Monday, January 30, 2006

Priorities

I strolled out of my house this morning at my usual time, 730am. There was fog around, and condensation on the windows of my car. As i opened my door, i spotted it. The usually expected, but unwanted parking ticket/revenue source for DC. I was angry as i perused over the unrippable slip of plastic. Had i just missed the meter person? When i realized the ticket had a time-date stamp of 230AM, i was initially very upset. I thought for sure that there were much higher priorities than ticketing my car for being too close to the stop sign at 230am.

As I thought about it longer, i was encouraged to realize that the MPD was circulating, and patrolling our neighborhood. This is especially good considering that someone attempted to steal my car last week, and were successful in taking a car on T st. I guess the old model of "broken windows" policing is still in effect. At the end of the day, if the stepped up MPD activities results in reduced crime, and a better Eckington, I will be happy to take the extra time to find a parking spot.

Friday, January 27, 2006

Hot Spots

This post isnt about that getaway to the British Virgin Islands, Cuba, or even Iraq.
Crime Reduction Hot Spots affect our neighborhoods, including Eckington

In February 2004, Mayor Anthony A. Williams launched a program to combat crime and rebuild some of the District of Columbia's most troubled neighborhoods. Called the "Hot Spot Initiative," the effort brings together the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), a range of other city government agencies, and the private and non-profit sectors for a focused attack on both crime and the underlying conditions that can breed crime in the geographically compact "hot spots" located throughout DC.

The Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services and the Metropolitan Police Department operate the Hot Spot Initiative jointly. In each hot spot, the MPD assigns additional patrols (vehicle, bicycle, and foot), deploys specialized units (such as narcotics, gangs, prostitution, and vehicle theft), conducts criminal investigations, and manages problem-solving efforts. Neighborhood Services coordinates the efforts of other government agencies through individual Neighborhood Services Coordinators assigned to each of DC's eight wards.

http://ons.dc.gov/services/problemArea.shtm

Initial Post

I am new to the Eckington hood, and hope that this blog will be an additional resource to neighbors. It is very unlikely that this blog will be updated as often or as helpful as InShaw or Truxton Circle, but perhaps it can augment those excellent sites. Those websites helped me make the decision to move to Eckington, and the information provided within them are invaluable. Hopefully, over time this will be something that people want to visit again and again.