Contract Police Report: December 16-22, 2008

12/16 Contract officer responded to a call for service at Rossburg Drive at Knox Road for a citizen’s strong arm robbery. Suspect fled in a gray Honda.

12/16 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 5100 block Lackawanna Street for a report of a Burglary. Incident verified-suspect(s) kicked in the rear door

12/16 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 9300 block 49th Ave for a report of a theft from auto. Incident verified

12/17 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 9100 block 48th Ave for a report of a Burglary. Incident verified–assisted beat officer. Note: The contract officer was the first unit on the scene and was able to locate evidence that identified the suspect. The suspect may be connected to other B&E’s in the city. Excellent police work by the contract officer!

12/17 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (speed enforcement) at Paint Branch Parkway at River Road. 3 citations were issued

12/17 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (stop sign enforcement) at Radcliff Drive and Edmonston Road. 8 citations were issued

12/18 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 49th Ave at Ruatan Street for a report of a motor vehicle accident. Incident verified

12/19 Contract officer observed a suspicious vehicle (occupied) in the 4900 block of Blackfoot Road. The officer conducted a field interview and discovered the driver was in possession of “crack” cocaine. The driver was placed under arrest and located inside the vehicle was TV and stereo equipment. The suspect was questioned by District I investigators in reference to B&E’s in the area. Excellent police work by the contract officer!

12/19 Contract officer conducted at traffic stop at Baltimore Ave at Lakeland Road. The driver was placed under arrest for DWI.

12/21 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 4700 block Knox Road for a report of a hold up. Incident not verified–disorderly call

12/22 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (warm-up initiative) in the community of Lakeland. 4 citations were issued

MD State Citations: 67
Warnings: 31
ERO: 8
Parking: 0
Citations in Lieu of Arrest: 0
Criminal Arrests: 1
DWS Arrest: 0
DWI Arrest: 1
Warrant Arrest: 0

Acronyms:
DWI – Driving while intoxicated
DWS – Driving on suspended license
ERO – Equipment repair order (headlight out, etc)
SOW – Sent on way
GOA – Gone on arrival

Note: This list does not include routine incidents handled by the officers.

Healthcare Reform

President-Elect Barack Obama and Vice-President-Elect Joe Biden invite you to share your concerns and recommendations on health care reform!

When: Monday, December 22, 2008, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Where: Council Chambers,
City Hall 2nd Floor
4500 Knox Road,
College Park, MD

Parking: Obtain parking passes at the Parking Window, City Hall main level.

Contract Police Report: December 1-8, 2008

12/2 Contract officer responded to a call for service at the FedEx Store located at 4417 Hartwick Road for a suspicious person. The suspect was placed under arrest for Trespass and Open alcohol beverage. The suspect may be connected to several armed robberies in the area.

12/3 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 4300 block Knox Road for a report of loud music. Incident verified – music turned down

12/3 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 4300 block Hartwick Road for a report of a panic alarm. Incident verified – accidental

12/4 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 7200 block Bowdoin Ave for a report of a mentally ill person. Incident verified – Emergency Petition completed

12/3 Contract officer conducted the Warm-Up Theft Prevention Program in the neighborhood of Oak Springs. 8 citations were issued

12/4 Contract officer conducted the Warm-Up Theft Prevention Program in the neighborhood of College Park Woods. 6 citations were issued

12/4 Contract officer responded to a call for service at Knox Road at Rhode Island Ave for a report of a hit and run accident. Incident verified

12/4 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 720o block Bowdoin Ave for a report of a mentally ill person. Incident verified – Emergency Petition completed

12/5 Contract officer conducted the Warm-Up Theft Prevention Program in the neighborhood of Berwyn . 7 citations were issued

12/5 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 5100 block Navahoe Street for a report of a residential alarm. Incident verified- accidental

12/6 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 9300 block Baltimore Ave (Shell Gas Station) for a report of an armed robbery. Incident verified- Assisted the on duty beat officer and investigators

12/6 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 8200 block Baltimore Ave (#1 Liquors) for a report of an armed robbery. Incident verified- Assisted the on duty beat officer and investigators

12/8 Contract officer conducted the Warm-Up Theft Prevention Program in the neighborhood of Old Town . 5 citations were issued

12/8 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 9900 bnlock Rhode Island Ave (Four Corner Dry Cleaners) for a report of a burglary. Incident verified

MD State Citations: 61
Warnings: 19
ERO: 5
Parking: 0
Citations in Lieu of Arrest: 0
Criminal Arrests: 3
DWS Arrest: 0
DWI Arrest: 0
Warrant Arrest: 0

Acronyms:
DWI – Driving while intoxicated
DWS – Driving on suspended license
ERO – Equipment repair order (headlight out, etc)
SOW – Sent on way
GOA – Gone on arrival

Note: This list does not include routine incidents handled by the officers.

Wreaths Across America: Dec 12, 2008

The truck carrying the 2008 Christmas Wreaths for Arlington National Cemetery is scheduled to arrive at Station 11 Branchville VFD on Friday 12/12/08 at 4:30 p.m. to spend the night before going to the cemetery on Saturday morning, if you would like to stop by when they arrive.

Friday, December 12, 2008
7:00 a.m. – PGR staging at Sheraton Bucks County, Langhorne, PA.
8:00 a.m. – Escort departs Langhorne, PA.
9:00 a.m. – Escort arrives at St. Martha Elementary School.
12:30 p.m. – Escort arrives at Sacred Heart Elementary School in Oxford, PA for Assembly.
2:00 p.m. – Escort arrives in MD picks up MD State Police Escort.
4:30 p.m. – Escort trucks arrive at Branchville Fire Station to be washed and spend night.

Saturday, December 13, 2008
5:30 a.m. – PGR Staging @ Branchville Fire Station.
6:30 – ESCORT LEAVES FOR ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY FOR PLACEMENT OF THE WREATHS ON GRAVES OF THOSE WHO SERVED AND SACRIFICED.

Our Mission: Remember – Honor – and Teach
Remember the fallen;
Honor those who serve;
Teach our children the value of freedom.

The Wreaths Across America story began over 15 years ago when Worcester Wreath Company (a for-profit commercial business from Harrington, Maine ) began a tradition of placing wreaths on the headstones of our Nation’s fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery during the holidays.

Over that period of time, Worcester Wreath has donated 90,000 wreaths which were placed by volunteers in a wreath-laying ceremony each December. But as word spread, the mission to Remember; Honor; and Teach about the sacrifices made by our veterans has captured the hearts and minds of many communities across the Country.

In December 2007, 286 participating locations hosted Wreaths Across America ceremonies overseeing the placement of 32,553 wreaths on the headstones of those who served and sacrificed for our freedoms. In 2008 that number will exceed 350 locations and 100,000 wreaths placed in honor!

We invite you to join us in 2008 at any of the wreath-laying ceremonies to be held concurrently on Saturday, December 13th, 2008 at 12:00 noon EST. See Wreaths Across America’s website for a complete list of participating locations (http://www.wreaths-across-america.org/index.html)

Patrick Wojahn on the Route One Sector Plan

The following are comments I am submitting to Chad Williams and the MNCPPC planning team in regard to the upcoming charrettes on the Route One sector plan:

Dear Mr. Williams:

Thank you for providing the charrette process this next week as an opportunity to provide public comment and discussion regarding the Route One sector plan. Please accept these comments that I submit in advance of the charrette. I submit these all on my own behalf, as the College Park City Council has not taken any positions as to date as to what should be included in the sector plan, other than to state its position on the boundaries of the sector plan. I also submit these comments with the hope that they will contribute to the dialogue this weekend. Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend the charrette sessions on Friday evening and Saturday morning, but I will be able to attend Saturday afternoon and next week in order to follow up on the progress of the sector plan.

First, I want to state a couple of general principles that I suggest the planning team should keep in mind when developing the sector plan. These are:

1. Low density. Our area cannot sustain much more density than it already has, at least until the State and County accomplish significant improvements in our transportation infrastructure. There are constant problems with traffic backing up on both Rhode Island Avenue and, especially, Route One. Although there are plans in the works to improve both of these roads and to add additional public transportation, any significant new development that adds additional density to the area should be delayed until those improvements are complete. Otherwise, the current problems on these two roads will become even worse. Even once Route One and Rhode Island Ave. are rebuilt, our infrastructure still will limit the amount of density that the area can handle.
2. Smart growth. In considering the what new development is to go into the area, this principle is paramount. The sector plan must look to accomplish development in such a way as to minimize the need for travel between work, home, and recreation or shopping. Given the limited capacity our area currently has for additional density, the sector plan should look to replace existing density with other uses of similar density that better accomplish smart growth principles. For example, the numerous residents in our area have a number of needs – shopping, recreation, work – that are, for the most part, not currently available within northern College Park. As a result, area residents typically have to get in their cars and often have to go a long distance for restaurant and retail opportunities, as well as jobs. On the other hand, our area is full of businesses, such as auto dealerships, which people drive long distances from around the area to come to. As a result, residents drive out of the area to get what they need, and people from around the area drive to College Park for discrete retail needs. Smart growth principles suggest that developers should pursue retail options that better satisfy the needs of the residents – things such as sit-down restaurants, coffee shops, small daily needs-type boutique stores – and try to replace some of the businesses in the area that only cater in limited ways to area residents. The sector plan could also pursue limited office space along the Route One Corridor that might offer area residents more opportunities to work close to where they live. As there are already numerous residents in the area with insufficient resources to fulfill daily needs within the area, the sector plan should limit residential development.
3. Walkability and better public transportation. These are important to allow people to utilize the resources that do exist in our area without getting in their cars or traveling long distances. Neither the street patterns, nor the current layout of the buildings in much of the area, encourage walkability. Instead of large buildings with large parking lots between the street and the building, the sector plan should pursue more of a “main street” approach, with buildings closer to the roads and only a sidewalk and possibly a biking/jogging path separating the businesses from the roads. The sector plan should encourage use of wayfinding signs and safe places for pedestrians to cross the street. On Route One, for example, there are currently areas where pedestrians have to walk a whole mile just to find a crosswalk and get across the street – as a result, many pedestrians jaywalk and cause a huge safety risk. The sector plan should continue to allow parking lots near businesses to discourage nonresident parking in neighborhood streets, but should require that parking lots be placed behind the stores in order to increase walkability and discourage use of cars. The sector plan should also build on ongoing efforts to increase accessibility to public transportation on both Route One and Rhode Island Ave.

   Regarding public transportation, the sector plan should encourage: 1) superstops, with greater public amenities and better route maps, including real-time displays of when busses are coming; 2) coordination between the various bus and metro systems in the area, to minimize headtimes and increase reliability; 3) developers to devote necessary resources to public transportation, such as a future shuttlebus system among the major developments along the Route One corridor; and 4) development of a trolley system or loop bus system (similar to the Circulator in downtown DC) along the Route One corridor and Rhode Island Ave. Such a bus could be coordinated with the express busses to allow for greater access in and around northern College Park.

   Finally, the sector plan should encourage safe development of bike lanes in appropriate places – not just along recreational paths or rivers, but along major thoroughfares, in order to provide avenues for people to get from the places where they live to the places where they work, shop, and eat. Bike racks should be placed in all major commercial and residential areas.

4. Locally-owned business. The sector plan should encourage locally-owned businesses that have a greater stake in the development of their surrounding community and can better cater to the needs of local residents. The sector plan should tie into College Park’s own buy local campaign and programs such as the Shop College Park website.

In regards to specific locations within the sector plan, I want to address them in three groups:

1. Along Route One itself in northern College Park. Given the current level of congestion along Route One, it is especially important to limit density along the Route One corridor, at least until Route One is rebuilt and public transportation along the corridor is improved significantly. There are also a number of blighted areas, though, where the sector plan should encourage redevelopment with low-density projects that cater to the needs of local residents. The entire corridor is currently unsafe for pedestrians and as a result is not welcoming to residents or to businesses. To the extent possible, new developments should include road and sidewalk improvements that enhance pedestrian accessibility along the corridor until Route One is rebuilt.
2. The “Four Corners” intersection of Rhode Island and Edgewood, and the surrounding commercial district. In this area in particular, the sector plan should encourage increased walkability and greater consideration of the needs of local residents. The sector plan should ensure that any new development fits in with the residential character of the surrounding neighborhoods by providing for strict noise and height restrictions, and ensuring that all businesses close at night. The sector plan should encourage development that creates a “main street” feel in this area, with businesses close to the streets as discussed above. New retail should tie into the existing stores, such as MOM’s and REI, to attract an eco-friendly, nature-oriented customer base – and should be built in a way that gives focus to green principles.
3. The residential areas located between Route One and the Four Corners. These areas should be kept residential, and zoned residential, with no exceptions, to ensure that they are kept residential for the foreseeable future.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment and to participate in the sector plan development process. I look forward to continuing this dialogue with you and with area residents. Please feel free to contact me at 240-988-7763 if you have any questions or would like to discuss these ideas further.

Patrick Wojahn
Councilmember, District 1
College Park City Council

Contract Police Report: November 25-29, 2008

11/25 Contract officer responded to a call for service at Paint Branch Parkway at 52nd Avenue for a report of an accident. Incident verified –information exchanged

11/25 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 4700 block Cherry Hill Road for a report of vandalism. Incident verified

11/26 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 4200 block Guilford Drive for a report of a theft from auto. Incident verified

11/26 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 4700 block Cherry Hill Road for a report of an accident. Incident verified – information exchanged

11/26 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (stop sign enforcement) at Greenbelt Road at Rhode Island Avenue. 5 citations were issued.

11/26 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (stop sign enforcement) at Edmonston Road at Radcliffe Drive. 7 citations were issued.

11/27 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 9200 block 51 st Avenue for a report of premise alarm. Incident verified – false call

11/27 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 4800 block Indian Lane for a report of premise alarm. Incident verified – false call

11/27 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 10000 Baltimore Ave (Holiday Inn) for a report of a T/A Robbery. Incident verified – Assisted the on duty beat officer and investigator.

11/27 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 4800 block Berwyn House Road for a report of a burglary. Incident verified- Assisted the on duty beat officer

11/29 Contract officer conducted a traffic stop at Greenbelt Road at Adelphi Road for a traffic violation. The driver was placed under arrest for an outstanding warrant for 2 nd degree rape.

11/29 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 8100 block Rhode Island Avenue for a report of a burglary. Incident verified- Assisted the on duty beat officer

MD State Citations: 53
Warnings: 7
ERO: 0
Parking: 0
Citations in Lieu of Arrest: 0
Criminal Arrests: 0
DWS Arrest: 0
DWI Arrest: 0
Warrant Arrest: 1

Acronyms:
DWI – Driving while intoxicated
DWS – Driving on suspended license
ERO – Equipment repair order (headlight out, etc)
SOW – Sent on way
GOA – Gone on arrival

Note: This list does not include routine incidents handled by the officers.

Community Forum on Public Safety

with Major Kevin Davis,
Commander, District 1
Prince George’s County Police

For residents of Northern College Park

Monday, December 15, 2008
7:30 p.m.
College Park City Hall
4500 Knox Road

Come with your questions about police coverage in Northern College Park, including any questions you have about the new expanded contract police force.

(Representatives of the Metro and Park and Planning police forces have also been invited.)

Help in tough economic times

The financial crisis and recession are hurting working and retired families in many ways–lost jobs, shrunken retirement nest eggs, and fear for the future. We have great hope that President-elect Obama will lead our country back to prosperity.

But people need help now, as well.

To help Marylanders more easily find state help which may be available, Governor O’Malley launched this Thanksgiving weekend a website — www.problemsolver.maryland.gov — which brings together in one place information on state aid to our neighbors who need help in these tough times.

You’ll find information on ways to pay electric and gas bills, replace lost medical insurance, look for a job, get a college scholarship, protect your home from foreclosure, and much more.

Take a look at the site and see if there is any help that might be useful to a friend or neighbor. And please forward this email friends, neighbors, community listservs, and blogs which can share the information more widely.

Senator Jim Rosapepe
Delegate Barbara Frush
Delegate Ben Barnes
Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk
21st District Delegation
21st District Delegation@gmail.com
(301) 858-3141
www.JimRosapepe.com

Contract Police Report: November 19-24, 2008

11/19 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (stop sign) at Lakeland Road at Rhode Island Ave. 5 citations were issued.

11/19 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (stop sign) at Radcliff at Edmonston Road. 6 citations were issued.

11/19 Contract officer responded to a call for service at Marlbrough Way at Davidson Street for a report of an accident involving a school bus. Assisted the beat officer with the accident.

11/19 Contract officer responded to a call for service at Cherokee Street at Baltimore Ave for a report of a Hit and Run Accident. Incident verified

11/20 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (Traffic Control Device) at College Ave at Baltimore Ave. 5 citations were issued.

11/20 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 9600 block 51 st Place for a report of a premise alarm. Incident verified – check secured

11/20 Contract officer observed three suspicious persons and conducted a field interview at 9800 Rhode Island Ave. One person was placed under arrest for an outstanding warrant.

11/21 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 4200 block Knox Road for a report of sexual assault. Incident verified-assisted and canvassed the neighborhood.

11/21 Contract officer observed a suspicious person loitering in the stairwell at 4700 block Cherokee Street. Field interview was conducted and the person was SOW.

11/23 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 9900 block Rhode Island Ave for a report of a hold up alarm. Incident not verified-secured

11/23 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 9300 block Baltimore Ave (Shell Gas Station) for a report of a T/A Robbery. Incident verified – Assisted the on duty beat officer and investigator.

11/23 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (speed enforcement) at Baltimore Ave at Cherokee Street. 4 citations were issued.

11/23 Contract Officer conducted a traffic stop at Baltimore Ave at Knox Road for a traffic violation. The driver was placed under arrest for an outstanding warrant.

11/24 Contract officer responded to a call for service at 8700 block Baltimore Ave for a report of a T/A Robbery. Incident verified – Assisted the on duty beat officer and investigator.

MD State Citations: 59
Warnings: 21
ERO: 10
Parking: 0
Citations in Lieu of Arrest: 0
Criminal Arrests: 0
DWS Arrest: 0
DWI Arrest: 0
Warrant Arrest: 2

Acronyms:
DWI – Driving while intoxicated
DWS – Driving on suspended license
ERO – Equipment repair order (headlight out, etc)
SOW – Sent on way
GOA – Gone on arrival

Note: This list does not include routine incidents handled by the officers.