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January 2006 - Public Safety 305 Committee Meeting - Minutes 

3  January 2006

PSA 305 Officer Staffing Levels:  Lt. Delisi reported that PSA 305 has a  number of officers.  Currently,  there are 5 sergeants in the PSA and a couple of rookies.  There are four officers walking foot  patrols on each of the following shifts:  day, evening, and midnight.  Lt. Delisi also emphasized that he and his Sergeants encourage the  officers in patrol cars to walk the neighborhood in addition to the already  scheduled foot patrols.

On December 20, 3D sent a letter  to Councilmembers Phil Mendelson and Jim Graham requesting an increase in staffing.

9th  Street  Update:  Kenny Barnes requested a status update as to  the crime levels on 9th  Street, an action item from the December  meeting.  Lt. Delisi said that he  would report out on the current situation in February.

Crime Statistics:  There has been a citywide increase in  robberies; however, crime is generally down.  Crime stats were distributed for the PSA for November and December showing a comparison of crime to the previous  year.  Auto thefts have been dramatically reduced  due to a partnership with the Howard University Police force.  A large investigation is going on in the  PSA
targeting the buyers of stolen property.  The Lt. said that he would not be able to report further details for one or two more months until the investigation is completed.  Once it is completed,  there is an expectation that it will have an impact on the crime  statistics.  

PSA 305 has not seen the large gang type approach towards robberies, as seen in other PSAs.  The robberies in 305 have been limited  to 1-2 people taking advantage of someone walking alone on the streets.  These have been occurring in the  afternoon, the perpetrator uses a knife and closes the distance to the victim by  asking questions.  These incidents  are occurring within 1.5 blocks of the metro station.

There was a request that major crime investigations should be accompanied by more information being provided on the  PSA 305 listserve and the community should be offered the opportunity to  participate and provide information to the police.  Concern was also expressed that it is  difficult to build trust with the police force when the officers are frequently moved between districts.  According to the union contract, every November the officers have the opportunity to request a schedule change and they are transferred between districts to accommodate the changes.
A request was made that the officers become  more involved in the community with events.  Lt. Delisi said that one of his new  sergeants was active in the community in her previous district and is interested in being active in the 3D community.

A crime density report prepared by Glenn  Duncan, a civilian crime analyst in 3D, was discussed and will be  distributed.  Individual crime  reports can be found at www.crimereports.com.

US Attorney, Ed O´Connell: 3D is the only district to have two community prosecutors due to the high level of violent crime in 3D.  One is located downtown and the other is  in the 3D office.  They switch off weekly.  No suspects are offered plea agreements  without agreeing to a debriefing. 
If they don´t agree to a debriefing, then the case will go to trial, even in an instance of a weak case.  The US Attorneys are trying to build their reputation. The US Attorneys have a short tenure in the  district.  O´Connell stated that he was told to expect to remain in this job about nine months.

Update on Borf:  He has a hearing on Monday, January  9.  He was released pending sentencing in February. However, he was arrested in New York at the end of December, which is a violation of his release agreement.  

The is a citywide detective team working on  the increase in robberies.  Much of that work is currently focused on 3D due to the high number of robberies in the District.  Kenny Barnes asked if recidivism is  contributing to the increase in crime. There was no substantive answer to that question.

1400 Block of W: No longer a hotspot, as the hotspot  designation requires a number of city
services and W Street only needs police  presence.  Need to increase the number of 911/311 calls for the area in order to have more police assigned to the block. Lt. Delisi suggested that the residents attend the Commander´s meeting, held daily downtown where the officers are  assigned to the areas.

Notes to be Passed to the  Community:

1. Pioneer car stereos are being stolen from  autos.
2. More information will be entered in the future on the listserve by Lt. Delisi and two of his sergeants.
3. North Face merchandise continues to be  hot.  Businesses carrying the jackets are being burglarized.
4. Robberies are occurring in the afternoon  at knifepoint about 1.5 blocks from the Metro.  Perpetrator begins by asking innocent questions.
5. Construction tools are being stolen from vehicles.
6. Purses are being stolen from bar stools.
7. Key Phone Numbers:  US Attorney  office at 3D, 202.671.1892, Edward O´Connell, 202.514.5156,Edward.O'  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  
8. Send out the crime analysis map showing  the concentration of crime in PSA 305.

Agenda Items for Next Month's Meeting

1. Update Report on 9th Street
2. 1400 Block of W Street

Thanks to Laura Stanton for preparing these excellent notes.