Comments on: When Does A Murder Not Equal Another Murder?

By: Pippin

Pippin — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 16:46:56 +0000

Case in point about MPD. Make of it what you will:

http://franksid.spaces.msn.com/blog/cns!E56A21068255A194!190.entry

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 20:34:34 +0000

NW is considered the safest, but more property crime and theft happens there because that’s where more valuable property is located. Crime gravitates towards where there’s an ample supply of money and victims.

Check out my Google map I built this weekend to plot crimes in DC:
http://www.crimeindc.org

I’d like to see people be more aware of criminal activity in their neighborhoods so they themselves will not become victims.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 15:34:45 +0000

Several police officers were disciplined and I think two got demotions in rank, along with being suspended without pay for a month.

By: Alok

Alok — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 17:12:22 +0000

Yep = both theories have credibility but I think it’s a combination of things. The abortion theory is not something we can control. The police presence is.

However, let’s look at the root causes = is the economy doing well enough for the have-nots? There’s a rising divide beween the rich and the poor.

By: Noelle

Noelle — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 16:52:14 +0000

That’s why I think the D.C. ban on handguns is bullshit because only law-abiding citizens obey that ban while the criminals get away with having a handgun to rob a citizen. Oh, and the criminals barely get a slap on the wrist for violating that ban.

They should get a ten-year or a twenty-year mandatory imprisonment.

By: mcconnell

mcconnell — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 16:39:23 +0000

I blogged twice about similar incidents outside of Gallaudet this year and last about Gally students getting mugged. http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.....-near.html

And yet I get emails or elsewhere in other blogs saying that I was slamming Gallaudet.

*sigh*

By: Pippin

Pippin — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 15:55:07 +0000

You’re so right, C&D. It had to be said and you put it very nicely.

By: Pippin

Pippin — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 15:50:11 +0000

Noelle is right. I used to live a few blocks from Adams Morgan (that narrow space between Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights - not quite AM but not quite CH). We lived in the NW quadrant but it definitely did not have that “Georgetown” feel. It does feel “a few blocks away from the Northeast” in that area in terms of safety. Now we’re in the NE quadrant close to CUA and it feels safer than the NW area we lived in.

Regardless, increased police presence would be nice. I do want to add here that we’ve observed several times that MPD officers just don’t appear to care. There they are driving around in their cars, lights flashing and on their cell phones.

Anyone remember the Jason Lamberton thing where he caught cops riding on the hood of a police car while it was rolling (what is that called anyway - road surfing…?). It was big news for a while then nothing happened (that I’m aware of anyway). Increase police presence, sure, but please also improve the attitude and vigilance of MPD officers while you’re at it.

By: Noelle

Noelle — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 15:07:46 +0000

You’re right about Washington having a deep segregation between race and class. It’s the only city that I’ve noticed such a wide racial disparity in terms of class. It’s astonishing in terms of the divide.

By: Cloak & Dagger

Cloak & Dagger — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 14:43:41 +0000

I hope I don’t offend anyone here, but here in Washington, there is a deep segregration between race and class. In an affluent neighborhood that is predominately white, the residents have more political and social connections with the government. So, it’s no surprise that the Georgetown murder forced the D.C. administration to revamp its police department in which the mayor proposed hiring 800+ more police officers to reduce the crime rate. In constrast, poor, black neighborhoods east of the Anacostia have little or no political connections with the police and government and the residents are used to living in fear and tension because “snitching” to the police will likely get you killed. So, that may partially explain the high crime rate.

Read this article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....01756.html

So, ironically, the murder - while tragic - may be a good thing for this city because if it results in more police visibility, then the black residents might have a rare opportunity to live in peace and harmony.