Mount Pleasant DC Forum

[Frank]

I have begun to think that there might be a drug dealer about 3/4 the way down Ingleside Terrace (away from the school) on the left hand side. There are always random people showing up into this basement apartment and then leaving within 10 min or less. In addition there are sometimes individuals simply standing on the other side of the street and looking over to this house---maybe waiting for him/her to come home?

[Tom]

Perhaps related to your observations on Ingleside, I've noticed a suspicious-looking group hanging on the northwest (sometimes southwest) corner of 18th and Ingleside. Part ofthe group frequently includes a young man with a bicycle. These sightings are in evenings, between 9 and 11 pm (dog walking routine). I hope MPD takes a look at this.

[Frank]

I have noticed them as well. In fact one night they intentionally tried to walk in front of me when I was trying to cross the street. They even will stay on the corner in the rain! (i.e. the night of Saturday December

[Jeff]

There is a gang of African American teenagers who sell drugs on the corner of 18th & Newton / Ingleside Terrace. They hide the drugs in the bushes and using cell phones wait for cars of buyers / suppliers to drive up. One of them jumps into the car that drives around the block and drops the person off. They also meet behind the school and sell there. The cops have busted them a number of times but I am not sure if anyone has ever actually been charged. They must have lookouts because they know when the police are coming and clear out a few minutes before police cars arrive. The times they have been caught the police used unmarked cars. There was a picture taken of them in they city paper being busted for throwing eggs at cars on Halloween.

I have seen them selling pot in bags and found some crack in the bushes. They case cars and are probably breaking into them, I have also seen them harass people walking at night. The egg throwing incident is representative of their age maybe 14-17. As the police have cracked down on the older drug dealers in the neighborhood they seem to be filling the gap. Police I have talked to say it is almost impossible to arrest a teenager that has not committed a violent crime and get them prosecuted. Even if they get prosecuted they are back on the street in a few days and get their records cleared as an 18th birthday present.
There is a drug dealer who lives in the neighborhood named Quan or Qwan or something like that that is older and has taken some heat from the police that may be their sponsor. He is savvy enough to have put a plant in one of the local meetings where people got to meet the undercover police working the neighborhood. Someone mentioned that he had some stolen property in his back yard and she almost jumped out of her seat to run and warn him. This is a problem that needs to be dealt with by the community before they grow to being violent predators instead of just punks.