Retired MRPD Chief's Discussion

10/28/06 3300 block Chillum Rd: Suspect questioned after stating he had weapon 10/28/06 4100 Russell Av: Unknown suspect(s) break and enter victim’s apartment 10/27/06 3100 block Queens Chapel Rd: Subject cited for sleeping in vacant apartment 10/27/06 3500 Bunker Hill Rd: Emergency petition for transport to hospital 10/27/06 3500 block Rhode Island Av: Arrestee cited for open alcohol 10/26/06 3800 block 34th St: Stolen vehicle report 10/25/06 3300 block Rhode Island Av: Vandalism to auto 10/24/06 4300 block 28th Pl: Theft of property by breaking and entering 10/23/06 4200 block 28th St: Suspect robs victim of money and property 10/23/06 3100 block Webster St: Unknown suspect(s) damaged vehicle 10/22/06 2700 block Queens Chapel Rd: Strong-arm robbery by carjacking suspect

On October 14th at about 11 a.m. a black Honda Accord was taken in a carjacking from the Cypress Creek apartment complex. After the carjacking a silver 4-door Dodge Stratus was seeing fleeing the area with the black Honda Accord. Since October 14th, both of these vehicle have been involved in several persons crimes in the District I area, including Mount Rainier, the latest occurring this afternoon. The black Honda Accord is displaying Maryland registration plates MPH 085, and the Dodge Stratus is displaying DC tags BL 3715. Anyone observing either of these vehicles is encouraged to immediately call police at 301-985-6565/6566.

10/21/06 2900 block Allison St: Assault 1st degree after suspect displayed handgun 10/20/06 3100 block Queens Chapel Rd: Theft from auto 10/20/06 3500 block 37th St: Theft – pocket book snatch 10/20/06 4000 block 30th St: Vandalism to auto 10/19/06 3600 block Oak Lane: Abduction/rape 10/19/06 36th & Perry St: Citizen robbed by unknown suspect(s) 10/19/06 3800 block 34th St: Strong-arm robbery by carjacking suspect 10/17/06 3200 block Rhode Island Av: Assault on a police officer by public drinking suspect 10/17/06 4300 block Kaywood Dr: Theft from auto 10/16/06 3400 block Rhode Island Av: Breaking and entering commercial business 10/16/06 3400 block Rhode Island Av: Strong-arm robbery by unknown suspect(s) 10/16/06 3200 block Queens Chapel Rd: Theft of vehicle 10/15/06 3500 block Rhode Island Av: Suspect(s) broke into home to steal property 10/15/06 3200 block Chillum Rd: Theft of vehicle 10/15/06 4100 block 30th St: Suspect robbed victim with handgun 10/15/06 430...

10/14/06 4105 block Russell Av: Theft of auto 10/14/06 4500 30th St: Theft of bike 10/14/06 3300 Chauncey Pl: Arrestee found to have open warrant 10/14/06 4200 block Russell Av: Unknown suspect(s) steal auto 10/14/06 3400 Rhode Island Av: Subject attempted to cash fraudulent check 10/13/06 2900 block Allison St: Theft from auto 10/13/06 3100 block Queens Chapel Rd: Arrestee found to have crack cocaine 10/13/06 3200 Chillum Rd: Juvenile missing report filed 10/11/06 3300 block Chauncey Rd: Unknown suspect(s) broke into coin machine 10/10/06 2200 block Varnum St: Subject arrested on open warrant 10/10/06 4200 block Russell Av: Theft from auto 10/09/06 3300 block Chauncey Pl: Arrestees were trespassing in vacant apt 10/09/06 3700 block 35th St: Call to fight- subject arrested on open warrant 10/09/06 1 Municipal Pl: Subject cited for drinking in public 10/09/06 3000 block Arundel: Unknown suspects steal auto and rob victim 10/08/06 4300 block 28th Pl: Citizen armed robbery

10/07/06 3700 block 37th St: Victim reported residential breaking and entering 10/07/06 2200 block Varnum Rd: Armed carjacking at gunpoint 10/07/06 3200 Perry St: Suspects attempt fight with victim on property 10/06/06 4100 block Russell Av: Suspects rob victim after entering car 10/06/06 3300 block Chauncey Pl: Individual arrested for trespassing after warning to vacate 10/06/06 3900 block Perry St: Vehicle towed because driver’s license suspended 10/06/06 3400 block Rhode Island Av: 2nd break in attempt at commercial business 10/05/06 4100 block Utah (Brentwood): Arrest for open warrant after suspicious vehicle stop 10/05/06 3200 block Rhode Island Av: Attempt break in at commercial business 10/05/06 3400 block Rhode Island Av: Unknown suspect(s) break into business 10/05/06 2900 block Allison St: Unknown suspect(s) threw stone through window 10/05/06 4000 block 34th St: Unknown suspect removed window to business 10/05/06 3310 Chillum Rd: Suspect stole food from 7-11 ...

I was interviewed by Fox 5's Karen Gray Houston last week regarding our proactive checks of sex offenders who live in the City. It was aired on the 5 o'clock edition but not at 10. If you missed it, here is a link to the full story on Fox 5's web site. Warning, you will have to watch a short advertising video before the story begins. http://www.myfoxdc.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=1031844&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.2.1

Crime : The yearly totals that now include the month of September 2006 showed an overall increase of 7.83% over the same period last year. This increase in our overall crime rate is still being driven by increases in robberies (up 139%) and aggravated assaults (up 37%). These are preliminary numbers compiled for this report only, and may be revised as we review crime data for our September UCR submission. Final figures should be available after October 7th. Staffing: As of the date of this report, we have filled four of our six vacancies. We have two applicants for the two remaining vacancies, and we are moving along with their background investigation process. OFC Mike Halterlein is in his last week of field training, and I anticipate that he will be released to independent patrol as of Friday October 6th. OFC Crystal Goldring has completed her firearms training with the Prince George’s Municipal police academy. We are still awaiting a return from the FBI on her criminal backgro...

10/02/06 3400 block Rhode Island Ave: Citation issued for drinking in public 10/01/06 25th & Queens Chapel Rd: Traffic violation caused vehicle impound 10/01/06 3400 block Rhode Island Ave: Suspect stole bike while victim shopped 10/01/06 4700 block 25th St: Domestic dispute requiring police assistance 10/1/06 3200 block Rhode Island Ave: Unknown suspect(s) stole tools from vehicle 10/01/06 3300 block Chauncy Pl: Suspect arrested for intoxication in public 09/29/06 2700 block Allison St: Suspect ran up to victim and snatched purse 09/29/06 3400 block Rhode Island Ave: Suspect cited for urinating in public 09/28/06 31St & Upshur St: Suspect arrested driving stolen vehicle 09/28/06 4200 block 28th St: Vandalism and theft from auto 09/28/06 3100 block Perry St: Victim reports threat from acquaintance 09/27/06 3300 block Chauncy Pl: Juvenile arrested and released to parent 09/26/06 3400 block Newton Pl: Citizen armed robbery by two males 09/26/06 3...

9/23/06 4300 block Russell Ave: Vandalism to auto by unknown persons 9/23/06 33rd St & Perry St: Suspect arrested for alcohol and disorderly conduct 9/22/06 3300 Rhode Island Ave: Traffic stop, driver arrested driving stolen car/no license 9/21/06 3600 block Perry St: Victim assaulted by juveniles during encounter 9/21/06 2310 Varnum S: Suspect snatched and ran with chips from 7-11 store 9/21/06 3210 Chillum Rd: Subject checked for suspicious activity in parking lot 9/21/06 3100 Queenstown Dr: Unknown suspect(s) rob and ransack apartment 9/21/06 3000 Queens Chapel Rd: Unknown suspect(s) steal vehicle overnight 9/20/06 3300 block Buchanan St: Victim reports suspect breaking into auto 9/20/06 4200 Kaywood Dr: Victim reports vehicle stolen – arrest made in DC 9/20/06 Buchanan St: Two individuals issued citations for drinking beer in public 9/19/06 3210 Queens Chapel Rd: Citizen robbed while walking from 7-11 store at 3 am 9/19/06 3300 block Buchanan St: Suspect(s) steal i...

08/01/06 Allison & 30th St: Unknown suspect(s) stole bike from residence 08/01/06 30th & Shepherd St: Attempt theft of vehicle in front of residence 08/02/06 4000 block 32nd St: Stolen property from residence 08/02/06 Buchanan St & Queens Town Dr: Victim assaulted crossing field 8:30pm 08/04/06 3000 block Taylor St: Residential break in – stolen bicycle 08/04/06 3400 block Newton St: Carjacking at approximately 1:30 am 08/04/06 4300 block 28th Place: Burglary by unknown suspect(s) 08/04/06 3600 Eastern Ave: Suspect was found to be in possession of heroin 08/04/06 4205 Eastern Ave: Suspect arrested for disorderly conduct at 9:30 pm 08/05/06 3300 block Chauncey Pl: Strong-arm robbery by suspect on bike 08/05/06 3100 block Upshur St: Unknown suspect(s) vandalized auto at 5:30 am 08/05/06 2400 block Chillum Rd: Warrant served on suspect who fled from police 08/05/06 4000 block 33rd St: Vehicle sto...

Staffing : In my June report to Mayor & Council I talked about the status of vacancies in the police department. At that time we had six vacancies and I had anticipated filling at least four of those by August 1st. Regrettably, I did not achieve this goal. As of the date of this report, we have filled only three of our six vacancies. We have three applicants for the remaining vacancies, all of whom are recent graduates of the Prince George’s County Municipal Police Academy. We are moving along with their background investigation process. Two of the three officers we have just hired will be sworn in at the September 5th Council meeting – Officers Crystal Goldring and Kirk Banton. Our third new officer, Aaron Wilson is scheduled to start on September 5th. He cannot be sworn in until the November Council meeting because he will not reach the age of 21 until October 25th and is therefore ineligible for police officer status until after that date. Officer Michael Halterlein will ...

This morning, a citizen called A/LT Stoots and advised him that she had received a call from a telephone solicitor who stated that he was raising money for the Mount Rainier Police injured officers fund. Both the Mount Rainier Police Department and the Mount Rainier Fraternal Order of Police were unaware that such a solicitation was being conducted, and neither the Department nor the FOP has authorized any company or organization to solicit contributions for any purpose. Should you receive a call from anyone asking for contributions to this bogus charity, please do not pledge them any money or give them your credit card or other personal information. Please pass this information along to your neighbors and any City mailing list to which you subscribe.

Below is the text of my remarks on the occasion of my swearing in as your Chief of Police: For the last four of my 31 years in law enforcement I have served the Mt. Rainier Police Department in a variety of positions, both civilian and sworn. In all the positions I’ve held, from accounts payable, to Records Manager, First Sergeant and Lieutenant, I have been successful in engaging the loyalty and respect of the men and women of the Department. As a police commander, I have always demanded a high level of professionalism and service to the community, and have worked diligently to ingrain a strong community policing philosophy into our operations. These two qualities, professionalism and community service are the foundation of effective relationships with all those, both within and outside our community, who have a stake in ensuring the safety and quality of life of our residents. As your newly sworn police chief, I look forward to improving the department’s sense of “community” as it...

This is how it's supposed to work: Last Thursday at about 10 AM, I was patrolling in the neighborhood of 29th and Taylor Streets when Communications dispatched a call for a suspicious looking individual walking up and down 29th Street. The caller was concerned that he was possibly "casing" the neighborhood for an opportunity to break into a house or a parked vehicle. The person who called in the complaint did not give their name, only that they lived on 29th Street. The caller gave a good description of the individual, and when Communications broadcast the lookout, I realized that I had just passed him on the street not two minutes before. I immediately drove around the block and saw the individual walking down 29th towards Webster. After a short period of disagreement on his part as to whether or not he should stop and talk with me, I was finally able to get his identification and call in a wanted check. Several minutes passed, and as we waited, he tried to convince me t...

June 9, 2006 Michael E. Scott appointed Chief of Police Chief Michael Scott has served with the Mount Rainier Police since August of 2002. After serving as the Acting Chief since January 2006, City Manager Jeannelle Wallace appointed him as the Chief with the full support of the Mayor and Council. Prior to coming to Mt. Rainier, Chief Scott served with the Maryland-National Capital Park Police, Montgomery County Division, from 1975 until his retirement as Support Services Branch Commander in 1997. After his retirement from active duty, he continued to serve with the Park Police as their computer operations and network manager before coming to MRPD in 2002. With over 30 years in police work, Chief Scott has acquired extensive supervisory and command experience, along with advanced training in liability management through the Local Government Insurance Trust, police ethics and community policing. He participated in the development of “Leadership ‘96,” an award-winning leadership prog...

In May 2006, The Department of veterans Affairs (VA) discovered that personal information for over 26 million veterans and their spouses was stolen during a robbery at the home of a VA data analyst. The stolen information includes names, social security numbers, disability ratings and dates of birth of veterans who have retired since 1972. Because the stolen information could support large scale identity theft, the VA will send letters to those veterans and their families whose information was stolen. The VA is advising that anyone receiving a notification letter should consider placing a fraud alert on their credit files. This will alert creditors to verify applicant information before opening or changing any accounts. Additionally, the VA has established a dedicated toll free telephone number, 1-800-333-4636, in order to answer victim's questions. Possible victims should also be advised to contact the affected financial institutions and to file a report with the Federal Trade Com...

Over the past week or so the police department has been receiving reports of a suspicious person knocking on doors late in the evening. This individual has apparently tried to talk his way into homes, and although purporting to sell home alarm systems, did not identify himself as an authorized salesperson for any alarm company. Our investigation into these incidents revealed that there is one individual who is a legitimate salesperson for Honeywell home security systems who has been operating in the residential areas of the City. He has been identified as Mr. Jared Arcus, and as of May 31st, the City has issued him a Solicitor’s Permit. His permit is valid through December 31st, 2006. Now, just because we have identified this one individual as being a legitimate solicitor, a word of caution is in order. Residents must still be wary when individuals come to their door whom they do not know and whom they do not expect. Never let anyone into your home unless they produce valid identificat...

This evening at approximately 5 PM MRPD officers responded to the 3700 block of Eastern Avenue for a homicide which took place between 4:30 and 4:45. Upon arrival our officers were met by detectives from the DC Homicide Unit and were told that the homicide occurred in the District. What we know at this point is that the victim allegedly stole the suspect's motor scooter several days ago. The two encountered each other this afternoon along Eastern Avenue and the suspect confronted the victim about the theft. During the confrontation, the suspect produced a large edged weapon and stabbed the victim several times in the upper body. The victim ran to a private residence on Monroe Street and called DC Fire/Rescue for help. He then left the residence and collapsed on the sidewalk outside. He was transported to MedStar where he was pronounced dead at 5:05 PM. While at the scene, A/LT Stoots and CEO Nichol received credible information through an informant who is a City resident (and...

Prince George’s County has an anti-crime gun program designed to help recover illegal guns and guns used in a crime. Anyone who knows the whereabouts of a gun used in a crime or a gun that someone possesses illegally can call 866-643-2369. Tipsters may be eligible for a $1,000 reward. Mt. Rainier residents who own firearms that they would like to turn in may call the police department at 301-985-6580. You can make arrangements to bring the gun to the department or we'll send an officer to pick it up. If you bring any firearm to the department, please call ahead of time and make sure it is unloaded and in a case or other packaging. Oh, and please, do not just walk into the station with a gun in plain view. It makes the staff nervous.

According to preliminary FBI statistics released Monday, 122 police officers were killed in the line of duty in 2005. Of those, fifty (50) officers were shot to death. In all, 55 officers were killed intentionally, two fewer than in 2004. according to preliminary FBI statistics released Monday. Vehicles were used in five deaths, the bureau said. At the time they were killed, 34 officers were wearing body armor, but the FBI did not say whether bullets penetrated the armor in any of those deaths. Handguns were used to kill 42 officers, while five were shot with shotguns and three with a rifle. Six officers were killed with their own weapons. The bureau said that authorities solved all the killings. Twenty-eight officers were killed in the South, 10 in the Midwest, 10 in the West, and five in the Northeast. Two officers were killed in Puerto Rico. There were 67 accidential deaths of officers in 2005, 15 fewer than a year earlier. There was no description of how those deaths occur...