Citizens Meet with Police, Brooke Pinto on Crime

BY ROBERT DEVANEY & HELEN DARLING

Considering the July 13 armed carjacking and robbery on the 3300 block of N Street, the Public Safety Committee of the Citizens Association of Georgetown and neighbors met with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District Lieutenant John Merzig and Sergeant Philip Robinson on the afternoon of July 26 at the home of Tia and Joe Lotuff at 33rd & N Streets.

All CAG members and concerned Georgetown residents were invited. Also on hand was Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto, who chairs the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety and was instrumental in passage of the Emergency Crime Bill.

Attendees were introduced to CAG’s Public Safety Leaders, Kate Hasty and Mark Martinkov. CAG Executive Director Brittany Sawyer said that CAG is undergoing a strategic review of its Public Safety Program in light of the increase in serious crimes.

Lt. Merzig and Sgt. Robinson listened to concerns about crime and shared how MPD is dealing with the recent increases in crime.

Merzig said that residents need to be “very vigilant” in transitional spaces, such as going from car to home. “Trust your gut.” They are now seeing cars ‘being driven with up to four guys with guns jumping out of the car to rob and hijack a car.’ In what is usually a low crime area, such a crime occurred at MacArthur Boulevard and Foxhall Road on July 25. The threatened car backed up and escaped.

Carjackings and the use of guns have become more frequent, and many of the criminals are young. Police used to see a pattern of young people committing crimes and using a gun after multiple crimes, but some young men’s first crime now involves the use of a gun.

Repeated crimes occur because, Merzig said, “they see there are no consequences for committing crimes.” The amount of increase is “unprecedented.”

“We in Georgetown feel that the city is less safe, including in our neighborhood, and we are not wrong,” said one CAG member. “Tragically, it is, of course, much worse in other parts of the city. The number of deaths, including innocent bystanders, is very disturbing.”

When asked about what is needed and what residents can do, Merzig, Robinson and Council member Pinto advised:

1. Turn on house lights every night;

2. Be extra vigilant, paying little attention to surroundings is dangerous;

3. Be ready to turn over phones, purses, money;

4. Call 911 to report crimes and suspicious behavior.

5. Have home cameras. D.C. subsidizes the purchase of outdoor cameras.

Merzig addressed the problem of recruitment and retention of police officers. “We need to rebuild the force,” he said. “Our total Metropolitan Police Department is way down. Some years ago, when the population was smaller, we had 4,000 employees (police officers and other MPD employees), but now we have only 3,380.”

Pinto said she continues to work to improve the situation and told attendees “not to lose hope.”