65 I Street SW · Washington, DC 20024 · 202/554-1795
August 9, 2004
Commissioner Assalaam introduced 1st
District Commander Tommy McGuire and Nance Spinner of the Southwest Health
Clinic, and said that someone from DCRA would also be present. He outlined the rules for the discussion,
and urged the audience to address their issues directly, and without personal
attacks. The evening was divided into
segments: Quality of Life, including housing, traffic, cleanliness, etc.,
Development, and Public Safety.
Public Safety
A local resident began by saying that she has to
put her own floodlights in her alley behind 208 I Street SW because the Housing
Authority won’t fix them. She also said
that when she calls the police because of disruption in the alley, the police
let the boys know who has called. She
said there are shootouts every night in her alley, and the police don’t come
and don’t patrol the alleys. Commander
McGuire responded that, as far as the lights are concerned, they call Peter
Jones, the Ward 6 neighborhood services coordinator, to call the agency. He was firm in saying that officers had been
instructed not to inform anyone about who has called them, and urged people to
report incidents where that occurred.
He told people to go the police website and report it, and he will take
formal action. He said these areas had
been badly designed, because there are too many alleys and cutways, and his
officers are told at roll calls to patrol the alleys and cutaways because
that’s where the crime is, and he will discipline anyone who’s not doing it.
She also addressed the issue that the housing
police are not properly trained, and should be taught how to properly
patrol. Commander McGuire said that he
has no control over the housing police but would talk to their officials about
the issue. He then gave the audience
his phone number, 727-4586, to contact him.
In answer to a question, Commander McGuire
explained how his command worked: he
meets with his crime analysis team each day and assigned patrol officers on
that basis. The number of officers on
patrol varies because of days off, sick leave and vacation, but Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday are the days when most officers are on patrol.
Another resident also complained that an officer
told someone that she had called the police, and her phone line had been
cut. She spoke about random crime on
the street, and how someone had been beaten up and the streets should be safer,
and she should not be exposed to things like that. Commander McGuire again recommended calling anonymously.
Commissioner Assalaam pointed out that Alonso Cole,
the 1st District Community Outreach Coordinator was present at the
meeting.
An audience member inquired about what hours the
youth curfew was in effect, and suggested that there should be a separate
curfew for young people, who are out late at night riding bikes. Commander McGuire said that it was a matter
of legislation. The curfew is one
minute after 12, under 17, and once school starts, it will be after 11. Commissioner Williams suggested that
Councilmember Ambrose should be petitioned to change the curfew. The curfew, she said, was recently changed
by a Councilmember from another district, and it was changed for the
summer. It was suggested that she be
written and called to make the change.
Commander McGuire said that since July 1, 120 curfew violators had been
picked up, and they were either turned back to their parents, or if no parent
was available, sent to the youth processing center until someone could pick
them up. Commissioner Williams asked
for people to sign up to contact Councilmember Ambrose, because it should be a
priority.
Sgt. Burnett, who was also present, said that these
issues are his responsibility, and reiterated that when calls are made to the
police, people don’t have to identify themselves. He talked about how the District is making a transition to a
centralized public safety communications center. There are new dispatchers who are just being trained, and that is
part of the problem—they’re not yet properly trained.
Naomi Monk announced the next PSA 104 meeting.
A community member spoke about the lights at
Delaware Avenue and L Street are not working.
Commissioner Williams said that was the responsibility of the Department
of Transportation. She also complained
about the number of kids on motor scooters.
Sgt. Burnett said he now has about 15 at the station that he has
impounded. He said he seizes them for
unsafe driving. If the motors are above
50cc helmets are required, and the manufacturers get around that by making them
48 or 49ccs. He has talked with Sharon
Ambrose, Skip Coburn and Marge Francese about legislation to bring the bikes
into compliance with the law. If
they’re driven unsafely, they’re gotten.
Jerome Grey asked what the police strategy is for
outreach. He asked about the value of
such old strategies as casual clothes units, patrolling the alleys, etc. He said that police morale is low and the
old strategies were better. He
mentioned that old 911 calls could be put out in two minutes, not now. What’s needed is to go back and look at the
strategies of 25 years ago. Commander
McGuire said that he is from the “old school” and he knows that those
strategies work, but he employs every strategy he has at hand, including scout
cars, foot patrols, use of his tactical units to do surveillance, undercover
vice enforcement to foot beats, bike beats, etc. Mr. Grey said that these
things should be straightened out for more prompt response, and it’s a citywide
problem.
A local resident said she lives on 3rd
Street, and cars speed up and down the street, and there’s no bike patrol on
that street.
Someone else reported that he had seen an
all-terrain vehicle riding up and down the street on the sidewalk. Commander McGuire said that they were unsafe
and he had two of them already impounded, they are seized outright.
A resident of Greenleaf Gardens said that the
police refer tenants to the Housing Authority police, and the tenants don’t
want that, because they don’t know what they’re doing. Why does that happen? She stated that she wants to deal with a
regular police officer because they do. Commissioner Williams suggested that
there be a special meeting with Housing Authority Administrator Michael Kelly
to discuss these issues.
Another member of the community spoke about the
serious drug problem on P Street, the worst it’s been in thirty years. Commander McGuire said that he’s starting to
deploy more officers because the dealers are moving west from Arthur
Capper. His officers have picked up
about 15 guns, including an AK 47. He
knows that if he arrests someone they’re going to be out the next day, so he
issues a stay-away order, which prohibits the person from going back to the
location, and if he does, then he can be arrested for violating the conditions
of release, and kept in jail. He can’t
do that if the person lives in that neighborhood.
In response to a question from Commissioner
Williams, Commander McGuire explained how Drug Zones work: he will report on
drug arrests and drug house locations to Chief Ramsey. who will create a Drug
Zone, and Drug Free Zone signs will be posted for four days, and violators can
be arrested at enhanced penalties in the Zone.
Commissioner Assalaam complimented the community
for coming out and telling officials that things need to be changed.
Commissioner Williams announced that legislation
has been introduced to ban fireworks in the District; and that there was a
problem with getting abandoned cars removed from the area.
Housing
Commissioner Assalaam introduce Doug Foster of
DCRA.
One resident of Town Center expressed her concerns
about planning in Southwest. For
example, when the first plans for 4th Street were announced, they
were told that it would be rental housing, and now they are going to be
$200,000 condos. There will be less
parking, and there is inadequate information so that people can make decisions
about their housing, and the Zoning Commission is lax. Mr. Foster said he would get her information
about what is going on. He recommended
calling Denzil Washington, the DC Zoning Commissioner at 42-4542. Commissioners Assalaam and Johnson agreed,
and said the question would be addressed later in the meeting.
A resident addressed the issue of trash and rats at
Greenleaf Gardens, saying that when she calls the rental office she is told
that they don’t have enough people to pick up the trash and do everything
else. She said that people want to take
pride in their houses, but the trash people don’t come on a regular basis—they
have contract trash pick-up, which is supposed to be regular but it’s not. Commissioner Williams said that DPW has been
directed to assist the Housing Authority with trash pick-up, and they should be
doing that. She also said that the
issue of the rats would be addressed.
Another community member said that the same
problems existed at Syphax, and suggested that the Housing Authority can be
taken to court. Commissioner Williams
said that it can be handled through the proper channels without going to
court. Another person added that the
7-11 and KFC generate hundreds of large rats each year, and that all the
construction has also contributed to the problem.
One member of the audience said she believed that
the Housing Authority has taken money to rehab housing and pocketed it. She said that they have taken units in
perfect condition and made them look blighted.
Another audience member asked about the future of
James Creek, Greenleaf Gardens and Syphax when the development starts at
Waterside Mall? Commissioner Assalaam
reminded the audience how people had been blindsided at Arthur Capper and other
public housing developments, and conditions were made so that very few people
could come back. He exhorted people to
stick together as a community to stop these things.
One public housing resident complained that after
she was told that she could plant trees and garden, the Housing Authority came
and cut the trees down and removed the fence and storm doors she had put
up. She also complained about the rats,
some the size of cats, and recommended using tracking powder for their
removal. There were several other
suggestions for rat removal.
The issue was raised about how they try to get rid
of Section 8 tenants by keeping receipts that don’t match tenant ledger
reports, so that tenants appear to owe more money than they do, and they are
threatened with eviction, and then they raise the rent $2 or $3 a month. She wants to know what to do now, because
she has given them everything they asked for.
Commissioner Williams said that there is process you can go through, and
there should be someone higher than Administrator Kelly one can go through.
Commissioner Assalaam again urged the community to
come together and work as a unit to let the City know what it wants, and that
is the way to make positive change.
Southwest Health Center
Commissioner Williams said that she had spoken with
the Director of the Center, who urged Southwest residents to take advantage of
the Center, and that Nancy Spinner was there representing the Clinic.
Ms. Spinner said she just wanted to let people know
that while they changed management, the clinic was still there, and they
offered many services, even including social services, and she urged residents
to come back to the clinic.
One community resident stated that one of the
reasons people didn’t go there was that they had some of the nastiest people
working there, and the clients were not treated well by staff, and were made to
wait hours. Ms. Spinner responded that
some employees have left, and they were hopeful that people would give the
clinic another chance. She said that if
there were problems, they should be raised, and they will be taken care of.
Former Councilmember Nadine Winter, the Executive
Director of Health Outreach Information Network, urged the community to give
the clinic a chance, things are getting better, and that many things can be
done to correct the situation at the clinic.
She stressed the importance of being healthy and getting care,
particularly important for African Americans, who have the shortest life
span. She said that she had been
blessed to have recovered from breast cancer, and that care is the most
important thing.
Development/Private Housing
One member of the audience said she has lived in
Southwest for three years, currently on P Street, but for 1½ years in Town
Center Plaza. In September, the tenants
received a letter from the owners saying they wanted to sell the two buildings,
and they were giving the tenants the right of first refusal. Her question is whether there is a DC law
that protects tenants from being booted out of their apartments. Doug Foster suggested that she call Raynelle
Zapata, the DC Rent Administrator, who is responsible for tenants’ rights. Ms. Livingston stressed that this is private
housing, and Mr. Foster reiterated that Ms. Zapata deals with private
housing. Mr. Foster said that DCRA
deals with public housing, except for things like elevators, and James Upshaw
is responsible for elevator inspections.
He also urged that people form tenant associations and deal as a group
so that concerns will be heard.
He also said that if you live in a private home and
there is illegal construction, or trash in the yard, you can call DCRA, and for
rats, call the Department of Health rat patrol at 727-1000.
Mr. Foster then interjected that he is working with
Rev. Michael Little and other local clergy and representatives of Fannie Mae to
make certain the community is included in decisions that are made about the
redevelopment at Waterside Mall. He is working as a volunteer with Fannie Mae
to organize meetings. He also announced
a DCRA Night Out in the community on August 17th, which, it was
decided, would be held at Lansburgh Park.
Commissioner Johnson, in response to a question,
reported on the status of the redevelopment of Waterside Mall, saying that with
the entry of Fannie Mae into the picture at Waterside Mall, it could change the
impact of the redevelopment, and the community will have to pay careful
attention to developments.
Naomi Mitchell introduced herself as the founder of
an organization for all public housing people, from Barry Farms to Arthur
Capper and Southwest, to have a say in the changes that are taking place in the
District and people are being displaced by development. The purpose of the organization is to band
together into an alliance to determine what tenants want. Everyone knows they don’t want to be
displaced by development or rehabilitation, but there are positive steps people
can take, and she urged everyone to get involved.
A question was asked about whether there were plans
to put a high school in Lansburgh Park, and was told that that is not true.
In response to a question about the future of the
Safeway, Commissioner Williams said that it will be moved away from its current
location, and the developers are offering increased, but underground,
space. The developers are also not
offering the market any additional parking.
Safeway is currently in negotiation with the developers, and the only
two sticking points are the underground location and the parking.
Commissioner Williams said that Fannie Mae has
requested to change the plan approved by the Zoning Commission, and the
architects and developers will have a new plan by October.
Commissioner Johnson added that there is real
concern about the new plan, which will affect everyone in the Southwest
community. In addition, it is a highly
profitable development, and, rather than using the profits in other parts of
the City, the money should stay in the Southwest community. It’s important for the community to say what
it wants as the process moves forward.
Commissioner Assalaam expressed his appreciation
for everyone’s participation, saying that the minutes of the meeting would be
used to develop a plan of action for the ANC.
The meeting was adjourned at
10:15 pm
.
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D
65 I Street SW
Washington, DC 20024
554-1795
n
FAX
554-1774
office@anc6d.com