May 19, 2008
Morning Roundup: By the Numbers Edition
Good morning, Washington. One man was killed and two people wounded early Sunday in a shooting outside the Cardinal's Nest tavern near the Brookland neighborhood in Northeast. The shooting has led both to calls for the Cardinal's Nest to be shuttered, and to the year-to-date murder rate to now match that of last year and appear to be on pace to increase. The weekend shooting also contributed to the 5th Police District's high crime statistics, where about one-third of the 2008 homicides have occurred. In other crime-related news, the Post reported over the weekend that the MPD plans to arm its officers with semi-automatic weapons rifles.
Evans Suddenly Supports Obama: Ward 2 Council member and longtime Hillary Clinton supporter Jack Evans says he is supporting Sen. Barack Obama for the presidential nomination. City Desk quotes Evans as saying he's decided to support Obama now because of the momentum the candidate appears to have, despite the fact that he's been elected to serve as an at-large delegate pledged to Clinton.
Metro Could Create Many New Express Bus Routes: The Examiner reports that Metro is proposing a dramatic increase in the number of express bus routes, similar to the Georgia Avenue limited-stop Metro Extra line. Agency officials want to create 18 new bus priority corridors during the next six years, with a focus on targeting the busiest bus lines for the additions. The proposal is set to be presented to WMATA's Board of Directors on Thursday.
Briefly Noted: D.C. police officer struck, injured by vehicle ... Police search for gunman in Kalorama shooting ... Rabid fox attacks Arlington woman ... The D.C. Council finally received their Nationals tickets.
Photo by Brian Knight Photography
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i'm going to broach the godwin law right off the bat here, and you can all call me a jerk for doing this, but i think jack evans would support hitler if he felt it would get him a few more votes.
Ah, the crucial Jack Evans endorsement. This could be the coup de grace for Hillary.
Actually, MPD officers are already armed with semi-automatic weapons - their handguns, and are planning to add semi-automatic RIFLES to their equipment.
My concern is that this could tie officers to their patrol cars more, where presumably the AR-15 will be kept. I can't imagine officers on foot patrol, horseback or bicycle lugging along such a long barreled, shoulder-fired weapon. Also, I can picture the AR-15 being stolen from the patrol car while the MPD officers are off doing something.
Doesn't MPD already have a SWAT team with such weapons available on call 24-7?
I don't think I can go a single day without using the words "Jack Evans" and "Hitler" in the same sentence. Which reminds me, who's the disgusting Hitler who forgot to flush the Jack Evans? You people are pigs.
I just don't see how a handful of random patrol officers carrying around semi-auto rifles is going to make the city any safer! Is that really going to stop the random drive-bys and club shootings??? All it will accomplish is making DC feel like it's in lock-down mode and highten tensions between residents and the police. I don't even feel comfortable walking by the Capitol Police who carry these weapons, let alone some Army of One walking down U St.
How about these newly armed officers "escort" the March on Potomac Gardens? Would that help the situation in this city?
those semi-automatic weapons will come in real handy for the police as they hang out in front of 7 Eleven doing absolutely nothing (aside from eating their donuts). at least they'll look tough and intimidating.
Mr Tin DC, I thought the same thing about "automatic weapons". Anti-gun people get so scared by words they dont understand.
SEMI-auto weapons? Is that ALL? What happend to all the BFG9000s they included as a line-item in last year's police budget? I thought that law enforcement had finally be given some TEETH.
So every time there is a shooting outside a club we have to shut it down? Really? Why not just shut down all clubs, because that seems to be the intention anyway, instead of waiting around for each club to have its own piece of random violence.
I hope we'll be seeing some express routes and more frequent reliable service on the
Virginia side as well. Apart from the Orange Line corridor, public transport in N. Virginia is just too infrequent and unreliable to be practical.
Is it just me, or did WashingtonPost.com shrink the font for their articles?
Wait, DC is actually purchasing the BFG?
and while i'm at it, can i kvetch this morning about these coldplay ads? i keep accidentally mousing over them, and they cover up what i'm trying to read...grrr
I can answer out of towners when they ask me how Marion Barry keeps getting reelected, but for the life of me I don't know how Jack Evans does so.
More express bus routes! Yay!
The link about the rabid fox does not work.
Why aren't there term limits for the DC Council? It would be nice to have some new blood in there every few years...
Actually, those rifles will come in handy the next time some kid steals an off-duty officer's bike. Try not to slip on all the hot brass that's littering the street.
I'm sure AR-15's would only be issued for officers to use while operating a patrol car, as many other jurisdictions do - you're not going to see bike or horse cops with long guns slung over their shoulder. The locks that secure the rifle in the trunk or to the dash of the cruisers are VERY heavy duty, but I wouldn't underestimate the determination of criminals here. And yes, almost all regular pistols that aren't old six-shooters [revolvers] are semi-automatic. Hell, DC's gun laws are written to poorly that technically the Glocks MPD carry are 'Machine Guns'.
Can we arm our officers with rabid foxes? Ineffective as range weapons, but hide one in back seat of a partol car and watch as arrests plumment. Or back in the interrogation room for a round of good cop-rabid fox cop.
...it is not unusual for criminals to have body armor and higher-powered guns in street robberies, bank heists and drive-by shootings. Police said the rifles would be useful when officers respond to bank robberies or hostage situations...
As much as I support the cops, when is the last time MPD got into a shootout with a body armor-clad mugger, or a 'Dog Day Afternoon' bank stand-off?
The city got the AR-15 rifles from the Department of Defense for free as military surplus items. Police are waiting for mounts so the weapons can be securely locked in police cruisers and slings for officers to carry them over the shoulders.
The rifles may be free, but I can't imagine how expensive it's going to be to have gunsmiths maintain the guns, MPD to pay for range time and ammo to qualify officers, and lawsuits for when these guns are stolen, or when a .223 or 5.56mm shot goes through someone's window. One would think that if MPD wants more firepower that they'd put a shotgun in the trunk. I'd rather have them running around with weapons with only a 50m effective range than a 550m effective range.
Actually, there were term limits that were voted into effect by a referendum. And then a few years later, the Council got rid of that law. Kinda nifty job protection measure.
And here's a question: Is MPD, the AG's office, the Mayor's office, the Morlock office, whatever working on new gun registration laws in case the Supremes knock down DC's gun ban next month? I would hope they have been working on possible options in the past several months, but I'm not holding my breath.
And further on that issue: What are the political ramifications for Fenty if the city loses the case? He made the decision to appeal the Court of Appeals ruling instead of simply coming up with some super-duper stringent new gun law and letting that be challenged in court. So if the Supremes knock down the DC gun ban, doesn't Fenty bear significant blame for making that legal decision?
This commenter from DCist would like to second the motion brought forth by the honorable boondoggle, as it is both hysterical and potentially very effective.
Either rabid foxes or marmots would work fine for me.
Und zen ve cut off your Johnson.
And further on that issue: What are the political ramifications for Fenty if the city loses the case? He made the decision to appeal the Court of Appeals ruling instead of simply coming up with some super-duper stringent new gun law and letting that be challenged in court. So if the Supremes knock down the DC gun ban, doesn't Fenty bear significant blame for making that legal decision?
None. It would've happened eventually, Fenty just sped up the process of restoring 2nd amendment rights to DC. If he loses, he'll still drag his feet on instituting any sort of legal regime for legal firearms ownership in DC.
instead of rabid foxes, what about red pandas? not as cute as butterstick, but i hear they're nasty creatures.
besides, everyone can get behind a panda.
If the YTD murder rate is the same as last year, then by definition it isn't on pace to exceed last year.
Automatic rifles for cops don't bother me, but they don't make me feel any safer either since (as mentioned) they will probably just sit in the cars along with the officers anyway.
I always get excited to see uniformed cops standing on the sidewalks when I go to NYC. Just like on "Law and Order"!
I agree about the awful Coldplay ads. Very intrusive and annoying. Plus, Coldplay sucks.
Re: the Kalorama shooting last night. This e-mail was sent out by Jim Graham this morning (all can say is Hook 'em Horns!):
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Dear Friends, to amplify the messages already recorded on this crime, MPD's preliminary investigation indicates that this is not a robbery, but an argument that began on Connecticut Avenue. Police also say that there is no evidence of any relationship to the entertainment area on 18th Street.
The two men knew each other. Both appeared to be students at the University of Texas. (The victim had such an ID).
According to MPD---Before being taken to the hospital, the victim referred to the shooter as his "friend", and identified him. So there is an identified "person of interest" who police are now seeking for questioning.
The victim is expected to recover.
More information as it becomes available. The cooperation from various witnesses with MPD is very much appreciated. So is the prompt response of the police to the crime scene.
CM Graham has since corrected that statement - it turns out the victim may NOT have know the gunman. Also, the victim was shot twice, not once as indicated in several reports.
It's a little disgusting that the CM is trying so hard to make these events not appear to be random robberies or violence related to nightlife on 18th St... both of which are regular occurrences.
Went to pickup my G-Man sub at Mangialardo's when I noticed the Harris Teeter on Capitol Hill is open for business! Apparently, they opened last week. Long story short: Safeway is in trouble. Selection comparable to the Pentagon Row Teeter, right across the street from Potomac Avenue Metro, parking underground. Excellent selection of wines and cheeses for the white folk, yet they still carry forties of Hurricane and Steel Reserver for those of us trying to keep it ghetto. Snappy cashiers, too, and they have a dedicated sushi chef and separate islands for salads and a prepared hot bar (looked like Chinese and Mexican food). All in all, a welcome addition to the Hill. Hillman and Hillrat: you need to check this joint out.
And BTW, at what point did panhandlers start getting cellphones? And shouldn't they be using them to get a job? Because their plea for "Spare twenty-three cents?" is totally ruined when it gets interrupted by a Biz Markie ringtone. I'm reaching in my pocket and I hear "Oh, babee, YOU! YOU GOT WHAT I NEED! But you say he just a friend, but you say he just a friend. OW BABEE!" I don't need to hear that, particularly coming out your raggedy-ass drawers. And wash your butt. Yalls needs to call someone who CARES.
Here's what someone who was there had to say about the Kalorama shooting (from the Adams-Morgan yahoo listserve):
"At approx 9:55 Sunday night, a man was shot on 20th near Kalorama. My husband and I were walking home from dinner and were at Wyoming and 20th when we heard an extremely loud shot, followed by some loud voices. An old pick up truck came screeching around the corner on 20th, turned left onto Wyoming then onto Columbia.
We were among 20 or so people in the neighborhood who ran to the scene of the crime, where an Asian man in his mid-late 20s was lying on the ground on 20th. He appeared to have been been shot in the shoulder and was being tended to by a couple of people, one of whom I believe turned out to be a doctor who happened to be among the people there.
The police arrived within minutes and immediately began taking care of the victim, who was taken away by an amulance soon after.
Three people who had been walking their dogs witnessed parts of the crime which seems to have occurred as follows: the Asian man was running down Kalorama from CT Ave towards 20th yelling "help, help!" He was chasing an African American man(who appeared to be in his 30s) who subsequently turned around and shot the Asian man after they had turned right onto 20th. The African American man watched for a moment then was picked up by the truck that took off toward Wyoming.
We and others there were all interviewed by the police and a detective. What exactly happened is not clear, of course, except there was another horribe crime on an otherwise lovely night in Adams Morgan."
I asked last week if the grocery beat writer was on vacation! But yes, the Harris Teeter is a delight. "Hill East" isn't ALL pitch forks and ineffective action talk - now we have a lovely new grocery store too!
Went to pickup my G-Man sub at Mangialardo's when I noticed the Harris Teeter on Capitol Hill is open for business!
I'm munching on a Mangialardo's sub as I type this. I was all over the Harris Teeter opening, I've already been twice. The breakfast sandwich I got there on Saturday morning was crazy good (real fried egg, not some sort "egg product" abomination) and cheap too.
i will only approve of rabid foxes for MPD officers if the parking meter folks are allowed to have ill-tempered sea bass.
Then, when you have found the shrubbery, you must place it here, beside this shrubbery, only slightly higher, so we get the two-level effect with a little path running down the middle, and then I want the Park Police to enforce leash laws wiiiiiiiiiith...A HERRING!
You can't substitute the red panda for the rabid fox for MPD officers, because they are just waiting to pay us all back for the zoo poisonings. Unless you were able to get zombie red pandas. That would work. Zombies!
Zombies would not work. You'd have to pay them in brains, remember? What's the likelihood of finding any of that downtown?
I prefer the personal touch you can only get from Barbary attack apes.
God, you're right. They'd starve to death, after already being poisoned. I've killed the red pandas all over again, so maybe now I can be named head of the zoo? Or some other sweet paying SI joint - I'm not picky. The Museum of Crime and Punishment, featuring Barbary attack apes, maybe.
Funny thing this Internet -- Monkeyrotica and Hillrat MIGHT have both been in line at the same time at Mangialardo's, right next to each other, ordering the SAME SANDWICH. And they would not have recognized each other, although they insult each other everyday, here on dcist, with passion and mutual respect. That's something. Dunno what, but something. See y'all tomorrow!
I will accept semi-automatic rifles, rabid foxes, and red pandas (alive or undead) only if they have flashing white lights on the front and alternating red/blue on the back. Without the flashing lights nobody will notice them thus defeating the purpose of making us all feel like we're in a safe police state.