Results tagged “metrotransitpolice>”

WTTG/FOX 5's John Henrehan says that Metro Transit Police are bracing themselves for a winter crime season populated by thieves who steal people's expensive coats, especially ones made by The North Face.

The assistant chief of the agency, Jeff Telinski, told the transit agency's board of directors on Thursday that rail systems on the West Coast are reporting an increase in coat robberies. Coats manufactured by North Face are popular targets.

One of the biggest crime problems in the Metro system has long been thefts from autos parked in the lots at the end of the different rail lines. Thieves know that Metro's large, outer parking lots are filled with cars whose owners won't return until the end of the day, so they prowl them like kids in a candy store.

We've noted recently that the Metro system has seen a big spike in robberies over the last year, with the most cases reported in Metro's parking lots and garages, especially at stations at the end of the lines. So it's not surprising that Metro Transit Police proudly announced today that they apprehended two suspects observed breaking into cars at the Branch Avenue station yesterday morning. Two men, Lawrence White, 23, and Dante Robbins, 22, both of Oxon Hill, Md., have been charged with auto theft, theft from auto and destruction of property after they attempted to flee from Transit Police and crashed what turned out to be a stolen vehicle. They're also facing a charge of assault on a police officer after police say they tried to hit an officer with the vehicle.

You can almost sort of but not really understand the actions of Metro Transit Police Captain Leslie Campbell, who the Post reports is under investigation for failing to report a minor collision he had with a pedestrian outside the Anacostia Metro station last month. Campbell wasn't going very fast and more or less tapped a pedestrian with his car -- the pedestrian wasn't injured and the car was not damaged. When the pedestrian declined medical treatment and walked away, Campbell made the bonehead move of not reporting the incident to his superiors. Now, if this had been not a police officer, just a minor incident between 2 individuals, it's doubtful anyone would have reported it to the police, either. But a uniformed captain struck a pedestrian with his car, and even though no one was hurt, that Campbell decided not to immediately report the accident shows a pretty serious lapse in judgment.

Metro has taken its share of heat this year for the way it's handled crime on its trains and in stations, so it's not surprising that the agency sent out a triumphant press release this morning announcing the arrests of five people in connection with a robbery and assault on Dec. 9 that may have been fueled by homophobia.

Last night, Fox 5 reported on an alarming attack of a gay man by six or seven men on the Metro. "Nathaniel," as he's referred to in the report, was riding alone on a train Friday night. As the doors closed at Metro Center, the group surrounded and beat Nathaniel, kicking him as he fell to the floor and yelling "faggot". Nathaniel managed to get off the train at the Smithsonian station, and he ran...

WJLA/ABC7 is reporting on the story of an assault on Metro's Green line over the weekend that's both upsetting and frustrating. The victim reportedly received no assistance from station managers when she attempted to report the incident. The victim, a woman, was assaulted by a man who began pushing his body against hers just after she boarded the train car. When she protested and tried to move away from the alleged assailant, he grabbed her...

Written by DCist Contributer Josh Kramer The Eagle – American University: >>AU students lamented losing their Hollywood Video this week, which is holding a giant closing sale and selling all of its movies. It's unclear what will become of the space, conveniently located next to the AU shuttle bus stop and the Tenleytown-AU Metro station. >>Sgt. Zachary Tellier, a 1998 AU graduate, was killed by enemy fire while fighting in Afghanistan on the 29th of...

To be honest, Washington, it's taking everything we've got not to put up eight or nine posts today just indulging in our need to whine about how nasty hot it is outside. Apparently the humidity today and tomorrow is going to be so intense, it could feel like it's 105 degrees. Can we all agree that this is not OK? OK. Thanks. We'll move on to the headlines then, and by "move on" we don't...

A couple of odd and/or disturbing crimes that happened in the District this morning are making headlines. >> Metro Transit Police are investigating a stabbing outside the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro Station that took place early this morning. There are conflicting reports about exactly what happened. ABC7 says the unidentified victim told police he was stabbed from behind while he was going down the escalator at the metro entrance at 7th and H Streets NW. But...

It shouldn't be news to anyone that conspicuously displaying your iPod on the Metro is going to make you a target for petty thieves and pickpockets, but the Metro Transit Police Metropolitan Police Force has issued another warning after a spike in iPod-related thefts on Metro over the last four months. Between January and April of this year, thieves stole 30 iPods from Metro riders. In all of 2006, thieves stole a total of...

Spring is when we get busy here in the Ist-A-Verse. Very busy. But, after staying bundled-up indoors all winter, it's nice for us to be out, about, and collecting things to write about for you. Here's a glimpse at what's been keeping your favorite citybloggers busily away from home and out of bed. For LAist, strong winds attacked LA on the same day the Feds raided the Crips. Not to fear, though: the Japanese version...

By now you must know how much DCist loves our photographers who contribute through Flickr. You're probably sick of hearing us talk about them really, like your co-worker with the fabulous new millionaire boyfriend she keeps gabbing on about. But we can't help it -- we just adore these folks for offering up such great work to share with us. So you can understand why we've been so upset after reading the following discussion from...

Just when Jim Graham does something to make us mad, he comes back and does something good. As part of a pilot program sponsored by the Ward 1 council member, there is now a crime camera outside the 13th and U entrance of the U Street Metro, which the station managers will monitor. Interestingly, Graham opposed a similar camera in Adams Morgan. While there are legitimate reasons for discomfort with the overall crime camera program,...

It was five years ago today that the U.S. was hit by the deadliest attack in its history, leaving almost 3,000 people dead and launching a global crusade against terrorism. In that time, much has been said about securing the homeland to avoid another attack -- and billions more have been allocated to actually doing so. District residents have observed the march towards security both as residents of the city and the nation's capital, most...

A couple of months back we posted information on a pre-sale for tickets to see the Foo Fighters in a special, one night only show at the 9:30 Club. Needless to say, our decision wasn't met with kind words from the band's "real" fans, who proceeded to leave us all types of dirty comments and even went as far as to post the address of yours truly on a 9:30 Club Forum thread. So when...

To our readers, we love you guys. Happy Valentine's Day from DCist! If the shopping scene last night at Tyson’s Corner Center Hallmark, Kay Jewelers and CVS was any indication, some folks were a little tardy on picking up the heart-shaped pendants and Whitman’s Samplers. Were you one of the tardy rushing for anything and everything heart-shaped and colored red? Or are you instead going to play the "But honey, it's a Hallmark holiday" card?...

We always thought Metro was safe. Really safe. We may have been wrong. Two recent incidents on Metrorail have area commuters questioning Metro's ability to respond to or prevent criminal activity, or, more seriously, terrorist attacks, notes NBC 4. In one case, a woman was groped by a man, and in another, a woman had her iPod and SmartTrip card stolen by a group of teenage girls. Both incidents occurred on the Red Line,...

Now that DCist has a year's worth of material to work with, we can finally start rooting through our dusty archives to find out exactly what was happening on this very day, one year ago. Ok, so it's not exactly what the New York Times has to offer (which includes stories of historical importance, alongside cool black and white pics of the world of yester-decade), but it's something. Starting today, DCist will feature a daily...

Welcome back to the world of transit and transit-related news. In today's edition, we speak of gas prices (again?), Metro security, and "decoupling." If you have any ideas or experiences you would like to share, please send them our way!...

Once a butterstick, now a "solid little Tonka truck," the baby panda that has transfixed attention on the District's National Zoo and provided much-needed fodder for slow news days is six-weeks old today, almost half-way to the 100 days at which it is officially named. Zoo vets examined the cub yesterday for 14 minutes, reports the Post, weighing it in at four pounds and noting that teeth and open eyes are the next developments...

It is a sad morning for news professionals and news junkies here in the District, as it was reported late last night that ABC "World News Tonight" anchor Peter Jennings has died after a struggle with lung cancer. "Peter has been our colleague, our friend, and our leader in so many ways," ABC News President David Westin said in a statement. "None of us will be the same without him."

Yesterday's copycat attacks in the London Underground might have pushed already nervous WMATA officials to consider what has before been the sole province of air travel security -- searching passengers bags and packages in stations and on trains.

The region's largest transit agency has made a couple important announcements lately.

It hasn't been a good week for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. As if constant underfunding, flooding and considerable subway delays weren't enough, the transit agency's overseeers aren't reacting well to the national publicity it has received for the arrest of an EPA scientist for eating a candy bar while entering the Metro Center subway station downtown. The Post reports that some Metro board members want a review of its detention policies for...

A day after flood waters shut down a metrorail operations room, a week after it admitted it was running out of electronic farecards and a month it was attacked for reducing late-night subway service to two-car trains all while increasing fares, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority seems to continue to anger riders. It is now arresting violaters of its no food and drink regulations. The Post reports that Metro Transit Police detained an Environmental...