From last night:
Robbery/2018hrs/1100 H st NE/LOF 4 B/M DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20100045555
Sent on: 01/26 20:33
Sent by DC Police Alert to e-mail, pagers, cell phones....powered by Cooper Notification RSAN
And from this morning:
Police Alert-Robbery Gun
Robbery gun-8th & H St. NE:1032:LOF: B/M, dark complextion, slim build, black jacket/w hood, dark colored pants L/SEB on H St NE DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20100046389
Sent by DC Police Alert to e-mail, pagers, cell phones....powered by Cooper Notification RSAN
If the second one raises your eyebrows, I'm sure you aren't alone. At 10:30 in the morning there should have been plenty of people on the corner. I wish I knew more about exactly where and how this took place.
80 comments:
I'm on G between 6th and 7th, and over the last few days DC Alerts has made us feel a little besieged. Are these people being caught? Is there any way to get any follow-up info? Because my dog would like a nighttime walk sometime soon. ;)
The number of robberies the past couple weeks is shocking. Can someone go to Tommy Wells' H Street hours tomorrow morning at SOVA to get his attention these? I am pretty sure there have been at least 9 of them around here in the past couple weeks.
This is very appalling. Most of these miscreants are living in government subsidized housing (Section 8) where 70% of the rent is picked up by HUD. There are third world countries where this would be considered a luxury. Some of them live in row houses which are by any standards 10 times better than slums you see in other parts of the world. How much more do they want? There is a culture of self-entitlement and anger that's prevalent and the lack of parental guidance that is never going to go away unless the change comes from within and not by means of more free handouts. Like the famous JFK quote, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." Granted there are prejudices, racism but that doesn't mean you can not thrive to fight the system. Minority groups such as Asians, Hispanics have done it so I don't think why not all minority strive to emulate their examples.
Our Ward's (Ward 1) contact info for the person in charge of Safety/Crime issues is Daniel Conner. His email is dconner@dccouncil.us. Ward 1's office number is (202) 724-8072 in case you ever feel like calling and voicing your concern on anything about the neighborhood.
It's obvious that the word is out (in MD, in Trinidad, whatever) that this is a place you can hop on down, find a bunch of white people with money/phones/computers/stuff, and a sparse police presence. Easy in, easy targets, easy out.
And we're sitting, f-ing ducks here because we can't fight back (against 2 thugs with guns??), we can't provide helpful descriptions (black male, young, dark clothes??), we get no help from the established residents (stop snitchin??), and frankly the police presence here is about 1/4 of what it needs to be (cops in groups talking to each other on the corner?? NO cops at all outside during the day, or in the evening near the bars??)
Simply put--we need cops walking the beat at ESPECIALLY when us white targets tend to be out and about.
I know, I know "but don't bring race into it"---screw that. I'm done caring about being sensitive about race. When the white-targets are coming home from work, weekend errands and the bars, that's when we're being attacked. So during both rush hours, late nights 10pm-3am (especially on weekends) and during the day on weekends, we need an honest to god patrol until the word gets out to MD and Trinidad the OTHER way---that if you come into this area to commit a violent crime, you will be caught and punished.
It is true that white people have been targeted in the area across the last year or so, but the mugging that I witnessed a couple months ago on W. Va. Avenue (on a Sunday morning no less) was of a black guy. These kids will go after any target if they see an opportunity.
3:06,
True, so how about-"increased patrols during the time the working, law abiding, tax paying, regardless of color folks tend to be out?"
Don't know that white people still don't make more attractive targets to these idiots in general, but suppose that's besides the point. We need more police.
If the second one raises your eyebrows, I'm sure you aren't alone. At 10:30 in the morning there should have been plenty of people on the corner. I wish I knew more about exactly where and how this took place.
The time of day raises my eyebrows...but not the location! That's everyone's favorite place to catch the X2!
"There is a culture of self-entitlement and anger that's prevalent"
There is no self-entitlement. They are lazy dickbags who are too lazy to work for their money. How can you blame them? Uncle Sam has been spoon feeding these people fat gov't checks from the day they were born. They have never had to work for their money why should they start now?
This is a good thing! It means the neighborhood is becoming richer, better educated, tax paying, community contributing citizens and these low-life, blood-sucking leaches are trying to take everything they can before they're squeezed out into oblivion. I say good riddance! It will get worse as it continues to get better.
I don't know about that. The area near Union station and H ST has been yuppie infested for quite a while now. Why now all of a sudden are people getting robbed?
I am going to start carrying my hand gun. If Gilbert Arenas and his teammate can get away with it, why can't I.
Sure, some will say probation is not getting away with it, but i would say one year of unsupervised probation is less than a slap on the wrist. It will be worth it when one of those punks tries to rob me and I shoot him in his face.
I second that. I'm going to visit my father this weekend and I'm going to take his gun back with me. I've had enough of this shit.
there's nothing you can do. carrying a gun is going to get you jail time.
the cops have family in the area, and don't care about "petty crime" (i.e. no deaths or rapes). for them, the area is much better than what it used to be. i know. i had a cop show up an hour late for an incident where a joyrider smashed into my neighbor's car. he was pretty jovial and said that "at least it wasn't someone trying to kill a baby".
pepper spray.
and act crazy. sometimes, when i'm running, and i pass a group of kids loitering, i start yelling to myself. they don't come near me... it's all we can do. police force isn't going to do anything. i personally know of two that have relatives in trinidad, and are ecstatic about how "good" it is now.
Ahhh, so Poo is the guy that runs backwards up and down H yelling "Hoot-Hoot!"
I can't say I like crime, but some of you have gone over the top with you racial and classist comments. I am not calling people racist, but it's getting hard not to. Listen crime sucks, I an people I love have been a victim of it. At the same token, getting a gun and shutting the usual suspects isn't really a valid response either. Linking robberies to a supposed culture of entitlement also is a stretch of both logic and the imagination.
We all live here and some work to protect each other. It's not a white of black or rich or poor think. I don't know anyone, including those that rob people that like to be robbed. Increased vigilance is always good, but lets stop the mindless profiling.
And, for the record, please stop dragging my good neighborhood's name through the mud. It's relativity safe here, well at least per the alerts I get on my phone. We don't know where these jerks come from. Let's not assume.
-Robby
-Robby of Trinidad
So how do you get these H St alerts. I get them for all other parts of the city. Which neghborhood do you have to select for H St on the police website?
Robbie wrote:
Linking robberies to a supposed culture of entitlement also is a stretch of both logic and the imagination.
I'm not sure whether you're questioning whether there exists a segment of the area population for which such a culture exists, or whether you're questioning whether the segment of the population associated with that culture is likely to be largely responsible for crime here. Can you please elaborate on what you mean?
robby - you sound like you've been in trinidad for quite a while and have gotten used to this crime. Sorry, we won't put up with it.
And where are the racist comments here? I haven't seen any. Just because you can't face the truth doesn't make it racist.
There were about 5-6 cop cars and the paddy wagon at 5th and H last night around 10pm. Some of the police cars were parked on the sidewalks. Does anyone know what this was all about?
That can't be..robby says it's relativity safe here.
Robby,
I do get that you become worried in these discussions when people (especially white people) start bringing race into the discussion as if its the underlying issue here.
But I think that to deny that the problems in our specific area have everything to do with the CULTURAL problems of the surrounding poor black communities is a bit naive...
My two cents to several posters. I get the frustration over the crime. I’m sure you think that you are benefiting us by providing your frank and candid assessment about who is committing crimes in our neighborhood. That young black males are committing a disproportionate part of the crimes in the neighborhood is not news. Why you keep mentioning it is a bit of a mystery. I suspect you are tempting someone to challenge your assessment. I am not. I am just suggesting that each “Alert” need not be met with comments about how/why blacks are committing the crimes and how/why whites are being victimized. I’m not trying to pull rank, but being one of the longer-term “new people” on my block, I think you will come to realize that you need to pace yourself. There is a big difference between complacency and threatening to shoot criminals in the face. By all means, put your energies to good use. Be constructive in your neighborhood, keep your head on a swivel, and let your public servants know what you expect of them. But red-faced rage and harping on the race/class of offenders serves little purpose. Don’t burn yourself out. If you can’t accept at least some of the criminal realities or government inadequacies inherent the HNE, you are not going to make it for the long haul. Just my opinion.
- Alexander Supertramp
Robby said, "Increased vigilance is always good, but lets stop the mindless profiling."
Robby, you have generally seemed naive in many of your comments about race and have been culturally biased against many of the posts you perceive to be from white people.
If a black male is walking down the street in slacks and a button down then the reaction is different than if a black male is walking down the street with a hoodie pulled up, gold chains, and pants dragging the ground (lookin' like a fool) then you are going to get profiled - isn't that what he wants you to do, think he's a bad-ass? And if you think that's "mindless profiling" I'm calling you out as full of shit because I guarantee whether you admit it or not, you do it too. You have no survival instinct if you don't. That's not racist, that's the simple fact.
I seem to recall Tommy Wells talking about a plan to collect data on the residence of those committing robberies, burglaries, etc in our neighborhood. I strongly suspect, and hope, that generally it's not people from the neighborhood preying upon us. I also suspect that if the bus lines which bring these kids in from Wards 7 and 8 were rerouted, we would see a marked decline in these crimes of opportunity.
Unless, of course, it's really the Gonzaga lacrosse team secretly behind all these attacks
curmudgeon:
I am saying you don't know these thieves backgrounds, so you are jumping to unfounded conclusions, which are called assumptions. I've known suburban middle class kids that actually have gotten involved in crimes such as robbery to prove that they are "hard."
Anonymous#1:
No one is used to crime, that's just as silly as singling out a neighborhood and implying that it is the source of the criminal element here, again, another assumption. If you want to learn about Trinidad I invite you to go to www.trinidad-dc.org, or better yet come visit. It really is a wonderful neighborhood.
Anonymous#3:
5th and H isn't Trinidad.
S.O.T.S.:
I don't deny it, but really I don't know where these thieves came from. I think it is honest to say that there is a problem with entitlements and the entitlement state. Anyone who knows met me knows I have a strong libertarian streak. However, to blame the "system" for these bad actors lets them off the hook a little more than I am willing to do. These crooks have brought terror into people's lives. They have chosen to do so. They should be caught and punished. I don't want to hear how the system or whatever made them do it. I've had friend who grow up in the system to become professionals if not wealthy people. It's about the choices one makes. Yes, the system contributes, but the decision to commit a criminal act is that person's choice barring duress of some sort. The truth is neither white, black, or whatever group likes crime. As black man I am a little more sensitive to people assuming that all black men are criminals. Having lived with that most of my life I know that assumption is crushing. At the same time, having been robbed at gun point, having had a house shot through, been threatened with physical violence, …etc, it’s all been at the hands of black men. So I can see how people, including black people, make the association. It isn’t fair because not all of us are criminals. At the same time, overwhelmingly the criminals that I encounter are black men.
Anonymous#5:
You can call me full of shit, I think my gastroenterologist may agree with you, but read the response I wrote above to SOTS and see if you still feel that way. In any even I don’t assume a writers race, I do think using a broad brush is dangerous. There’s a lot between a guy dressed as a thug and a guy wearing slack and a dress shirt. It’s that middle I an concerned about, the guy in a shit and jeans, not thugged out but also not in working clothes. It’s funny, but to be treated well, yes I had to dress overly formal as a child and young adult. Other kids from other races could ware what ever, but I had to dress well or risk, by virture only of my gender and race, being associated with a criminal. Which in fact further alienated me from the black culture I was reared in. To avoid being caught up I had to ameliorate to the dominate culture, and I had to not allot myself to relax. Being a black man who’s not a criminal most of the times making sure there’s a lot of day light between you and the guy that is, and that’s often done with dress, language, and friends.
-Robby
Where are our community leaders on these issues? Not only Tommy Wells, but what about the Mayor, all of the at-large members of council? Cathy Lanier? I love FT, but complaining on this blog is not going to do anything to get the needed attention and response. 24 people took the time to post a comment here. If we all take 5 minutes to send an e-mail to city hall or pick up the phone, that would make more of an impact. And people do need to wake up. I'm sorry, but stereotypes are based on truth. I have lived in the neighborhood for 12 years. I've received the police alerts since they started. Not once do I remember one with a white suspect. When the every alert asks to be on the look out for young black males-- then of course people start to believe that it's the young black males who are committing the crimes. To believe otherwise, you much be wearing some very rose colored glasses.
Robbie wrote:
curmudgeon: I am saying you don't know these thieves backgrounds, so you are jumping to unfounded conclusions, which are called assumptions. I've known suburban middle class kids that actually have gotten involved in crimes such as robbery to prove that they are "hard."
I don't have even the tiniest idea why you're saying "you" here since my question to you was the very first post I'd made in this thread. Please explain. Thank you in advance.
"stereotypes are based on truth"
I'll be sure to let my professor's that were, or whose parents were Holocaust survivors know this. They'd be amused to say the least.
I know what you meant, but it's a dangerous road. We need to becareful.
-Robby
curmudgeon:
You would be well you. You're assuming these kids were from some segment that I guess is poor. I know of, and even have had classmates that have committed such acts that were not poor, but actually well off, they were just stupid.
-Robby
seem to recall Tommy Wells talking about a plan to collect data on the residence of those committing robberies, burglaries, etc in our neighborhood. I strongly suspect, and hope, that generally it's not people from the neighborhood preying upon us.
According the MPD-1 listserv, it looks as though these thugs are coming here from PG County, at least for the carjackings.
Yes, all of you anoymouses (or maybe it just one loudmouth), your posts are racist. And ridiculous. And I'm a white male calling you out. Do you have the statistics for all of the crimes in the neighborhood? Do you know the percentage of crime victims who are white? Do you really think that saying someone who wears a hoodie and chains should be profiled isn't racist? Should everyone who lives in our neighborhood have to wear "slacks and button down shirts" to prove they aren't dangerous. What kind of preppy hell are you trying to create here? None of us want crime here but we also don't want ignorant idiots like you walking around here and giving the neighborhood a bad name.
I don't know about that. The area near Union station and H ST has been yuppie infested for quite a while now. Why now all of a sudden are people getting robbed?
The street crimes committed in that area are a consequence of the systematic failure of two organizations: DDOT and the MPD.
With regard to DDOT, they have failed to address the poor lighting in the 800 and 700 blocks of 3rd Street NE. In the 800-block, the trees are overgrown and the two cobra head streetlights within the block have horrible upward and horizontal spill. In the 700-block, the east-facing side of the school has no lighting and the token light in the alley adjacent to the playground is dirty and inadequate.
With regard to MPD, they absolutely positively refuse to embrace some of the most practical aspects of crime prevention. Excuses about resource availability, resource allocation, higher priorities, the public minding its own business, etc. are used to conceal what is in its purest form organizational resistance to change. Period. When is the last time a patrolman contacted DDOT to address a poorly lit area in anticipation of crime being committed rather than in response to a committed crime or public outcry?
Here's a list of everyone we need to reach out to and let know that we are not going to allow this neighborhood to be runby criminals. We DEMAND police presence in our neighborhood! We pay taxes and are just as important as every other neighborhood. We should get our fair share of policing!
Carrie Kohns; Mayor’s Chief of Staff (202) 724-8815; chiefofstaff@dc.gov and carrie.kohns@dc.gov
Cathy Lanier: Chief of Police; cathy.lanier@dc.gov
Council Chair Vincent Gray: (202)724-8032
Chief of Staff: Dawn Slonneger, DSlonneger@dccouncil.us
Deputy Chief of Staff: Lee Brian Reba, LBReba@dccouncil.us
Director of Constituent Services: Stephen Glaude, SGlaude@dccouncil.us
Assistant Director of Constituent Services: Rufus Norris, RNorris@dccouncil.us
Michael Brown - At Large, (202) 724-8105; mbrown@dccouncil.us
Chief of Staff: Linda Wharton-Boyd.Ph.D., lwhartonboyd@dccouncil.us
Constituent Services Officer: Carlton Terry, cterry@dccouncil.us
David Catania member at large (202) 724-7772, Dcatania@dccouncil.us
Chief of Staff: Ben Young, byoung@dccouncil.us
Director of Constituent Services: Sharona Morgan, smorgan@dccouncil.us
(Catania's office doesn't publish e-mails, but we can assume that these are correct)
Phil Mendelson At-Large, (202) 724-8064 pmendelson@dccouncil.us
Chief of Staff: Jason J. Shedlock, (202) 724-8779jshedlock@dccouncil.us
Constituent Services Representative: Celeste Duffie, (202) 724-8137, cduffie@dccouncil.us
Legislative Clerk - Committee on Public Safety: Deborah Kelly, (202) 724-7808, dkelly@dccouncil.us
Kwame Brown At-Large office: (202) 724-8174 Cell phone: (202) 679-0598, kbrown@dccouncil.us
(Brown's office doesn't publish e-mails or list staff -- but they do have a "contribute now" button!)
Tommy Wells, twells@dccouncil.us
Chief of Staff: Charles Allen: callen@dccouncil.us
Deputy Chief of Staff: Linda O’Brien, lobrien@dccouncil.us
Director of Constituent Services: Tawanna Shuford, tshuford@dccouncil.us
Policy Advisor: Anne Phelps (also an ANC member who lives in the neighborhood), aphelps@dccouncil.us
Community Liaison: Naomi Mitchell: nmitchell@dccouncil.us
Let's make this EVEN EASIER! Here's all the e-mails in one place-- just cut this whole section and paste it into your "to" line and send a message to all of them! If everyone on here e-mails these people, we will not be ignored. I'm going to start e-mailing them all each time there's
chiefofstaff@dc.gov; carrie.kohns@dc.gov; cathy.lanier@dc.gov; DSlonneger@dccouncil.us; LBReba@dccouncil.us; SGlaude@dccouncil.us; RNorris@dccouncil.us; mbrown@dccouncil.us; lwhartonboyd@dccouncil.us; cterry@dccouncil.us; Dcatania@dccouncil.us; byoung@dccouncil.us; smorgan@dccouncil.us; pmendelson@dccouncil.us; jshedlock@dccouncil.us; cduffie@dccouncil.us; dkelly@dccouncil.us; kbrown@dccouncil.us; twells@dccouncil.us; callen@dccouncil.us; lobrien@dccouncil.us; tshuford@dccouncil.us; aphelps@dccouncil.us; nmitchell@dccouncil.us
Alexander Supertramp ,
My point in bringing race (more accurately, culture) into arguments about crime is that, in THIS city specifically, I think it factors in preventing us from taking new approaches to solve this city's problems.
I mean, what we honestly need here is a serious crackdown on the crime/trash/disrespect/antisocial etc., culture that is so pervasive in our "poorer" areas--sorta "Guiliani in NYC-style", for lack of a better term. We have to get so fed up with this shit that we're willing to take some more drastic measures to really make some huge changes in the culture of this city (i.e., enact and enforce loitering laws, increase cops on foot patrol, enforce noise ordnances, spend money cleaning up trash, fixing buildings in crappy neighborhoods, hold Section 8 landlords accountable for their tenants' actions, harsher/more effective juvenile sentencing, etc.)
However, we won't get ANY of that because our city leaders (caring only about elections) don't want to anger the huge black community here who will inevitably see any and all such efforts as being disproportionately aimed at them and, thus, "racist".
But that's EXACTLY where these efforts will need to be aimed, as THAT culture is by and large where these problems are coming from. Such efforts will indeed disproportionately affect the black community because that is where the change needs to occur, where the effect needs to be felt the most. That's why I think race/culture get continually brought into the crime discussion.
Robbie -- you did it again. You just wrote:
You would be well you. You're assuming these kids were from some segment that I guess is poor. I know of, and even have had classmates that have committed such acts that were not poor, but actually well off, they were just stupid.
Please point out *specifically* (by the timestamp on the posts) the posts in which I've made any assumptions about people who commit crimes here. All I've done is post a couple of lines asking you to explain what you meant in an earlier post, and you've apparently constructed an elaborate belief structure for me. You've made two posts now responding directly to me and referring directly to assumptions I've supposedly made -- please point out the posts in which I exhibit these assumptions.
Thanks in advance.
Our Ward's (Ward 1) contact info for the person in charge of Safety/Crime issues is Daniel Conner. His email is dconner@dccouncil.us. Ward 1's office number is (202) 724-8072 in case you ever feel like calling and voicing your concern on anything about the neighborhood.
I will let everyone in on a secret: the City Council has no ability to significantly impact crime in our neighborhood.
Sure, they could write legislation that imposes tougher penalties on criminals. Sure, they could divert additional funding toward development projects in our area (Tommy Wells has been credited with gettnig the street cars installed on H Street first).
But can they call up the MPD-1D Commander and tell him they want four foot patrols in a given PSA, pronto? Of course not. Can they legislatively muscle ABRA into limiting the number of liquor stores opening in a certain area? Not a chance. Can they bark at the Mayor and demand more funding for MPD recruits? Nope, not that either.
All they really can do is field citizen complaints...by the way, you do realize the target audience for FroTro lives in Wards 5 and Ward 6?
curmudgeon:
You can read your own post. The back and forth over this is silly.
-Robby
really make some huge changes in the culture of this city (i.e., enact and enforce loitering laws...
I will assure of this: we will never have any form of loitering laws in the District of Columbia. Ever.
Robbie -- I just read my own post, from 12:47am. Is that the post you're referring to? That's the only post I've made in this thread, prior to the subsequent ones asking what assumptions of mine you're referirng to. Where in that post do I make any assumptions of any kind about the nature of those commiting crimes in this neighborhood? I simply asked you what you meant.
You write:
The back and forth over this is silly.
You're right about that -- I agree that it's silly that, having made an accusation about me, you refuse to substantiate it.
That young black males are committing a disproportionate part of the crimes in the neighborhood is not news. Why you keep mentioning it is a bit of a mystery. I suspect you are tempting someone to challenge your assessment.
Very well put, and quite perceptive. It's trolling as a way of venting frustration...and pretty fucking boorish.
Anon 11:56-
That's a very unfortunate attitude. If we don't complain to the people who we've elected, then we might as well, just stop posting complaints here too. We have to let these people know that there's a problem. If they don't hear about it, then they won't know about the problems. It's their JOB to bug the mayor and police chief. If enough council members keep hitting up the mayor and the chief-- they WILL eventually do something about the problem, if for no other reason but to get them off their backs.
Anon11:56 is correct, I'll be sending e-mails tonight.
curmudgeon: read your comment. There's nothing more to do than redirect you back to your comment. You're like the murderer standing over the murdered corpse holding the murder weapon saying prove it.
It's dumb. You win. LOL I can't prove you wrote what you wrote beyond referring you back to what you wrote, which I've done.
-Robby
I mean, what we honestly need here is a serious crackdown on the crime, trash, disrespect, antisocial etc., culture that is so pervasive in our "poorer" areas
What we honestly need here is for our city to be expunged of the people that are too self-involved to establish any sort of cultural loyalties or affiliations.
People who are more likely to say "fuck it, I will make up an excuse and leave work early to protest at a DC Council meeting" rather than say "I will send the DC Council an email with my complaints".
People who (assuming they like baseball in the first place) make it a point to see multiple Nationals games because they believe in hometown sports. Not people who don't go for fear of being mocked for being a fan of any team, let alone the Nationals who are in last place.
Giuliani's work in New York City was successful for one reason: the people behind it gave a fuck about the city.
Robby wrote: curmudgeon: read your comment. There's nothing more to do than redirect you back to your comment.
So, in other words, you can't substantiate your accusation..
You're like the murderer standing over the murdered corpse holding the murder weapon saying prove it.
It's dumb. You win. LOL I can't prove you wrote what you wrote beyond referring you back to what you wrote, which I've done.
Actually, you haven't even done that -- I even asked you for timestamps of any posts you were talking about and you weren't even willing to do that. I'm still not convinced that you don't have me confused with someone else in this thread, since all I've done is ask you to explain what you meant in a portion of your original post, since I didn't understand it. But without substantiation, you keep making the accusation over and over. To be blunt, that's pretty awful behavior on your part.
That's a very unfortunate attitude. If we don't complain to the people who we've elected, then we might as well, just stop posting complaints here too. We have to let these people know that there's a problem. If they don't hear about it, then they won't know about the problems...
I have lived in the District my entire life. Here is what almost axiomatic: the only way to get something accomplished is to approach the Directors of the Agencies directly or do it yourself.
You think Tommy Wells can get Waste Services collectors to stop dropping litter on the ground when doing pickups (which many of us believe contributes to half of the street litter)? Nope. I have to pick it up myself, which is fine. He can pass a plastic bag law though! And I am sure reads each and every one of your emails!
Race baiting is mad lame. Leave it off the forum -- you are squelching what might very well be constructive conversation. I do believe Inked, if she was reading, would delete many of your lame posts.
robby,
i absolutely appreciate where you are coming from and how your backgroud formed who you are today and your outlook. i think though that you are assuming that the posters here (and i suppose i am optimistically putting words in their mouths) are saying that "all black males commit crimes" as opposed to "all the crimes in this neighborhood have been committed by black males". there is a huge difference.
and as well, i don't think anyone doubts that there are plenty of whites - male and female - who commit crimes. and we've all heard about the messed up wealthy mostly white suburban kids who shoot up their schools and commit all sorts of crimes.
i've lived in southern italy and the neighborhoods were very very similar, with the same types of crimes, poverty, mix of richer and poorer families (mostly poor), but all white. and of course with a heavy dose of mafia thrown in.
but we are talking about *this* specific neighborhood. and that is what we are encountering here.
and i do understand your fear that the frustration expressed here is indicative of underlying racism. i guess i am just optimistically assuming that this is not the case.
There is a difference between race baiting and having a legitimate conversation about how race plays a part in what happens in our neighborhoods. I don't think race is an off limits subject, but I do feel the subject should be treated respectfully. People who post on this site need to keep both their anger and their sensitivity in check. It's ok to talk about race - it's not ok to take it to a place that is inappropriate. Use your judgment, and use it intelligently. There is no denying that the majority (likely all) of the criminal activity in question on this post is being committed by black men. That's a significant statistic that should be discussed. Having an open, realistic dialogue about why things happen the way that they happen, especially when you are trying to change a situation, is vital. You're not a hero for calling people out for race baiting. Just as you aren't "keeping it real" by throwing the race card out disrespectfully.
So when is someone going to start talking about solutions to these grievances? Other than mass emailing DC Council members...
Anon that lived in Italy:
All things considered, in the end it's about crime.
Another alert will come out, I predict the perpetrator will be YBM and victim some well-meaning person of any race, class, or ethnic background. MPD will do their thing, and we will all collectively hope that whoever the crooks are that they be caught.
We all want safety for ourselves, and our families.
Thank god I am not longer a YBM.
-Robby
Racial stereotypes take a long time to change. However the change must come from within. No one is going to hold your hands and make you change. Just look at the early century stereotypes of Asians who were stereotyped as migrant railroad workers, laborers and such. However, over the course of last 20 years or so they have changed that perception to a status of well educated working class people with good social standing. A lot of Asians were treated like slaves as well.
Meh, what's old is new. pointing out the obvious crime demographics is nothing more than a ham-fisted troll. You get to vent, you get to argue your point, but nobody is better off for your "realistic" or "legitimate" conversation. You get share your sense of outrage as you point and shout "they did this" - and, 99 times out of a hundred, you get to be right. Pretty pointless.
See this chain for what it is. If you have any doubts, consult this precise conversation on FT about twice per year since 2005.
-alexander Supertramp
Thank god I am not longer a YBM.
What truly sucks about this is that the number of YBMs who are doing this crap is minuscule. But everyone gets tarred with the brush.
And, to paraphrase Maurice Chevalier, YBMs eventually become OBMs. And it sucks to have to carry around that kind of psychic baggage.
Someone needs to exercise a dose of non-lethal force on these little fuckers.
Supertramp,
If you're bored by this "meh" discussion, please go read about the new chocolates to order. They look wonderful.
This is a neighborhood blog which contains posts about neighborhood issues which, ostensibly, are then open to be discussed among members of this neighborhood.
Your attempts to brush it off as a "been there done that" argument contribute nothing to the discussion. Venting, arguing, discussing--whatever. These are all legitiate uses for this blog in this context.
Conversely, I'd argue sitting on your high horse and condemning others for their involvement in this discussions is a more "pointless" use of time.
Ok,
some of us need to relax a bit.
1. Don't assume whites are being specifically target for being white. It know sometimes people like to jump to conclusions, but it just isn't true around here. The victims of carjackings/muggings, can be any age, race, or class. Sometimes there is nothing you, as an individual can do to prevent being a victim of a crime. But you can try to be alert, and aware of your surroundings.
2. Dont assume that "established residents" all subscribe to the "stop snitchin" ethos. Again, not true, and also a little offensive.
3. Anon 6:05, and 7:16, RELAX. I know these crimes are scary, and you are upset, but having a Bernie Getz moment isn't going to help anything. Alexander Supertramp is right, temper yourselves.
4. I don't know where the perps are coming from, and I don't think most of you know either. We all already know that most crimes of this type around here are committed by young black males. That isn't a news flash. You know what else? Most of the adolescent males you find around here are black! Did that blow your socks off? Ooh, and most of the people you encounter around here who are lower-class are probably black!! I'm assuming (but it isn't always true) that most of the perps are either lower-class, or maybe jacking a car out of convenience.
So if this is known, and easily explained, why do people feel a constant need to shout about it on listservs? It accomplishes nothing.
5. Try to be decent to each other.
Inked,
The difference is that you (and those like Supertramp who agree with you) don't think that the fact that all the crime here is committed by young, black males is relevant to the discussion about possible solutions. I think that it is, for the reasons I've stated above. That's why I (and those who agree with me) "shout it out on listservs." Its not because we're suddenly incredulous to the fact. Its that many seem to not want to include that fact in a discussion of potential solutions.
I've moved on to the chocolate post, it looks yummy.
-Robby
Okay S.O.T.S., what's your solution?
s.o.t.s. take it easy, guy. you want to talk about a sense of entitlement? what about moving to a neighborhood that pretty much went neglected for over 35 years and is only relevant now, and expecting it to be the ideal place to live. we're an "up and coming" area, we are far from "there." if you're not willing to take a few lumps (mostly figuratively but maybe literally?), then this isn't the neighborhood for you.
count your blessings and be glad nothing has happened thus far, and prepare yourself better so there's a smaller chance of it actually happening. how about not carrying around anything but a few bucks in cash, smarttrip, some id, and a credit card with a small maximum limit? that's what i started doing after i got assaulted on 5th and K sts in NORTHWEST.
if anything, i'm not blaming the black kids, i'm blaming all the white dudes in that big white building on constitution avenue who because of their ineptitude can't even bring justice to within a 3 mile radius of where they work, yet try to impose their will on the rest of the world.
i feel safer in trinidad than i do in chinatown. get to know your neighbors, acknowledge the existence of the kids on your block, believe it or not despite the baggy jeans, baseball caps, and hoodies, a lot of these kids are funny, intelligent, and nice.
in the words of the sage and noble coco:
"Please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism – it's my least favorite quality, and it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen."
the fact that all the crime here is committed by young, black males is relevant to the discussion about possible solutions.
If you have thought enough to write that statement, you most certainly have thought enough to come up with some solutions. So what are they?
Round ups like my friend experiences in the DeSoto section of Houston, where the police drive by groups of black youths congregating on corners and ask them "so whatcha boys all up to tonight?"
I'm a black professional homeowner living in the neighborhood and must say I do understand the frustration. Most of us, both black and white, have moved from smaller towns to the big city and a great neighborhood that had issues before and during our arrival. You would be amazed at how things change the more you just step out of your homes and get to know your long time neighbors. I envy some of my white neighbors who are more comfortable socializing with the local brothas than myself! Be patient. Things will get better. MOST black males are not the boogeyman. Those that commit crimes are idiots and they along with their parents need to be locked up! I've been here for over 10 years, and the neighborhood has gotten 1000% better! Dont' throw in the towel folks! Diversity is great!
Love the Coco quote! Anyway...
Earlier today I was thinking about some of the posts on this thread.
Plenty has been said but let me add that the vast majority of Black people in this neighborhood (and in this nation) are law abiding folks. I certainly count myself (home owning black woman living one block off H St for the past 10 years) and my immediate neighbors: two (still young-ish) Black men who also own their own homes and have been in the neighborhood even longer than me.
My biggest objection to the comments are those that imply that Black people are somehow lagging behind any other ethnicity in being an asset to their communities. It's just not true. Dysfunction exists in all segments of our society. In NE DC, that dysfunction and the crime that comes with it has a Black face.
So, what can we do to light a candle instead of cursing the darkness? Orange hat patrols, keeping your porch lights on, getting to know (and watch out for) your neighbors, tutoring, mentoring, volunteering, gardening clubs, block parties, picking up garbage in front of your home, learning who owns the homes in your area so that you can contact them in case of renter misconduct, keeping a positive attitude, being realistic about the neighborhood...I'm sure there are even better ideas -- in addition to having respectful discussions on Frozen Tropics.
Donna
PS - I just got an alert from Results gym about crime in the Golden Triangle near their Farragut North location (downtown K Street area) so crime is up everywhere, not just in the hood, be alert, be safe, and try to remain respectful.
Orange hat patrols anyone? There are only so many cops to go around.
They do make the Gnats ball caps in every color:
http://bit.ly/attAkO
Maybe we can discuss at the meeting on Friday, February 4, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Options Public Charter School (1375 E St. NE).
Police Chief Lanier will report progress made in reducing armed carjackings.
I started this thread, and didn't really read anything worth reading until Donna's comment (2 before this one). More like this please. Solutions.
I emailed the government officials listed above by one helpful commenter.
So, what are our proposed solutions so far, I think I have seen suggestions for better lighting, more police foot patrols, leaving porch lights on, getting to know your neighbors, and I perhaps have missed a few.
Are there any other ideas? Even novel, wacky ones?
Donna, I appreciate your sincere and thoughtful comments. Equally, I appreciated "Anonymous black professional homeowner living in the neighborhood" (4:35) who said: "MOST black males are not the boogeyman." I think most comments on here completely agree with you, sir. I think many of us are just trying to understand why MOST boogeymen are black? Please, please, please understand that this is a very different statement than "Most black males are boogeymen" - one is a racist comment, the other is a proven, statistical fact. There can never be a rational discussion toward a solution when the facts are denied. If my facts are wrong (concerning the crime in our area), then please educate me, but don't call me a racist simply becasue my facts may be wrong.
Secondly, I would also ask you to please understand why I might profile, in self defense, when I see someone who my mind perceives to be the "boogeyman," especially when some young black men WANT to be perceived as the boogeyman.
Is it me or did most of the recent crimes occur on the busiest streets (H St, Bladensburg, and all of the streets within two blocks. Why can't they put some plain clothes officers on H and Bladensburg. Also if they put plain clothes officers out there, please give them cars that are not obviously cop cars. How about a minivan, or a Buick. I am tired of seeing plain clothes officers in the 4-door chevy. Everyone knows you are cops.
Just a thought. MD
soul searcher- I too e-mailed the officials listed above. I included new organizations on my message as well. I got a very sincere and quick response from Chief Lanier who has directed one of her guys to speak with me about our concerns today. I wonder if it might be helpful to get a small group of concerned citizens together to meet with these representatives of Cathy Lanier. Any interest here? Maybe we should estable is new thread for those interested?
last night there was a stabbing in the middle of the street at 14th and duncan. There was even a cop sitting in their car on E. The criminals in the neighborhood do not seem to be detered but the police. Anyone have any other ideas?
Another suggestion- Since H-street was "neglected" for 35 years let's make up for it and set up kiosks that give away $100 checks everyday for the first 50 deserving people and please keep it hush or else the word may get around and all the Latino guys looking for work outside of the Home Depot will start clamoring for free cash. This way the clowns will not have a reason to rob and assault anyone.
I think that's a great idea "I think we're getting somewhere."
Inked, maybe you would be willing to use this as a forum for starting a thread that can coordinate an FT Community mtg. to address the growing crime problems? I have no idea how many would show up and how many are blowing hot air, but this crime in our area has gotten serious. I think its past time to discuss it with MPD.
Anon 11:03,
I'll give you a thread, but we already had multiple public meetings (which included the police) on the topic.
Dear Anonymous 10:05 am (I wish you would come up with a handle already since you seem to be the same person posting the same douchey comments on this blog):
What do you want people to say? Do you want everyone to draw some racist conclusion about black people in general because all the crime around here is committed by black people? Are you looking for some kind of group douche validation? At your behest, should we all conclude black people are genetically inferior because of the crime demographics in our hood? Or perhaps black culture is just inferior since it must breed this sort of thing? What exactly is your angle? Ok, buddy. You got it, I'll bite. Yeah, all the crime is committed by black people. There you go. Are you happy now? I guess it probably has nothing to do with the fact that you live in an area that is overwhelmingly black and that 99.999999% of the poor people around here are black. You probably also need help understanding that street crime is usually committed by poor people. I guess you think if you lived in a different town where nearly all of the poor people are another race then you wouldn't see the same phenomenon, right? Wrong! Believe it or not, in areas where there are a lot of poor whites, nearly all the street crime is committed by whites and places where there are a lot of poor latinos, nearly all the crime is committed by... Wait for it, wait for it. Yep, that's right. Ding Ding Ding! Latinos!!
So again, what's the point of hammering everyone over the head with your keen observation that the street crime around here is committed by black thugs? You live in an area with A LOT of poor black people. Therefore, common sense would tell you the street crime around here will be committed by poor black people. Thank you for the NO DUH observation of 2010. Now let's get on with finding solutions that don't involve observations which appear to paint a whole group of people with the same cruddy brush.
There is no such thing as the Boogeyman.
We live in an urban area that have been economically depressed for MANY years in a city with a history of poor schools, overwhelmed public services (including foster care), an understaffed police department, during a recession.
Feel free to call the people who commit crimes, criminals. I think that being realistic and adult about the increased crime we're dealing with as a community will be a lot more productive than labeling. If you're scared. Say so. Talk to somebody who can help you deal with those feelings and who can suggest ways for you to be safer. Anonymous race-baiting on a neighborhood blog is clearly not helping you (or the rest of us)
Donna
PS - I am reminded of when I lived on the other side of the Hill - just off 8th St. SE (now Barracks Row), everyone called it a "War zone" I had a heroin den on my block and open prostitution on 8th St itself. I spent a lot of time finding alternative routes home. That was in 1996...
What do you want people to say? Do you want everyone to draw some racist conclusion about black people in general because all the crime around here is committed by black people? Are you looking for some kind of group douche validation? At your behest, should we all conclude black people are genetically inferior because of the crime demographics in our hood? Or perhaps black culture is just inferior since it must breed this sort of thing? What exactly is your angle? Ok, buddy. You got it, I'll bite. Yeah, all the crime is committed by black people. There you go.
Great! Thanks for this. I was afraid I was going to have to write this.
The OP should go live in some economically depressed are in rural WV or OH, get mugged by, and victimized by some impoverished young *white* men, and get a clue.
Is it really possible to be so clueless ten years into the 21st century? Pathetic.
People like this crypto-racist idiot do more harm to our community than youth carjackers.
Dolemite, glad you recognize the obvious, so few are willing to admit what you've pointed out. Now that the reality has been confronted and so eloquently stated, can we begin to address the white racist causes so we can begin to find real solutions?
RR
We were here first!
H street has always been a red district drug infested area with robbery,pimp&whores,thieves& impoverished black people. I remember when a woman was brutally killed and raped with an object back in the day...H st street will NEVA change...THEY build a condo, trolley cars, fancy clubs, cafes, boutiques and all that bubble gum bull**** all they want...Welcome to Crack Babies, water Babies, Foster Babies, Section8, ADHD, RITALIN & broken families...how small of you you ...not to recognize where YOU LIVE...WHO RU? & WHERE ARE YOU FROM? YOUVE BEEN TRICKED!
All of this black/white garbage is old and tired. Crime has been around since the beginning of time. We're in DC now and white people are getting robbed by black people....boo hoo. Yeah, but you don't see black people lynching white people, hanging them from trees, burning them alive, tar and feathering them, cutting babies from women's wombs, shooting them or doing other ungodly things to them. This is what happend to black people. I would like for you white folks to stop crying and go take a Krav Maga, Tae Kwon Do, Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, Judo, or Juijitsu class or something and shut the fuck up!
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