Police - Greater Greater Washington

DC ready for armed march

Wed, 08 May 2013 08:50:00 EDT

A radio host proposed marching with loaded rifles from Arlington Cemetery to DC. Police Chief Cathy Lanier plans to enforce DC gun laws. (Wash. Times) ... Side note: Both ends of the Memorial Bridge are actually in DC.

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Police vehicles may damage brand-new Union Station plaza

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:48:00 EDT

by Geoff Hatchard

A project is almost complete to reconstruct the plaza in front of Union station. Unfortunately, Amtrak police continue to pull their cars up on the curb and park in the pedestrian areas.

Photo by the author.

The plaza was once a wasteland of traffic lanes and hadn't been properly maintained for years. The reconstruction project, which included Amtrak and multiple local and federal agencies, can make it an attractive and welcoming gateway to DC. The design treated all forms of traffic well—pedestrians, bicycles, cars, and bus.

Unfortunately, the police parking helped cause damage to the curbs and sidewalks before, and will do so again if this practice continues. It's highly unlikely that the sidewalks and curbs were reinforced strongly enough to withstand the pressure from mutli-ton vehicles.

It's easy to see a parallel with other examples of infrastructure in DC, like this story about Woodson High School, where we spend big bucks on nice new things, then fail to maintain them right after the construction is done.

Police presence and patrols are necessary in highly visible, active areas like a major train station. There has to be a better way and some better locations for police to leave their vehicles, though.

34 comments

Police unions differ on cameras

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:33:00 EDT

by David Alpert

New York's police union opposes adding traffic cameras, while DC's police union has fought for them and for the existing fines. GGW contributor alum Stephen Miller investigates the difference. (Streetsblog)

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Cities go on high alert

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:34:00 EDT

by Jereme Altendorf

In the wake of bombings at the Boston Marathon, Metro Transit Police stayed on patrol into the evening. (ARLnow) ... Transit systems across the country are increasing security. (USA Today) ... DC government officials know of no credible threats to DC, and today's Emancipation Day parade will continue as planned. (DCist)

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Faster police

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:27:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Metro Transit Police take on average 9 minutes to respond to a call, more than double what it takes BART's officers. WMATA wants to improve that time, though it may be difficult over such a large system. (Examiner)

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Pick up more truants from the streets

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:09:00 EDT

by Martin Moulton

As of mid-March, the Metropolitan Police Department has engaged 3,260 truants so far this school year. In these cases, truant patrol officers pick up and transport children back to a school or a temporary holding facility. MPD says they could pick up more if they had more officers and vans.

I was in a hit-and-run by a distracted driver

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:33:00 EDT

by Aimee Custis

My normal commute between work near Union Station and home in Dupont Circle is 35 minutes, doorknob to doorknob. Tuesday night, that commute came to a grinding halt just 2 blocks from my office.

2nd & F NE. Photo by reallyboring on Flickr.

As I crossed the street at 2nd and F Streets NE, an SUV pulled up to the 4-way stop. The SUV stopped at the stop sign, and I began to cross the street in the crosswalk. As I was just in front of the SUV, the driver, who'd looked down to his phone while stopped (it looked like he was texting), pulled forward full speed into a left turn, hitting me.

In the split second I had as the vehicle began to move before it hit me, I screamed and tried to jump back, but I was directly in front of the SUV, and it hit me squarely in the right leg, rolling over my right foot.

As I screamed, the driver finally looked up, saw me, and yelled "sorry!" out of his open window before continuing on his way. I was stunned.

It had all taken less than 15 seconds.

Waiting for the police

Once I got safely onto the sidewalk, I stopped, and the security guard at the nearby SEC parking garage stopped to ask me if I was okay and comment on the craziness of what had just happened. While I was in one piece, I was pretty banged up and definitely very shaken, and reached into my pocket for my cell phone to call 911.

It felt odd to me to call 911 when nothing was on fire and nobody was bleeding or in imminent danger, but as the security guard pointed out, I'd just been involved in a hit-and-run traffic collision.

Nonetheless, I gave the 911 operator my first name (they did not ask for my last name) and location, explained what happened, declined an ambulance, and was told that the next available unit would be on their way to me shortly. I hung up as a good samaritan came up to ask me if I was okay, and another security guard ushered me into the Securities and Exchange Commission building lobby to wait.

Collision diagram by the author.

Once I was settled inside on a bench, I called my significant other, Kian, to let him know that I'd be late getting home, and he insisted on coming from Dupont to meet me and help me get home once I was done with the police.

Once I hung up with Kian, building security suggested I call 911 again—they were very concerned no officer had responded yet. Kian arrived (via Metro) 25 minutes after I called him, but still no MPD officer had arrived.

The security guards in the building took down my information to let their supervisor know what was going on, and told me that there was a security camera on the corner of the building that might have had an angle to catch the whole thing on tape. They'd be happy to work with MPD to provide the tape.

10 minutes or so after Kian arrived (thanks to Twitter and call logs on our cell phones, I have the timing recorded), we called 911 for a third time. It had been an hour since my first call. They seemed to have no record of our earlier calls, but assured us that this was a priority and that a unit would arrive soon.

80 minutes after the collision, Capitol Police arrived on the scene. The responding officer explained that they'd heard it come in over the radio, and decided to respond. The Capitol Police officer took my full report, spoke to the security guard who'd been an eyewitness, and explained to me that Capitol Police would now have officers canvassing the area on the lookout for the vehicle, but since it had been over an hour, that it probably wasn't in the area any longer.

20 minutes after Capitol Police arrived, and as they're nearly finished writing the report, an MPD unit arrived, explaining that they'd been dispatched from the other side of the city, because of something going on downtown occupying all of the units in the area. The officer asked me to explain what had happened yet again, even though they ended up letting Capitol Police file the report.

Bad intersection?

About 30 minutes after the accident, waiting for MPD, I logged into Twitter on my phone. Many, many people on Twitter expressed their sympathy and kind thoughts (thank you!). As the discussion progressed, several people expressed frustration with that very intersection:

I've definitely noticed on my daily commute lots of drivers blowing through the intersection with a rolling stop, or occasionally no stop at all.

A serious reminder

I'm sore and bruised from the collision, but otherwise I am okay. I'm incredibly grateful for that, and for all of the kind people around me who helped me after the accident, like the good Samaritan and the building security at the SEC.

But as a smart growth and complete streets advocate by day, this experience was a serious reminder that our work for more walkable, bikeable, livable streets for everyone in our communities is far from complete. Even in a place like DC that does so many things right when it comes to transportation and planning, there's more work to do, even at the most basic level.

It's easy to get wound up in rhetoric about "us vs. them", the "war on cars", and so many other issues that we write and read about every day here. We've all been guilty of this from time to time. But when we step back, can't we all agree that cars, bicycles, and most especially, pedestrians, should all have a safe place on our streets? Washington is a great place to live, but we still have a long way to go to make it greater.

Let's do it for the kids in the daycare down the street from this intersection. For our elderly neighbors who can't get around as well anymore. For our children biking to school. From driver to cyclist to pedestrian, everyone benefits from a street that's safe and welcoming for all users.

56 comments

Streetcars, parks, and libraries get boost in Gray budget

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:58:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Bike lanes, parks in NoMA and around the city, streetcars, libraries 7 days a week, new trash cans for free, school modernizations, and many more programs get funding under the operating and capital budgets Mayor Gray is unveiling this morning.

Photo by EnvironmentBlog on Flickr.

Streetcars: In the 6-year capital plan, streetcars get $400 million, which should fund completing the first line from Minnesota Avenue to Georgetown, engineering the Anacostia line, and studies for north-south lines such as Georgia Avenue.

The operating budget contains $6.2 million to start running the streetcar, which Gray continues to promise will roll by the end of the calendar year.

Bike infrastructure: There is a pot of $10.7 million for bike lanes and trails, which appears to be entirely new; formerly, there was no dedicated local bike money. The budget staff have promised to follow up to confirm this. Another $5.1 million will go to "bike-friendly streetscapes," which will be interesting to see in more detail.

Capital Bikeshare: The mayor is funding 10 more Capital Bikeshare stations beyond the ones that area already supposed to be going in. In December, DDOT announced 78 locations, of which it had funding for 54 and was going to install those by March. Unfortunately, it's late in installing most of those. That list also identified 24 future locations, so this budget funds 10.

Buses: The budget office's presentation did not discuss the Circulator or other bus projects. I will follow up to find out whether any Circulator expansion in that master plan have funding. Streetcars are important, but they are one of several modes we need, and for many neighborhoods, better bus service is the better way to help people get around.

Bridges: The South Capitol "racetrack" project and new Frederick Douglass Bridge gets $622.5 million, which would fully fund the project.

Taxes: The budget imposes no new taxes or fees, maintains DC's fund balance, and keeps the debt cap at 12%. The administration also wants to get rid of the tax on out-of-state bonds, which they say primarily impacts seniors and is far and away the biggest complaint they get about taxes. Gray chief of staff Chris Murphy said they "always felt it was ill-conceived."

Affordable housing: As promised, the administration is putting a one-time $100 million into affordable housing. $86.9 million goes into the Housing Production Trust Fund, ($20M in FY 2014 and the rest in FY 2013). The rest, $13.1 million, goes to other smaller initiatives that the recent Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force recommended. He is also promising to keep the 15% of the Deed Recordation and Transfer Tax, which is supposed to go to the HPTF, in there; previous budgets raided that to fund other programs.

Parks: The capital budget provides $50 million for parks (likely a few different small parks) in NoMA: $25 million to acquire land, and $25 million for development. DC made a mistake when it upzoned NoMA without any plan for parks, which is why this is going to be expensive. However, NoMA is generating a lot of tax revenue.

Other parks capital spending includes $20 million fro the Fort Dupont ice arena, $26.4 million for Barry Farm, $2M to renovate and improve athletic fields and parks, $18M for the Southeast tennis & learning center, and funding to modernize 32 play spaces in 8 wards including Fort Greble, Palisades, Macomb, and Takoma which will start in April as well as already-underway work at Noyes, Raymond, and Rosedale.

Libraries: Gray is expanding funding for DC Public Libraries so that every library can be open 7 days a week. Most will be open until 9 pm Monday to Thursday as well as afternoons on Saturday and Sunday. They also get $2 million for books and e-books.

Further, the budget provides $103 million to renovate and, as part of a public-private partnership, expand the MLK Library. There is $15.2 million to renovate the Cleveland Park library, $21.7 for the Palisades library, and $4.8 million for Woodridge's library.

Trash: Residents who want to replace their trash cans are in luck: the administration wants to replace everyone's trash cans over 5 years, for free. If there is money available, they also hope to let people replace stolen or damaged cans without the fee residents have to pay today.

Flooding: Bloomingdale residents hopefully will see some relief from their flooding problems with $1.5 million in the budget to pay for recommendations from the task force studying those problems.

Police and fire: The public safety budget pays for 4,000 sworn officers, replacing police and fire vehicles, cadet training programs and maintaining domestic violence programs that are seeing federal cuts. In general, the budget officials say, they are replacing all federal from sequestration across the board, even assuming sequestration will continue throughout the year.

Raises: DC employees will get their first pay raise in 4-7 years, spanning both union and non-union employees, and DC will fully fund its pension obligations.

We'll have more analysis and further details in upcoming posts.

42 comments

Wrongheaded enforcement

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 08:25:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

In an effort to promote pedestrian safety, Montgomery Police gave citations to 1100 pedestrians but to only 38 drivers. (Gazette, Ben Ross)

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Gray slightly tweaks camera fines to stave off larger change

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:24:00 EDT

by David Alpert

This morning, DC Mayor Vince Gray proposed some changes to the District's speed camera fines. It seems to be an attempt to stave off more significant changes in a bill from Tommy Wells and Mary Cheh, which is having a hearing on Monday.

Photo by Wayan Vota on Flickr.

Gray's plan would lower fines for speeding up to 10 mph from $75 to $50, though MPD is generally not writing tickets for speeding at this level (though the law lets them if they choose). Speeding from 11-20 mph over the limit would decrease from $125 to $100.

Meanwhile, Gray would raise the fine for speeding over 20 mph from $250 to $300. He also announced something DDOT previously said at the task force, which is that they are reviewing speed limits and may raise some.

The Wells-Cheh bill, by contrast, would lower fines for 0-10 and 11-20 to $50, as well as fines for other infractions like blocking the box or not fully stopping at a stop sign.

Gray said he will use some of the money to hire 100 new police officers. That's fine, though if the police officers don't focus on traffic, then it ultimately is just using camera revenue for things other than road safety.

We need to do more for traffic safety. DC is adding a few cameras which will make a big impact, but there's a lot of dangerous driving out there. A few cameras with high fines will stem a little bit of it and raise a bunch of money. I want to see us stem a lot more of it, and the only realistic way to do that is to expand the cameras significantly.

A major element of the Wells-Cheh bill is a provision that some camera revenue goes into a fund the Metropolitan Police Department can use to buy more cameras. Regardless of the level of fines, it's critical to set up a system whereby the stock of cameras can automatically grow over time.

It's also critical to ensure that the political blowback from speed cameras doesn't stop the District government from adding more. Now, it's not clear what exactly is necessary to achieve this. If Gray had 3-4 more years on his mayoralty, there might be little need to change the fines. Gray shows no interest in curtailing the plan whatsoever, regardless of fines, and in fact is resistant to lowering fines.

The DC Council might have disapproved some contracts for new cameras, but it couldn't. The next year's budget counts on a lot of revenue from cameras, which means that if councilmembers had wanted to delete the cameras, they would have had to fill a big budget hole.

What about in the future? If Gray doesn't run for reelection, as most speculate he won't, then the next mayor might have a different view. Maybe the next mayor will be so hostile to cameras that it won't matter how high or low the fines are. Or maybe he or she will keep cameras going no matter what.

From a safety point of view, fines don't need to be high as long as it's having a deterrent effect. At the press conference, Police Chief Cathy Lanier said she doesn't believe $50 fines are enough to deter, but council staff could find no studies that showed any conclusive correlation between fine size and driving behavior.

That suggest that high fines don't really improve safety. On the other hand, it also means that lowering fines probably won't do anything for safety either—unless lowering fines changes the political dynamic and allows more cameras.

It's not clear it will. AAA's John Townsend participated in the task force, and said in the meetings that AAA would support cameras as long as they're not for revenue. But then, last week AAA still came out with a provcative study of how many dollars certain cameras brought in, and got a raft of sympathetic stories in the press.

From a purely abstract point of view, lowering fines is the right thing to do. Punishments should be high enough to deter lawbreaking, but don't need to be higher just to punish. A lot of people believe, despite academic evidence to the contrary, that cranking up punishments fights crime or unsafe driving; past a certain point, it doesn't.

From a political point of view, on the other hand, it's worth doing this right thing if it achieves a greater goal. Expanding cameras, and making streets safer, should be that goal. If the bill sets aside a fund for MPD to buy more cameras, that could significantly streamline the process.

If lowering fines blunts political blowback, that's worth a lot. However, if speeders still complain, and AAA's Townsend will continue to say anything to get attention in the press regardless of lower fines, then lower fines would just give dangerous lawbreakers a windfall for little benefit.

59 comments

Lower camera fines? Sure, once we have more cameras (Feb 22, 2012)
DC Council bill would lower traffic camera fines (Oct 16, 2012)
Task force tries to make peace over cameras; AAA doesn't (Aug 29, 2012)
What is the right level for speed camera fines? (Aug 2, 2012)
How else can DC's camera program improve safety? (Aug 8, 2012)

U-turns on Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes pose safety risk

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:50:00 EDT

by David Alpert

A driver, talking on a cell phone, started to make an illegal U-turn across the Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes and almost hit Bill Walsh. He recorded the experience in a video:

Cyclists have been pleading for action against dangerous and illegal U-turns on Pennsylvania Avenue for some time. Justin Antos captured a recent U-turn on his camera as well, and many cyclists have reported the similar experiences using the #stoputurnsonpenn hashtag.

Councilmember Tommy Wells wants to stop the practice. His staff have obtained crash reports from DDOT for Pennsylvania Avenue and have been analyzing them for some time. Based on those reports, it appears that U-turns are by far the most common cause of bicycle-related crashes in the Pennsylvania Avenue lanes.

Here is the police narrative from one report, for a crash on October 27, 2010, where a taxi driver injured a cyclist:

DRIVER #1 STATES WHILE HEADING EAST BOUND IN THE 600 BLOCK OF PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW HE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A U-TURN AND STRUCK VEHICLE #2 [A BICYCLE]. DRIVER #1 STATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE PERSON ON THE BIKE WHEN HE TURNED.
THE DRIVER OF THE BICYCLE STATED THAT ALL HE REMEMBERS WAS BEING STRUCK BY A VEHICLE AND DID NOT KNOW WHERE THE VEHICLE CAME FROM.
THE DRIVER OF THE BICYCLE WAS IN THE BIKE LANE WHEN HE WAS STRUCK, THE BIKE LANE IS A UNPROTECTED MEDIAN FOR BICYCLE TRAVEL.
WITNESS #1 A DC POLICE OFFICER WHO WAS IN A MARKED PATROL WAGON WAS BEHIND VEHICLE #1 AND STATED THAT HE SAW VEHICLE #1 MAKE A U-TURN AND STRIKE THE PERSON ON THE BICYCLE.
THE PASSENGER IN VEHICLE #1 STATED THAT SHEN [SIC] THE CAB PICKED HER UP HE WAS TALKING ON HIS CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING AND THAT WHEN HE STRUCK THE PERSON ON THE BIKE HE MAY STILL HAVE BEEN ON HIS CELL PHONE.

Solutions: Enforcement? Bollards?

What can be done? Police could more strictly enforce the no-U-turn rules, and DDOT could add more clear signs or markings. Walsh himself made this suggestion:

Paint NO U-TURN / $$$ FINE on Pa. Ave., every block, and enforce, to lessen chance of #bikedc deaths. @dcpolicedept @ddotdc @tommywells
—Bill Walsh (@TheBillWalsh) October 11, 2012

Most of the crash reports Wells' office provided show that police did indeed ticket drivers for U-turns after crashes, at least when it was clear from the driver's statements or witnesses that a U-turn was involved. The fact that many drivers admitted to the U-turn may tell us that drivers don't realize it's illegal or unsafe, and the right signs might help.

On the other hand, police don't seem to ticket drivers for U-turns when there's no crash, and many federal and local police cruisers often actually park right in the lanes.

Darren Buck suggested more plastic stanchions or "flexposts." There are already short sets of these at each corner to make it clear to drivers that they shouldn't use the bike lane as a turn lane, but their absence in the center seems to give drivers license to make U-turns:

Bollards on Potomac Ave SE to prevent rampant u-turns. It can be done. #stoputurnsonpenn twitter.com/bikepedantic/s�
—Darren Buck (@bikepedantic) October 11, 2012

Earlier plans for the bike lanes included bollards along the whole length of the blocks, but the Commission on Fine Arts, a federal panel which reviews projects on federal land an in key areas near federal property, wasn't thrilled:

The Commission approved the proposed design without colored pavement on the bicycle lanes or median, noting the importance of the avenue's design character as a prominent visual symbol of the nation. The Commission also recommended against the installation of reflective plastic stanchions, commenting that these would be intrusive and incompatible elements in this iconic streetscape.

DDOT ultimately decided to go ahead with some stanchions at the corners anyway, apparently believing this was a reasonable compromise between CFA's desire to keep objects out of Pennsylvania Avenue and safety. It may be time to revisit that decision and install stanchions mid-block.

Wells says he's asked Chief Cathy Lanier for more enforcement, as has Jack Evans, who said MPD "has promised additional enforcement for cabs and all cars."

Any physical changes, Wells points out, will probably not happen until after the Inauguration in January, when all of the traffic signals and other objects on Pennsylvania Avenue get taken out for the parade. DDOT will have to re-install the existing bollards at at that time, which would make it a perfect opportunity to put more bollards in while they already have crews out there.

59 comments

CFA says no poles, paint on Pennsylvania Avenue (Mar 22, 2010)
Council passes fine for blocking bike lane (Sep 16, 2008)
Pennsylvania Ave bike lanes now have (some) pylons (Jun 20, 2010)
DDOT redoing Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes? (May 20, 2010)
DDOT squeezes bike lanes into Pennsylvania Ave median (Jun 8, 2010)

Playoff costs and benefits

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 08:35:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Nats playoff games will cost the District up to $76,000, mainly in extra police around Nationals Park. However, each game could produce up to a half million in tax revenue. (Post)

Comment

Taxi Commission proposed own Uber-style "surge pricing" (Oct 4, 2012)
Nationals play on a weeknight, world still doesn't end (Apr 7, 2008)
Are you ready for some Metro? (Nov 3, 2008)
Nationals Park falling behind in green standings (Nov 18, 2011)
Where do Nats fans ride Metro after games? (Oct 2, 2012)

DC fails elderly, disabled?

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 08:10:00 EDT

by Thaddeus Bell

A new Inspector General's report claims DC is failing to care for its elderly and disabled population. The report asserts that Adult Protective Services rarely coordinates with police, even in instances of clear abuse. (Post)

Comment

DC's "red top" disabled parking program goes on hold (Mar 20, 2012)
Is disability parking necessary at sites without parking? (Aug 19, 2011)
You're free to mow down pedestrians in Prince William (Oct 15, 2010)
Arlington PD follows up personally with cyclist (Feb 17, 2011)
Ped/bike safety enforcement stories, part 1: Alice Swanson (Feb 7, 2011)

And...

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 08:32:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Police pull over Google's driverless car in DC. (Marginal Revolution) ... Georgetown's Campus Plan should be approved tonight after a long and contentious journey. (Patch) ... San Francisco is also considering micro-apartments. (SF Gate, HStreetLL)

Comment

Summer Streets: Next year in Washington? (Sep 2, 2008)
Driver vs. pedestrian perspective (Jan 10, 2008)
New York, San Francisco "instant plazas" could inspire East Silver Spring (May 28, 2009)
Weekend videos: Police and bikes (Jun 11, 2011)
Closing the bowtie (Oct 12, 2006)

MPD gets law correct in minor SUV-bike collision

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:40:00 EDT

by David Alpert

DC's police have gotten some deserved criticism for misunderstanding bike laws and misapplying them in a few recent crashes, but that's not always the case. Some officers get it just right. Reader Corey wrote in:

Photo by thisisbossi on Flickr.

My friend Abe and I went for a ride yesterday. We were in the bike lane on 4th St SW between M and I, Abe in front and me trailing, when a guy in a crossover SUV tries to make a right turn into the Safeway parking garage straight into the two of us.
Both bikes were a little bent, but we were willing to let bygones be bygones if the guy had been cool about it. Then the guy sees where my shoulder left a dent in his car and our handlebars left marks, gets righteously indignant about the fact that he had his turn signal on (claiming repeatedly that this means it was OK for him to turn into us), so he calls the cops.

When the officer gets there and hears both side of the story, she immediately cites the guy for illegally changing lanes into traffic. I have no idea what made the driver think that calling the cops after hitting two cyclists in a bike lane was a good idea.
In any case, it was really encouraging to have an encounter with MPD in which the officer very clearly understood that the rules of the road still apply when bikes are involved. Urban, multi-modal transportation can only take root in the community when the law is applied fairly and folks know they'll be protected no matter how they choose to get to and fro.

Thanks, officer! Nice work.

Image from the Oregonian.

Added: For those unfamiliar with the law, when there is a bike lane, the rule is that drivers should look to be sure nobody is in the lane, then merge into the lane before turning.

Essentially, drivers should treat the bike lane just like another standard travel lane; if you're turning right and there's another lane to the right, you change lanes into that lane before turning right. A bike lane works the same way, just narrower, when turns are involved.

36 comments

17th Street bike lanes incorrectly striped (Sep 3, 2010)
DDOT to start 15th Street contraflow bike lane next week (Oct 23, 2009)
Are protected bike lanes actually more dangerous? (Jan 14, 2008)
Council passes fine for blocking bike lane (Sep 16, 2008)
Downtown bike lane proposal needs fixes at the ends (Mar 22, 2010)

VA police staying secret

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 10:53:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Virginia lawmarkers don't seem very interested in opening up information about police investigations. Even years after any action, police refuse to divulge what they did or didn't find and the law seems unlikely to change. (WAMU)

Comment

Bad bike citations are common

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:39:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

WABA reviewed all citations for bicyclists "riding abreast" and found not a single example where the cited cyclists were actually violating the law as written. They conclude officers need more training on bike laws.

Comment

WABA reports progress with MPD (Oct 30, 2008)
WABA letter and Graham bill for bike safety (Oct 7, 2008)
"Rack Attack" hits Near Southeast with new bike parking (Oct 1, 2011)
What's green and fun in the spring? A Greenbelt bike tour, a Dupont green festival, and bike fundraisers (Apr 6, 2010)
Almost nobody stops at stop signs (Jan 21, 2010)

Reverse bike theft

Wed, 09 May 2012 09:43:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

A bike owner tracked down his stolen bike on Craigslist, but despite contacting them, MPD could not spare anyone to help, so he stole it back from the thief by himself. (DCist)

Comment

To address bicycle crime, Metro PD should take it seriously (Oct 3, 2011)
Ped/bike safety enforcement stories, part 1: Alice Swanson (Feb 7, 2011)
Metro improves bike parking at NoMa station (May 3, 2012)
NH Ave bike sting continues (Aug 21, 2008)

CSI: Blog

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:39:00 EDT

by David Alpert

TV investigators identify objects using magic databases that flash each item on the screen. In real life, they can use blog commenters. Jalopnik readers helped Waynesboro, VA police identify a car part, leading to an arrest in a fatal hit-and-run.

Comment

The green light never stays green (Apr 4, 2010)

Metro police aren't so great

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:04:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

Metro Transit Police aren't held responsible for incompetence on the job or for crimes committed by off-duty officers. When on-duty they don't do much law enforcement, either. (Washington Times)

Comment

"Assaulting a police officer" may not mean what you think (May 26, 2011)
Riders appeal to Metro police to stop bag searches (Jan 4, 2011)
Why doesn't Metro post the police phone number? (Jul 14, 2010)
Overreactions already beginning to nonexistent bomb plot (Oct 29, 2010)
To address bicycle crime, Metro PD should take it seriously (Oct 3, 2011)

Bikes on the rise

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:29:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Biking in DC surged 20% in 2011, partially thanks to Capital Bikeshare, but is the District able to keep up? Police misapplying law after crashes show work still to be done, but initiatives like the Street Smart campaign will educate cyclists and drivers alike. (Post, DCist)

Comment

Capital Bikeshare introduces new 5-day pass (Mar 14, 2011)
Weekend videos: Police and bikes (Jun 11, 2011)
DC, Arlington to add 36 Capital Bikeshare stations (Dec 23, 2010)
New Hampshire Ave bike lane has some flaws (Jul 11, 2011)
Park Service will allow CaBi on the Mall (Sep 6, 2011)

And...

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:29:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

WMATA may have overpaid and not gotten much value on its safety contract. (Examiner) ... Construction for a large development near the Fort Totten Metro is about to get underway. (DCmud) ... The Metro police blotter is back. (TBD) ... Start sending your mail using green transportation stamps. (Transportation Nation)

Comment

And...

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:33:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Capital Bikeshare will launch a pilot program for the homeless, giving them access to low cost transportation. (City Paper) ... DC Police remind drivers about pedestrian safety. (TBD) ... Days after it started accepting unsolicited proposals, the Fairfax Town Council received a plan for a mixed use building. (Sun Gazette)

Comment

Hurt cyclist ticketed for nonexistent violation

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 10:06:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Police gave 3 tickets to the cyclist hit by a truck driver at 11th and U. One was for not wearing a helmet, even though the law doesn't require him to wear one. (DCist)

Comment

MPD not interested in investigating cyclist intimidation (Aug 26, 2008)
Ped/bike safety enforcement stories, part 1: Alice Swanson (Feb 7, 2011)
Bus driver assaults cyclist, MPD uninterested (Mar 4, 2009)
Arlington PD follows up personally with cyclist (Feb 17, 2011)
Women: How comfortable do you feel biking? (Mar 30, 2011)

Privacy vs. policing, take 516

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:39:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

New technologies, such as cell phone tracking and license-plate scanners, are commonplace in MPD's work, but the ACLU believes the gather of such data is an invasion of privacy. (WAMU)

Comment

Goodbye evening parking time limits, hello technology pilots (Jun 28, 2010)
MPD unsuccessfully pursued charges in October 2008 death (Mar 25, 2010)
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Councilmember's reckless driving threatens public safety

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:10:00 EDT

by Bradley Heard

Prince George's County Councilmember Karen Toles (D–Suitland) is a habitually bad driver. Police recently stopped her for allegedly driving at 105 mph across multiple lanes of the Capital Beltway. This is only the latest example of the legislator's dangerous pattern of disregarding Maryland's traffic and public safety laws.

Councilmember Toles. Photo by MDGovpics on Flickr,

Even more troubling is the failure of the county police to cite the councilmember for her reckless driving and for evading and obstructing the police. It smacks of a political double standard, and sets a bad example for the county. Police command or the State's Attorney's Office need to investigate and correct this failure.

According to the Washington Post, Toles was traveling on the Beltway on February 22, in her county-issued Ford Edge SUV, when a county police officer observed her veering across several lanes of traffic while going 105 mph in a 55 mph zone, near the Branch Avenue exit.

A police department statement pointedly noted that Toles's "violations [were] observed by a uniformed patrol officer operating a marked police cruiser on the Capital Beltway..."

Apparently, it took more than the usual amount of effort from police to stop the speeding councilmember. The Examiner reports that Toles's vehicle was "surrounded by officers"—indicating that multiple vehicles and officers were involved in the chase prior to the vehicle being stopped on Branch Avenue. WJLA states that "some officers approached Toles's car with their guns drawn."

Multiple officer accounts state that Toles repeatedly identified and referred to herself as the District 7 county councilmember and acted in a belligerent manner toward the officers throughout the traffic stop.

After police realized that they had stopped a member of the county council and not some ordinary scofflaw, they decided to issue her a citation only for an unsafe lane change, which carries a $90 fine and one point against her driver's license. The officer gave Toles a written warning for speeding.

Police defend their actions, claim no preferential treatment

Police were quick to defend their initial handling of this matter. However, they also left open the possibility that additional charges may be forthcoming after further review of the situation by police brass.

In response to growing concerns from the media and the public about apparent preferential treatment of a county official, the police stated:

The issuance of a warning citation for the speed is consistent with the typical discretion applied by police officers to speeding motorists. The traffic violations were captured on the police officer's in-car camera, and the incident will be subject to command review. At the moment, the video is evidence in a pending District Court traffic case, and will not be released.

Clearly, most drivers who are observed by a uniformed police officer going 50 miles over the speed limit would be immediately ticketed, and possibly arrested for reckless driving. This is especially so if, like Toles, they are crossing multiple lanes on the Capital Beltway, not immediately stopping in response to multiple police lights and sirens, and acting belligerently toward police, who felt the need to draw their weapons in response to the traffic stop.

For the county police to suggest that the issuance of a warning under such circumstances is "consistent with the typical discretion applied by police officers to speeding motorists" defies logic.

Toles released a statement shortly after the incident, stating that she "consider[s] moving violations serious matters," that she regrets the incident, and that she intends to pay the $90 ticket for the unsafe lane change. She later said she would temporarily give up her county vehicle and also take a driver safety course.

Toles is no stranger to serious traffic violations

Based on her driving record over the past couple of years, the public has ample reason to question whether Toles genuinely regards moving violations as "serious matters."

On August 5, 2010, Toles pled guilty in Upper Marlboro District Court to making an unsafe lane change on March 31, 2010, at Martin Luther King Jr. Hwy and Greenleaf Road. She paid a $90 fine. This is the exact same charge for which she received a ticket in the February 22, 2012 incident.

On April 1, 2011, Toles pled guilty in Hyattsville District Court to driving off the roadway while passing a vehicle on September 7, 2010, at the Capital Beltway and Pennsylvania Avenue. She also pled guilty to failing to display her registration card upon demand by the police during that same incident. She paid a total of $150 in fines.

In both of those 2010 instances, court records reflect that Toles' driver's license was temporarily suspended for several weeks, prior to her guilty pleas, after the councilmember failed to appear in court to answer the charges.

Justice and fair play require that Toles face charges

After the Jack and Leslie Johnson scandals, the last thing Prince George's County needs is for another of its public officials to get away with gaming the system by trading on their political office.

Two days before Toles was stopped by police, another driver killed herself and injured 4 others in a horrendous crash. She was driving similar 100+ mph speeds on Martin Luther King Jr. Highway. Like Toles, the driver in that fatal incident was a repeat traffic offender. Indeed, she actually had received a ticket on January 22 for traveling 91 mph in a 55 mph zone—which is 14 mph less than Toles' alleged speed on February 22.

Toles knew exactly what she was doing when she belligerently and repeatedly identified herself as a county councilmember after leading police on a high-speed chase. She wanted to intimidate the police into not charging her with serious traffic violations. And in that effort, she has been successful—at least up to this point.

Based on the police officer accounts that have been reported thus far, there appears to be ample probable cause to support charging Toles with multiple serious traffic violations arising out of the February 22 incident, including but not limited to reckless driving, fleeing or eluding police, and obstruction of justice.

Police claim that one of the reasons the ticketing officer did not cite Toles for exceeding the speed limit initially was that the officer had no radar, had not properly calibrated his speedometer, and did not have time to pace her actual speed while giving chase. However, the determination of Toles's precise speed is not an essential element to either of the above charges.

Under Maryland's point system, a conviction on these traffic charges could result in mandatory suspension or revocation of Toles's license, in addition to any other applicable fines or jail time.

The Prince George's County Police have said they will review the situation and may charge Toles with additional violations. Hopefully, Chief Mark Magaw, Assistant Chief Kevin Davis (301-772-4740), and the rest of the executive review panel will take this opportunity to do the right thing and charge the council member in the same manner as any other driver would have been charged under similar circumstances.

If the police don't do their job, then it is up to the State's Attorney's Office to protect the interests of Maryland's citizens in Prince George's County. The office's District Court Division, headed by Chief Mary Brennan (304-952-3967) and Assistant Chief Michael Glynn (301-952-2875), is ultimately responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor crimes in Prince George's. That office should not hesitate to pursue these charges directly if the county police department lacks the political will.

Once properly charged, Councilmember Toles should be afforded all the constitutional protections and presumptions that any other criminal defendant would have under our justice system—including the presumption of innocence, the right to a jury trial, and the requirement that the state prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Repeated reckless driving on Maryland's roads is, to use Karen Toles's own description, a very "serious matter." Nearly 600 people die each year in Maryland as a result of automobile crashes. If the police saw the councilmember engaging in such conduct on February 22, as multiple media reports suggest, they should not turn a blind eye toward that conduct, and neither should the State's Attorney's Office.

In America—including in Prince George's County—no one, regardless of their position in government, should be above the law.

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