Minutes from May 15, 2008 KMCA meeting

Public safety was the focus of the May 15 meeting of the KMCA. After the treasurer’s report (171 members, bank balance of approximately $1676), attendees heard from several Montgomery County safety officials. They were invited to attend because of community concerns about a spate of recent car and house break-ins in the Kemp Mill area.

First to present from the County was Sharif Hidayat. Officer Hidayat is the community services officer for Kemp Mill, and acts between the 4th District station and the community. He noted that while the County is cutting back on community outreach, the community services personnel will be maintained.

Officer Hidayat reported that many in the community are locking their car doors and closing the windows, but some are not. With respect to the car break-ins that occurred in the months preceding the meeting, only one car had been locked. People are also leaving valuables in their cars in plain view (e.g., CDs, cell phones, money, GPS units) which makes the cars a target for break-ins. He stated that the police department has started mailing yellow cards to car owners informing them when valuables are observed in their cars. Similarly, in response to recent home break-ins, they plan to send cards to homeowners informing them if conditions that could facilitate a break-in, such as an open garage door or overgrown shrubbery, are observed. He said the goal of the department is to educate residents of ways they can reduce their risk of experiencing a crime. He also urged residents to act as the “eyes and ears” of the community and to report suspicious activity to the department’s non-emergency number (301 279 8000). He also encouraged residents to contact him directly with questions or concerns at 240 773 5524 or
Sharif.hidayat@montgomerycountymd.gov

Following his presentation, Officer Hidayat fielded questions from the audience, which yielded the following information:

• In the past month, there are have been 25 car break-ins and 3 or 4 home burglaries;
• If crimes are being experienced by Jewish residents on Friday nights, they need to be reported to the police. Extra policing services may be provided, but the department needs to know the numbers of crimes that are occurring. Additionally, the community should inform the department of times when more people will be out walking on the street (e.g., Jewish holidays) so they can provide additional patrols;
• Residents who know they will be out of town can notify the department and ask for patrols of their house;
• The police offer an escort service for those who need to get from the metro or bus to their car and are concerned about walking alone. The number for the service is 240 777 8100.

Community resident Alan Felsen (who is also a police officer) noted that the County website permits police to file complaints, and that police could file them on behalf of residents. Additionally, residents can view on the website the complaints that have been filed and the actions that have been taken.

The KMCA next heard from Dave Baker, a crime prevention specialist with the County. His presentation focused on changes that residents can make to reduce their chances of experiencing crime. He noted that Kemp Mill is unusual in that people know their neighbors and tend to live in the community for a long time. He stated that community involvement is necessary to prevent crime, as the police cannot do it alone. He defined crime prevention as the anticipation, recognition and appraisal of a crime risk and the initiation of action to remove or reduce that risk. He stated that to do this one must “think like a burglar,” and look for things in the community that would attract or deter a burglar, and to remove the opportunity for crime where possible. He noted that criminals observe behavior and look for routines, habits, and vulnerabilities, such as when people leave for work and return home. He stated that the average criminal is a male between 12 and 25 years of age. He encouraged residents to develop a crime prevention plan that identifies individual vulnerabilities and takes action to reduce them. These plans should have five “layers” (meaning different components), be easy to do, be low cost, and be specific to individual circumstances.

He also encouraged role playing to practice how to respond to particular situations. He urged people to trust their intuition about unsafe situations and to err on the side of safety. He stated that high risk locations for being the victim of crime include shopping malls, restaurants, grocery stores, beauty salons, and ATM machines.

With regard to home security, he gave the following tips:

• Don’t stop the newspaper when you go away. The information goes into a database that can be accessed by many people and could get into the hands of a criminal. Instead, ask a neighbor to collect the paper for you;
• Don’t have a female voice on your answering machine;
• Lock your mailbox;
• Place locks on doors and windows;
• Use a brand of lock that cannot be opened by a “bump key,” which are keys that are capable of opening a wide variety of locks;
• Secure the strike plates of the lock with three inch screws;
• Solid metal doors are the strongest;
• Install charley bars on sliding glass doors
• Make sure to have good lighting around the house exterior;

The final speaker was Lt. Dave McClintock from the Montgomery County Park Police. He made the following comments in response to questions:

• The Recreation Center on Claybrook Drive must be vacated by 11:00 pm, while the park closes at Sunset.
• Bicycles are not permitted in Brookside Gardens. However, police staffing is thin and if there are concerns residents should contact police.
• In the past year there have been there “reportable incidents” regarding the park on Arcola avenue, but overall the parks in the Kemp Mill area have not had problems.
• The Sligo creek area is very busy; two years ago an attempted rape was reported.
• Thefts have occurred at County facilities, e.g., theft of credit cards.
• If behavior such as drinking is observed at a rec center, police should be notified.
• Dogs should be leashed. Enforcement by the police depends on notification from the community.
• Truancy should be reported to the police.

Other business

• Nominees for three Board vacancies were approved by a show of hands. Jim Priestly and Selena Snow were re-elected for another term and Joe Brungard joined the Board.
• A proposal was made to create a subcommittee to address concerns about occupancy in area houses. The motion was passed by a show of hands.



 

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