The Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) will start holding monthly public safety meetings the second Monday of each month. There have been a number of instances of shots fired in the neighborhood the past few months, most recently in the 300 block of Riggs Road NE near Walmart. Other instances include shots fired in the 800 block of Kennedy Street NE, 800 block of Jefferson Street NE, and 1000 block of Hamilton Street NE. The 800 block of Oglethorpe Street NE has been a hotspot for many years and remains so.
The first meeting is tonight. Zoom info and agenda below.
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Warranted or not, the subject of crime regularly seems to come up when discussing Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. This was definitely a point of debate amongst neighbors at the October 2020 meeting of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association as part of the discussion on the new playground. If you need to come up to speed on the new project, please read a detailed description here and my comments provided to the DC Department of Parks and Recreation. And, mark your calendars for October 14 for the next community meeting on the project.
I personally feel safe in Riggs Park and have no fear about taking my family to the current playground. From my viewpoint, detractors of the playground like to say that the vast majority of crime—especially violent crime—that happens in Riggs Park centers around the recreation center. But, these are always anecdotes, and we all know that the plural of anecdotes is not data.
So, let’s actually look at some crime statistics pulled from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Crime Map to better understand the issue. In this post, I will show data provided when searching for all reported crimes within 1,000 feet from the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center over the past eight years. Note, data for 2020 are as of Wednesday, October 7, 2020. Also, keep in mind when looking at the data, that these numbers may or may not be directly linked to anything going on at the rec center, but specifically within a 1,000 foot radius.
Table 1 below shows the bigger picture of property crime and violent crime since 2012. No surprise, but property crimes outnumbered violent crimes each year. During this time, the total number of crimes trended up, peaked in 2017, then came down since then.
Year
Property
Violent
Grand Total
2012
9
0
9
2013
33
6
39
2014
37
12
49
2015
38
18
56
2016
42
9
51
2017
45
14
59
2018
37
6
43
2019
26
7
33
2020
18
2
20
Table 1
Table 2 shows a breakdown of property crimes reported near the rec center. These include burglary, motor vehicle theft, theft from auto, and other types of theft. Theft from automobiles is definitely a problem near the rec center, but this is an issue citywide, not unique to Riggs Park. MPD raises this issue quite often at community meetings. Here is your PSA for the day, stop leaving valuables in your car already!
Year
Burglary
Motor vehicle theft
Theft from auto
Theft/other
2012
1
1
1
6
2013
4
8
14
7
2014
4
6
14
13
2015
4
7
15
12
2016
1
0
33
8
2017
4
4
18
19
2018
1
3
27
6
2019
1
2
16
7
2020
1
2
11
4
Table 2
And, what about for violent crimes, such as assault with a deadly weapon, homicide, robbery, and Sexual abuse? Below are the numbers for your review in Table 3.
Year
Assault w/dangerous weapon
Homicide
Robbery
Sex abuse
2012
0
0
0
0
2013
2
0
3
1
2014
3
0
9
0
2015
12
0
6
0
2016
5
2
2
0
2017
3
0
11
0
2018
3
1
1
1
2019
3
0
4
0
2020
0
0
2
0
Finally, when looking at the method used during some of the crimes, Table 4 below shows the data for guns, knifes, and other methods. I’m not sure what all is encompassed in “other” here from MPD, and probably do not want to know…
Year
Gun
Knife
Other
Grand Total
2012
1
8
9
2013
2
37
39
2014
4
2
43
49
2015
9
47
56
2016
7
2
42
51
2017
6
1
52
59
2018
4
1
38
43
2019
5
1
27
33
2020
2
18
20
Table 4
Overall, reported crimes appear to be trending downward in recent years near the rec center. This is also the case for Riggs Park as a whole (see this 2019 post for a decade’s worth of data). To me, this is something to commend and build upon. Moreover, the crime data do not justify to me a reason to fight a new playground coming to our neighborhood that will benefit families and children alike. That being said, one crime is too many of course. I am pleased to hear of residents taking action, providing crime-reduction plans, and working towards engaging folks in our community (yes, that is an overt plug for Tischa Cockrell running for ANC4B).
On August 19, 2020, the DC Department of Parks & Recreation and Department of General Services held an initial community meeting about a new playground that will be built at Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. The rec center is located at 501 Riggs Road NE at the corner of Nicholson Street NE. The playground would be built on the Nicholson Street side of the rec.
The project website is https://dgs.dc.gov/riggs-lasalle. The presentation has not been placed on the website just yet, but a resident kindly passed along screenshots that I have placed below. (Update: The presentation is now on the project website at https://dgs.dc.gov/riggs-lasalle). If you have an interest in this project, please send comments to the project manager Peter Nohrden at peter.nohrden@dc.gov. Officials hope to start construction in fall 2020 with completion anticipated late 2020/early 2021. They have asked that people send comments in the next two weeks, so please send comments as soon as possible.
I suggest that people take pictures of things at other playgrounds that they really like and send that with their comments. This new playground will be limited by space and budget. The footprint they are working with is only 5,000 square feet, so there is not a ton of space for a vast array of playground equipment. The budget is only $550,000. The rec would really need (and could benefit from) a full redesign and layout to really have a larger, cohesive play space, and that is just not going to happen at this point.
Features of the proposed playground
A play area for 2 to 5 year olds and a play area for 5 to 12 year olds. There is an Option A and an Option B for both so let officials know if you feel strongly about either option.
New signage
Shade trees and low maintenance landscaping
A couple of benches oriented towards the play structures so that parents/guardians can keep an eye on their children and socialize
Swing set with one toddler swing and two regular size swings
Optional drinking fountain with bottle filler
The playground would be ADA accessible
The playground would be open 7 days/week and open to the public during school hours
A few suggestions raised during the community meeting
Some initial comments from residents who attended the meeting:
Connect the new playground to the existing playground with a pathway
Connect the new playground to the existing splash pad so that children do not have to cross an active driveway to go back and forth between the two
Keep the existing playground open to the community. The existing playground is open to the community during non-school hours when school is in session.
Supplement the existing playground with different items at the new playground so that children have more play structures.
Remove or relocate the shipping containers on the field to increase the amount of space for a playground. These containers apparently have been used to store equipment for the football team, but it is not clear if the team needs that storage space. The project team is discussing that with the rec center staff.
Remove the batting cages to increase the amount of space for a playground. Some residents seem to believe that the batting cages are not used. I believe they are used by baseball/softball teams, but I do not know for sure. Other residents stated they would like the batting cages to remain.
Have more sitting areas for parents/guardians
Include the drinking fountain
Several residents expressed a desire for a walking path/track at the rec. DPR officials noted this is a longstanding desire, but noted the layout of the field make installation of a walking track difficult and doing a a full scale redesign of the field is cost-prohibitive at this time.
Have a security plan in place
A few concerns & a little background
One of the big concerns that came up even before the meeting and one that has existed with the existing playground is safety. I mentioned in this post that the community worked for several years to get the existing playground opened back up to the community. It was finally reopened in June/July 2019. I did not go into all of the drama of getting that playground reopened.
The existing playground had been closed to the public for at least 8 years that I know of, but I am pretty sure it was closed for a longer period of time. The official reason we were given for its closure to the public was that it belonged to the school next door, LaSalle-Backus Education Campus. I served as president of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) from June 2017 to June 2019. We held a public meeting in February 2018 with members of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Cabinet. I asked parents to attend that meeting to ask the mayor about opening the playground to the public. In response to questions, the mayor stated that it should be open and that she did not know why it was closed. We let DC officials know that we were pretty sure the playground belonged to DPR not DCPS. [Note: At the same time, we were also working to get funding for a new playground because there was not a playground open to the public in the neighborhood at all. We did get a commitment for funding.]
There was a scramble with DPR, DGS, and DCPS doing research, and they eventually determined that the playground actually belonged to DPR and that the school had first right of use. The school would have exclusive use during school hours, and the school would be responsible for cleaning and maintenance of the playground during school hours. During non-school hours and on the weekends, the playground would be open to the public and DGS would be responsible for cleaning and maintenance. In order to open the playground to the public, DGS had to install an ADA ramp and a second entrance. So all of that was done and the playground was reopened to the public last summer.
Unofficially, many residents believe the playground was closed for so long because of safety reasons. I spoke with MPD officers who stated that they thought the playground was in a poor location, basically sitting in a valley behind a tall chain link fence, making it difficult for officers patrolling to see the playground from Riggs Road. DPR officials have said the same. Likewise, the playground could not be seen by officers patrolling on Nicholson Street because the playground sits behind the rec center. The playground was built years before the rec center. When the rec center was built, it was constructed with its back side facing the playground. That layout made it difficult for rec center staff to monitor the playground. As part of the reopening, DGS installed cameras on the back side of the building.
But really the issue is that the playground has been around for decades, so it was there during the crack epidemic. All sorts of things took place on the playground and kids were returning to school finding things they should not be finding on a playground. There are hot blocks in the neighborhood. Over time, the area around the rec became one of the hot spots. One would think people would not do antisocial, anti-community things around an elementary school and community recreation center that community residents lobbied to have built, but here we are.
So now the current president of LRCA, Rodney Foxworth, is objecting to a new playground on the pretense of public safety concerns and that “the community” was not notified. Public safety is a legitimate concern, but it is also a concern that exists regardless of whether this new playground gets built, as I noted above. The new playground would face Nicholson Street and would be visible from the street. DPR reached out to the ANC commissioner for that area ANC Commissioner LaRoya Huff (4B09) to do a site visit and talk about plans for the playground. Ms. Huff is also a current officer on the board of the LRCA. She is also a staffer for Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd.
I will go ahead and say it. One of the frustrating things about this conversation for me is that the loudest voices citing public safety concerns and problems with “process” are the ones who love to talk about how long they have lived in the neighborhood and they love to behave in an unwelcome manner to anyone who was not raised in the neighborhood or who moved into the neighborhood in the last 10 years. The people engaging in anti-community behavior near the rec are not strangers. They are people that long-time residents know. They grew up here. They are friends and relatives of long-time neighbors.
This notion that we should not have anything in this neighborhood because it will just get messed up is a hopelessness and fiction that I just cannot abide. Yes, we need to have a plan in place for making sure the playground stays clean and the equipment is not destroyed. That plan should already be in place for the existing playground. Yes, we should be realistic about the fact that prior to COVID-19, certain people liked to congregate in front of the rec and on the side of the building out of view of the cameras and engage in anti-community behavior. We should also tell the truth that they were permitted to do so. We do not actually have to just shrug and say welp when we see our own neighbors using a community space in ways making it difficult for that space to be used for its intended use, but that is what has been happening. We do not actually have to just shrug and say welp when long-time neighbors know the people responsible for the few shootings that have happened near the rec.
Last summer a few residents (not the loudest voices) and a DC government employee started a program working with some of the youth who would hang out at the rec, and that program was very promising. That is the type of work that we should be championing and expanding. There is a new Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Rec that is in the process of standing up. Once that organization is fully stood up, hopefully it will be an avenue to support this community space. Bottom line, I hope that as neighbors we actually do the work and work together to have the community we want.
Remember to send any comments about the proposed playground to Peter Nohrden at peter.nohrden@dc.gov.
Last week, the Washington Post reported on pretty gross behavior by the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD). According to the report, an MTPD supervisor based at Fort Totten metro station came up with a really terrible idea in which MTPD officers would get points leading to prizes for different enforcement actions, such as an arrest or citation.
There have long been complaints about the actions of MTPD officers. According to WAMU, DC At-Large Councilmember Robert White and Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen are introducing a resolution to request establishment of an MTPD civilian complaint board, among other measures.
There is a lot to say about this that I am finding difficult to put in a post. The one thing I will say is that I often hear people clamoring for more and more police in this community and I think we need to be a little more thoughtful and very specific and intentional in what we ask of public safety and elected officials.
MTPD Chief Ronald Pavlik, Jr. has been invited to the next ANC 5A meeting.
Police officers mention it at every meeting: Do not leave anything visible or valuable in cars. First it appeared that car break-ins were confined to larger institutions like Providence Hospital and Walmart. Then there was a spree around Fort Totten metro station. Now it looks like the culprits are infiltrating the residential areas. Lt. Patrick Schaut stated there were 9 smashed windows over the weekend. So please do not leave anything visible in your cars at all, no phone chargers or anything. Better yet, do not leave anything in your car at all because it will be taken. Please be vigilant and if you know who is going around smashing car windows, let MPD know.
Lt. Patrick Schaut of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Fourth District PSA 406 graciously agreed to participate in a walk through within our community. During this opportunity, we will get to meet and speak directly with Lt. Schaut, who serves our community, as well as voice any concerns we may have regarding Riggs Park, all while getting some fresh air and moderate exercise too.
What: Community Walk Through with Lt. Patrick Schaut When: Thursday, August 8, 2019, at 6:30pm Where: Meet outside the Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library (5401 South Dakota Ave NE) Who: Riggs Park residents primarily but other neighbors are welcome
The route is still to be determined but will stay mostly within the boundaries of Riggs Park. Please be prompt as the walk will begin around 6:30 pm and will likely last an hour.
Look forward to seeing other neighbors walking out and about with us.
Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd is hosting a public safety meeting with representatives from MPD, Office of Neighborhood Safety & Engagement, and the Deputy Mayor’s Office for Public Safety & Justice on June 15 at 11:30 am at Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center, 501 Riggs Road NE.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) hosts an immersive program called the Community Engagement Academy, for interested District residents to learn more about how policing works in the District. The next cohort begins in June, with applications open until March 10, 2019.
After participating in the fall of 2017, I wanted to share this opportunity with others in the community, as I felt it was a valuable experience. In my cohort, we had folks from quite diverse backgrounds, demographics, professions, ethos, and personal experiences with public safety and the police to share.
Community Engagement Academy Cohort Fall 2017
Though we each had our own personal stories and experiences, we came together as a group to hold very civil and level-headed discussions on incredibly sensitive topics. We were encouraged to ask questions and say what we think and feel, while always being respectful of others in the room—a skill that is sometimes forgotten by some at our own neighborhood meetings. It was great to listen to these discussions, contribute at times, and grow as a group together.
As part of the program, you will learn
how MPD recruits officers, see common policing scenarios and challenges, spotlight
issues like the effect of implicit bias on the community, as well as discuss
juvenile issues and youth investigations. MPD learns something too in the
process when they hear our thoughts, feedback, and concerns regarding their
practices.
Though these were eye-opening in and of themselves, the most memorable experiences came during the tours and meeting the people who work at MPD. We got to grill the Chief of Police directly (and yes, he said I made him feel old), be right there when a 9-1-1 operator fields a call, sit in a paddy wagon, interview cadets just starting their police career, explore the forensics lab, soar down the Potomac on a harbor patrol boat, meet the people who live and breathe police data, see hands-on training regarding the use of force, and marvel at the training of police dogs.
Their next kick-off event is scheduled for Wednesday, March 27th, 2019, with thesummer cohort launching in mid-June.
Stories in recent years reflect a general downward trend in overall crime in the Washington, D.C. area (see here, here, and here). However, we also experienced dramatic upswings in homicides in the District last year (see here). Of course, these numbers are D.C.-wide and given the importance of public safety, I took a look at what the numbers tell us about crime in our Riggs Park neighborhood. Has it gone up? Down? Which offenses are most frequent? Any trends in recent years?
Reported offenses, including arson, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, homicide, motor vehicle theft, robbery, sex assault, theft from autos, and other theft (as described here in D.C. Code).
Date of reports made to MPD from calendar years 2009 to 2018 (note reporting date may be later than the date the offense occurred).
Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 4B and 5A, which serve the majority of Riggs Park and nearby areas. (Note: ANC boundaries were adjusted after the 2010 Decennial Census. ANC boundaries are larger than police service area (PSA) and neighborhood boundaries. PSA boundaries were redrawn in 2004 and again in January 2019. Crime trends at the ANC level may diverge from trends at the PSA and neighborhood level, but for purposes of this post ANC-level data are used as as indicators for trends in neighborhood crime).
Note: Data presented here represent only reports of the offenses (no indication if the case was closed) and does not include demographic or other identifying information about the offenders or victims. The Crime Map did not provide data on illicit drug offenses. Further, the data are not normalized to the annual population changes in the neighborhood.
Below are some of the findings. The complete data and my analyses are available here (excel spreadsheet). Please note that for each graph, the “X” axis represents the calendar year, while the “Y” axis is the aggregate number of reports made. Solid orange and gray lines represent ANC 4B and ANC 5A, respectively. Dashed orange and gray lines represent trendlines for the two ANC areas as well.
Figure 1
Assaults with a dangerous weapon (ADW) are defined as aggravated assaults that knowingly or purposely cause serious bodily injury, threaten to do so, or knowingly engage in conduct that creates a grave risk of serious bodily injury to another person. In ANC 4B and 5A, these offenses apear to be trending downward over the decade (Figure 1, above). Since 2009, ANC 4B and 5A experienced a 31 percent and 55 percent decline, respectively, in reports of this crime.
Figure 2
Figure 2 shows that burglaries in the neighborhood are also trending downwards. Burglary is the unlawful entry of a structure, vessel, watercraft, railroad car or yard where chattels are deposited with the intent to commit any criminal offense. ANC 4B and 5A experienced a 58 percent and 43 percent decline, respectively, in this reported crime between 2009 and 2018.
Figure 3
Building on the downward trends, motor vehicle thefts, which are defined as the theft of any self-propelled, motor driven vehicle that is primarily intended to transport persons and property on a highway, also show declines over the decade. From Figure 3, we can see a 36 percent and 48 percent decline in the report of this offense in ANC 4B and 5A since 2009.
Figure 4
Robberies are defined as taking of anything of value from another person by force, violence, or fear. The downward trend in offenses goes for robbery too in our neighborhood. When looking at 2009 to 2018, a 64 percent and 41 percent decline were observed in ANC 4B and 5A, respectively, for reports of robbery (Figure 4). Not everything is going down though. As MPD officers regularly remind us at community meetings, thefts are a major problem. Generally speaking, theft is defined as wwrongfully obtaining or using the property of another with the intent to deprive the owner of the value thereof.
Figure 5
Not everything is going down though. As MPD officers regularly remind us at community meetings, thefts are a major problem. Generally speaking, theft is defined as wwrongfully obtaining or using the property of another with the intent to deprive the owner of the value thereof.
Let’s focus our attention first on theft from automobiles. This is specific foritems from within a vehicle, excluding motor vehicle parts and accessories. As Figure 5 shows, this offense has steadily risen in our neighborhood ANCs over the decade. ANC 4B and 5A experienced 10x and 2x increase in reports of thefts from autos when comparing 2009 to 2018.
Figure 6
Further, reports of other thefts (e.g., embezzlement, theft of services, fraud, and false pretenses) are a mixed bag. This category of offenses held relatively steady, according to the trendlines (Figure 6), over the decade in ANC 4B, while 5A did experience a modest decline.
Reports of
homicide, sex assault, and arson were best displayed as absolute numbers rather
than in graphical form (Table 1). For reference, MPD defines homicide as the killing of another purposely, or otherwise, with malice
aforethought. Sex abuse is engaging in or causing another person to submit to a
sexual act, by force, threat, fear, involuntary impairment, or rendering
unconscious, where consent was not willingly given. Arson is the malicious
burning, or attempt to burn, any structure, vessel, vehicle, railroad car or
property of another.
Table 1
Homicide`
Sex Abuse
Arson
Year
4B
5A
4B
5A
4B
5A
2009
0
2
3
4
0
0
2010
3
2
1
1
0
0
2011
4
0
1
2
1
0
2012
0
5
7
5
0
0
2013
3
0
7
3
1
0
2014
0
1
4
8
0
0
2015
2
1
8
7
0
0
2016
3
0
7
7
0
0
2017
2
2
8
3
0
0
2018
3
0
3
6
0
1
Total
20
13
49
46
2
1
Reports of
homicide, sex assault, and arson were best displayed as absolute numbers rather
than in graphical form (Table 1). For reference, MPD defines homicide as the killing of another purposely, or otherwise, with malice
aforethought. Sex abuse is engaging in or causing another person to submit to a
sexual act, by force, threat, fear, involuntary impairment, or rendering
unconscious, where consent was not willingly given. Arson is the malicious
burning, or attempt to burn, any structure, vessel, vehicle, railroad car or
property of another.
Community members often express concern that the majority of crime in Riggs Park likely occurs within close proximity to the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. So, I pulled those data too, and you can decide for yourself.
Table 2 below depicts the aggregate counts of offenses reported over the decade within a 1,500-ft radius of this ANC 4B facility. For those interested, additional data are available on the Lamond Recreation Center in the supporting materials linked above.
Table 2
Year
ADW
Burglary
Homicide
Vehicle Theft
Robbery
Sex Abuse
Theft from Auto
Theft Other
2009
11
5
0
14
15
0
4
24
2010
6
4
0
20
7
1
22
14
2011
5
8
1
22
3
0
27
10
2012
4
3
0
14
7
1
20
17
2013
4
6
0
12
9
2
21
17
2014
5
5
0
10
14
0
36
39
2015
14
6
0
10
11
3
39
45
2016
12
4
2
7
5
1
63
89
2017
8
4
0
5
18
0
53
82
2018
5
3
1
9
3
1
89
85
Total
74
48
4
123
92
9
374
422
In summary, reports
of offenses such as assaults with a dangerous weapon, burglary, motor vehicle
theft, and robbery are trending downwards in our community, while reports of
thefts from automobiles have risen over the decade.
Though each offense is one too many, especially if you are a victim of the crime, the overall trend is promising for the Riggs Park area. The data show we’re moving in the right direction for the most part. We must build on this together by continuing to encourage public safety generally, getting to know our MPD officers, and by maintaining vigilance in our daily lives. Further, we must heed the advice from MPD officers and not keep any items of value visible in our vehicles. We must not stay silent, but rather speak out when illegal behavior happens, like in this Next Stop . . . Riggs Park post. As we are reminded in community meetings, it is up to us, as community members, to report crimes when they occur. And yes, you actually can be anonymous when calling 911 and when texting tips to the police at 50411. By doing this, and remaining civil with each other in the process, we will achieve a community where everybody can feel safe and welcome in their neighborhood.
Map of old PSA boundaries (left) and new PSA boundaries (right)
Effective today, MPD has realigned police service areas (PSAs) for the neighborhood. Previously, the neighborhood was served by two different PSAs in two different sectors–PSA 405 in Sector 2 served residents south of Kennedy Street NE and PSA 406 in Sector 1 served residents north of Kennedy Street NE. Now, all of Riggs Park will be served by PSA 406 in Sector 2.
Each sector consists of three PSAs and is managed by a captain. MPD lieutenants and captains change often so be sure to visit MPD’s Fourth District webpage to keep up-to-date if you ever need to contact your police officers (though it does not appear that MPD has updated the webpage as of the time of this writing).
The timing of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton’s appearance at the December 2018 Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) meeting could not be better. This meeting provides the community with an excellent opportunity to discuss a lit, paved path across the portion of Fort Circle Park just east of the Fort Totten Metro station. The National Park Service (NPS) plans to replace the informal trail connecting Gallatin Street NE and Galloway Street NE with a safe, paved, lit pedestrian path.
The need for a pedestrian path began with the opening of the Fort Totten Metro Station on February 6, 1978. While provisions for parking were made, no additional pedestrian infrastructure was considered. Over the years, communities both east and west of the Metro Station have created informal trails through the NPS parkland. The Fort Totten neighborhood west of the metro station has a lighted, paved pedestrian path connecting Fort Totten Drive NE and 1st Place NE. However, the North Michigan Park community, east of the Metro Station, has patiently waited for a paved path since 1978, or 40 years. Finally, some action has been taken.
Beginning on March 7, 2014, NPS issued a scoping notice for an environmental assessment of the social trails and adjacent parkland east of the Metro Station. NPS hosted a community meeting at the UDC Backus Campus on March 19, 2014. At that meeting, NPS explained the objectives of the scoping notice and offered the community four options to consider.
In January 2015, NPS issued its Fort Totten – North Michigan Park Pedestrian Access Improvement Project Environmental Assessment report in which no environmental issues were found. NPS hosted a community meeting at the Lamond-Riggs Library on February 2, 2015, to brief the community on the environmental assessment report. Next, NPS received approval of its Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) report in compliance with the Department of Interior’s National Historic Preservation Act (NEPA) guidelines on October 28, 2015. Lastly, the National Capital Planning Commission has approved the NPS proposed trail specifications that include “a permeable 10-foot wide trail to replace the existing 320 foot-long informal dirt trail from Galloway Street NE to Gallatin Street NE.” The trail will be composed of asphalt, feature two-foot wide, soil and aggregate shoulders, and feature six lights for illumination. Approval was granted on July 5, 2018.
Location of proposed trail
Despite all of the work accomplished, there is more to be done. Other milestones include building Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps across the street from the path and a storm water management system. Although NPS is working diligently, the construction phase of this project remains unfunded. This is where Congresswoman Norton can be most helpful. She can work at the federal level to secure funding for this worthy and long overdue pedestrian infrastructure. We all look forward to having this conversation with Congresswoman Norton and District officials.
The patrol officers of PSA 405 would like to provide an opportunity for the residents and officers to mingle. The officers patrolling your PSA during the day and evening tour of duties, will be stopping through to meet with the PSA residents. This is a great opportunity for you to become more familiar with the officers and for them to become more familiar with you. We hope you can stop by to say hello!
Please join us for a Public Town Hall Discussion with Lt. Posey and Captain Weedon, members of our Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and a Representative from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).
When: Monday, August 14, 2017 @ 6:30 pm
Where: Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center in the Multi-Purpose Room
We will discuss any questions you have in regards to our community. MPD and OAG will also share and discuss programs and opportunities to assist us. This meeting is open to the public. Young people are strongly encouraged to attend.
The Washington Post covered two recent shootings blocks from each other less than one day apart. One young man, 22 years old, lost his life in the first shooting and three people were injured in the second shooting. Condolences to the family.
We had a quiet summer in the neighborhood. And now this. There really are no excuses for this. And we as a community should make it known that we will not accept anti-community, anti-social behavior. People really do know better. We really do know that it is completely ridiculous to fire shots from a car into a crowd of people at 7:30 in the evening. And it is completely ridiculous to attack someone over manufactured beef, a phone, a wallet, drugs, whatever the case may be, no matter what time of day. So to the individuals who are involved in this really ridiculous anti-community behavior, stop. And to those who know people indulging in this anti-community behavior–be they neighbors, family, friends, acquaintances–tell them to stop. Let’s do better. Because we really do know better.
Reprinted below are the announcements from MPD on the shootings:
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Around 7:30 PM this Sunday, MPD responded to the report of a shooting in the 500 block of Oglethorpe Street, NE. Three victims were found to have been injured from gun fire. All three victims sustained non-life threatening injuries and were transported to local hospitals for treatment. It is believed that a dark colored vehicle was involved in the shooting.
Anyone with information regarding this offense should call the MPD at 202-727-9099 or text at 50411.
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Public Information Office: 202-727-4383
September 25, 2016
Homicide: 400 Block of Riggs Road, Northeast
(Washington, DC) – Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred in the 400 block of Riggs Road, Northeast on Sunday, September 25, 2016.
At approximately 2:42 am, members of the Fourth District responded to a call for the sounds of gunshots in the area of Nicholson Street and Kensington Place, Northeast. While responding, they were flagged down in the 400 block of Riggs Road, Northeast and found an adult male, unconscious and unresponsive, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. DC Fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene and determined life-saving efforts were futile. The victim remained on the scene until being transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
The decedent has been identified as 22-year-old Marcellus Thomas, of Northeast, DC.
The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411.
A heat wave is forecast from Wednesday through Saturday this week. Don’t let that stop you from joining the MPD Fourth District’s Community Bike Ride. Details below
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Hey Fourth District Family!
The Fourth District would like to invite you to come and ride with MPD 4D.
Our bike ride will begin at 9am on Saturday, September 10th at Takoma Metro Station, followed by a cookout from 11am-2pm at Emery Rec.
Please see the attached flyer for more details.
Remember to please tell a neighbor and bring a friend!
Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day. Check the website for information about registration and pit stop locations. WMATA is hosting a pit stop at Fort Totten metro station from 6:30 am to 9:30 am.
Also tomorrow, MPD Fourth District PSA 406 Lieutenant Ozetta Posey is hosting a community walk in the neighborhood. Details from Lt. Posey:
As we approach the summer months, we would like to walk and talk about our community concerns while discussing possible solutions.
The first community walk will take place on Friday, May 20, 2016, at 7 PM. We will meet in front of 501 Riggs Road, NE. We will walk the area of Oneida, Oglethorpe, Kennedy, Madison, Eastern Avenue and Riggs Road, along the NE corridor. During this time we will be walking, talking to neighbors, and gathering input on issues within the community. Please put on your walking shoes and come out and join us.
This comes on the heels of abatement of a “nuisance house” in the 800 block of Kennedy Street NE on the PSA 405 side, so it definitely helps to get to know your PSA officers. (Kennedy Street is generally the dividing line between PSAs 405 and 406.)
Update: PSA 406 was added to the list of priority sites.
DC’s Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants has released guidance on the private security camera rebate program, available to residents, business owners, nonprofits and religious institutions for installation of cameras on the exterior of buildings to help deter crime and assist law enforcement in investigations. The program website has all of the information potential applicants need with respect to eligibility, camera specification requirements, how to apply, how to register a camera with MPD, when to expect the rebate, etc.
Prior to August 1, 2016, only certain police service areas (PSAs) will receive priority consideration for application. This neighborhood is serviced by MPD’s Fourth District and is generally split between PSA 405 and 406. PSA 405 is a priority PSA for this program, but PSA 406 is not.
Security cameras purchased and installed after September 22, 2015 are eligible for the program. For the first several months, only addresses within priority MPD police service areas (PSAs) can submit rebate applications. After August 1, addresses anywhere in the District can apply. There is at least one priority PSA in each Ward and they were selected based on crime levels and public safety indicators.
The priority PSAs are:
• MPD First District: PSAs 104, 105, 107 and 108;
• MPD Second District: PSAs 202, 207 and 208;
• MPD Third District: PSAs 302, 303 and 305;
• MPD Fourth District: PSAs 402, 403, 405 and 409;
• MPD Fifth District: All PSAs;
• MPD Sixth District: PSAs 602, 603, 604 and 608; and
The program has a budget of $500,000. Rebates will be issued so long as funding is available.
The program provides a rebate of:
• Up to $200 of the purchase price per camera installed on the exterior of a residential building, with a maximum rebate of up to $500 per residential address; and
• Up to $200 of the purchase price per camera installed on the exterior of a business, commercial, nonprofit, or religious institution with a maximum rebate of up to $750 per address.
From MPD Fourth District’s listserv. Alert your neighbors:
It has been relayed to the MPD that there is a middle aged woman calling senior citizens in the Riggs Park area making appointments claiming to represent some type of community support activity. The woman reports for the appointment and is invited inside of the home by the resident. The woman then rummages through the house and leaves. Please be vigilant and also spread the word to your elderly neighbors that this maybe a scam. If this has occurred to you or your neighbor please call 911.
A neighbor recently expressed concern about sounds of gunshots around the 800/900 blocks of Hamilton Street on two separate occasions, once on September 26 and again on October 19. I emailed Fourth District Commander Manlapaz about this and asked if there was any information they can provide at this time, if there is a pattern that we should be concerned about, and if there is anything residents can do to help police in addition to calling 911. Below is his response:
I have included Lt. Rosenthal, the PSA manager for this area for her attention. We don’t have any information at this point as to the source of the gunfire. We still ask that suspicious persons, activities, or vehicles be reported to 911.
I encourage residents to join MPD’s 4th District listserv. You can ask MPD officials about crimes (call 911 to actually report a crime). The more people who are bringing matters to the attention of the Commander, the better. Also, the PSA 405 meetings are combined with the monthly ANC 5A meetings. The next one is on October 28 at 6:45 pm at UDC-CC, Backus. That would be a good opportunity to bring public safety matters to the attention of MPD officials.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 