundaries. Locally, it appears that the Dupont area is in for some changes — the area east of 18th Street and north of Q Street NW will be transferred back to the Third District from Second District.
At present this area is part of Police Service Area (PSA) 208. The most notable part about these new boundaries is that it would split the 17th Street commercial corridor between two districts and two PSAs.
The Third District meeting is Thursday, June 9 at 7 pm. Location is 1620 V Street NW. New police district and Police Service Area boundaries will be presented to the public, according to MPD Assistant Chief of Police Diane Groomes. “We want all to come out to the 3D CAC meeting tomorrow night to see the changes… 3D will be having changes to their boundaries to balance out the workload,” said Groomes.
According to Assistant Police Chief Diane Groomes, a chunk of Police Service Area (PSA) 208 will go back to the Third District. There will likely be an additional PSA in the Dupont-Logan area as well.
Click to enlarge: There were 20 burglaries in PSA 208 in April 2011, compared to 10 in April 2010. There was a similar increase for March. (MPD Crime Database)
From Matty Rhoades
While violent crime was steady, the number of property crimes in Police Service Area (PSA) 208 in April increased 31% over April 2010. Burglaries, thefts and thefts from autos (“smash and grabs”) were all up. In terms of violent crimes, robberies dropped noticeably, but assaults increased to keep the level of violent crime steady on a year-over-year (YOY) basis in April.
On a YOY basis, there were 193 crimes (both violent and property) reported in PSA 208 last month, compared to 152 in April 2010. There were 171 property crimes last month in PSA 208, compared to 152 in April 2010; property crimes typically make up the bulk of all crimes. There were 22 violent crimes last month compared to 21 in April 2010.
The same trend was evident in PSA 208 in March when property crime increased 69% on a YOY basis from March 2010. The most noticeable increase in March was in thefts from autos, which were up 146%; thefts and burglaries also increased in March.
PSA 208 covers the Dupont-Kalorama area. We compare crime statistics on a year-over-year basis by month; this helps account for seasonal differences in crime. All numbers are from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Crime Database.
Click to enlarge: There were 22 violent crimes in PSA 208 last month compared to 21 in April 2010. While robberies decreased, assaults increased. (MPD Crime Database)
Specific Crimes in PSA 208
- Robberies were down. There were nine robberies in PSA 208 in April (one with a gun) compared to 18 in April 2010 (four with guns).
- Assaults were up dramatically. There were 11 assaults last month (one with a gun), compared to two in April 2010 (none were with a gun).
- Gun crimes were down. Gun crimes are all crimes committed with guns. There were two last month compared to four in April 2010.
- There were two reported sex abuse crimes last month compared to one in April 2010.
- Burglaries were up significantly in PSA 208. There were 20 burglaries last month compared to 10 in April 2010.
- Thefts were up. Thefts increased from 62 in April 2010 to 81 last month.
- Thefts from autos (“smash and grabs”) were up in PSA 208. There were 66 last month compared to 49 in April 2010.
- The number of stolen autos was down. There were four last month, compared to 10 in April 2010.
Below the fold: A look at April numbers for 2008 through 2011.
PSA 208 covers the Dupont-Kalorama area. (DC Citizen Atlas)
The monthly public safety meeting for Police Service Area 208 will be held at Policy, 1904 14th Street NW on Tuesday, May 17 at 7 pm. Coordinator Rob Halligan says he expects a good turnout of residents from the northern part of 208 in light of the April 21 shootings at 14th and V NW.
“We’re trying to get residents, business owners, and police from the Dupont, Logan, and Cardozo Shaw/Mid City neighborhoods that abut this corner of Dupont,” said Halligan.
Halligan says later in the week he will distributing a community impact statement for residents to sign regarding a burglar who committed at least 12 burglaries in the Dupont area; his sentencing date is June 9. Contact Halligan for more information.
PSA 208 meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month, usually at the Police Third District headquarters on V Street NW. These are roundtable meetings and open to residents.
Check the Crime section for ongoing crime news and reports. Coming Monday: April crime stats for PSA 208/Dupont area.
