Mount Pleasant DC Forum

[T Hsu]

Our house was "tagged" sometime the evening of November 12, with black spray paint. We believe strongly that such nonsense should never see the light of day, so as soon as the rain abated, we attempted to cover it up with paint -- black is not easy to cover, so we'll probably have to repaint the entire wall.

The same night that we noticed the tag, around 9:30 PM, we saw two teenage boys loitering on the SE corner of 18th and Newton, right by Bancroft. Since our house is right by that corner, I don't doubt those kids had something to do with it. They were standing side by side, as if to keep watch over the corner -- I have heard from neighbors that there is an active drug trade going on around Bancroft at night.

There has to be some way to crack down on this kind of delinquency -- it's a serious safety issue. I hate that our house was tagged as if it were gang territory -- are they really that rampant in MtP?

[Jeff]

The loiterers were undoubtedly look-outs for the drug activity going on in the playground. The gang members are about as obvious as it gets with their signature clothing and cell phones ringing as the hang out back there. Some of them live in the neighborhood and some are from Columbia Heights. They drive large cars and sport utilities that they could never afford and pull them into the lot. They like Bancroft because the police cannot get anywhere close without being identified and there are a number of ways to run out of there. I have seen the lookouts many blocks away on Newton and by Park road ready with their cell phones to warn if the police are on their way. The drug sellers conduct their transactions in the parking lot, sometimes in front of parents with children at the playground, and hide the drugs in the various stairs and overhangs of the school. Over the course of the last year, I have seen them use very young kids as lookouts and seen these kids, some of whom go to Bancroft, adopt the gangsta clothing and attitude.

I guarantee if you rounded up that group and patted them down and used dogs to search the area you would find money, drugs and weapons. The penalties for selling drugs in a school zone are supposed to be more severe but that does not seem to be a deterrent. The police have indicated in the past that the problem is they need to witness the transaction to make an arrest that will stick. The gang members seem to be too savvy to allow that to happen and do not keep the drugs on their persons but hide them around the building.

If the rear area of Bancroft is going to be open to the public at night it needs a security guard or more effective video surveillance. The police should conduct controlled buys and use unmarked non-obvious cars to patrol. If they put someone in the school with surveillance equipment, I am sure they could catch drug deals in progress. A reaction team could jump out of the school and bust the lot of them. Even if the ridiculously lax DC drug laws will not allow for many convictions, I am sure the hoodlums would quickly seek greener pastures.

I feel helpless as a DC citizen to confront these criminals out of concern for the safety of my family especially considering that DCs gun laws guarantee that only criminals are armed.

Jeff

[Officer TK Mattingly]

I read your posting and I have even printed out to give to the Fourth District Focus Mission Unit - to make them aware of your concerns.

I personnally have walked, rode my bike, and even drove around there and I have not noticed any activity. I will continue to patrol the area.

What time of day are you seeing these individuals? Can you provide a detail lookout?

Always, if you notice some activity going on - call it into the Police using 311.

Your Neighbor and Friend -

Officer TK Mattingly

[tom]

what's a "detail lookout"?

[T Hsu]

We see the kids on the corners mostly at night. The loitering activity has decreased somewhat from the summertime, when kids regularly patrolled the corner of Newton and Bancroft in groups, and up and down the street on bikes. This is not kids at play -- they are biking back and forth and standing sentry on the corners by Bancroft. Often after my karate class at Bancroft, I'll see groups of teenage males heading down to hang out at the Bancroft playground -- this is usually after 9 PM. Maybe it's just me, but I tend to think there's nothing good that can come of groups of teenage males gathering at night behind the school, especially when neighbors have reported all kinds of drug and other illegal activity there. It has to be a known hotspot, since I have seen squad cars parked back there with lights on several nights during the summer.

Maybe the playground needs to be locked up after dark to discourage loitering and other activity back there. It's not like anyone is at the playground playing with their kids after nightfall.

I wouldn't know how to give you a more detailed lookout than to say that all of the kids are black teenaged males. I haven't lived here quite long enough to know whether they live here or not.

Obviously these kids are treating our area as their territory -- I noticed that a neighbor's house was also tagged extensively in the alley on 18th between Newton & Monroe. It's a damn shame, since they bought the house recently and did a nice job painting the exterior (and added lighting after a shooting in that alley last summer). Maybe if you and your colleagues took a look, you might be able to identify who's to blame.

Thanks for looking into this.

[Officer TK Mattingly]

A "Detail Lookout" is: A description of the person(s) who are dealing or hanging around the area. Such as: Height? Weight? Clothing? Facial? Complexion? Etc.

Thanks.

[Officer TK Mattingly]

Concerned Neighbors: I will be contacting DC Public Schools Security and make them aware of the situation and also pass on the information posted here.

It good that we are all working together.

Thanks!

Officer TK Mattingly

[tom]

As to description, would photos work?

[T Hsu]

I thought about taking photos, but since they are out mostly at night, I was concerned that the flash going off might get me into trouble with them. I even hate to stare at them in order to get a good description, because that might be seen as confrontational. I think surveillance cameras around Bancroft are the best solution, but I question whether DCPS has the budget for something like that when basic educational needs are barely being met.

[Officer TK Mattingly]

I would NOT recommend the taking of photos specially at night. NEVER conduct the Police work - allow the Police to do it.

Your safety and well being is my concern.

A general "DETAIL DESCRIPTION" of the individual(s) would be helpful.

I have been on the telephone with DC Public School Security and I have forwarded the information as I stated I would to the Fourth District Focus Mission Official.

At this point the proper notifications have been made.

Thank you!

Officer TK Mattingly

[Conor O'Brien]

Officer Mattingly, I appreciate your efforts on behalf of the neighborhood, and I think this forum is useful. But it seems that there must be more that residents can do than "allow police to do the police work." Problem is, the police often don't do that work, or don't have the resources to do it. Calling the department to report, say, a car being broken into is useless because response times are so long. Verbal descriptions rarely seem to lead to arrests as we see the same people commiting the same crimes over and over again. Car thieves and drug dealers seem to work Mt. Pleasant with impunity -- so much so that many don't bother to report minor property crimes anymore. Parking laws aren't even enforced well in Mt. P, and usually the District is good at that.

Would it be helpful for police to have surveliance tapes of these crimes in progress? I would gladly install cameras if I thought they would make a difference.

[Officer TK Mattingly]

Conor: I will reply to your posting by emailing you directly. Thanks.

Officer TK Mattingly

[Officer TK Mattingly]

Can you please either email me or provide e your email address. Thanks.

[tom]

when is the next public safety meeting for our neighborhood?

[Dominic Sale]

December 10th, 7 pm at Mount Pleasant Library (in the basement). It's the PSA 410 meeting. We've got a new lieutenant and she wants to see more people at the meetings.