Mount Pleasant DC Forum

[jsfreed]

Lamont Park seems to have fallen prey again to a group of 6 or so drunks who are out every day and are quite aggressive bordering on hostile to anyone else who tries to enjoy the park. These aren't guys just out enjoying a 40. They are incoherent, belligerent and can barely stand or walk on their own. Seems like having more events or just families and others use the park could discourage this. Anyone else interested in helping to organize something?

[gfletcher]

There is a PSA (Police Service Area) meeting on Septmber 28th at La Casa Community Center. I intend to go and make an issue of Lamont park. It doesn't take more than casual observion to understand that the park has turned into a pub and urinal for a recurring group of guys - guys who have slept in, peed in, and stolen from my yard with impunity this summer. It is worse than it has ever been on MtP street by a good margin.

[jsfreed]

Curious if you or anyone else has talked to the police or to Graham's office about this? Not that I necessarily expect them to do anything about it, but it's ridiculous to be shouted at by 6 to 8 completely plastered men while I'm with my kids trying to enjoy Lamont Park at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon. Are there any community service organizations that could step in and help? Is the ANC or Main Street trying to do anything about it?

[SLee]

Earlier this summer, one of Lamont Park's " residents" was on Ingleside Terrace, late at night, and started following a female dog walker. There should be a zero tolerance policy for this anywhere in Mount Pleasant. That's something the ANC could do, instead of worrying about music at Haydees.

[jack]

[dcdude]

Agree with Jack. If you see something illegal, call the police. And if they don't come, call them again until they do. Every single time. Everyone has the right to enjoy public spaces, even the homeless, but the public intoxication and disorderly conduct on display at the park really has to stop.

[jack]

[jack]

Re the MPD hierarchy:

Chief Cathy Lanier
Asst. Chief Diane Groomes
Inspector Angel Medina
Captain Aubrey Mongal
Lieutenant Micah Pate

As you can see, our lieutenant is fairly far down the list. Chief Lanier has promised that shifting Mount Pleasant into 4D (which will happen, despite the neighborhood protests, and the Councilmember's objections) will result in our officers being less likely to be pulled away to respond to calls elsewhere. I doubt that, but that's a good reason for addressing complaints about our disappearing foot patrol officers to her.

-- Jack

[Karelio]

Those guys also routinely emerge drunk from Rock Creek Park near Bancroft and other entry points to the park. I think they have a drinkfest at night and emerge in the morning slowly making their way to Lamont where they then former the rest of the day. Seen them a couple times... We should also get the Park Police involved on this. Jack do you or other residents have worked with them in the past?

[Cory]

I would be happy to learn what the police think they can do to help but fear that it isn't going to be much. Yes, there's a lot of trash littered about including beer cans and vodka bottles and the gutters smell like urine but only once have I caught someone peeing on my car and I didn't care to keep him there until the police arrived. I call 911 about once every other week to help out someone who has passed out on the sidewalk or when the guy with long hair decides to serenade the neighborhood at 10pm but most times it's hard to identify something criminal to which the police are likely to respond. There also have been many afternoons and weekends when I've noticed cops just hanging out in the park among the regular campers. I don't mean to be discouraging; hopefully, the police can offer some suggestions on how to handle.

[jsfreed]

[ryanshepard]

Those guys also routinely emerge drunk from Rock Creek Park near Bancroft and other entry points to the park.

Yep - we've caught two of them stealing from the community garden at Bancroft twice now, and they're still at it.

Since public drinking is illegal, and the drunks seem to know it (they hide their 40s in a trash can nearby) a visible police presence would discourage them from congregating in Lamont Park or by Bancroft.

Not a law that is enforced - I walked by a cop parked at 17th and Lamont on Mon. night while some of these guys were clearly drinking in the park about ten feet away from her. They weren't taking any steps to hide it.

[jack]

[gfletcher]

This is the point where I start to get incredibly frustrated. All it would take is a handful of arrests to sent the message that the behaviour isn't tolerated. The police don't even have to be disguised to see arrest-able behavior on a minute by minute basis in the park.

On the other hand, when police officers cannot be bothered to get out of their cars to enforce laws being broken in plain sight - that sends a message of permissiveness that is beyond destructive. We can make the sacrifice of taking an officer or two off the street to stop this.

[kelly5612]

Yes, this is frustrating. I realize police work is a lot of paperwork, but come on...saying it's expensive is an excuse. When they avoid doing one part of their jobs just to avoid another part of their jobs, that's a problem. Do we have so much crime in this neighborhood that drunk and offensive behavior is not worth processing?

Arresting 1 or 2 strategic people at strategic times will go a long way. As a former teacher, I can tell you the value of an appropriately applied consequence, and not just for the person you catch but for everyone who's watching. (I can also tell you the damage you do to your authority when people know you're not going to bother enforcing some rules.)