... the Dem's #2 Party Rag (behind the NY Times), the Washington Post, headlined the impact of a Surge, not THE surge, but a surge in the District of Columbia!!!
Police Put Some Blame on Economy, Boost Patrols; Overall Violence Falls
By Allison Klein and Dan Keating
Washington Post Staff WritersSunday, April 20, 2008Burglaries are on the rise in the District, with police blaming the souring economy as a contributing factor in a 21 percent increase in break-ins over the same period last year.
Criminals are jimmying locks, kicking in front doors, breaking through roof hatches and skylights, and sometimes even sawing security bars off windows to get into houses and businesses, police said. They are hauling off computers, flat-screen televisions, jewelry, digital media players and other items, which they then sell.
Criminals are jimmying locks, kicking in front doors, breaking through roof hatches and skylights, and sometimes even sawing security bars off windows to get into houses and businesses, police said. They are hauling off computers, flat-screen televisions, jewelry, digital media players and other items, which they then sell.
Police data show that 922 burglaries were reported in the city in the first quarter of the year, compared with 761 in the same span last year. The biggest increases have been reported on Capitol Hill and in neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River, including Congress Heights.
Overall violence, however, is dipping across the city, with homicides down by 11 percent this year. With the busier summer months approaching, police are trying to get a handle on the burglary problem while keeping violence down.
"It's the burglaries that are getting us this year," said Cmdr. Joel Maupin, who heads the 7th District, in the southernmost area east of the Anacostia River in Ward 8.
Assistant Police Chief Diane Groomes said someone looking to commit a crime for money might find burglaries more appealing than a face-to-face street robbery. Most of the burglaries have occurred during the day or when no one is on the premises.
"It's easy cash," said Groomes, who tracks trends as head of patrol operations. "And unlike a robbery, you generally don't have someone looking at you, so it's easier to get away with it." [.....]
Assistant Police Chief Diane Groomes said someone looking to commit a crime for money might find burglaries more appealing than a face-to-face street robbery. Most of the burglaries have occurred during the day or when no one is on the premises.
"It's easy cash," said Groomes, who tracks trends as head of patrol operations. "And unlike a robbery, you generally don't have someone looking at you, so it's easier to get away with it." [.....]
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