D.C. police plan to beef patrols in Northwest Washington to address a rash of robberies in Adams Morgan and to confront gang violence in Shaw.
Both neighborhoods are in the midst of massive redevelopment, and the money that is pouring into the communities has created a new crime landscape, police said.
Adams Morgan, the city’s bustling bar district, has been hit by several street robberies, thefts and burglaries, especially on weekends, where predators blend in with the reveling crowds, police said. Over the last month, the neighborhood averaged an armed robbery a day, said Bryan Weaver, chairman of the Adams Morgan ANC.
Police will employ teams of plainclothes officers to target suspects without being recognized, according to plan released by the 3rd District police on Monday. They also plan to place patrol officers in a dozen spots along 18th Street and Columbia Road NW to control the crowd and respond to calls. Extra parking enforcers will work the weekends.
Weaver said he hopes to see a regular group of officers work along 18th Street, especially when the clubs let out.
“I always feel we’re just fudging with the numbers,” Weaver said. “I’d like to see the hard numbers to show that these (specific) officers are going to be assigned.”
Residents in the Shaw neighborhood, east of Logan Circle, are facing a different problem, gang violence, police said.
Police will hold outdoor roll calls to show off the size of the force. Foot patrols will knock on doors and visit with at least 20 residents a day, and a task force will attempt to serve at least 10 arrest warrants a day. Officers have been instructed to also stop and identify people who are acting suspiciously and enter their names through computer records to check for warrants.
