Commerical robberies are on the rise in Prince George's County, Maryland.
And as Jessica Forres reports…the police department is advising business owners to take preventive measures.



At Prince George's County's police headquarters, Robert Freeman, who owns a string of barber shops, expresses his concern over the uptick in commercial robberies...

SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE MYSELF WILL BE AFFECTED BECAUSE WE'RE CASH BUSINESSES.

He says break-ins are pretty common... roughly one a year since he started his business more than a decade ago….But last December a thief robbed one of his shops and shot a barber in the foot...

IT MADE ME FEEL TERRIBLE AS A BUSINESS OWNER . I GUESS THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY JUST TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AND HOW WE CAN PREVENT SOME OF THE THINGS FROM HAPPENING.

Though commercial robberies in the County have been on the decline since 2005, they have spiked in recent months. Captain James Harper says the faltering economy could be to blame. His department is addressing the problem through a number of strategies. One is to work with business owners...

ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WAS ECHOED HERE TODAY IS IF THEY DO COME INTO YOUR STORE, LET THEM TAKE THE PROPERTY, THE PROPERTY CAN BE REPLACED, YOUR LIFE CANNOT BE REPLACED.

Captain Harper also advises businesses to take note of the robber's appearance...

START DOWN. IF THE PERSON IS WEARING A BLUE HOOD, WITH A BLACK MASK AND A RED JACKET.

Prince George's police say there have been 75 commercial robberies so far this year.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

The District is facing a budget shortfall well over a hundred million dollars.

But as Jessica Forres reports... Mayor Adrian Fenty remains committed to funding programs to prevent teen violence in the city.


At sixteen, Eugene Whittiesbey says he was arrested for a crime that landed him in prison for seven and a half years....

I HAD SOME TIME TO THINK. LIKE I SAID I WAS IN A FEDERAL PENETENTIONARY WHEN I TURNED THE AGE OF 18. I DIDN'T WANT THE KIDS TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE THAT I MADE.

The twenty six year-old now works for Peaceoholics…a non-profit group that works with gangs to prevent street violence.

Peaceoholics, ROPE Inc and the Latin American Youth Center were awarded nearly 240,000 dollars by the city to mentor and reach out to at-risk teens in targeted neighborhoods. Mai Fernandez is with the Center.

GETTING THESE YOUNG PEOPLE INTO POSITIVE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES. SOMETIMES IT'S A DANCE CLASS, SOMETIMES IT'S A WORKSHOPS, SOMETIMES IT'S A FIELD TRIP. BECAUSE OFTENTIMES PEOPLE ASK ME WHAT THE BIGGEST ROOT OF GANG VIOLENCE IS AND I OFTEN SAY BOREDOM.

Mayor Fenty says these groups have had great success at combating teen violence.

THE GOVERNMENT COULD NEVER BUILD THE TRUST WITH YOUNG PEOPLE THESE ORGANIZATIONS COULD BUILD. BUT EVEN MORE THAN THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO TO DO A LOT WITH VERY LITTLE.

Fenty says the At-Risk Youth Assistance Program will target teens and young adults living in five of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

--------------------------------------------------

The District is helping three local organizations tackle violence among teens and young adults living in the city's most dangerous neighborhoods…

Jessica Forres reports…

At Hart Middle School in Southeast, DC, Eugene Whittiesbey is listening as Mayor Adrian Fenty announces the city's commitment to funding the At-Risk Youth Assistance Program....

ONE OF THE GREAT NEEDS THAT CONTINUES THAT TO GO UNDERFUNDED IS WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS CITY WHO YOU COULD CLASSIFY AS DISCONNECTED OR REALLY JUST IN PLAIN ENGLISH, YOUNG PEOPLE WHO NEED ADULTS…

Whittiesbey was one of those disconnected teenagers…at 16 he he was arrested for a crime he prefers not to discuss....

I WAS INCARCERATED FOR SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS. I CAME HOME IN JANUARY 24, 2007 AND THEN FROM THERE I WAS ALWAYS WANTING TO GIVE BACK TO MY COMMUNITY.

Whittiesbey now works for Peaceoholics…one of the three non-profit groups that will share a 239-thousand dollar grant from the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation. Ronald Moten, Peaceoholics co-founder says he will hire five new employees with the money...

WE HELP THE CHILDREN GET TO CLASS. WE HELP IDENTIFY PROBLEMS IN THE HOUSEHOLD AND IN THE COMMUNITY.

Though the District is facing a budget shortfall, Mayor Fenty says funding for the program should be increased and part of the annual budget...

IF WE CAN BUILD THIS IN TO AN ANNUAL BUDGET AFTER WE'VE DONE A COMPETITIVE PROCESS LIKE THIS THEN THEY HAVE MORE CERTAINTY. WE HAVE TO AS A GOVERNMENT FUND ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THIS.

The Latin American Youth Center and ROPE Inc.will share the remaining grant money.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

One local company is helping senior citizens in the D.C. area fight fraud by using the internet.

Jessica Forres reports…



Cindy Libby-Green ...sits in front of her computer,opens the Senior Checked website and searches for "home care providers" in zip code 20852.

[NAT: TYPING]

The search pulls up 388 companies…but only six of them…including the company she works for Premiere Homecare… have been Senior Checked. That means those companies are legitimate, licensed, insured and their employees crime free...

UP UNTIL SENIOR CHECKED WAS DEVELOPED THERE WAS NO ENTITY THAT SENIORS COULD GO TO THAT GAVE THE STAMP OF APPROVAL TO COMPANIES, EVEN COMPANIES OUTSIDE OF HOMECARE.

Though companies pay a monthly fee for the directory listing, searches are free. Libby-Green says she uses it for herself and clients.

WHETHER WE'RE SENIORS, WHETHER WE'RE TEENAGERS WE ALL NEED TO FEEL SECURE WHERE WE LIVE,

Silver Nation is the company behind Senior Checked and Mark Hansan is the CEO.

WE NAMED THE COMPANY SILVER NATION BECAUSE THE SILVER TSUNAMI IS COMING. WE ARE LESS THAN THREE YEARS AWAY FROM THE FIRST BABY BOOMER TURNING 65.

He says 9 out of 10 seniors live at home, which makes them vulnerable to fraud.

WE'RE SEEING IT RIGHT NOW UNFORTUNATELY IN THIS AREA WHICH IS SO TRAGIC, YOU KNOW THE WOMAN IN WHEATON WHO WAS JUST MURDERED BY THE LANDSCAPER THAT SHE HAD HIRED. THESE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS WHERE WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO STOP THESE CRIMES.

He says seniors in the U.S. are victims of crime every 15 seconds.

______________________________________________________


One local company is using the internet to help senior citizens fend off criminals.

Jessica Forres reports….

Mark Hanson, the CEO of a Bethesda company called Silver Nation, says seniors are victims of crime every 15 seconds in the U.S.... and those living at home, he explains, are the most vulnerable.

IF YOU LIVE IN A NURSING HOME THERE ARE STATE LAWS AND FEDERAL LAWS THAT PROTECT YOU TO A LIMITED EXTENT. BUT IF YOU'RE IN YOUR OWN HOME, YOU'RE WIDE OPEN, YOU'RE LIKE THE COMPUTER WITHOUT ANY SECURITY PROTECTION.

That's why his company started a website called Senior Checked, which vets and verifies that local businesses are what Hansan calls senior –safe.

WE HAVE OUR STANDARDS AND THEY HAVE TO BE LEGITIMATE, LICENSED, INSURED, CRIME FREE BACKGROUND CHECKED, CONSUMER ENDORSED AND COMMITTED TO SENIORS.

Premiere Homecare, which provides support services for senior citizens living at home, pays a monthly fee to participate in the program. Cindy Libby-Green is the Executive Director. She says the best part about the service is that it's free for consumers.

IT REALLY IS THE RESULT OF NOT HAVING ANY KIND OF SINGLE ENTRY PLACE TO GO TO MAKE SURE WHETHER IT'S A PLUMBER, A PAINTER, A LANDSCAPER, THAT WHOEVER IS COMING TO YOU IS A SAFE PERSON TO LET IN YOUR HOME.

The program launched in early December.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

A new crime prevention initiative in DC's Trinidad neighborhood is underway.

As Jessica Forres reports....the community was troubled by violence this past summer....



The "Safe City" initiative is Police Chief Cathy Lanier's latest strategy to tackle crime in the Northeast neighborhood... where police set up check points after a string of shootings during the summer.

Lanier explained the program to a hundred police officers inside the gym at the Joseph Cole Recreation Center...

WHAT WE ARE HOPING IS THE FIRST PHASE OF MANY PHASES OF SUSTAINABLE SAFE COMMUNITIES IN WASHINGTON, DC RIGHT HERE IN WARD FIVE.

Thirty "real-time" cameras will be mounted on street corners and two hundred cell phones…programmed to call 9-1-1…will be distributed to residents.
What makes the initiative unique, Lanier says, is that the cameras are being paid for by the retailer Target, and the cell phones by Sprint/Nextel...

AS YOU KNOW WITH EVERYBODY'S BUDGETS BEING WHAT THEY ARE, CCTV IS A GOOD INVESTMENT BUT A BIG ONE AND THE SUPPORT WE GOT FROM TARGET AND THE POLICE FOUNDATION HERE IS REALLY MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO EXPAND WHAT WE HAVE.

"Safe City" will be part of several new policing strategies implemented by Chief Lanier...

RIGHT NOW ACROSS THE CITY WE HAVE 5 PERCENT REDUCTION IN VIOLENT CRIME, GUN CRIMES ACROSS THE BOARD ARE DOWN DOUBLE DIGITS.

But the police department's website says homicides are up 1 percent.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

_____________________________________________

D.C. is getting nearly 30 privately funded crime fighting cameras for street corners in the Trinidad neighborhood, an area that was troubled by violence this summer.

Jessica Forres reports...

The new cameras are part of a program called Safe City and some are planned to be installed this May. Mayor Adrain Fenty...

THE CAMERAS WILL BE LINKED TO A STATE OF THE ART RADIO NETWORK AT MPD THAT WILL ALLOW OFFICERS TO MONITOR MULTIPLE CAMERAS IN REAL TIME.

The strategy also includes two hundred cell phones…programmed to call 9-1-1…which will be distributed to neighborhood block captains and residents who need them ... Police Chief Cathy Lanier…

WHAT WE ARE HOPING IS THE FIRST PHASE OF MANY PHASES OF SUSTAINABLE SAFE COMMUNITIES IN WASHINGTON, DC RIGHT HERE IN WARD FIVE.

Other cities involved in Safe City include Baltimore, Denver, Boston and Compton, Calif.
The cameras are being paid for by the retailer Target, and the cell phones by Sprint/Nextel.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

D.C. police continue to work with federal authorities to monitor sex offenders.

Jessica Forres rode along with a team on Halloween night to observe...

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU 88.5 FM

WE'RE GOING TO HEAD OUT TO THE FIFITH DISTRICT POLICE STATION TO MEET UP WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO ARE ASSISTING US

Paul Brennan is with the sex offender unit from the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, or C-SOSA. His unit and MPD work together every day…tonight they are visiting the homes of child sex offenders.

HALLOWEEN IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE WE HAVE CERTAIN SEX OFFENDERS WHO ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE CONTACT WITH MINORS AND THEM HANDING OUT CANDY TO CHILDREN WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF THEIR RELEASE.

We visit the home of one man who doesn't seem to have a problem with the unannounced visit.

I'M A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER AND PART OF MY PROBATION REQUIRES ME TO STAY IN ON HALLOWEEN TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY. I MADE A BAD CHOICE IN MY LIFE AND I HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT.

Brennan says his unit visits offenders homes at least twice a week and monitors others by satellite.

THE UNIT HAS EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS SO THAT WE ARE PRETTY SOPHISTICATED AND WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF TECHNOLOGY TO HELP US DO OUR JOBS AND THAT'S ALLOWED US TO MANAGE A VERY DIFFICULT AND CRAFTY POPULATION.

He says there are about 580 sex offenders in D-C assigned to C-SOSA officers.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 news

In the District, police have expanded patrols in the Adams Morgan neighborhood in response to a rash of violent incidents.

Jessica Forres talked with residents and patrons about the recent uptick in crime.

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

Mariah Morales is hanging out at Madam's Organ…a popular bar where the latest shooting left a bullet hole in the outside wall.

She shrugs off any notion of danger in the neighborhood.

I HAVEN'T FELT UNSAFE HERE. I RUN HERE ALL THE TIME EVEN AT NIGHT. I REALLY HAVEN'T NOTICED THAT IT'S A PROBLEM.

But for Shiekh Asif...an employee at Jumbo Slice...the violence is worrisome.

YES WE ARE SCARED BECAUSE SOMETIME LIKE THAT HAPPEN AFTER 12:00 OR MIDNIGHT SO SOMEBODY COME AND TELL US THAT IS HAPPENING SO WE JUST BE VERY CAREFUL.

In the last month, there have been nearly a dozen street robberies and another dozen shootings in the area. Harrison Hillier is a bouncer at True Story.

YOU SEE LOTS OF DRUNK FIGHTS, LOTS OF ASSAULT AND BATTERY JUST RECENTLY HAS THERE BEEN AN INCREASE IN GUN VIOLENCE THOUGH.

Metropolitan police say they made five arrests in the Adams Morgan and U Street neighborhoods over the weekend. And they say they'll be back.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Some residents in Loudoun County, Virginia are blaming illegal immigration for the recent increase in violent crime in the community of Sterling Park.

As Jessica Forres reports, they voiced those concerns at a neighborhood meeting last night ....

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

County Sheriff Steve Simpson stands in front of more than 2-hundred
people at Park View High School where he's asking residents for help...

TO WHAT DEGREE YOU'RE WILLING TO DO THAT I DON'T KNOW, BUT THAT IS
SOMETHING THAT WE ALWAYS LOOK AT AS NEIGHBORHOOD WATCHES AND PEOPLE
GETTING INVOLVED AND PEOPLE CALLING IN INCIDENTS THAT WE SEE OR YOU
SEE THAT LOOK SUSPICIOUS.

But his words prompt a very different kind of reaction......

[WELL I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT WE NEED, WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT
WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO]

As the discussion continues, it becomes clear that some residents blame illegal immigrants for what's happening in Sterling Park....

[WE DIDN'T HAVE A GANG PROBLEM A YEAR AGO…THAT'S RIGHT…BUT THE SHERIFF
DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM SAYING HE WASN'T GOING TO GO AFTER ILLEGALS. SIR
PLEASE.. THOSE ARE THE REAL ISSUES THAT THIS MAN IS SPEAKING ABOUT.
YOU'RE UP HERE GIVING US A BUNCH OF FLUFF]

The Sheriff's Office doesn't record whether a crime was committed by an illegal immigrant and when we reached Simpson by phone today to address the allegations...he said there's more to it than simply pointing a finger at a particular group...

AS WE HAVE FOUND OUT IN DEALING WITH OUR GANG MEMBERS AND DEALING WITH THE CRIME ELEMENT THAT WE DO HAVE, THEY'RE NOT ILLEGAL, SOME ARE YES AND SOME ARE NOT MOST ARE NOT.

Four of the nine members of the county board of supervisors attended the meeting and the full board has previously discussed whether illegal immigration is responsible for the recent uptick in crime.

But Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio says he and others who want local laws
addressing illegal immigration don't have the votes needed to make them happen.

Jessica Forres WAMU

In Virginia, the Loudoun County's Sheriff Office has called an emergency community meeting to discuss a recent rash of violence in Sterling Park.

Jessica Forres reports…

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO STORY 1 THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO!

Marty Pastrana lives down the street from where a 17-year old woman and 18-year old man were shot on September 13.

EVERY YEAR MORE AND MORE THINGS ARE HAPPENING OVER HERE IN THIS AREA.

That same night..a couple streets over...a young man was found with a knife-wound. His blood still stains the street. One resident...prefers to remain anonymous.

WE WERE REALLY SHOCKED AS I SAID THE NEIGHBORS THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING WRONG THAT I PROBABLY WAS SICK BECAUSE THE AMBULANCE WAS RIGHT THERE.

Five days later three young men were wounded in a drive by shooting near the other crime scenes. Chelsea Brucksheen, a college student, lives in the cul-de-sac where it happened.

THIS IS THE VERY FIRST VIOLENT CRIME THAT WE'VE HAD. THERE'S BEEN LIKE VANDALISM AND STUFF ALL THROUGHOUT, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST SERIOUS THING THAT'S HAPPENED.

The spurt of violence last week and an overall increase in crime throughout the county has Steve Simpson, Loudoun County's Sherriff worried…

WHEN YOU HAVE THIS TYPE OF VIOLENT CRIME WHETHER IT'S A RASH DEPENDING ON HOW THEY GO AND IF DOES TURN OUT TO BE GANG RELATE IT COULD BE THAT IT COULD LEAD TO MORE PROBLEMS.

Tonight there will a cummunity meeting about the recent events. It will be held at Park View High School at 6:30 p.m.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

_______________________________________________

In Virginia, the Loudoun County Sherriff's Office is reaching out to the community to talk about the recent acts of violence happening in Sterling.

Jessica Forres reports…

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO STORY 2 THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO!

Last week, nearly five young people were either shot or stabbed in the neighborhood of Sterling Park…one of the oldest residential communities built in Loudoun County.

Steve Simpson is Loudoun County's Sheriff. He says changing demographics, an increase in population and a bad economy may explain the recent crime wave.

THERE'S A LOT MORE FOLKS MOVING INTO THE COUNTY WHO DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH. THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FURTHER SERVICES TRYING TO GET INTO THESE COMMUNITIES IN SOME CASES WHERE THESE FOLKS ARE VICTIMIZED BY THEIR OWN BASICALLY AND THEY'RE NOT COMFORTABLE IN OUR SYSTEM.

One resident…she prefers to remain anonymous…lives on North Amelia Street….where a 25 year old man was found with a knife-wound…His blood still stains the street.

THE AMBULANCE WAS RIGHT THERE. THE AREA HAS BEEN VERY SAFE, WE HAVE NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER THAT I KNOW OF.

The community meeting is tonight at 6:30 at Park View High School.

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances behind the illegal possession by a Bethesda teenager of firearms and chemicals used to make explosives.

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