D.C. Police Faulted on Response to Burglaries

Outbreak Causing An Uproar in SE

During the past two months, burglary has become a weekly reality for the residents living just south of the Potomac Avenue Metro stop.

Since the middle of July, according to police and neighbors, there have been 14 burglaries in that area of Southeast Washington, typically while the residents are at work, on vacation or just out running errands. The thieves seem to particularly want laptops, televisions and video game systems.

The bad guys have them worried, but what really irks the residents, they say, is that the officers who handle the calls come with a nonchalant attitude about "property crime."

Some say the muted response has left them wondering: In a city that saw more than 180 people slain last year, what does it take to get the police focused on curbing a rash of break-ins?

The neighbors have written a letter to the mayor, arranged a meeting with their D.C. Council member and complained loudly at community events. Still, they say, the burglaries continue.

"When it happened to me, I was like, enough is e-freakin'-nough," said Tiffany Guarascio, 28, who lives on 15th Street SE. "What does it take for a flag to raise for you guys? Does it need to be 20? Do I need to be held up? Do I need to be hurt?"

The residents' reaction illustrates how some quality-of-life crimes get people as agitated as violent crime does.

Police said they have beefed up patrols to deter the burglars and discussed prevention techniques with residents. Since July, police said, officers have made 16 arrests in the District for burglary or attempted burglary.

"It's not like we're sitting here just twiddling our thumbs and not doing anything," said Lt. Daniel Ewell, who supervises the police service area in question. "Once the thing came on our radar screen, we had people out there."

Until a few months ago, neighbors said, the block of houses generally encompassed by 14th, 15th, K and L streets was a quiet place to live.

The block is home to a variety of professional people including economists, congressional staffers and government consultants. Many of the residents own, not rent, their homes, neighbors said.

"We've never had break-ins like this before. Never," said longtime resident Matt Price, 36, as he walked with city officials in the area for a neighborhood "fix-it" event. "If we had 11 in five years, that would be a shock."