Police Verdict: South Silver Spring is a safe place to live
By Silver Springer • Feb 27th, 2007 • Category: Uncategorized
The South Silver Spring Neighborhood Association (SSSNA) held a community meeting last night at the Eastern Village Condominium complex. Invited to give an update on crime in the area was Commander Betsy Davis of the 3rd district. The commander is a long time Silver Spring resident that covers 32 square miles of the Silver Spring area.
Along with her were officers, Joy Petile, T.M. Brenner and Sgt. Kevin Sullivan.
The district includes a motor squad of six to seven officers and an undercover unit that covers robbery and drug trade amongst other things.
Evan Glass, President of the neighborhood association shared concerns regarding building safety of the newly developed area. There are several recent residential additions to the South Silver Spring area. In addition to Eastern Village, the Gramax Towers, Bennington, Aurora, 8045 Newell Street, Silverton and MICA condos have been occupied less than 4 years. In the future there will be the soon to be completed Silver Spring Gateway, a 457unit residential building by JBG, 8021 Georgia Avenue, recently resurrected 1200 East West Highway and possibly The Galaxy and 1200 Blair Mill.
The most pressing issue was the Kennett Street garage where auto theft of Hondas, Ford Crown Victorias and Dodge models were being targeted although infrequent.
The Travelodge/Days Inn on 13th street has been recognized as the breeder of crime activity in the area by the community. Officer Joy of community services reported that in the past six months only two incidents occurred at the Travelodge/Days Inn.
Daniel Owusu, D.C. Regional Manger of the Baywood motel chain (why aren’t the Silver Spring locations mentioned on their website?) noted several steps that were being taken to address unwanted activity. Cameras and new lighting have been put in place in the interior and exterior of the two motels. They have tried to use a system of profiling in addition to picture ID but have encountered legal issues with profiling. Recording license plates was also a tactic used.
The Subway at the corner of 13th street and Eastern Avenue has been singled out as a target for crime. Three incidents have occurred since November of last year.
Of the few crime reports in the past six months, there was an attempted burglary at the 7900 Block of Eastern Avenue and the aforesaid stolen vehicle incidents.
Officer Sullivan attributed the crime issues in downtown Silver Spring to a transient population in the surrounding jurisdictions.
Although Montgomery County Police works with the District Police, they cannot apprehend suspects that cross the state line unless they have committed a violent crime. Officer Brenner gave words of advice for community members to collect descriptive information on suspicious suspects and activity. Information goes to a crime analyst first then to a database.
Attendees wondering whether hiring security service or an off duty police officer would be a good idea. Commander Betsy Davis and the other officers questioned if there was a need with the relatively low crime in the area. The consensus was that South Silver Spring was a safe and recommendable neighborhood.
Representative of Valerie Ervin attends
Ben Stutz, assistant to County Council Member was invited to the meeting to hear the requests of community members involving transportation issues. Stutz disclosed the difficulty of getting transportation changes implemented. A new Stop sign for example can take a several months. More difficult are changes on state highways like 410 (East West Highway) and Route 29 (Georgia and Colesville). He noted the new cross walk signal on East West highway was 10 years in the making at the request of Blair residents.
Community residents requested,
- A right turn traffic signal at the corner of Georgia Avenue and 13th street, a notorious intersection with severe safety issues. The intersection leaves no chance for those coming of 13th street to head north onto Georgia Avenue.
- Crosswalks at the corner of Kennett and Newell Streets
- Speed bumps on 13th street.
- A crosswalk on East-West highway leading into the Blair Mill Arts Center.
David Fogel, Vice President of SSSNA, mentioned that quick enforcement of clean up for the neglected Galaxy lot on 13th street and other vacant lots that are planned for residential developments need to take place soon. DCHA is in charge of enforcement and fining.
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“Officer Sullivan attributed the crime issues in downtown Silver Spring to a transient population in the surrounding jurisdictions.”
Translation…you have black kids coming from the poor neighborhoods of northeast DC (Georgia Ave. corridor) looking for trouble. Watch out for groups of young black males getting off Metro buses or the Metro red line station. We don’t want this unscrupulous, minority youth from DC robbing the increasingly white gentrified residents of Silver Spring.
I agree with ihateyuppies. I think we should strive to turn Silver Spring into a big shithole that scares away people who want to rob yuppies.
Well, guys, there aren’t that many criminals in this world that are dumb enough to shit where they live, ya know what I mean? So by transient, the officer could have meant, you know, people who do not live in Silver Spring, commit crimes in Silver Spring, and then return to the place from whence they came. Don’t play the race card.
So, the Day’s Inn put in cameras to address “unwanted activity”? Do those hookers who appear to be renting rooms there count as unwanted?
As someone who studies crime patterns, note that the presence of the metro station is the likely reason for “transients” committing crime in the South Silver Spring area. Crime close to metro stations (any metro stations) is always a concern. The metro station allows for folks to quickly come and go from the area.
The Blairs has 24-hour security officers that drive around the complex in marked vehicles. I have never heard a story of them apprehending anyone, but know that just recently someone was mugged in a parking lot there.
Speaking of the Blairs, a friend of mine was looking out his window from Blair Tower and he noticed a mugging in the parking lot…in broad fucking daylight. Three young women were robbed by two males. The women screamed but they gave up their goods when the muggers pointed pistols at them.
MPoulin is right about the Metro station and bus terminal. These “transients” (MoCo Police means young black males from DC) stop off at the Silver Spring Metro bus station. It’s easy for criminals to scout for prey within walking distance of a public transportation station.
The other problem is that Silver Spring is on the border. If a punk kid mugs someone and he makes a run for the DC border, MontCo cops have to call DCMP and stop the chase. Criminals know that Silver Spring is a “soft zone” for commiting and then escaping from the location of the crime. Just cross Eastern Ave. and you can disappear into the night without a trace.
btw…I have witnessed DC cops (with DCMP cars) stake out locations in downtown Silver Spring in cooperation with Montgomery County police. Although DC cops cannot arrest offenders in MontCo, they can point out the known offenders who make their home in the District (surprise, surprise). MontCo police and DC narcotic officers participate in drug busts in downtown SS too. Criminal activity between DC and Silver Spring is wide open territory; that’s why there is close cooperation between the two police forces.
SSBoricua: Your post makes no sense. Crime was higher when Silver Spring was a shithole back in the 1980s and 1990s. Muggers, thieves, pimps, hookers, and rapists were having a field day in the old crappy Silver Spring. But there is no denying that MontCo cops have increased patrols and beat presence through out downtown Silver Spring because of white gentrification.
Hater Said: “there is no denying that MontCo cops have increased patrols and beat presence through out downtown Silver Spring because of white gentrification.”
The fact is that crime gone down because new residents, black, asian and pink, have moved into the area and have begun taking care of their neighborhood.
If Hater stopped hating all the change around him and actually got to know some people who own any of the new condos, he’d realize that they are a truly diverse group.
Speaking of cops in DTSS, I parked in the garage across from the Tasty Diner yesterday in the late afternoon (3 pm or so) and the first floor of the garage and the street in front of the garage entrance were loaded with county police cars. I thought that they might be having a gathering of some kind at the diner, but I didn’t see them in there. Do the county police park in there for foot patrols or something? I just was kind of curious.
I know it doesn’t make sense. Does hating yuppies and being a young urban professional yourself make sense?
Hater,
Please take all of your anger to a therapist and not spew it all over every single Silver Spring blog.
Chill!
In hindsight, I should have removed the last two posts. Unlike Blogger, you can’t remove posts after you submit the message on WordPress.
The posts are not relevant to the topic. Moderator, if you are reading, please remove “IHateYuppies” posts at 5:26 p.m. and 5:46 p.m.
Thanks.
I’m glad to see South Silver Spring is safe. Now how about the rest of us?
wow. ihateyuppies you should change your name to something more fitting. You pratically have made it known that you hate more than just yuppies. This area might not be for you hon..
To BlairAlumni and Anonymous Coward:
I seem to recall several posts on Silver Spring Scene about the Majestic movie theater that were filled with racist overtones. Obviously, the posters were white and they felt threatened by black teenagers in the movie theater. I am not the one spewing the racist garbage; it’s the supposed enlighted white yuppies who post idiotic, racist rants.
I believe the moderator of this blog had to intervene in the thread and remind everyone to tone down the racial rants.
It’s the white, more affluent Silver Spring residents who are proposing the tearing down of City Place or replacing the low-price retailers with more higher-end establishments (i.e. Williams & Sonoma, Bed, Bath & Beyond etc). They would enjoy nothing more than to deny lower income minorities the chance to shop in downtown Silver Spring. That’s not an opinion but fact.
I assume you shun “all things yuppie”? If you don’t, you’re a hypocritic bigot.
I haven’t met a single self-proclaimed “yuppie hater” that didn’t enjoy a good overpriced microbrew…
BTW, I’m not a yuppie myself, but I CAN’T STAND people that label themselves with holier-than-thou monikers like yourself. Yeah, consumerism may suck, but if it wasn’t for yuppies we wouldn’t have a lot of the nice ammenities many people enjoy.
BTW(2), what I meant by I’m better than u… I speak four different languages fluently; probably have more advanced degrees than you; surely make more money than you; and most assuredly have done more in my life to help those less fortunate than me.
Hater of all things:
You are mean spirited and lack any sense of decorum. Please stop attacking black people and anyone else who differs in your views.
Borderline: “Please stop attacking black people and anyone else who differs in your views.”
I have a right to defend myself when somebody calls me a “hypocrite” or a “vendejo” or a “racist”. If SS Boricua attacks me on this blog, I am not going to sit there and not respond. Maybe I should ignore his or her immature posts. Anyway, I make no apologies for my direct replies.
It’s no secret that Montgomery County police targets young African-Americans coming from the District. I don’t support the racial profiling. So how I am a racist if I call out a police department for racial profiling?
Hater: BTW6, it’s fun a hell to piss you off! Yes, I am an arrogant and intelligent prick.
Any comments on your appreciation of yuppie things?
Back to the original purpose of this post: How about them Nationals?
Arrogant and Intelligent Prick…nice to meet you!
I am the Hypocritical Yuppie Hater. See…we’re both ass holes after all.
Yuppie Things I Own: Apple iPOD, Movado watch, a few designer shirts and jackets, IKEA furniture crap, a subscription to The Economist and Atlantic Monthly.
The Nationals will finish dead last in the NL East this year. It’s a rebuilding year for them but I think they will bounce back and kick butt when they get into the stadium in 2008. Go Nats!
Seriously you guys need to stop this mess. Why ask the blogger to erase previous comments if you are going to continue making similar comments. and SSboricua stop egging him/her on. Thank you now hold hands and sing Kumbaya, make takoma proud.
Sorry about this. It got out of control. I apologize if my posts were out of line.
I am a little late in the conversation but I wanted to leave my comments after some of the postings, specially about the Blair Apartments. I was walking thru the parking lot of the Blair’s and saw the mugging of a Russian woman. She screamed and ran around the lot looking for help. The security guard who was stopped in front of the Giant, talking on his cell phone, could not hear the woman. He eventually drove off not offering help, even after the police came (you would think flashing police lights might signal there was a problem). After placing several calls, I did not get any help from the Blair’s or the police. As a former robbery victim this is really disturbing to me that nobody seems to care, especially the Blair management. What happened to looking out for your community and the people who help pay for your services. The Blair’s have very, very, very poor customer service and management. I wouldn’t tell anyone to move to the Blair’s. A few days after the incident I called the police and the Blair Apartments to find out what finally happened, and I can’t even get an honest answer from them. It’s as if the Blair’s want all of these people to move in, but don’t want to work together to have a safe community. Across the street from the Blair’s they’re condos that are going for $300,000 or more. Who wants to pay that much for a place to live when theres crime? We have to let people know that bad things do happen here. I also agree with the previous posts, Blair Security does not help what so ever in the security of the property, just look at the parking situation, as mentioned earlier. I play a lot of money for rent and I don’t get much satisfaction for the money. Sorry for the long post, but I am frustrated about the sistuation, as a previous victim, and this seemed like the best place to vent.
OMG…The Yuppie Hater finally apoligzed for his ridiculous, offensive rants. I guess all these months of blogger after blogger after blogger not letting him get away with his nonesense, he finally saw the the light.
BTW–Yuppies don’t really buy “IKEA crap”, since they are educated enough and make enough money to buy real furniture (or at least the next step up in crap–Pottery Barn).