Councilmember Tommy Wells to Host Meeting on Street Crime Thursday Night
by Larry Janezich
CM Tommy Wells will host a meeting on the recent significant increase in street crime on Capitol Hill, including a rash of muggings and two armed holdups of neighborhood businesses. Police officials from the First District will participate. The meeting is scheduled for 6:30pm at the Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 
Juvenille Justice reform. Tommy, we need fewer meetings where you look sympathetic and you end up doing nothing. More action on your part to push legislation that gives prosecutors the tools to lock these kids up THE FIRST time so they take it seriously from there on out. Currently, they know there is no real consequence to their actions which spirals on and on until a life with out any legal framework ends up in them slaughtering each other in the streets over a beef over who looked at whose girl. The inability of the DC Council to pass laws and work with DOJ to ensure there is a working criminal justice system in DC literally has people living in fear on a daily basis and worse — directly results in DC youth ending up dead when they get so far off track due to the lack of respect for the law and community norms. Every shooting, every dead kid, every teddy bear memorial is a testament to the failings of our political leadership in this city — including Tommy.
To 13th Street. Wow, Crime is hugely down across the city but you see a need to start a police state after a couple of muggings for cell phones. No thanks!
I agree with KC that it is unlikely that people are living in fear on a daily basis, but I think 13th St. is correct in supposing that this meeting tonight is more for political purposes–as opposed to enhancing police efficacy in our neighborhood, or informing us how to be better guardians of our community and custodians of our own safety.
Maybe we should not talk on cell phones in public when we are by ourselves until this passes? I was pushed by a homeless-looking man (sorry, but that’s an accurate description) while speaking on my cell right near EM metro. Not a pleasant experience. I don’t think that is connected to this recent wave, btw, but I’ve heard other stories like my own, so it was definitely not a one-off.
I’m sure the crowd will hear the same refrain — ‘avoid distraction,’ ‘put devices away’, ‘stay on busier streets (even if we live on small side ones)’, ‘give accosters whatever they demand . . . in other words, ‘we can’t do anything about this kind of crime, so we’ll tell you all the ways you make yourself into a victim — shame on you! What do expect walking around with a smartphone visible? The police wouldn’t have to deal with street crime if it weren’t for victims like you’
While I don’t agree with 13th St on proposed solutions, the indifference of DC government to youth offenders is continually perplexing. Crime is down overall, but not lately. The statistics fully support the perceived recent spike in robberies.
The vast majority of crime in our community is always done by a very, very tiny number of people and, yes, they are usually repeat offenders. We could eliminate most fear of crime and stop the harmful profiling of ALL young Black men if, AFTER a warrant is issued for a crime on the Hill, the DA’s office would allow the MPD to release the accused’s mug shot, when available. For decades the DA’s office has refused to allow this claiming it is a civil rights issue. Tommy and others should point out that the civil rights issue is to protect the vast majority of our young black men who have NEVER been suspected of a crime. When a warrant is issued — and ONLY when a warrant is issued — we need a picture.