Hey, You Kids...!

So, Mrs. 14thandyou had been home this evening for approximately ten minutes when she was greeted by the sound of our door buzzer. Outside were two of DC's finest, there to inform her that her car had just been broken into. She stepped outside to see that what once had been her window now lay in a thousand pieces on the sidewalk and inside the car.

Seems the two suspects (16-24 yo b/m) were interrupted by a vigilant neighbor who saw what they did, chased them for a block, then called the MPD. (Thank you, kind-hearted neighbor who we don't know.)

One of the positives that came from an otherwise angering experience was Mrs. 14thandyou's interaction with MPD Officer Kimberly Selby and her partner, who could not have been more helpful and pleasant. It seems our two suspects are a known commodity in the area, Officer Selby has been tracking them for some time.

Perhaps most perplexing out of this entire ordeal was what on earth the dynamic duo saw in Mrs. 14thandyou's 13 year old vehicle that made it an enticing option for a window smashing. Could it have been the ice-scraper? (It *was* one of those nicer ice-scrapers that has the long reach and the brush on the other side...) Perhaps it was the nearly empty jug of windshield wiper fluid sitting on the floor of the backseat? (Is there a black market for that stuff?) Or maybe it was the assortment of mid-atlantic and northeast corridor roadmaps tucked into the passenger-side door? (Maybe they were planning on making a getaway to "New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine, with blow-up maps of Portland, Manchester and Burlington"?)

So we know two things about the MO of these wayward youth: they like to smash car windows, and they have really, really awful taste.

So What's Up With All the Stolen Cars?

We all know that there are certain crime statistics that seem to attract more attentions than others. Homicides, for instance. Or armed muggings, rapes and arsons. In other words, violent crime or significantly destructive property crimes. The other types of crimes--thefts, burglaries, car break-ins and so on tend to get lumped into the general category called "property crimes" and tend to be viewed only in terms of the sum of all the parts, rather than individually. Thus, some interesting trends or spikes in particular property crimes may go unnoticed.

Such is the case with what I can only call a serious uptick in the number of cars reported stolen in the neighborhood. I discovered this little tidbit entirely incidentally, as I was looking up some general crime statistics for various periods of time, and comparing them with other neighborhoods in the District. Because, you know, that's just how I like to spend my time.

Using the very helpful DC Crime Map statistics supplied by the the MPD, I learned that for the period June 25 - August 24, there were 24 autos reported stolen within 1500 feet of a Logan intersection I arbitrarily selected, 13th and R St. (Moving a couple of blocks south, to the Circle itself, the number "drops" to 22.) For the same time period during 2007, the total number of reported stolen autos was three. For the previous two months of 2008, the number reported was 12.

Now, I'm no criminologist, or statistical analyst (for that matter), so I'm not arguing anything other than the fact that 24 autos were reported stolen in Logan during the last two months. Still, it does beg the question: what's going on here?

All other property-related crime seems to be holding right around where it's been, perhaps a bit high. Stolen autos are the only category that has shown an appreciable increase. Is this simply a fluke, and the car thieves just happen to be hitting Logan more than they have in the past? Are there a handful of ne'er-do-wells wrecking havoc and going joyriding in our neighborhood? Did Logan residents suddenly start leaving their doors unlocked and their keys in the ignition?

Regardless, it's always a good idea to follow the MPDs tips on preventing auto theft, and taking common sense actions like leaving nothing in sight in your car or otherwise increasing your car's likelihood of being targeted by thieves. Or, you could simply take my approach: drive a cheap, PoS American sedan that no one in their right mind would care to take the trouble to steal. Remember: suckiness is always a good theft-deterrent.