Crime: MPD Launches ‘Hotspot Summer Plan’ for Georgetown
By • May 8, 2023 0 1125
While crime can spike in the summer months, MPD is implementing a plan this week to use data-driven techniques, community policing, and enhanced patrolling to combat public law-breaking at the source. This summer, expect to see MPD’s Second District police officers in dedicated patrols actively engaging with residents and businesses to prevent and respond to crimes “where they occur,” while also building trust and rapport with the community.
In Georgetown’s last ANC 2e meeting Monday May 1, MPD Second District Lt. John Merzig and Sergeant Philip Robinson provided a public safety briefing outlining MPD’s “Hotspot Summer Plan.” The plan is the brainchild of MPD Chief Robert Contee III who recently announced plans to retire to join the FBI effective June 3. Chief Contee, a native Washingtonian, worked his way up through the ranks of MPD since serving as a police cadet at age 17. His broad experience from street-level police patrols, to working within the department, to serving as Second District Commander in Georgetown before becoming Chief of Police has taught him lessons about the power of harnessing data on crime hotspots while also engaging in good old-fashioned community outreach.
“While Chief Contee is still here, we’re implementing his plan of targeted enforcement in Georgetown over the summer,” Lt. Merzig said. “It’s really this ‘hotspot’ idea – or that’s what we’re calling it – where we’re going to have dedicated officers and dedicated locations where we [visit] on a random basis and conduct not only enforcement activity but community building activity – anything that people have concerns with in the neighborhood, whether it be abandoned vehicles, homeless people — and it doesn’t always have to be enforcement action where we’re just writing tickets to people or things like that…. We’re identifying our areas based off our crime trends and then we’re going to focus our patrols and have dedicated officers be in those areas every two hours, randomized, and they’re going to spend at least 15-20 minutes doing some kind of positive activity for that area.”
“We’re rolling it out this week,” Lt. Merzig said of the “Summer Hotspot Plan.” Officers are being trained this week on the administrative side and will be on the streets of Georgetown patrolling next week.
Lt. Merzig invited the commissioners and public to contact him personally or any of the sergeants in the Second District if they had particular crime or public safety matters to discuss. “So, if you guys have any concerns, you can always send them to myself or any of the other sergeants that cover the Georgetown area and I can pass that along to our officers and we’ll be doing this kind of ‘Hotspot Summer Plan.’ So, I hope that works out well and I hope we have some good positive experiences from any of the homeowners and businesses in the area.” Lt. Merzig may be reached at: John.Merzig@dc.gov and Sergeant Robinson may be reached at: Philipd.robinson@dc.gov.
Sergeant Robinson also provided ANC2e with a Georgetown crime report for April 2023. In the 2900-3100 block of K Street, complaints have been made in reference to “students crossing the [street] to get to their rowing classes.” So, police have “beefed up that area” and focused on “stop sign violations.”
In response to 9 shoplifting thefts recently, a dedicated MPD mountain bike patrol has also been added near Safeway at 1855 Wisconsin Ave. NW. ANC2e Chair Elizabeth Miller (2E09) expressed thanks from the Safeway manager for Lt. Merzig’s and the department’s visit and focus on the hotspot.
In April, MPD’s Second District reported no “Sexual Abuse” incidents, 4 “Assaults with a Deadly Weapon” incidents, 2 “Robberies,” 1 “Burglary,” 2 “Thefts from Autos,” 33 “Thefts,” and no cases of “Arson.”
Progress on homeless encampments has been made, Sgt. Robinson said. “I drove by one that I still see near [Key Bridge].” Residents or citizens who wish to report any public safety issues were encouraged to reach out to the Second District Outreach Officer, Natalie Charles at: Natalie.charles@dc.gov.
Notable arrests and incidents in Georgetown for April were also reported. On April 19, on the 2100 block of M Street, a road rage incident over a parking dispute involved one driver pointing a handgun at another, resulting in an arrest on a weapons charge. On April 26, on the 1200 block of Wisconsin Ave. NW, a suspect threw a brick through a window to gain entry into a business and “took assorted merchandise.” On April 23, in the 1300 block of Wisconsin Ave. NW, a suspect emerged from a vehicle to brandish a “toy gun” and then drove with an accomplice to the 1200 block of 28th Street whereby a suspect “produced a weapon while the victims were cleaning outside the location.” Two juveniles were arrested in the string of incidents that also involved assaults in the Second and Fourth Districts.
Three guns were also recovered in Georgetown. One at 1099 30th Street NW, another at 3111 K Street NW, and a third at 2900 M Street NW. Commissioner Mimsy Lindner (2E05) asked how the guns were recovered. Sgt. Robinson said two of the recoveries resulted from guns left in full view in parked cars and spotted by officers on patrol.
Commissioner Topher Mathews (2E02) also requested MPD focus on a hotspot in the alleyway behind Hop, Cask & Barrel on the 1700 block of Wisconsin Ave. where “kids hang out” and disturbances are made. Chair Miller concurred with Mathews’ request and reported call-in support for the idea from Rachel Shank, executive director of Georgetown Main Street. “It’s just been a disturbance for the neighbors,” Miller said. Lt. Merzig and Sgt. Robinson agreed to look into the matter, with Sgt. Robinson saying, “We are aware of that spot.”
Commissioner John DiPierri (2E08), a student at Georgetown University, asked Sgt. Robinson if any disturbances were reported from the Georgetown Day festivities the previous Friday. None were reported, Sgt. said. But, the Second District did distribute “crime prevention and sexual assault literature at the farmers market on campus.”
Finally, Lt. Merzig discussed a significant factor in the drop in burglaries in Georgetown over the last year. When the city pursues “catch-and-jail” over “catch-and-release” approaches to robbers, it results in far fewer incidents and has a “direct effect on reducing crime.”
