The Growler is interested to see that the Gazette Packet continues to put the violent crime problem in the Inner City on its front page. With two murders in December alone, a rash of assaults in 2005 and a flourishing drug market at Queen and Fayette, it’s about time someone noticed the problem is growing.The City’s latest crime measure is to open a substation – in Arlandria. This, despite the fact that four of the five homicides in Alexandria between January 1, 2004 and January 6, 2006 were committed in Parker-Gray. Go figure.
But there’s a couple of things the Growler would like to say about crime in Parker-Gray.
First, seeing a policeman in Parker-Gray, particularly one on foot, is about as likely as a sighting of the ivory billed woodpecker. In a word, police presence is nearly extinct. The Gazette Packet was told there are two community police officers assigned to the neighborhood as well as one part-timer. But they are rarely seen and if the purpose is to provide deterrence by a visible presence, the effect is negligible.
Serious crimes like homicide, armed robbery and assault are rising because zero tolerance in Parker-Gray has faded away. Alexandria’s police have done little or nothing to crack down on non-violent offenses in Parker-Gray, including drug dealing, prostitution and littering.
Police as well as neighbors are fully aware which corners, which local homes and which local players contribute to the problem, serving as magnets to draw low life from all over the metropolitan area to Parker-Gray. It would appear to the Growler that making life tough for these folks would be about as difficult as shooting fish in a barrel, given a little surveillance and a few undercover guys. Apparently the City’s narcotics squad is getting complacent because the jump-outs that used to occur regularly are just a memory now.
Mayor Euille has been invited to the Inner City Civic Association’s January meeting and is bringing along City Attorney Ignacio Pessoa. If Mr. Pessoa is being trotted out, it’s not because he is in charge of public safety – he’s probably there to explain how the City has no legal authority over the the independent Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA).
If so, that means once again ICCA leadership is myopically focused on public housing, though not all of the murders and other violent offenses have occurred on public housing sites and not all the perpetrators – at least those who have been apprehended – live in public housing.
Real community policing throughout the neighborhood with foot patrols, regular interaction with residents – not just at monthly ICCA meetings – and a squad car prominently in sight at Queen and Fayette and other hot locations would have more immediate impact than trying to squeeze ARHA.
9 comments:
Violent crime in Arlandria has been more than three times higher than in Inner City for the past few years, despite the fact that Inner City has twice the number of residents. And the violence in Arlandria has been escalating a more dramatic rate. (I have the police statistics to demonstrate this).
The homicides are very troubling, but in a couple of instances there were connections between these crimes and Arlandria. I think it's just random happenstance that Inner-city was inflicted with particular crimes and not Arlandria. Up until what happened in 2005, there had twice as many murders in Arlandria than Inner-city (8 as opposed to 4).
Instead of denigrating the proper response that the city is making in Arlandria, I think we should be concerned with all of these incidents and look for ways to deal with them rational. It's really indefensible to demand more than your fair share of attention.
The Growler is stumped by the claim that there have been 8 murders in Arlandria, since the police online database doesn't bear it out.
Is the author stretching the boundaries of Arlandria to include Del Ray, Beverly Hills, and the West End? And what is the time frame for these 8 homicides?
At one time Alexandria police allocated resources based on five targeted crime areas. The Inner City and Arlandia were but two of the five locations. Obviously intra- and inter-neighborhood crime needs to be comprehensively managed. That said, anonymous' Arlandria crime statistics have me baffled. If the Arlandia murder rate is as claimed, then why has it not been front page news? Could Anonymous also be including Arlington crime statistics in his or her analysis?
Some Inner City residents are still trying to figure out exactly where the police substation is located that Captain Crawford refers to in his December 8 Washington Post interview. He said "a police substation is located around the corner from where the [Murphy] slaying occurred." Beats us.
The murders cited refer to the 10 year period prior to 2005.
So where is the police substation Captain Crawford referred to in his 12/8/05 Post interview? He said it was around the corner from where the Murphy slaying occurred. Beats us!
The statement about the homicide statistics should have read, “the past 10 years prior to 2005”.
To see a full comparison of serious crime in Arlandria and Inner City, please see this: Arlandria - Inner City Crime Comparison .
The crime issues in Inner City are serious and deserve attention, but so do the crime issues in Arlandria.
It really is offensive that you would hope to undermine another neighborhood’s efforts.
Please post my correction and follow up comments.
THE SATILLITE STATION CAPT. CRAWFORD WAS REFFERING TO IS LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROAD IN THE 900 BLOCK OF MONTGOMERY STREET.
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