28 February, 2009

Hot Spot No Loitering Zone Act of 2009

Council of the District of Columbia

Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary
Notice of Public Hearing
1350 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004 REVISED & ABBREVIATED

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COUNCILMEMBER PHIL MENDELSON, CHAIRPERSON
COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE JUDICIARY ANNOUNCES A PUBLIC HEARING


on

Bill 18-138, the “Omnibus Anti-Crime Amendment Act of 2009”

Bill 18-151, the “Public Safety and Justice Amendments Act of 2009”

Bill 18-152, the “Hot Spot No Loitering Zone Act of 2009” THIS LEGISLATION HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM CONSIDERATION

on
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

10:00 a.m., Hearing Room 412, John A. Wilson Building

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20004
Councilmember Phil Mendelson, Chairperson of the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, announces a public hearing on Bills 18-138, the “Omnibus Anti-Crime Amendment Act of 2009”, 18-151, the “Public Safety and Justice Amendments Act of 2009”, and 18-152, the “Hot Spot No Loitering Zone Act of 2009”. The hearing will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, in Hearing Room 412 of the John A. Wilson Building. This notice has been revised to reflect two additional bills that will also be considered. This notice has been abbreviated to provide notice to the public.


Bill 18-138 was introduced on February 6, 2009 and circulated to the Council on February 10th. Bills 18-151 and 18-152 were introduced on February 17, 2009. This hearing will be the first of two hearings on this legislation. Subject matter for the first hearing will be the entirety of these bills. The second hearing will be an opportunity for outstanding concerns from the first hearing and the more complex matters proposed in the legislation.

The stated purpose of Bill 18-138 is to repeal the Anti-Stalking Amendment Act of 1993; to enact a new anti-stalking law that more clearly defines stalking, more broadly encompasses all modern forms of stalking, assigns commensurate penalties and establishes jurisdiction to prosecute; to create a civil action to enjoin criminal street gangs and their members from engaging in activities which create a public nuisance and to amend the Omnibus Public Safety Amendment Act of 2006 to amend the definition of criminal street gang; to amend An Act to provide for the more effective prevention, detection and punishment of crime in the District of Columbia, approved June 29, 1953 to close to public inspection the names and addresses of the alleged victims of crimes of violence, obstruction of justice, stalking, assault, assault with significant injury, threats and an attempt or conspiracy to commit any of these offenses unless the Chief of Police determines that release of such information is not likely to result in harm to the investigation of the alleged crime, the victim or witness, or a member of the victim’s or witness’ family; to amend the Act codifying the District of Columbia Code, 56th Congress, Session II, Chapter 854, Subchapter 25 to suspend the marital privilege under certain circumstances, including where a spouse or domestic partner is accused of intra-family offenses or committing a crime prior to the marriage, or is testifying in a civil proceeding involving child abuse and neglect; to amend An Act to enact Part II of the District of Columbia Code, entitled “Judiciary and Judicial Procedures,” effective December 23, 1963, to suspend the physician-patient privilege in certain proceedings where a person is suspected or charged with causing the death of, or injuring a human being, or with attempting or threatening to kill or injure a human being, or where a person is suspected of defrauding a heath care benefit program; to amend An Act To establish a code of law for the District of Columbia, approved March 3, 1901, to revise the elements of the crime for assault with intent, to make unlawful entry a non-jury demandable offense and to increase the penalty for criminal conspiracies to commit violent crimes from 5 years for all conspiracies to the maximum punishment prescribed for the offense, the commission of which was the object of the conspiracy; to amend the Anti-Sexual Abuse Act of 1994 so that the defendant is not required to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the alleged victim of sexual abuse consented; to amend the District of Columbia Theft and White Collar Crimes Act of 1982 to expand the definition of the terms “property,” “person” and “value” and to make related conforming amendments so that the terms more broadly encompass conduct associated with theft and identity theft, to permit a person to be convicted of any combination of theft, fraud and other property offenses arising out of the same course of conduct, to expand the jurisdiction of the District of Columbia to prosecute fraud and insurance fraud, and to include in the definition of the crime of identity theft the use of personal identifying information belonging to or pertaining to another person to identify him/herself at the time of an arrest or to facilitate or conceal the commission of a crime; to provide for increased penalties if a person uses a stolen motor vehicle to commit a crime of violence and to add threats to injure to the obstruction of justice statute; to amend the DNA Sample Collection Act of 2001 to expand the qualifying offenses for the purposes of DNA collection under the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to include all felonies; to amend An Act To control the possession, sale, transfer and use of pistols and other dangerous weapons in the District of Columbia, to provide penalties, to prescribe rules of evidence, and for other purposes so that offenses committed in other jurisdictions that would constitute a crime of violence or dangerous crime if committed in the District of Columbia or conduct that is substantially similar to that prosecuted as a crime of violence or dangerous crime under the D.C. Official Code are considered prior offenses for the purpose of sentencing for committing a crime of violence or dangerous crime while armed, and to increase the penalty for the crime of felon in possession of a firearm to imprisonment for not more than 15 years and a mandatory-minimum term of 5 years, if the prior felony is a crime of violence; to amend D.C. Official Code section 23-110(b) to allow a motion for post-conviction relief to be dismissed if the government has been prejudiced in its ability to respond to the motion by the delay in its filing; to amend D.C. Official Code section 23-523(b) to define daylight as the hours between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.; to amend D.C. Official Code section 23-581 by adding destruction of property and voyeurism to the list of misdemeanors for which an arrest can be made without a warrant; to amend D.C. Official Code section 23-1322(c) so that probable cause for the arrest of certain dangerous and violent offenses will support a finding of dangerousness for pre-trial detention, and to add possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and felon-in-possession of a firearm to the list of offenses where there is a rebuttable presumption of dangerousness; to amend the District of Columbia Implied Consent Act, approved October 21, 1972, to require medical personnel to collect blood or urine at the direction of a police officer for the purpose of determining alcohol or drug content and to protect such medical personnel from liability for doing so; to amend the Protection of Children from Exposure to Drug-Related Activity Amendment Act of 1989 to provide penalties for the crime of making a false report of child abuse or neglect; to amend D.C. Official Code section 16-2312 to allow postponement of detention hearings on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day; to amend the HIV Testing of Certain Criminal Offenders Act of 1995 to require the court to order the defendant to furnish a blood sample to be tested for the presence of HIV, upon the request of the victim or an eyewitness to the offense who may be at risk of contracting the HIV/AIDS virus at any time after a preliminary hearing; to amend the District of Columbia Uniform Controlled Substances Act of 1981 to schedule fresh khat as a Schedule I drug; to amend the District of Columbia Traffic Act, 1925 to provide that enhanced sentencing penalties for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, under the influence or impaired shall be calculated from the date of the prior conviction to the date of the subsequent offense; to amend the Firearms Control Registration Act of 1975 to establish a registry requiring gun law offenders to register with the Metropolitan Police Department and verify their information, providing penalties for non-compliance; and to create the offense of illegally possessing a firearm in a motor vehicle.

The stated purpose of Bill 18-151, the Public Safety and Justice Amendments Act of 2009, is to create a process to allow for nuisance actions against criminal street gangs; top give arrest powers to certain correctional officers; to amend Chapter 572 effective December 15, 1941 to prohibit the introduction of cellular telephone or other portable communication device; to amend the Act codifying the District of Columbia Code, 56th Congress, Session II, Chapter 854, Subchapter 25 to suspend the marital privilege under certain circumstances, including where a spouse or domestic partner is accused of intra-family offenses or committing a crime prior to the marriage, or is testifying in a civil proceeding involving child abuse and neglect; to amend An Act to enact Part II of the District of Columbia Code, entitled “Judiciary and Judicial Procedures,” effective December 23, 1963, to suspend the physician-patient privilege in certain proceedings where a person is suspected or charged with causing the death of, or injuring a human being, or with attempting or threatening to kill or injure a human being, or where a person is suspected of defrauding a heath care benefit program; to amend The District of Columbia Elections Code of 1055ny prohibiting the destruction or defacing of campaign materials; To amend section 1002(c) of chapter 10 of title 16 of the District of Columbia code to allow the testimony of a respondent to be used in a criminal prosecutions derivative purposes, to impeach the respondent, and in prosecutions for perjury or committing false statements; to amend Section 211a of Chapter 159 approved June 29, 1953 to restate the crime of disorderly conduct; to repeal Section 6 of chapter 320 of, approved July 29, 1892; to amend section 1 of An Act for the suppression of prostitution in the District of Columbia, approved August 15, 1935 to create a new penalty structure for prostitution; to amend section 104(b)(1) of the Omnibus Public Safety Amendment of 2006to increase the time limit of a prostitution zone from 10 days to 20 days; to amend the District of Columbia Theft and White Collar Crimes Act of 1982 to create the crime of theft from motor vehicle; to amend section 1 of an Act to define and punish vagrancy in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes, approved December 17, 1941; to amend the the Bias-Related Crime Act of 1989 to add homelessness to the protected class; to amend section 3(a) of the Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zone Act of 1996 to increase the time of a drug free zone from 10 days to 20 days; to amend the Establishment of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Act of 2000 to authorize the Mayor to waive, until April 13, 2013, the requirement that the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia be certified in forensic pathology by the American Board of Pathology or be eligible for such certification; to prohibit persons required to wear a detection device as a condition of supervision to remove, intentionally alter, interfere or mask the operation of the device, or to allow any unauthorized person to do so and to allow a law enforcement officer to make an arrest without a warrant for said violation; to amended the Title III of the District of Columbia Mental Health Information Act of 1978 to require disclosures of mental health information for criminal justice purposes.

The stated purpose of Bill 18-152, the Hot Spot No Loitering Zone Act of 2009, is to authorize the Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department to declare a Hot Spot No Loitering Zone, and to prohibit the congregation of 2 or more persons on any public space on public property, within an area currently designated as a Hot Spot No Loitering Zone, for the purpose of participating in criminal activity within the perimeter of the Hot Spot No Loitering Zone.

Those who wish to testify should contact Ms. Heidi Tseu, Committee Clerk, at (202) 724-8038, by fax at (202) 724-6664, or via e-mail at htseu@dccouncil.us, and provide their name, address, telephone number, organizational affiliation and title (if any) by close of business Monday, March 16, 2009. Persons wishing to testify are encouraged, but not required, to submit 15 copies of written testimony. If submitted by the close of business on Monday, March 16, 2009 the testimony will be distributed to Councilmembers before the hearing.

Witnesses must limit their testimony to five minutes; less time will be allowed if there are a large number of witnesses

If you are unable to testify at the hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record. Copies of written statements should be submitted either to Ms. Tseu, or to Ms. Cynthia Brock-Smith, Secretary to the Council, Room 5 of the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20004. The record will close at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, 2009.

24 February, 2009

Street Closures for President’s Address

Traffic Advisory: Street Closures for President’s Address to Joint Session of Congress

The United States Capitol Police have provided the following information regarding security restrictions for President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, February 24, 2009. The Capitol Square will be restricted to authorized pedestrians only beginning at 6 pm. In addition, the following streets surrounding the Capitol will be closed from 7:30 pm until the event has concluded:

* D Street between 2nd Street, NE & Louisiana Avenue, NW
* C Street between 2nd Street, NE & Louisiana Avenue, NW
* Constitution Avenue between 2nd Street, NE & Louisiana Avenue, NW
* Delaware Avenue between Columbus Circle, NE & Constitution Avenue, NE
* New Jersey Avenue between Louisiana Avenue, NW & D Street, NW
* Pennsylvania Avenue between 1st Street, NW & 3rd Street, NW
* East Capitol Street between 2nd Street & 1st Street
* 1st Street between Columbus Circle, NE & C Street, SE
* 1st Street between Louisiana Avenue, NW and Washington Avenue, SW
* Maryland Avenue between 1st Street, SW & 3rd Street, SW
* Independence Avenue between 2nd Street, SE & Washington Avenue, SW
* C Street between 1st Street, SE & Washington Avenue, SW
* Delaware Avenue between Washington Avenue, SW & C Street, SW
* New Jersey Avenue between Independence Avenue, SE & D Street, SE
* South Capitol Street between Independence Avenue & D Street

For additional information, please contact the United States Capitol Police Public Information Office at 202-224-1677.

07 February, 2009

FENTY ADMINISTRATION STRENGTHENS ANTI-CRIME BILL

On Friday, February 6, 2009, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty reintroduced the Omnibus Anti-Crime Amendment Act with revised provisions aimed at strengthening measures to limit gang activity, enforce compliance among gun offenders, and crack down on illegal gun possession. The new provisions will create a registry to effectively supervise gun offenders and provide confidentiality protections for juvenile gang members. More importantly, the bill focuses efforts to deter at-risk youth from gang involvement by connecting them to programs that steer them toward positive life choices. The bill also makes it illegal to knowingly possess a firearm in a vehicle.
“Protecting the lives of District residents and youth is a top priority,” said Mayor Fenty. “We’re reintroducing this legislation to send a clear message that the District will use all the tools at its disposal to fight crime in our city.” He added, “This measure also ensures at-risk youth have alternative options that prevent violence among of kids.”

“The purpose of this bill is twofold—to keep repeat violent offenders off our streets and save lives. It is well known that an overwhelming majority of the homicides that are committed are committed by those who’ve been arrested before,” said Metropolitan Police Department Chief Lanier. According to Attorney General Nickles, “This bill contains necessary amendments and provisions that are essential to protecting citizens and our youth from senseless crimes. Would be criminals should think twice about their actions, because the District is not going to make it
easy for them to harm our residents. Through this legislation, the administration will strengthen District laws to crackdown on criminal activities.”

The Omnibus Anti-Crime Amendment Act of 2009 represents the District’s commitment to
fighting crime on behalf of the 600,000 citizens living in the city. With tougher laws that increase penalties for violent crimes, the District can effectively send a message to criminals in an effort to deter potential crimes from even taking place.

04 February, 2009

FIRST DISTRICT CITIZENS’ ADVISORY COUNCIL

METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT
FIRST DISTRICT CITIZENS’ ADVISORY COUNCIL (CAC)

MEETING AGENDA
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
7:00 – 9:00 PM
1. Commander’s Report – Commander David Kamperin
Introduction of newly assigned 1D Officers
Crime Statistics and Activity Report
Q & A (10 minutes)
2. Presentation of Awards: 1D’s 2008 Winter Holiday Wonderland
Officer Joseph Ferris
Officer James Steinbach
Officer Kiriaki Avramidis
Frager’s Hardware
Mildred and Jerome Bluestein
3. Guest Speaker: MPD’s Office of Facilities Management
Sean MacCarthy, Project Manager for new 1D site Status
Status Report and Update – 1D’s Relocation to new facility
Q & A (10 – 15 minutes)
4. Installation of New Officers – Commander Kamperin
5. Report by the Chair – Nancy Rosen
Introductions
State of the CAC
Meeting Calendar for 2009
Committee Formation and Facilitation
Strategic Initiatives
Finance
Fundraising
6. Old Business
Approval of November Meeting Minutes
7. New Business
Monthly PSA Presentations (March 3rd. - PSA 102 )
Annual Awards Banquet
Community Announcements
8. Adjournment
Please remember to sign the attendance sheet!
2009 Membership Applications, 2009 CAC Meeting and Event Calendar, and Suggestion/Complaint Forms are available at the sign-in table. Hope to see you again at the March Meeting. Thank you!

Results of Community Meeting with XII Restaurant

MINUTES OF PROTESTANT MEETING REGARDING ADHERANCE TO THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS


The Following Minutes have been redacted to protect the participants

We had approximately 20 households represented at this meeting (not all signed in). For the most part the agenda was followed:

Accomplishments

* We outlined the problem and identified that there are at least 3 residents that have informed ABRA/ABC and maybe, some other communications to Joseph Fengler, (Single Member District Commissioner for 6A02 and current Chairman of the ANC6A commission).
* We informed that there are two Cooperative Agreements (CA) embedded in the ABC License of XII and provided copies to our neighbors.
* We explained what a CA is, how it functions, that any member of the community (whether they are an actual signee or not) can invoke the CA, and that MPD and ABRA are the enforcers of the documents, not us.
* We informed, that when the CA was written by the neighbors (who are protestants), that it specifically addressed the sensitivities of the most immediate neighbor and then the residences along the 700 block of 12th going west in the alley behind 12th Street and north back toward H Street immediately behind XII.
* We informed that the walls of the establishment are extremely thick (1.5') and that no sound can possibly be coming through the walls. We also indicated that pending the support of all of the signed protestants, we will seek to remove the clause from this agreement referencing walls simply because its not relevant.
* Residents raised a very good point with Bernard Gibson (Licensee) that he has to focus on where noise could be coming from at his establishment, possibly the last two windows in a concrete stairwell where there may be some sound leakage.
* Police identified that on at least two occasions that they had hear some sound from the establishment outside and also some sound in the home of the most immediate neighbor, but not to the level that is complained about and its still unclear as whether vibrations are felt in the home of the resident on a consistent basis.
* The designated XII staff person who guards entry to the establishment, stated publically, that he has been inside of the most immediate resident . 's home but did not feel any vibrations.
* Police informed that they substantiate a noise complaint before it’s written up as a PD 251 and forwarded to ABRA. Police went further to explain that the owner may obtain a copy of the report for free, others must pay. The police stated they could care less as to who the owner is, they are going to do their jobs of enforcing the laws, whether it’s XII, Showbar or the Argonaut.

Other

* Certain residents who were expected to attend due to their complaints were not present.
* Mr. whose family resides at 1200 G Street, N.E. identified noise from the Showbar and Red and the Black but did not seem to implicate XII as disturbing his home and family.
* Mr. did come but stated the last time he had heard sound which he identifies as coming from XII was December 6 and that there has been no sound in January of 2009. When questioned about other bars and noise that others hear Mr. was unable to identify sound from those bars.
* Mrs. of 1208 G Street indicated that she does not hear sound from XII.
* Another resident of whom we don't know named "" and I believe he simply signed in as PSA 102 for an address said that he has sometimes heard sound which he thinks was from XII but that it was not disturbing. We are going to followup to clarify his position as we are unsure as to where he lives on G Street.
* The family who reside at 1248 Linden Place expressed no concern with XII but were able to identify noise from Rock and Roll Hotel at 1353 H street and Red and Black and Showbar, including fights and noise.
* Mr. and his wife of 1244 G were not able to hear any sound from any direction.
* Mrs. of 710 12th Street does not hear music.
* Other residents on 12th Street are not indicating a problem with the establishment.
* A few residents have said on occasion they have heard some sound from XII, but this was early on before XII installed new windows.
* There is no curb cut where XII is, however the area that he has parked vehicles is private space. Mr. Gibson has agreed not to park there anymore, period. He does continue to use the space for deliveries and trash pickup. I have arranged for him to use Autozone's parking lot should he not be able to park on the street.


Actions from Here:

* It was agreed at the meeting that a sound check would be performed Friday night. We are still trying to decide the time. Current thinking is that we don't want to perform the test too early as to be ineffective or too late to disturb families. At present (pending further discussion with neighbors on 12th Street, Linden and G, we are leaning toward 9:45pm to 10:15pm Friday. Our thinking is that this is the optimal period which will not provide an inconvenience to neighbors, but will allow them to communicate with XII and us if sound/vibrations are or can be heard. We will distribute a notice this evening to everyone informing them of the sound check, a contact number and email address they should use to help us evaluate the sound levels (if there are any). Residents will further be encouraged to come out on the street and participate in determining the levels and providing feedback to the establishment.
* We will invite Linda Obrien from Council member Tommy Well’s Office, Commissioner Joseph Fengler and anyone who wants to help resolve the issue for once and for all. This is a onetime test.
* We have informed Mr. Gibson publically, that if he wishes to keep his ABC license that he must have a staff member close to the sound system/musical live band that ensures that once we have set the limits for bass and sound, that the management of sound will ensure that the levels never increase; ever. That there can be no more substantiated complaints by residents to the police or ABRA or the protestants will make a formal charge to ABC/ABRA for action on the license. Mr. Gibson has agreed to this and so we move forward.
* Mr. Gibson has further agreed to mark his equipment in such a way as to denote that bass/sound is never turned higher than what the community agrees upon at the forthcoming sound check.
* Pending approval by the other protestants, we will submit a request in the next 30 days to the ABC Board to amend the current CA to reflect the discussions of last evening, and forward this to MPD.
* Ms. Obrien, apparently was not aware that that Mr. 's wall isn't attached to Mr. Gibson wall and that they are separated by an entire lot. Ms. Obrien was not apparently aware that the building that XII is in (Square 982) does not abut Mr. 's residence and also that it is separated by an entire Lot.
* I will make contact with Laverne Fletcher (ABRA Mediator) later this afternoon to obtain 4 dates to schedule a sit down between Mr. and Mr. Gibson to hopefully reach a compromise/resolution in this conflict.
* I will also send a letter to Mr. and Mr. Gibson offering the dates that Ms. Fletcher provides for mediation in February 2009.
* We will provide a detail explanation to each community member in Square 1004 and 982 (corrected from 986) on how to file official complaints to ABC/ABRA on any establishment.
* I will also post each CA on the PSA102 blog and our neighborhood websites, but encourage residents to first attempt to make a telephonic contact to the owner of the establishments if they have problems with some activity that they observe (that reasonably does not require immediate police or ABRA response).
* It was suggested that I contact Skip Coburn because of his work with clubs and bars.

We hope this provides an understanding of what we did last evening. Since this issue really does not reflect an action of PSA 102 any correspondence or comments should be sent to me at Lin Den 1200 at g mail dot com.

At the request of ABRA the sound check will not occur until we receive notice that XII has upgraded the soundproofing in the rear of the building. At that time the protestants will notify the community and government and perform a sound check. Current thinking is for a Thursday or Friday night between 9:45pm and 10:15pm. Residents will be requested to email or call a specific number if they can hear sound from this establish. Residents will also be on the street with government to walk the area and determine levels that exceed the restrictions of the CA. Once this part is complete, the licensee has agreed to mark his sound equipment in a way that gives performers warning that they cannot exceed that level marked. The Licensee will also agree to have a staff member within a zone where that person can frequently check to ensure that this procedure is adhered to during hours of operation. There is also consideration to amend the CA to reflect these changes.

Cancelled

03 February, 2009

Investigating Unsolved Murders in DC

When does a case become a “cold case”
Typically, all cases are worked by the original case detective for a period of up to three years. At that time, if all reasonable leads have been exhausted, the case is transferred to the Major Case/Cold Case Unit. This is not a hard and fast rule. If the original detective, or his or her replacement, has active leads, the detective may choose to keep the case until those leads are exhausted, before allowing the case to be transferred.


What is the Major Case/Cold Case Unit?
The MPDC's Major Case/Cold Case Unit is composed of eight detectives. They work closely with crime and intelligence analysts as well as homicide prosecutors from the US Attorney’s Office. Additionally, the Major Case/Cold Case detectives receive assistance as needed from the Special Victims Unit (who handle all child deaths), as well as other specialized units.
The Violent Crime Case Review Project is part of the unit. The project includes one detective, who oversees several college interns. These interns, primarily specially trained graduate students studying Forensic Psychology, Criminology or other related fields, are involved in the comprehensive and systematic review of all homicide cases going back to the 1960s. The interns determine if the case is open or closed, determine the status of all suspects, summarize the case, prepare it for entry in investigative databases and help to prioritize cases with high solvability factors. One of their primary functions is to identify cases that may benefit from advances in forensic technology – specifically DNA testing.


How are unsolved murders in the Major Case/Cold Case Unit assigned?
When a case is first transferred to the Major Case/Cold Case Unit, it is not assigned to any individual detective or team. Cases are assigned out for additional investigation when, during the review process unresolved leads are identified or new information becomes available.


How do cases get reviewed?
The Violent Crime Case Review Project is working to review all homicides that have occurred in the District of Columbia – going back as far as records are available. The review process is systematic – with years being reviewed in turn. It is a slow process and is expected to take several years to complete. Cases are pulled and reviewed out of turn when:

* The family of a homicide victim makes an inquiry about the status of their loved one’s case.
* New information – including forensic information – becomes available.
* An outside law enforcement agency makes an inquiry about a case.


What happens when a case is reviewed?
The first thing the review team does is determine the status of the case (open or closed). If the case is closed, they determine whether or not the case went to trial, the outcome of the trial and the status of the suspect.

All cases are being reviewed – even closed cases. This is because information in a closed case may help solve an open case. This review can also determine whether or not the suspect in the closed case ever went to trial. If it is determined that the charges against the defendant were dismissed without trial, the case is treated by the review team as an open case.

The case information is summarized and placed in a format to be entered into two separate databases. One is an MPDC internal case management database; the other is the national FBI Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP) database. The ViCAP database collects detailed behavioral information about the crime and allows for complex link analysis and searches. The most important thing that ViCAP does is allows analysts to link incoming clues to the cases. If an investigator cannot link the clue to the case, it does no one any good. MPDC's ViCAP case information is also shared with the national ViCAP database for additional analysis.

Finally, the review team identifies cases that might benefit from advances in forensic technology, or have unresolved investigative leads. Those cases are passed along for additional review, work and re-assignment, where appropriate. In cases with forensic potential only, additional lab work may be requested and the case put on hold pending the outcome of that testing.


How do I get someone assigned to work on my loved one’s case?
The review is the first step. Contact information for requesting a review is below. If you have any new information when you make the request, please be prepared to share it at that time. Once the request is made, we will check to see if the case has already been reviewed. If not, the case will be put on a list to be reviewed by the review team. How quickly this is accomplished depends on the current workload and the complexity of the case. You are encouraged to check on the status of the review with the persons listed below.
If the MPDC does not already have one, detectives will be requesting a photograph of your loved one. The photograph can either be mailed or e-mailed to reviewed. If mailed, the photo will be scanned and mailed back to the sender immediately. The photo may be posted on the Unsolved Murder website, as well as used to create a reward poster for distribution (for more information on rewards, see below).

Once the review is completed, the MPDC will make arrangements to meet with you and your family to discuss the case. This does not mean that the case will automatically be re-assigned for additional investigation. During this meeting, we will discuss the current status of the cases as well as possible investigative options.

Cases that are not chosen for additional investigation are placed in a “holding pattern” – awaiting any new leads or tips that warrant follow up.


Can a reward be offered in my loved-one’s case?
The Metropolitan Police Department will pay up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect in any murder case that occurs within the District of Columbia, regardless of how old the case may be.
If a photograph of the decedent is available, we will post a copy of the reward poster on our Unsolved Murder web page. We will also supply copies of the poster to the decedent’s friends and family for distribution. We have found that we often get better results if the family and friends distribute and post the flyers, as people who may have information are more likely to approach the victim’s family.


What happens when my loved one’s case gets chosen for additional investigation?
Typically, the decedent’s next of kin will be notified by the assigned detective that the case has been chosen for additional investigation. Usually, a specific investigative plan will have been developed – based on the review, new information or the results of new forensic testing. Depending on security and other concerns, the nature of the investigative plan may not be fully disclosed to the next of kin at the time the case is reassigned. Following the implementation of the investigative plan, the case will be re-evaluated by the detective team and their supervisors. Depending on that review, additional investigative steps may be taken or the case may be put aside, awaiting further developments. The next of kin will be notified of the outcome of the investigation to the fullest extent possible.


Though the murder happened years ago, we are still hurting. Can anything be done to help us?
You are not alone. Even if the murder occurred decades ago, many people tell us that it feels like it just happened yesterday.
The family members and friends of the decedent may be eligible for all sorts of programs, including compensation, free counseling and other services. Additionally, there are several victim support groups made up of persons just like you. They not only provide support and advice, but allow you to assist others who are now going through what you have been through. For information about these services and groups, please contact the MPDC's Family Liaison Specialist Unit at (202) 645-6363. The specialists are highly trained professionals skilled in assisting the survivors of homicide victims through the aftermath of crime and in locating and utilizing resources.


What else can we do to help solve our loved-one’s case?
The most important thing is to keep your eyes and ears open. We have found that persons who may have information will frequently approach family members before they approach the police. Pass this information along to us – no matter how insufficient it seems at the time.
If it has not been done already, get us a picture of the decedent so we can post it on the website and create reward posters. Get family and friends to help post the reward posters in the appropriate neighborhoods.

Don’t be afraid to discuss problems or shortcomings that the decedent had around the time of their murder. These do not minimize the importance of the case in our eyes and often provide very important clues as to suspects and/or motive.

If possible, maintain contact with the decedent’s friends and associates. Often times, they will have information that is relevant to the investigation. It may fall upon you to assist us in convincing them to cooperate. Continue to let them know that you care and need to find out what happened.

Become an activist – work with the victim support groups and other anti-violence and anti-gun groups. Not only are you turning your tragedy into something more positive, but continued exposure of your loved one’s case to the public may help generate additional leads.
http://www.mpdc.dc.gov/mpdc/cwp/view,a,1243,Q,541992,mpdcNav_GID,1533,.asp

Who Do I Contact?

Case Status Information & Case Reviews Contact Phone Email
Violent Crime Case Review Project Det. Jim Trainum (202) 727-5037 unsolved.murder@dc.gov
MPD Family Liaison Specialist Unit Carla Okonkwo (202) 645-6363
MPD Family Liaison Specialist Unit Bridget Jones-Smith (202) 645-5537
MPD Family Liaison Specialist Unit Marlene James (202) 645-9631