Retired MRPD Chief's Discussion

August 21 st : 2900 block of Arundel Road : Armed robbery – 1:05 am. The victim told officers that as he was walking to his apartment he noticed two black males in a white or silver compact vehicle parked in a handicapped space. As he got to his building the two approached him and one of them displayed a black handgun and demanded his property. The suspects stole the victim’s wallet and cell phone. Both suspects ran back to the car and fled the area on Chauncey Place towards Queenstown Drive. The victim was not injured during the robbery. PGPD detectives responded to the scene to assume a follow-up investigation. 2900 block of Allison Street : Stolen auto – 1:50 am. The owner of a 2002 Honda Accord reported that sometime prior to his reporting the incident to police someone stole his vehicle. 4600 block of 29 th Street : Criminal citation – 2:40 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public. August 22 nd : 4600 block of 27 th Street : S

As of 5 pm this morning we are still experiencing high winds and heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Irene. While the rain is forecast to taper off we still expect the high winds to continue through the morning hours. The police department went on tactical alert at 6 pm Saturday evening and all officers were on duty throughout the night until 5 am this morning. We will have a normal day shift compliment plus one additional officer starting at 7 am this morning. We will follow the same schedule for the night shift that starts at 7 pm tonight.   Throughout the City there is an extensive amount of storm debris on all of our residential streets ranging from leaves to large branches and trees and power lines down. We have reported each power line problem to Pepco; however we do not expect Pepco to respond to address any of the power line problems until later in the day, and then only according to their priority schedule. Our officers have used police tape to block off those streets w

Beginning at 6 pm tomorrow night the police department will go on Tactical Alert in response to Hurricane Irene. All officers will be on duty and we will have the City’s command center set up here at the police station.   You can assist the Department by making your necessary emergency preparations over the next 24 hours so you will be prepared to weather (no pun intended) the storm as safely as possible. Please see my posts from yesterday that outline precautions you should take. I encourage you to check on your neighbors and let us know if there are any residents, such as the elderly, who may need special assistance in case their home becomes uninhabitable.   As a reminder, the emergency number to police our police communications center is 301-985-6565/6566. The non-emergency number here at the police station is 301-985-6580/6590. If the power goes out at the police station you will not be able to call into the 301-985-6580/6590 number. If you get no answer at the non-emergency numbe

Reporting an Outage and the Restoration Process - Emergency Phone Numbers If your power goes out, check to see if your neighbors have power. If your home is the only one without power, check your circuit breakers or fuses to determine if the outage is a result of a household problem. Do not assume we automatically know about your outage. Please contact us immediately. Report outages: 1-877-PEPCO-62 (1-877-737-2662) Report downed wires and life-threatening emergencies: 1-877-Pepco-62 (1-877-737-2662) and press two. TTY : 202-872-2369 Outage maps and restoration updates can be accessed online at www.pepco.com . Click on the Your Home tab and select the Outages the Emergency Preparedness page. Important Safety Tips If you see a downed power line, stay away from it. Assume that all downed power lines are live and extremely dangerous. Don’t touch any person or object that is in contact with a power line; the current could flow through you. Immediately call the emergency service number

The following information comes from a PEPCO press release this morning: In anticipation of Hurricane Irene’s arrival this weekend, PEPCO urges its customers to prepare for potential power outages and act to ensure their safety. Here are some tips: Preparation Tips ·          Have adequate prescription medicines or infant supplies on hand. ·          If you or someone you know uses life-support equipment that requires electricity to operate, identify a location with emergency power capabilities and make plans to go there or to a hospital during a prolonged outage. ·          Assemble an emergency "storm kit."  Include a battery-powered radio or television, flashlight, a first-aid kit, battery-powered or windup clock, extra batteries, special needs items, an insulated cooler and a list of important and emergency phone numbers. ·          Keep at least a three-day supply of non-perishable foods and bottled water and have a hand-operated can opener available. ·          Hav

In anticipation that Hurricane Irene may pose a significant threat to Maryland over the coming weekend, the Anne Arundel County Police Department sent the following information to its business community this morning. The information is designed to assist businesses in preparing for this potentially dangerous storm. The tips AACoPD sent to their businesses are applicable to the business community here in Mount Rainier, so with their permission, I have reproduced it here:   With the impending approach of Hurricane Irene and the possibility of its significant impact on the region, it’s time to start preparing.  As for emergency awareness, additional information will follow through the State and Local Offices of Emergency Management.  Stay in close contact with local news and weather releases.   We want to take this time to make you aware of business security procedures you should consider.  PEPCO is already warning of the possibility of extensive and extended power disruptions. Conduct a

August 14 th : 3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue : Motor vehicle collision – 5:05 am. Officer responded for the report of a single vehicle collision. Upon arrival they found a 1993 Lincoln Town car that had left the roadway and crashed into a tree in the median. The investigation revealed that the weather conditions and the vehicle’s speed were the main factors that caused the vehicle to crash. 2300 block of Varnum Street (7-11) : Theft over $500 – 11:25 pm. Officers responded for the report of a theft of cigarettes. When the officers arrived they spoke with store employees and reviewed the surveillance camera footage. The officers learned that two black males in their late 30’s entered the store, went behind the counter, pulled out a plastic bag and filled it up with cigarettes.  The subjects then fled the store on foot. It is believed that they entered a vehicle parked on 22 nd Street and fled the area. August 15 th : 4600 block of 29 th Street : Vandalism to auto – 8:15 am. The

Please come out and support Special Olympics Maryland this Saturday and Sunday, August 20 th and 21 st . The following press release is from Chief Douglas Holland of the Hyattsville Police Department outlines the “Cops on Rooftops” fundraising event for SOMD. “Anyone who ever thought nothing good could come from cops sitting around (or in this case ON) a donut shop might reconsider that notion when “Cops on Rooftops” – a fundraiser for Special Olympics Maryland -- comes to the Dunkin’ Donuts at 3030 Queens Chapel Road on Saturday, August 20 starting at 6 am through Sunday, August 21, 2011. As part of a national fundraising effort for Special Olympics Maryland, many good-natured officers from the Police Departments of the City of Hyattsville, Mt. Rainier, Riverdale Park, Bladensburg, Prince George’s County and other local agencies have volunteered to spend the weekend on the roof of the Hyattsville-area Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant located at 3030 Queens Chapel Road. Their collective fund

August 5 th : 4000 block of Cedar Lane : Criminal citation – 11:20 am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for possessing an open container of alcohol in public. 3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue : Criminal citation – 6:10 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public. 4200 block of 34 th Street : Domestic assault/CDS possession – 8 pm. Officers responded for the report of a domestic assault. The female resident and her boyfriend got into a physical altercation that resulted in minor injury to the woman. The officers verified the woman’s injury and also discovered a quantity of marijuana in a bedroom closet that belonged to her assailant. He was arrested and charged with 2 nd degree domestic assault and CDS possession and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. August 6 th : 3300 block of Chillum Road : Warrant service – 11 pm. Officers stopped a 2008 Toyota for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that a p

This is a re-post from a recent advisory by the Howard County Police: “Looking to cash in your gold? Beware of home gold parties -- these events are illegal . Read more in this advisory from the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation. And be sure confirm any precious metal dealer is licensed through the state before doing business!” http://dllr.maryland.gov/license/pm/pmadvisoryhomegoldparties.shtml

July 31 st : Nothing significant to report. August 1 st : 3200 block of Arundel Road : Recovered stolen auto – 12:30 am. Officers patrolling the area with a mobile license plate reader identified a 2000 Jeep Cherokee that had been previously reported stolen from an address in Prince George’s County. The vehicle was impounded for safekeeping. 4300 block of Russell Avenue : Hit and run collision – 11:10 am. The owner of a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe reported that sometime prior to calling police his legally parked vehicle was struck by a second vehicle that failed to remain at the scene. 3200 block of Queenstown Drive : Hit and run collision – 11:35 am. The owner of a 2002 Nissan Altima ported that sometime prior to calling police her legally parked vehicle was struck by a second vehicle that failed to remain at the scene. 2700 block of Allison Street : Theft from auto – 12:35 pm. The owner of a 2008 Jeep Liberty reported that sometime prior to calling police her calling police someone stol

July 24 th : 3000 block of Shepherd Street : Vandalism to auto – 10:20 am. The owner of a 1996 Mercury told officers that sometime between 7 pm on July 22 nd and 8 am on July 23 rd someone slashed two of the vehicle’s tires. 3000 block of Chillum Road : Traffic - 8:10 pm. Officers operating a mobile license plate reader (LPR) received a hit on a vehicle that had a suspended registration and an MVA pick up order on the tags. The officers stopped the vehicle and issued the driver several state citations. The tags were seized for return to MVA and the vehicle was impounded. July 25 th : 4500 block of Eastern Avenue : Criminal citation – 11:25 am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for defecating in public. 4500 block of 32 nd Street : 2 nd degree assault – 12:50 pm. Officers responded for the report of a neighbor dispute. The victim told officers that while exchanging words with her neighbor the neighbor sprayed her with a water hose. Since the incident did not occur in the