06 Feb 2013

Let's Talk About Crime

mpdc-logoOne thing we have always wanted to be is a service and resource to the residents of Capitol Hill by providing information in a single place so you can know what’s going on where and when.  Crime is part of that, but it’s a topic we have failed to cover as well as we would like.  There are a number of reasons for this, starting with a lack of time to act like investigative reporters.  (News flash: we’re just a bunch of bloggers who do this on our lunch breaks at work, while our kids nap, etc., not actual journalists.)  But we do want to help get the word out there about the crime that is happening all around us, so we are going to experiment with a new weekly series: The Weekly Crime Report.  Or something like that…we haven’t agreed on a title for it yet.

This is not intended to scare people away from our neighborhood or make it seem like the Hill is dangerous. Whether or not crime has actually spiked in our neighborhood (I honestly have not looked closely at statistics and MPD’s crime map has been down since September) it still occurs around us more than we want to see.  We need to be aware of it and take the time to report it. Why? Well reporting the theft of a few items from your garage might seem like a hassle but the more information the police have on these incidents, the more likely they are to track and stop the issue.

What we will be sharing is the simple crime reports that MPD releases to the public on a daily or weekly basis.  What we hope to achieve with this is:

  • Highlight the fact that these public reports are often hard to understand and even misleading at times. Why?  Because we want to see MPD’s communication with the public improve. Our local government agencies, including the MPD, is great at using social media, email blasts and text alerts but they could stand to improve their communication skills a little.  Their language and their audience’s language are not always aligned.
  • Remind people that muggings, robberies and assaults happen an unsettling amount at all hours, so we need to be vigilant.  The means you need take out the ear buds, put your phone away and pay attention to your surroundings. It’s called City Living 101.
  • Start holding public officials responsible.  Too often residents leave public safety meetings unsatisfied with the canned responses that they receive when asked about what the city is doing about crime. Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells, who is likely running for mayor, has always touted that he wants us to have a “livable, walkable” community. Heck, it’s the slogan on his new website dedicated to his potential mayoral run.  But, in my opinion, the community – and the city – cannot truly be “livable and walkable” with so much crime. Wells has recently been tapped to chair the Council’s Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, so we see this as a perfect way for him to show how serious he is about making our neighborhood and city safer.  I’m sort of picking on Wells because of his impending mayoral run and because he is our councilmember but it’s not just about him. It’s about all of our city officials.  The At-Large City Council members and Mayor Gray need to be part of the solution as well but are not frequently seen or heard from in our neighborhood.

If you want more information about a crime listed that’s listed in our report, it will be best to go to the MPD 1st District Yahoo Group and ask there.  Commander Hickson and his staff are diligent about responding to questions.  As we see updates to the crime reports, we will update the posts as best as we can.

Stay tuned for more and please do your part to help make our community safer.  Be aware of your surroundings, don’t leave valuables in your car, lock your doors, and report any suspicious activity.  And if you’re interested in helping us cover crime more in depth, please email us at thehillishome [at] gmail [dot] com.

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