Crimes of Note: October 17-23

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.

Borderstan Crime: A Review of the Year’s First 9 Months

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).

TUESDAY: PSA 208/Dupont Meets at 7 PM

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.

October is National Crime Prevention Month

October is National Crime Prevention Month, a yearly event sponsored by the National Crime Prevention Council. The DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) offers these quick links to safety information from various law enforcement agencies and crime prevention groups.

September Crime Stats: More Property Crimes; Gun Crimes Up

Click to enlarge: There were 10 violent crimes in Borderstan in September 2009. There is a noticeable concentration in the northeastern part of the area. (Map: MPD crime database)

Click to enlarge: Thefts from autos are the most common crime in the Borderstan area; there were 30 in September 2009. This map shows a concentration west of 15th St. NW. (Map: MPD crime database)

The number of crimes in September 2009 in the Borderstan crime reporting area¹ is up substantially over the previous two Septembers, 2007 and 2008.

The rise is being driven by property crimes, mostly thefts (up 85% from two years ago) and thefts from autos (up 173% from two years ago).

While violent crime remained steady, the number of gun crimes is up noticeably—a trend we have been seeing all year.

Total crime (both violent and property crimes) for the  month of September 2009 in the Borderstan crime area¹ is 27% higher than in September 2008 and 61% higher than September 2007.

September: Year by Year

• 44 crimes in September 2007
• 56 crimes in September 2008 (27% increase over 2007)
• 71 crimes in September 2009 (27% increase over 2008 and 61% increase over 2007).

Historical numbers are provided to give you perspective on the crime rate trend in the neighborhood. (You can run crime statistics from the DC MPD online crime database for up to two years.)

Gun Robbery at 7:55 PM, 14th & S NW

Good grief. A robbery with gun at the corner of 14th & S NW at 7:55 p.m. this evening. Will we ever get dedicated patrols for 14th and U Streets NW?

Granted that tonight is nasty, chilly and rainy, but this the heart of the 14th Street corridor in the middle of lots of new, fancy clubs and restaurants. Think for a second at what businesses are within a block from 14th & S NW: Bar Pilar, Cafe Saint-Ex, Cork, Policy, Black Cat and Source Theatre.

Note to our elected officials: NOT good PR if you want to attract more young urban hipsters to DC, and keep the suburbanites coming downtown:

• Washington, D.C. favorite area for wealthy young
• Best Cities For Jobs

From Police Alerts:

ROBBERY GUN _ 1955HRS @ 14TH & S ST NW LOF: 2 B/M S1 5’10” BOTH SUSPECTS LSW DK JACKETS BLK PANTS W/ HOODY MUSLIM SCARF L/S HEADED TOWARD 13TH ST NW DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20090578927

Borderstan Crimes of Note, October 1-11

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.

City Paper Update on “Men’s Parties” Death; Report from ANC 2F Meeting

Amanda Hess, “The Sexist” blogger/reporter at the Washington City Paper, attended tonight’s ANC 2F/Logan Circle meeting and has an update on the goings-on at 1618-A 14th Street NW: “Men’s Party” Sex Club Victim May Have Broken Neck.” From her report:

At tonight’s ANC 2F meeting, 3rd District Lieutenant Vanessa Moore provided some details into the police investigation of Sunday’s sex club death at 1618 14th Street NW…. Moore says D.C. police are working with the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs to attempt to close the club. “I know he does not have any license at that location,” Moore said. “We’re looking for ways to shut him down.” Go to CP article

The Washington Blade posted a story online on Tuesday by reporter Lou Chibbaro Jr.

UPDATE: It Was a Bank Robbery on K Street, Not a Mugging

UPDATE: This was a bank robbery, not a mugging. I based my posting on the Police Alert. Thanks to dcist and commenters for the update and correction.

Should I feel better that our muggers are getting classier?

Got this police alert today. I wasn’t going to post about it, but then I thought, “Oh, this is a bit different.” You do hear of this approach to holding up people on the street—business attire—but I don’t remember it being employed recently in DC. The mugger struck at 16th and K NW this morning at 9:16, complete with hat and briefcase:

Police Alert-ROBBERY FEAR. ROBBERY FEAR: 1600 K ST NW: 0916HOURS: LOF A B/M DRK CPLX, GRY BEARD, 5’11, 50s, WEARING GLASSES, BLK HAT, WHT SHIRT, BLK SUIT, CARRYING A BRIEFCASE, L/S TOWARD 17TH ST DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20090540568

And you have to love the irony of mugger in a suit on K Street.

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