New Events in MPD 1D!

MPD Warns of new scheme aimed at defrauding elderly

The Metropolitan Police Department wants to alert members of the community —
particularly senior citizens — of a recent advance fee scheme being reported in our area.
The perpetrators begin by approaching elderly individuals to offer jobs for $100 a day. They
then get the elder to open a bank account with $50 the schemer provides them. Afterwards,
the perpetrator drives the elder around to buy goods with the elder’s new checking account,
often for items valued much more than the original $50 — sometimes racking up thousands
of dollars in expenses. When the issuing bank seeks repayment for the expenditures over the
initial $50, the elderly victim is left with the balance, unable to pay. Residents are advised to
be alert to the potential for scams such as this and others in which they can become easy
targets. If an opportunity seems implausible, it is probably best avoided. The old saying that
“if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” definitely applies here.

Current and Upcoming Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zones Near PSA 102

PSA 501

Declaration Establishing a Drug Free Zone

Police District: 5D
Zone Number: 11-5D-09
PSA: 501
Dates: July 21 - 25, 2011

WHEREAS;
"Law 11-270, the "Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zone," was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 11-441, which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. The Bill was adopted first and second readings on June 6, 1996, and July 3, 1996, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on July 19, 1996, it was assigned Act No. 11-321 and transmitted to both houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 11-270 became effective on June 3, 1997." It has been codified to the D.C. Official Code as ?? 48-1001 through 1005. The Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zone Act was amended by section 226 of the Omnibus Public Safety Emergency Amendment Act of 2006, enacted on July 19, 2006 (D.C. Act 16-445).

WHEREAS;
The Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zone Act of 1996, as amended (hereafter, "the Act") provides, among other things, that the Chief of Police may declare any public area a drug free zone for a period not to exceed 240 consecutive hours, based on the following considerations:

"The occurrence of a disproportionately high number of arrests for the possession or distribution of illegal drugs in the proposed drug free zone within the preceding 6-month period;

Any number of homicides related to the possession or distribution of illegal drugs that were committed in the proposed drug free zone within the preceding 6-month period;

Objective evidence or verifiable information that shows that illegal drugs are being sold and distributed on public space on public property within the proposed drug free zone; and

Any other verifiable information from which the Chief of Police may ascertain whether the health or safety of residents who live in the proposed drug free zone are endangered by the purchase, sale, or use of illegal drugs or other illegal activity." (DC Official Code ? 48-1002(b))

WHEREAS;
The Metropolitan Police department has issued appropriate directives (Special Order 03-02) to its members describing the requirements of the Act and providing operational guidelines for enforcing the Act.

WHEREAS;
Information pertaining to the above-listed considerations has been supplied to me by the Commander of the police district within which the following area is situated, and further information of the same nature is available to me from reliable sources, including, among other things, confidential police investigative reports.

NOW THEREFORE;
I hereby determine and declare that the following described area shall be designated as a drug free zone and that the respective police commander shall take all steps necessary to enforce the provisions of the Act in accordance with all applicable directives and operational guidelines of the Metropolitan Police Department:

DRUG FREE ZONE ESTABLISHED

Boundaries of Drug Free Zone:
Starting in the northwest corner of the area at the intersection of the western edge of the curbline on the west side of 3rd Street, NE and the north curbline of Adams Street, NE, proceeding east, along the northern curbline to the intersection of the curbline and eastern edge of the curbline on the east side of 4th Street, NE, proceeding southward along the eastern edge of the curbline to the intersection of the northern edge of the curbline on Rhode Island Avenue, NE, proceeding northeast along the northern curbline to the intersection of the curbline on the northeast side of 5th Street, NE, proceeding south along the eastern edge of the curbline to the intersection of the curbline on the southern side of V Street, NE, proceeding west along the southern curbline to the intersection of the curbline and the western edge of the curbline on the west side of 3rd Street, NE and finally proceeding north along the western edge of the curbline to the starting point.

Effective Dates and Times:
This Drug Free Zone shall be enforced beginning at 0001 hours (12:01 A.M.) on Thursday, July 21, 2011, and concluding at 2359 hours (11:59 P.M.) on Monday, July 25, 2011.

District Commander:
By memorandum of June 6, 2011, Commander Andrew Solberg, Fifth District, Metropolitan Police Department, submitted a request for declaration of a Drug Free Zone in the area described above. The memorandum, including a sketch of the boundaries of the Drug Free Zone, is incorporated by reference as a part of this Declaration.

SIGNED

Cathy Lanier
Chief of Police

Current and Upcoming Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zones near PSA 102

PSA 504

Declaration Establishing a Drug Free Zone

Police District: 5D
Zone Number: 11-5D-07
PSA: 504
Dates: July 21-25, 2011

WHEREAS;
"Law 11-270, the "Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zone," was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 11-441, which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. The Bill was adopted first and second readings on June 6, 1996, and July 3, 1996, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on July 19, 1996, it was assigned Act No. 11-321 and transmitted to both houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 11-270 became effective on June 3, 1997." It has been codified to the D.C. Official Code as ?? 48-1001 through 1005. The Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zone Act was amended by section 226 of the Omnibus Public Safety Emergency Amendment Act of 2006, enacted on July 19, 2006 (D.C. Act 16-445).

WHEREAS;
The Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zone Act of 1996, as amended (hereafter, "the Act") provides, among other things, that the Chief of Police may declare any public area a drug free zone for a period not to exceed 240 consecutive hours, based on the following considerations:

"The occurrence of a disproportionately high number of arrests for the possession or distribution of illegal drugs in the proposed drug free zone within the preceding 6-month period;

Any number of homicides related to the possession or distribution of illegal drugs that were committed in the proposed drug free zone within the preceding 6-month period;

Objective evidence or verifiable information that shows that illegal drugs are being sold and distributed on public space on public property within the proposed drug free zone; and

Any other verifiable information from which the Chief of Police may ascertain whether the health or safety of residents who live in the proposed drug free zone are endangered by the purchase, sale, or use of illegal drugs or other illegal activity." (DC Official Code ? 48-1002(b))

WHEREAS;
The Metropolitan Police Department has issued appropriate directives (Special Order 03-02) to its members describing the requirements of the Act and providing operational guidelines for enforcing the Act.

WHEREAS;
Information pertaining to the above-listed considerations has been supplied to me by the Commander of the police district within which the following area is situated, and further information of the same nature is available to me from reliable sources, including, among other things, confidential police investigative reports.

NOW THEREFORE;
I hereby determine and declare that the following described area shall be designated as a drug free zone and that the respective police commander shall take all steps necessary to enforce the provisions of the Act in accordance with all applicable directives and operational guidelines of the Metropolitan Police Department:

DRUG FREE ZONE ESTABLISHED

Boundaries of Drug Free Zone:
Starting in the northwest corner of the area at the intersection of the western edge of the curbline on the west side of 17th Street, NE and the north curbline of I Street, NE, proceeding east, along the northern curbline to the intersection of the curbline and eastern edge of the curbline on the east side of 19th Street, NE, proceeding southward along the eastern edge of the curbline to the intersection of the northern edge of the curbline on H Street, NE, proceeding west along the southern curbline to the intersection of the curbline and the western edge of the curbline on the west side of 19th Street, NE and finally proceeding north along the western edge of the curbline to the starting point.

Effective Dates and Times:
This Drug Free Zone shall be enforced beginning at 0001 hours (12:01 A.M.) on Thursday, July 21, 2011, and concluding at 2359 hours (11:59 P.M.) on Monday, July 25, 2011.

District Commander:
By memorandum of June 6, 2011, Commander Andrew Solberg, Fifth District, Metropolitan Police Department, submitted a request for declaration of a Drug Free Zone in the area described above. The memorandum, including a sketch of the boundaries of the Drug Free Zone, is incorporated by reference as a part of this Declaration.

SIGNED

Cathy L. Lanier
Chief of Police

Declaration Establishing a Drug Free Zone

Police District: 5D
Zone Number: 11-5D-09
PSA: 501
Dates: July 21-25, 2011

WHEREAS;
"Law 11-270, the "Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zone," was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 11-441, which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. The Bill was adopted first and second readings on June 6, 1996, and July 3, 1996, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on July 19, 1996, it was assigned Act No. 11-321 and transmitted to both houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 11-270 became effective on June 3, 1997." It has been codified to the D.C. Official Code as ?? 48-1001 through 1005. The Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zone Act was amended by section 226 of the Omnibus Public Safety Emergency Amendment Act of 2006, enacted on July 19, 2006 (D.C. Act 16-445).

WHEREAS;
The Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zone Act of 1996, as amended (hereafter, "the Act") provides, among other things, that the Chief of Police may declare any public area a drug free zone for a period not to exceed 240 consecutive hours, based on the following considerations:

"The occurrence of a disproportionately high number of arrests for the possession or distribution of illegal drugs in the proposed drug free zone within the preceding 6-month period;

Any number of homicides related to the possession or distribution of illegal drugs that were committed in the proposed drug free zone within the preceding 6-month period;

Objective evidence or verifiable information that shows that illegal drugs are being sold and distributed on public space on public property within the proposed drug free zone; and

Any other verifiable information from which the Chief of Police may ascertain whether the health or safety of residents who live in the proposed drug free zone are endangered by the purchase, sale, or use of illegal drugs or other illegal activity." (DC Official Code ? 48-1002(b))

WHEREAS;
The Metropolitan Police Department has issued appropriate directives (Special Order 03-02) to its members describing the requirements of the Act and providing operational guidelines for enforcing the Act.

WHEREAS;
Information pertaining to the above-listed considerations has been supplied to me by the Commander of the police district within which the following area is situated, and further information of the same nature is available to me from reliable sources, including, among other things, confidential police investigative reports.

NOW THEREFORE;
I hereby determine and declare that the following described area shall be designated as a drug free zone and that the respective police commander shall take all steps necessary to enforce the provisions of the Act in accordance with all applicable directives and operational guidelines of the Metropolitan Police Department:

DRUG FREE ZONE ESTABLISHED

Boundaries of Drug Free Zone:
Starting in the northwest corner of the area at the intersection of the western edge of the curbline on the west side of Montello Avenue, NE and the north curbline of Simms Place, NE, proceeding east, along the northern curbline to the intersection of the curbline and eastern edge of the curbline on the east side of Trinidad Avenue, NE, proceeding southward along the eastern edge of the curbline to the intersection of the southern edge of the curbline on Raum Street, NE, proceeding west along the southern curbline to the intersection of the curbline and the western edge of the curbline on the west side of Montello Avenue, NE and finally proceeding north along the western edge of the curbline to the starting point.

Effective Dates and Times:
This Drug Free Zone shall be enforced beginning at 0001 hours (12:01 A.M.) on Thursday, July 21, 2011, and concluding at 2359 hours (11:59 P.M.) on Monday, July 25, 2011.

District Commander:
By memorandum of June 6, 2011, Commander Andrew Solberg, Fifth District, Metropolitan Police Department, submitted a request for declaration of a Drug Free Zone in the area described above. The memorandum, including a sketch of the boundaries of the Drug Free Zone, is incorporated by reference as a part of this Declaration.

SIGNED

Cathy L. Lanier
Chief of Police

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Child Identity Theft

In Kindergarten and in Debt: The Problem of Child Identity Theft
July 13th, 2011 Posted by Tracy Russo
This post appears courtesy of Joye E. Frost, Acting Director, Office for Victims of Crime

Those of us in the criminal justice community know technology can be a double-edged sword. Even as technological advances create new ways to tackle familiar problems in our communities, they also create new opportunities for crime – increasing our concern for privacy and data security. This is clearly the case with child identity theft – where, more frequently, criminals are using children’s identities to fraudulently take out loans, apply for employment, and open credit card accounts.

On July 12, 2011, our Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), in partnership with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), hosted “Stolen Futures: A Forum on Child Identity Theft.” This forum was open to the public and was broadcast via webinar. Our goal was to advise the public on preventing child identity theft and resolving existing cases. At the forum, we were joined by legal service providers, victim advocates, law enforcement officials, and the public to discuss combating identity theft. Now more than ever, we know how important it is to detect identity theft as it happens and provide law enforcement with better tools and training to respond to these cases.

I am deeply concerned by the recent rise in identity theft targeting this vulnerable population. Child identity theft is an issue we’re only beginning to understand, but the more we learn, the more we see the tremendous damage these thieves can cause.

The numbers are grim: in 2009 alone, the FTC reported 19,000 incidents of identity theft involving juveniles. Studies tell us that the average victim of identity theft is still in elementary school when the theft begins. Some victims are reported as young as 5 months old. There are children in elementary or middle school with thousands of dollars in debt.

As Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mary Lou Leary commented during the opening remarks of this week’s forum:

“In many cases, these victims don’t even know what ‘credit’ and ‘debt’ mean – and in some cases, they’re not even old enough to form the words.”

Children may never realize they have been victims of identity theft until they begin to apply for financial aid or student loans, only to discover that doors are closed to them because of bad credit and substantial debts. They face hundreds of hours clearing their financial records after the theft is discovered—and often the additional stress of reporting a family member to authorities.

Children are particularly vulnerable: they can’t sift through falsified debts or illegal lines of credit. We must be their advocates.

I am proud that our office, through this forum, is taking steps to address this issue and is bringing together those that can help. Since 2004, OJP has had a dedicated Identity Theft Working Group to better understand the problem of child identity theft: who is most vulnerable, what data are most often stolen, who is the most common perpetrator of this crime, and what are effective strategies to detect – and prevent – this crime. This week’s forum builds on the ongoing work of the Office of Justice Programs and our Office for Victims of Crime.

There is more to be done to protect our children from the new threat of identity theft. But this is not work we can do alone. We look forward to strengthening our partnerships with other government agencies, legal service providers, child-serving professionals, and victim advocates—all those with a role in these cases. Forums like this are the first step towards identifying this crime early and more effectively supporting its victims.

If you or your child’s information has been stolen or used by an identity thief, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/.
For more information on the Stolen Futures forum and webcast, including the agenda: http://ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/stolenfutures/.

A Message from Commander Daniel Hickson

I have spent my first two weeks trying to absorb as much as I could concerning the current crime trends within the First District. The First District has made progress on reducing many categories of crime; however, one category of crime has been a chronic problem this year and that is the offense “theft other”. This would include all thefts that are other than “thefts from autos”. As police managers we continually view crime stats and offense reports attempting to identify any emerging crime trends and/or patterns. Thefts appear to be the one crime that is consistently showing an increase. Theft is not as serious an offense as crimes like robbery or burglary, but there is no question that due to shear numbers, more of your friends and neighbors stand a chance of being a victim of theft than any other crime.

The First District Crime Analyst has provided me with a detailed analysis of our thefts. This report shows that the locations of thefts within the First District are distributed between commercial, residential and public space. The one pattern that is clearly shown is that bicycles are the target of thefts more than anything else. In fact, bicycles were stolen in one third of all thefts that occurred in the First District in the last 30 days. I would like to appeal to all members of the First District Community to assist us in our attempt to address this pattern of theft of bicycles.

The first step that each person could take would be to store their bicycles in a secure location. There have been thefts of both locked and unlocked bicycles in the past month. In just about all cases that the stolen bicycle was locked, they were secured with a “cable” type bike lock, as opposed to the hard, U-shaped bike lock. The second step would be to maintain accurate records of all valuable property. Since there is seldom an eyewitness to the theft of a bike, the other opportunity to apprehend the criminal is through locating identifiable property. Unfortunately, we often discover when we take reports that bike owners have not recorded the bicycle serial number. If you record this valuable information and are able to provide it to the police in the event your bike is stolen, it would increase the chance of recovering your property.

I appreciate your assistance with helping us abate this crime trend.

Commander Daniel Hickson
Metropolitan Police Department
First District
101 M Street SW

ENFORCEMENT CUTS DISTRACTED DRIVING

NEW RESEARCH SHOWS ENFORCEMENT
CUTS DISTRACTED DRIVING

Pilot Programs in Syracuse, NY and Hartford, CT
Significantly Curb Texting and Cell Phone Use Behind the Wheel

SYRACUSE – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced dramatic reductions in distracted driving in Syracuse, New York, and Hartford, Connecticut, after two pilot projects measured the effect of increased law enforcement coupled with high-profile public education campaigns.

“These findings show that strong laws, combined with highly-visible police enforcement, can significantly reduce dangerous texting and cell phone use behind the wheel,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Based on these results, it is crystal clear that those who try to minimize this dangerous behavior are making a serious error in judgment, especially when half a million people are injured and thousands more are killed in distracted driving accidents.”

Each program, which was supported by $200,000 in federal funds and $100,000 from the state, examined whether increased police enforcement along with paid advertising and news media coverage could reduce distracted driving. The pilot efforts used “Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other” as the media campaign theme and were structured similarly to the highly-successful national seat belt campaign, “Click It or Ticket.”

During four periods of stepped up enforcement over the past year, Syracuse police issued 9,587 citations for driver violations involving talking or texting on cell phones while operating a vehicle. During the same period, police in Hartford, Connecticut, issued 9,658 tickets for illegal phone use.

Before and after each enforcement wave, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) actively observed cell phone use and conducted public awareness surveys at driver licensing offices in the two cities, which found:
In Syracuse, New York because of high-visibility enforcement – both handheld cell phone use and texting behind the wheel have declined by one-third.

In Hartford, Connecticut, where researchers initially identified drivers talking on their cell phones at twice the frequency (which left more room for improvement), there was a 57 percent drop in handheld use and texting behind the wheel dropped by nearly three-quarters.

“The success of these pilot programs clearly show that combining strong laws with strong enforcement can bring about a sea change in public attitudes and behavior,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “We applaud the work of the men and women of the Syracuse and Hartford police forces, and call on state legislatures, law enforcement and safety advocates across the nation to follow their lead.”

NHTSA plans to test this same three-part formula – tough laws, strong enforcement, and ongoing public awareness – at the state-wide level next.

In 2009, nearly 5,500 fatalities and another half million injuries resulted from crashes involving a distracted driver. Overall, distraction-related fatalities represented 16 percent of total traffic fatalities in 2009.

Nationwide, 34 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam have enacted texting bans. Nine states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands have prohibited all hand-held cell phone use while driving.

Click here to see the NHTSA report on the enforcement programs in Syracuse and Hartford. To learn more about NHTSA’s efforts on distracted driving visit www.distraction.gov.

# # #

PSA 102 Neighborhood Public Safety Meeting

Tuesday 12 July 2011
Sherwood Recreation Center
7:00 P.M.
Public Safety Meeting

Lieutenant Christopher Micciche, PSA 102 Manager

Crime Report and Open Community Discussions.

Agenda

I. Introductions 2 min

II. Old Business 20 min
1. Last 30 Day Crime and Year to Date Crime
2. Police Report on Crime
3. Community Questions

III. New Business 20 min

a. Vacant Property (Crime Related)
b. Nuisance Property Report
c. Business/Retail/Apartment Crime Safety Report
d. Noise Ordinance Complaints
e. Parking and Special Attention Issues
f. Alley Report
g. Prostitution Complaints
h. Juvenile Crime Report

IV. Questions and Announcements 15 min

V. Adjournment 8:15pm