Crime Mindfulness

The summer mugging season is well underway. According to information passed from Officer Mike Smith to Borderstan, robberies are up over last year and, in some cases, even last week. However, though we had four violent crimes in our PSA in June, your chances of being personally victimized are still statistically very low. Please see the text below regarding robberies taken from a June 30th Borderstan email. If you would like to be on this mailing list, contact borderstan {at} gmail {dot} com. [If you are not familiar with the term "Borderstan" it refers to the blocks near 15th Street, the dividing line between PSA 307 (east) and PSA 207 PSA 208 (west), an area that has had less attention from MPD patrols in the past due to straddling the police service area diving line.]

Theft from vehicles remains most common crime in Logan. This crime is largely preventable; please keep valuables out of sight in your cars. Please also advise your guests to do the same. You would be surprised at the crummy stuff that thieves will smash a window to access — old CD players, car breakdown kits, change, SmarTrips, sunglasses.

Just wanted to let you know that there has been more robberies in the area since my last email. One in particular was unusually violent in that one victim was possibly pistol-whipped during the robbery. That incident occured early Sunday morning at approximately 4 am at the corner of 15th and Church Sts NW. The victims had just parked their car when the suspect approached and asked the driver for directions. Suspect # 1, described as a black male approximately 5'7" with a thin build, short afro hairstyle then punched the driver in the face demanding money. The driver was able to exit the car pursued by Suspect #1 who continued to strike the victim, then he produced a black handgun, striking the victim again. The second suspect was described as a light skinned black male or hispanic male approximately 5'9" with a stocky build. His hairstyle was described as somewhat unique as it was described as long black hair pulled back into a knot, th en the hair below the knot appeared to be braided. Suspect #2 held the second victim at gunpoint as victim #1 was robbed. Both suspects fled on foot on Church St towards 16th St.

Also to let you know I did arrest one suspect for attempted armed robbery at the corner of 15th St and Q St on Friday night at approximately 10:15 PM. This suspect approached two pedestrians and produced a box cutter and attempted to rob them but they were able to flag down a patrol car and the suspect was immediately arrested.

Robberies are occuring on both the 2D and 3D sides primarily between 14th and 16th Streets, mostly between R and U Streets. I have been working with the 2D detectives office to see if we can identify the suspects. Crime over the last 7 days is up over 170% from the same period last year (18 crimes vs. 6 criimes a year ago).