Photo by erin m.

Good morning, Washington. It’s the end of the year, so it’s time for our public services, like the police department, to take a look back at their performance. While police will likely be quick to highlight another decrease in homicides over the course of 2010, the news is much less encouraging when it comes to sexual assaults: according to internal police data obtained by Freeman Klopott at the Examiner, “serious sexual assaults” in the District have skyrocketed from 137 in 2009 to 200 in 2010. The report also notes that large spikes have been seen in the 2nd, 3rd and 7th Police Districts. Based on their metrics, MPD claims that sexual assaults in general have increased 11 percent this year. Of course, no one is really sure what has caused the spike — one factor could be that more people are reporting sex crimes. But the fact that there has been such a dramatic spike, which appears to be focused in areas where there are high concentrations of young people, is certainly discouraging.

Meyer To House Displaced Takoma Students: D.C. Public Schools Interim Chancellor Kaya Henderson announced yesterday that Meyer Elementary School at 2501 11th Street NW, closed in 2008 for underenrollment, will house students from fire-damaged Takoma Educational Center while repairs are made. There are more than 300 students who have been displaced after a fire raged through the building on December 22; Meyer can hold approximately 430 students and remains in “relatively good condition,” according to a DCPS press release. The Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization is working to get the school painted and up to snuff before teachers start coming back from break on Thursday.

Blaming Pepco: Here’s the cherry on a terrible 2010 for the electric company: D.C. resident Lou Costantino is telling anyone who will listen that “our house burned because of Pepco.” Costantino’s home on Manning Place NW in the Palisades was severely damaged after flames reportedly shot up from a downed live wire outside his garage door. Firefighters responded to the scene quickly, but handed the scene off to Pepco, since there wasn’t any fire — but after the utility’s crew said that it would take another 25 minutes to get a crew to the scene, Costantino found smoke and the fire department was recalled to battle what ended up being a two-alarm fire. Pepco isn’t admitting any liability, though did say that they are investigating the incident.

Briefly Noted: 25 cent increase on Dulles Toll Road toll starts Saturday…Thieves steal 4,000 feet of copper wire from utility company…About 3,500 free tickets remain for Gray inaugural ball…Pedestrian struck in Chevy Chase Circle…Amtrak finally back on schedule throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

This Day in DCist: Last year, a man proposed to his girlfriend while on a tour of “bone biographies…and other symbols of horrible curses and ancient death,” while the District was named the second-most literate city in the United States.