Northwest D.C. residents on edge after burglaries
By Erica W. Morrison,
The owner of a D.C. security firm, Sandra Cox felt fortunate after her alarm company alerted her of a break-in at her home in Shepherd Park on Sept. 9: Nothing was taken.
But other residents of the area surrounding Cox’s quiet Northwest neighborhood haven’t been so lucky: Police say that six homes have been broken into since mid-August in Police Service Area 401 , near the city’s northern tip. Gold jewelry and electronics have been stolen.
Now, Cox, owner of American Security Communications, says neighbors are increasingly inquiring about their options. Many, she said, have asked about systems that don’t require a land-line telephone, because there have been rumors — which police would not confirm — that telephone wires were cut during the break-ins.
“The community is really on edge about it,” Cox said, adding that “the anxiety level is still very high.”
Burglaries are up nine percent in the 4th Police District, which includes Shepherd Park, this year, according to police statistics. Citywide, they have increased by 14 percent. In 2010, property crime rose in the District while violent crime fell, according to FBI statistics.
Many of Cox’s neighbors were unaware of the recent rash of burglaries until a high-profile neighbor’s house was broken-into: Jeanne Estrada said she returned home on the afternoon of Sept. 13 to find “tons of cop cars” outside the home of Harold L. Cushenberry Jr., a D.C. Superior Court judge.
Police did not find anyone inside Cushenberry’s home, and officials said the crime appeared to be random and not targeted at the judge.
“We chose this neighborhood because it was safe and away from the city,” said Estrada, who moved to the neighborhood within the past year. “But in this world today, nothing is safe.”
Neighborhood e-mail groups have buzzed with discussion of the break-ins, and on the day after the incident, about 20 residents filled a room at the Shepherd Park library for a monthly meeting with two officers who regularly patrol the area.
Residents peppered the officers with questions and concerns. “I’m afraid to be in my own home again,” one woman said, recalling a series of break-ins last year.
The two officers urged neighbors to turn on their security systems even if they’re leaving their home for only a short time. Some recent burglary victims had not activated theirs, according to police.
Cmdr. Kimberly Chisley-Missouri of the 4th Police District said burglaries in the area are not uncommon. In response to the latest break-ins, police plan to establish a more-active presence in alleys, she said, because some of the thieves forced open rear doors and windows.
Residents, meanwhile, have been asked to be vigilant and call 911 if they see something that makes them uneasy.
“We use the neighborhood as our eyes and ears,” Chisley-Missouri said. “If you see something, say something.”
Breaking and entering
From Sept. 14, 2010, to Sept. 14, 2011, there was an increase in burglaries in all but one of the District’s seven police districts . During the same period in previous years, more districts had declines. Read related article.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/northwest-dc-residents-on-edge-after-burglaries/2011/09/16/gIQAfvjtlK_story.html
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