The Week Ahead … and Some Photos from the Past Week

The Week Ahead … and Some Photos from the Past Week

By Larry Janezich

Posted October 15, 2023

The grounds of the U.S. Capitol were closed this weekend.  Security was tightened owing to international tensions.  MPD First District Colin Hall said as much as when he mentioned the redeployment of 1^st District Officers to address heightened security measures across the city.  Hall appeared before ANC6A to discuss crime concerns.  (See below.)

CM Robert White discusses crime issues with ANC7D.  CM White appeared before the October meeting of ANC7D – chaired by ANC Commissioner Wendell Felder – to talk about a crime bill he introduced last week – the Whole Government Response to Crime Act of 2023.  The bill would:

• Establish a new retention program for forensic scientists for the Department of Forensic Science and create a 911 System Improvement Task Force.
• Require collection of data on the effectiveness of DC’s crime reduction programs (Building Blocks, Credible Messengers, and the Violence Interrupters).
• Require MPD to track where illegal firearms are coming from. 
• Boost assistance to victims of crime including financial aid.

White responded to a question from Commissioner Marc Friend, agreeing with the commissioner that “we can’t arrest our way out of a crisis.”  He said arresting everybody doesn’t make us safer and incarceration has a limited deterrent effect.  He said the root problems are education, housing stability, employment and mental health.  He is a strong believer in the violence interruption programs, but they need to be tracked to determine their effectiveness.  Commissioner Ebony Payne said she supports the violence interrupters, and asked White to recommend that violence interrupters communicate with ANCs.

October Virtual Meet Up with DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson.  Also last Wednesday, Council Chair Phil Mendelson addressed crime issues among other topics at his virtual monthly meet up.  Here are Mendolson’s responses to some questions on crime:

“When are things going to get better re violent crime?”

• “Instead of focusing on longer sentences, we should focus on increasing the case closure rate.  50% of violent crime cases are closed in the same year they are committed, and only 25% of robbery cases…When crime is committed, solve it quickly, arrest quickly, and prosecute quickly and aggressively.  And aggressive means not plea bargaining a felony to a misdemeanor or a violent felony to a non-violent felony.  That has ramifications in the case of a repeat actor when the court decides whether to hold someone pretrial and looks at the prior record and if no record of conviction for a violent crime, then the court is not likely to hold a person….The Mayor – through the chief – can increase the closure rate…  The other factor we need to emphasize is devoting more attention to police building community trust.  Then the community acts as the eyes and ears and makes it easier to close cases.”

When is earliest the Council can take up Mayor’s crime prevention bill?

• “I find it a little annoying that the Mayor suggested we could pass legislation before the recess which is 6-7 weeks from now.  The Crime Bill has not been submitted to the Council…we don’t have it.  It needs a public hearing…requires 3 weeks’ notice – we need to sort out complicated issues like pre-trial release.  To do that in 8 weeks is impossible.” 

What can you do to make more people want to be police officers?

“DC is struggling the same way other cities are – NYC is down thousands of officers…  .The Mayor proposed incentives in her budget – we made no changes.  We looked at cutting some incentive funding because the funds are just not going out the door – such as subsidized housing and signing bonus – but chose not to cut.  We did not fund take-home vehicles since new officers don’t get them.”

On Thursday, ANC6A – chaired by Commissioner Amber Gove – heard from Commander Colin Hall, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) First District (1D) and Anwar Saleem, Executive Director, H Street Main Street.  

Commander Hall, fresh from a safety walk on H Street earlier in the day and six arrests the night before, allowed that MPD is still struggling with robberies (crime suppression teams have been deployed north of Lincoln Park) and carjackings.  Asked what explains the upward trend in carjackings, he said his theory was the Tik Tok Challenge (how-to videos showing people how to steal Kia’s and Hyundai’s with just a USB cable that went viral on Tik Tok).  Youths use that to get a name on the street – and that leads to taking a car with a gun for the sake of doing it.  He raised the question of accountability and whether it is it was effective to send  a youth into the juvenile system.  He said that all these crimes are tied together and jumped from Tik Tok.  (Another Tik Tok challenge is aimed at young people who take video of themselves shoplifting and then uploading it to the social media app.)

Hall emphasized the importance of building community.  He is also working with the US Attorney’s Office to develop criteria to enable successful prosecutions.  For more info, go here:  https://mpdc.dc.gov/

Anwar Saleem, Executive Director, H Street Main Street, questioned how effective some of the agency-created programs to address crime are and if they are actually translating to the street…”Are we seeing results?”

He explained measures H Street businesses are taking to improve safety on the corridor.  H Street Main Street is developing security models for the hardening of buildings, such as adding security systems.  HSMS also stresses to businesses that they have to take responsibility for their customer base and who they attract.  For some entertainment venues, he suggests wanding and ID scanners should be mandatory for every person entering a building – no exceptions.  He said that HSMS will continue monthly safety meetings and pointed to an in-person community meeting next Tuesday at 3:00pm regarding business and resident concerns on the H Street corridor at 3:00pm at the Atlas Theater, 1333 H Street, NE. 

ANC6B Southeast Library Task Force chaired by Commissioner David Sobelsohn, held an in person meeting at the library on October 2.  The meeting featured Kyle Yeldell, Policy Analyst for the DC Council’s Committee on Recreation, Libraries & Youth Affairs, and ANC Commissioner Nic Wilson (8F01), whose district includes the Arthur Capper Recreation Center, where the interim library services will be provided during the years Southeast Library will be closed. 

Topics discussed during the meeting included remaining unresolved details not yet confirmed for Arthur Capper:

1. The TF is pushing for two weeks advance notice of the town meeting DCPL has promised prior to the six weeks’ notice of the closing date for SE Library.
2. Details on how the community will be notified of the availability of interim services at the Arthur Capper. 
3. When interim library services will be available at Arthur Capper. The TF is pushing for having some services available the day after the SE Library closes. 
4. The days and hours Arthur Capper will provide library services.
5. Whether, in addition to a printer, Arthur Capper will have a copier& scanner.
6. Whether, in addition to technical support – “digital navigators,” Arthur Capper will have regular library staff, deemed by the TF as essential now that the library has agreed to permit patrons to pick up and return library materials there.
7. Whether Arthur Capper will include any reference materials.
8. How the TF can secure funding for continued services at Arthur Capper after Fiscal Year 2024 ends in September, 2024.

The Taskforce will meet next in person at 3 p.m. Sunday, October22, on the second floor of 700 Pennsylvania Ave., SE.

It looks like the oldest graffiti crew in the city – KGB aka Krazy Graffiti Brothers – has paid tribute to the passing of The Fridge.  KGB – started up by graffiti artist Asad Walker in the 1980s – has since gone legit – having made the transition to street artists.  Now everyone wants murals. 

The Week Ahead…

Monday, October 16

ANC7D Public Safety Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 6:30pm. 

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://7d0761.wixsite.com/anc7d-1/meetings

Agenda not available at press time.

Tuesday, October 17

ANC6A Transportation & Public Space Committee meeting will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6a.org/community-calendar/

Among items on the draft agenda: 

• Florida Avenue, NE, Streetscape Project Update. The Florida Avenue, NE, Streetscape.  Project outreach team will provide project updates, review the October 6, 2023 walkthrough with Commissioners and Committee Members, and address community safety concerns with related contractor work.
• DDOT updates on the Low-Impact Development pocket parks at the intersections of 8th Street, NE/K Street, NE/West Virginia Avenue, NE and of 9th Street NE,/L Street NE/West Virginia Avenue, NE.  (Jo-Elle Burgard, DDOT Landscape Architect).
• Notice of Intent re K Street Bike Lane Extension. DDOT will present plans for the extension of bike lanes on K Street, NE, from 6th Street, NE, to 8th Street, NE. (Mike Goodno, DDOT Bicycle Program Specialist).
• See here for more on K Street NE Bike Lane Extension NOI –  https://anc6a.org/wp-content/uploads/TSPA1023.pdf

H Street In-person Meeting on Crime Concerns – Businesses and Resident Crime Concerns on the H Street NE Corridor, 3:00pm – 4:00pm at Atlas Theater, 1333 H Street, NE.

• ​ CAC Robert Pittman and H Street Main Street’s Anwar Saleem will host a community meeting to discuss safety concerns on the H Street, NE, Corridor.
• Questions:  Contact Captain Sherrelle Williams (Sherrelle.williams@dc.gov) or Lt Araz Alali (Araz.alali@dc.gov)

Wednesday, October 18

ANC6A Economic Development and Zoning Committee meeting will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6a.org/community-calendar/

Among items on the draft agenda:

• Annual Report of Activities: Discuss requirement to submit a summary of our economic development and zoning activities for the year. Designate a writer to draft the Committee contributions.

DC Council will hold a virtual hearing at 12:00noon on the nomination of Brian Hanlon to head the Department of Buildings (DOB).

• To view the meeting, go here:  https://lims.dccouncil.gov/hearings/

Sunday, October 22

ANC6B Southeast Library Task Force will hold and in-person meeting at 3:00pm on the second floor of 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.

• Agenda not available at press time.