Community Group Urges City to Upgrade Eastern Market Security Measures
by Larry Janezich
Posted Tuesday, August 28
Concerns about the security at Eastern Market have steadily increased over the past four years. Those concerns continue to preoccupy the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC) and have grown increasingly urgent with the yet-another-delay announced in July regarding the installation of security bollards intended to prevent vehicular attacks on the Market and the adjacent weekend-crowded streets.
During the last year the EMCAC established an ad Hoc Subcommittee on Public Safety to review a wide range of issues including building code compliance, fire prevention, utility infrastructure, general operations, vendor stalls, ADA compliance, lighting, signage, general security and management support.
EMCAC (Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee) recommends that the D.C. Department of General Services (DGS), in cooperation with the D.C. Department of Homeland Security, with support from an experienced risk and security advisory consultant, take steps to (in order of priority):
- Conduct a threat assessment of Eastern Market to assess the likelihood and impact of dangers including, but not limited to, natural disasters, terrorism and other security risks, and the general public safety.
- Conduct research on how large public markets in other cities have prepared similar public spaces from similar threats.
- Review and revise the existing Eastern Market Emergency Response Plans and related procedures to ensure that they are aligned to the current risks and threats facing the market.
- Do an assessment of electrical distribution, water, and gas infrastructure that both addresses the needs of merchants and vendors and ensures public safety.
- Provide expanded MPD and DGS on-site security as crime deterrents.
- Create a list of current emergency response resources (and personnel trained to use them) available at Eastern Market and surrounding facilities such as the Rumsey Aquatic Center and MedStar Urgent Care. Distribute this list to all EM merchants, vendors and staff and provide training with mandatory attendance.
- Create and make available easily accessible and understandable materials regarding public threats, emergency response, crime deterrents and prevention, health code regulations and violations, etc. Making this information available could include signage, posters, QR codes, posts on the EM web-site, etc.
EMCAC has tasked itself with developing a timetable for starting and completing these recommendations, providing oversight of the progress on the recommendations, reporting on progress at its monthly meetings, initiating updates with relevant agencies, inviting officials for walkthroughs of the Market, and increasing engagement with relevant stakeholders on public safety and risk reduction.
EMCAC is the District’s legislatively-established body entrusted with advisory and oversight responsibilities for the operations, management, and renovation of Eastern Market.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 
Bollards? Why not just stay home?
“increasingly urgent” security concerns? Really? What pray tell does that mean? Have terrorists targeted the Eastern Market?
Bollards would be nice, but let’s be realistic, it’s a public market, surrounded by streets and an alley. Cars and trucks park there everyday, front and back.
On a more practical level, there has been for several years a young man camping around the market with a small mountain of trash. For a long time he camped on the sidewalk, between Boxcar and the urgent care facility. (Previously, he lived by La Collina.) Now he he camps in front of the north door of the market hall, trash spread out on the sidewalk, and during the day in front of the now shuttered Boxcar. If the market authorities cannot deal with this simple security/health concern, I really doubt that more studies will turn the trick.
(Ed. Note. The article refers to the ongoing concerns of EMCAC which have been the subject of discussion at their monthly meetings for the past two years. The bollards would replace the rag-tag collection of vehicles which bloch access to 7th and C Streets which are filled with pedestrians on weekends.
“Hockey Stick Man” – as he is referred to by neighbors, has resisted numerous attempts and outreach from the city to provide assistance. The city banned his occupation of Turtle Park but there seems to be no easy remedy – under the law – to prohibit his temporary occupation of space on 7th Street (currently in front of the former Boxcar Pub). CHC is open to constructive suggestions from readers about how to resolve this issue.)
Agree. This security “risk” is news to me and I’ve lived a 1/2 block from the Market for 30 years! And re: guy with huge cart of stuff – maybe help him get on his feet and off the street?
(Ed. Note. The article refers to the ongoing concerns of EMCAC which have been the subject of discussion at their monthly meetings for the past two years.
“Hockey Stick Man” – as he is referred to by neighbors, has resisted numerous attempts and outreach from the city to provide assistance. The city banned his occupation of Turtle Park but there seems to be no easy remedy – under the law – to prohibit his temporary occupation of space on 7th Street (currently in front of the former Boxcar Pub). CHC is open to constructive suggestions from readers about how to resolve this issue.)
Best I can tell, camping “on public or private property” in DC is generally illegal.
Although enforcing that law can be complicated — especially with people who illegally camp by choice — it should not take several years of hand-wringing to figure all out. https://dmhhs.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dmhhs/page_content/attachments/Encampment%20Protocol%20Engagement%20FAQ.pdf
Ed. Note:
From the link provided above:
“An encampment is not: • • • • • •
Individual(s) that sleep at a location but have not set up living quarters and take their belongings when they leave”
If this were easy to address it would have been. CHC welcomes specific constructive solutions and community involvement to help resolve concerns and issues.
CHC is making this more complicated it needs to be. The gentleman in question lived 24/7 for years on the sidewalk between Boxcar and Urgent Care. In fact his stuff was piled up against the windows of Urgent Care.
The failures here fall chiefly on DMHHS, our Ward 6 council member (can’t recall his name, heh), and ultimately the mayor, who approach a problem like this with a brow-furrowing why-we-can’t-do-anything rather than how-we-can.
The ziggurat of rubbish is a health and safety hazard. Declare it such and take it away.