Free Outdoor Movie in Edgewood Tonight on the MBT!!

Enjoy the beautiful weather and cult classic The Princess Bride starting at dusk (around 7:45 pm) tonight on the Met Branch Trail next to the new pedestrian bridge.  This is being cosponsored by Friends of Edgewood and the MBT 5K.  

https://www.facebook.com/events/1618039881817125/

Autobody Paint Facility Permit Rulemaking - Update and Hearing

From: "Marshall, Karim (DDOE)" <Karim.Marshall@dc.gov>
Date: August 26, 2015 at 5:17:26 PM EDT
Cc: "kmcduffie@dccouncil.us" <kmcduffie@dccouncil.us>, "Jackson, Gregory N (EOM)" <gregoryn.jackson@dc.gov>, "Hines, Charon (EOM)" <Charon.Hines@dc.gov>, "Gluckman, Judah (EOM)" <judah.gluckman@dc.gov>
Subject: Autobody Paint Facility Permit Rulemaking - Update and Hearing

Dear Commissioners and Concerned Residents:

 

The Council of the District of Columbia (the Council) recently passed two laws that affect business and residents throughout Ward 5. Bill 21-0281 the “Ward 5 Paint Spray Booth Moratorium Emergency Act of 2015” and Bill 21-282 the “Ward 5 Paint Spray Booth Moratorium Temporary Act of 2015” prohibit the permitting of any additional automobile paint spray operations in Ward 5 as well as the issuance of permit renewals for facilities with permits expiring between July 23, 2015 and March 14, 2016. 

 

Mayor Bowser has directed the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) to conduct a comprehensive review of the spray booth permitting process and revise our regulations to address the concerns raised by the legislation. All unpermitted facilities have been directed to cease operations. Any facility with a permit that expires during the moratorium period will be required to cease operations when their permit expires. If any auto body painting occurs at a facility operating without an active permit, they may be subject to fines or other penalties.

 

The moratorium extends through March 14, 2016.  

 

To obtain stakeholder input on the contents of revised regulations, DOEE will host a public outreach meeting on September 29, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.

Department of Energy and Environment

1200 First Street, NE, 

5^th Floor 

Washington, DC  20002

 

All interested parties are welcome to provide input.  Examples of regulation revisions DDOE is considering and seeks input on are as follows:

 

1)    Adoption of more stringent volatile organic compound (VOC) paint content standards currently in place in California and some other states;

2)    Possible VOC emission control strategies such as the use of carbon filters, carbon cartridges, carbon beds, or other control methods;

3)    Emission stack parameters, such as height restrictions;

4)    Paint booth design parameters; or

5)    Any other emission or odor control strategies that might be suggested at the stakeholder meeting.

 

DOEE requests that those planning to attend the meeting notify Mr. William Bolden at 202-535-2250 or william.bolden@dc.gov by September 28, 2015.  Written suggestions may also be submitted by mail to Mr. Bolden at 1200 First Street N.E., 5^th Floor, Washington, DC 20002by September 28, 2015.

 

Crime Statistics from MPD

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

In Case You Missed It: Addressing Violent Crime in Washington, DC

In Case You Missed It…

Below are facts from Police Chief Cathy Lanier regarding violent crime in the city that were provided to the Council for the District of Columbia and members of the community.

ADDRESSING VIOLENT CRIME IN WASHINGTON, DC

THE NATIONAL TRENDS:

Most major cities are experiencing similar problems with violent crime.

• However, none of these cities are dealing with the legalization of marijuana, and
• None have had any significant new strategies or reorganizations.

*But what the cities do have in common are:

• 3 out of every 4 responding cities have seen increases in homicides this year;
• 60% have seen an increase in non-fatal shootings;
• Nearly half reported scenes with cases from multiple guns and/or high capacity magazines;
• Nearly half reported an increase in gang-related/retaliatory violence;
• 30% reported an increase in violent crime in which the offender is under the influence of synthetic drugs

From an August 2015 survey by the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

FRAMING THE CHALLENGES IN WASHINGTON, DC:

Release of Repeat Violent Offenders:  At a time when there is growing consensus about the need to modernize the criminal justice system – from policing, through sentencing, to incarceration – we cannot forget that our communities need to be protected from violent offenders.

In DC, we are seeing an increase in the number of repeat violent offenders involved in our shootings and homicides.  So far this year:

• At least 22 of our homicide arrestees were under supervision pending trial or on probation or parole at the time of the crime.  This is a substantial increase from the 15 under supervision we had all of 2014.
• At least 20 of our homicide victims were under supervision pending trial or on probation or parole at the time of the crime.
• 10 individuals involved in homicides this year had prior homicide charges.
• Almost half, or 45%, of the homicide arrestees had prior gun-related arrests in DC (compared to 27% in 2014); meaning nearly half of the persons responsible for these homicides had previously been arrested for carrying or using illegal guns in the commission of a crime.
• And when it comes to illegal guns, like the national trend, we too are seeing more instances in which multiple guns or high capacity magazines were involved or recovered.

Synthetic Drugs:  Often referred to as synthetic marijuana, this drug is not at all like marijuana and the effects are very different.  It is an extremely dangerous drug and if not addressed federally, we will have a public health crisis on our hand as its use continues to expand. More and more cities are seeing increased violence associated with the drug.

In Washington, DC, we are already seeing the growing impact of the drug:

• In June of this year, the DCFEMS transported almost 450 patients to local hospitals suffering from overdoses on synthetic drugs.
• In July, Pretrial Services Agency, one of the federal supervision agencies for the District of Columbia, tested 136 individuals arrested for violent crimes and found that 20% were positivefor synthetic drugs.  Synthetic drugs have now replaced cocaine as the most frequently found in the test of arrestees other than marijuana.  Why is this occurring?  Because there are no requirements for its inclusion in universal drug screenings; therefore, people don’t worry about losing a job or being returned to jail if their conditions of release prohibit drug use. That is why the Major Cities Chiefs Association recommended that this type of drug screening be mandatory for everyone under supervision in our communities.  

***********************

Centralization of Drug Units:  There are those who assert that the centralization of the drug units has led to an increase in violence; however, the evidence does not support that assertion.

• Homicides began to increase in March; the vice units were not centralized until June 16th.
• Simply put, the vice units had ceased to be as effective as they once were, largely due to the changes in criminal enterprises and drug markets that have made our tactics obsolete.
• The productivity of the vice units had dropped precipitously.  In the first four months of 2015, non-marijuana drug arrest had decreased 31 percent.  Search warrants and gun recoveries by these units were also declining.  Those were telling signs that we had to modernize our approach and change our tactics.
• The fact is, the violence does not appear to stem from the legalization of marijuana or disputes over drug markets.
• Additionally, when you look at the number of non-marijuana drug arrests, and also remove arrests for mere possession, from June to mid-August compared to the same time last summer, our drug arrests have increased 9 percent, which would suggest that our new strategy – and our focus on the seller, not the addict – has been effective in getting more dealers off the streets.

2015 HOMICIDES
As of August 25, there have been 103 homicides.  At this same time last year, there had been 72 homicides.

• In the Seventh District, homicides have increased by 95 percent.  The Fifth District has seen the next largest increase, with a 67 percent increase from last year.
• Taken together, the Fifth and Seventh Districts account for 84 percent of the overall increase from last year.

Trends in Motives?  In terms of the “reasons” for or other identifiable similarities that may account for the increase in homicides, a glance at the known motives reveals an array of troubling reasons.  A common theme being individuals are choosing to settle arguments or disputes through extremely violent means.  (* = DOMESTIC)

Table of Motives

Motive	Number
Robbery	16
Illegal Gambling/Dice	7
Altercation	6
Disputes	3 (including 2 neighborhood disputes)
Retaliation	3
Unintended Target	2
Child Abuse	1
Accidental	1

*some of these motives may fall under more than one incident
 

Argument	* Between step-son and his step-father, who is fatally stabbed	Stabbing
Argument	Between victim and suspect over a woman	Shooting
Argument	Between the victim and suspect (acquaintances); at a nightclub	Shooting
Robbery	In an attempt to rob victim, suspect had made arrangements to meet victim at hotel	Stabbing
Argument	* During which boyfriend asphyxiates his girlfriend	Asphyxiation
Retaliation	Suspect believed the victim had allowed another suspect to be robbed during a gun deal at which the victim was present	Shooting
Argument	* Between two brothers, who had a history of not getting along	Shooting
Argument	The victim was heard arguing with an unknown individual	Stabbing
Retaliation	The victim reportedly fired multiple rounds into the suspect’s grandmother’s home.  The suspect retaliated by fatally shooting the victim.	Shooting
Argument	Over $20 and illegal gambling	Shooting
Argument	Between the victim and mother of his child, when her brother intervened and fatally stabbed the victim	Stabbing
Argument	Between victim and suspect over a woman	Shooting
Altercation	Victim, who was intoxicated, struck the suspect with his fist. The fight was broken up, but the suspect fatally stabbed the victim	Stabbing
Argument	At a nightclub; one party was elbowed by the other	Shooting
Argument	That began in Maryland when one party looked at the other party in the wrong manner	Shooting
Argument	Stemming from the victim stealing drugs and guns from the suspect	Stabbing
Robbery	Suspect attempts to rob three family members and housekeeper	Other
Argument	* Between victim's mother and her husband; Victim intervened	Stabbing
Argument	Victim came to the area to pick up the girlfriend of one of the suspects	Shooting
Unintended Target	Victim was not the intended target of the suspect(s)	Shooting
Argument	* Between victim and suspect, who were intimate partners	Stabbing
Argument	* Between victim and suspect, who were intimate partners	Stabbing
Argument	Between victim and an individual in the area in which he was killed	Blunt Force Trauma
Altercation	The victim was reportedly involved in an altercation the day of or day prior	Shooting
Dispute	A longtime feud between neighborhood groups	Shooting
Dispute	A longtime feud between neighborhood groups	Shooting
Retaliation	Victim was said to have been killed for shooting another individual who resides in same neighborhood	Shooting
Argument	* Between cousins	Shooting
Argument	Victim thought suspect was having an affair with his girlfriend; he approached suspect and was stabbed	Stabbing
Altercation	Victim and suspect were involved in an altercation; suspect left and retrieved gun; returned and killed the victim	Shooting
Altercation	Victim had an altercation with a woman while boarding a bus; victim became involved in another altercation with the suspect, who followed the victim into the street and stabbed him	Stabbing
Child abuse	* Abuse at the hands of father results in death of infant	Blunt force trauma
Unintended Target	Victim was not the intended target of the suspect(s)	Shooting
Argument	The suspect had been hit by a rock thrown by the victim's son	Shooting
Argument	* Between cousins; over rent and alleged theft of a ring	Shooting
Altercation	Between the victim and suspect during a basketball game	Stabbing
Argument	Between victim and suspect, who struck the victim in the face causing him to fall and strike his head on the sidewalk/curb	Blunt Force Trauma

 

Locations	2014	2015
Outside	56%	74%
In Vehicle	11%	20%
Inside	33%	6%

Homicides by Month: 2008 to 2015

 

Homicides and Closures by District

McDuffie to Hold Violent Crime Roundtable

For Immediate Release: 

Contact: Dionne Calhoun, 202.724.8028 (main); 202.297.0152 (mobile); dcalhoun@dccouncil.us

Washington, DC - Today, Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie (D – Ward 5), Chairperson of the Committee on the Judiciary, announced that he will hold a public hearing on rising violent crime in the District of Columbia The hearing will be held on Wednesday, September 16, in the Council Chambers, Room 500, at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., at 5:00 p.m.  

On Saturday, August 22, 2015, the 100th homicide of the year was committed in the District which represents a 36 percent increase, to date, over last year. “These homicides, and other violent crimes, have devastated families and communities across the city. The purpose of this hearing is to discuss the steps that the city is taking to prevent and respond to violent crime, and to address the underlying causes,” McDuffie said.

The hearing will also consider Bill 21-0261, “The Sale of Synthetic Drugs Amendment Act of 2015”.

Councilmember McDuffie has been discussing strategies to combat crime in the District with Mayor Muriel Bowser, Chief Cathy Lanier, residents, representatives from the Department of Justice, and national and local organizations. As a result of those discussions, and additional research by his office, Councilmember McDuffie will be introducing legislation to address the spike in violent crime when the Council reconvenes in September. More information on the legislation will be forthcoming.

Volunteers needed! First Day of School Slow Down Campaign- August 24th, 6:30-7:30 am

Come volunteer with me and your neighbors for to promote safe driving as kids start back at school on Monday.  

Sign up here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/first-day-of-school-slow-down-campaign-tickets-18043190669

Illegal Gun Initiative ReLaunch Today

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 19, 2015

CONTACT: 
Christina Harper – 202.727.5011

 

Mayor Bowser, Chief Lanier to Relaunch Illegal Gun Initiative

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, August 19^th at 2:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Recreation Center, Mayor Muriel Bowser with Police Chief Cathy Lanier will relaunch the District’s illegal gun initiative. So far this year, MPD has taken 944 illegal guns off the street. The District seeks the public’s help to identify violent offenders who carry illegal firearms. By getting guns off the street, residents can help prevent more tragedies. Residents with information about ANY crime or who would like to report an illegal gun should call 202.727.9099 or text an anonymous tip to 50411. 

WHO:
Mayor Muriel Bowser                                                                                                                 
Police Chief Cathy Lanier

WHEN:
Today, August 19^th at 2:30 p.m.

WHERE:
Kennedy Recreation Center
1401 7th Street, NW

Alley Repair and Cleanup

 I wanted to let neighbors know that we should start to see some long standing issues closed out starting this week.  I have been following up with DDOT, DPW and DCRA to address the concerns in one of our alleys in our SMD since I took office in January.  Last week I meet with Tommie Jones from the Mayor's office as well as representatives from these agencies to do a walk thru of the area to determine what we can do to help repair and cleanup the alley between 3rd/4th/Adams/Bryant Streets NE. We discussed repairs to the large potholes and that first a determination would have to be made about which areas are in fact public space.  They will be repairing those public space areas this week weather permitting.  

They are also contacting property owners of the empty lot/building/parking spaces for maintaince and securing their building   There is a lot of illegal dumping and overgrowth in the alley which adds to the problems. To combat this I am going to be organizing a cleanup day for this alley with the Mayor's office and will let you know more details soon.