PSA 105 Sgt. Michael Architizel met with the SW community in September 2013 at Carrollsburg, A Condominium and in October 2013 at Tiber Island Co-Operative Homes and Tiber Island Condominium. The following suggestions for crime prevention were offered in response to various crime incidents.
* Townhouse Burglaries: (1) community managers should spread the word about crime incidents that occur on their respective properties immediately to alert residents; internal community meetings to discuss crime prevention are advisable; (2) neighbors need to look out for each other, get to know your neighbors; (3) locks and security alarms may need to be checked by the police or in-house security for adequacy and possible upgrading. Several burglaries have taken place during the day when owners were at home. Alarms should be activated at all times. Whenever possible, townhouse courtyard gates should be locked.
* Highrise Buildings: Residents who observe suspicious behavior, e.g. juveniles roaming through highrise hallway testing for unlocked doors, should call the police (911) immediately and not rely solely on complaining to community management. There have been reports of highrise units entered and property taken during the day and at night when apartment doors were left unlocked. Verify that your apartment unit door is locked whether away or at home. Again, neighbors need to look out for one another and report all suspicious behavior.
* Security Cameras: Police stressed the importance of upgrading security surveillance cameras to expedite police review following a report of a crime. Also, having established protocols for quickly reviewing security camera footage increases the likelihood of an arrest.
* Robbery: Walking while distracted (using a cell phone and other electronic device) is an open advertisement for criminals who specialize in snatch and run robberies.
* Theft: Shoplifting continues to be a problem at Safeway and CVS on 4th St SW. Bike theft also remains a problem. Store bikes indoors or remove the bike seat if locking a bike out of doors.
* Drug-related Crime: In mid-October 2013, approximately 35 rounds of ammunition were exchanged in the vicinity of Delaware Ave and K St SW (across the street from the First District Police Station). Shooting between rival factions in public housing (Greenleaf, Syphax, and James Creek) and the drug trade in general remains a long-standing problem in PSA 105. Get to know your neighborhood and avoid walking alone in trouble spots. A good source of information about crime patterns citywide and within PSA 105 is crimemap.dc.gov. This website contains both tabular and location-specific crime information.
By: John McGrath and Irv Gamza, Carrollsburg Condominium