Neighbors, As you all know, our neighborhood has faced a recent rash of shootings and Monday night the theft of a gun from a security guard at Safeway. As of this time, no one has been caught in connection with these crimes. I'd like to provide an additional update on some of the work happening behind the scenes to help get this situation under control before the summer months. Here is what I know and can share publicly: 1. Expect additional police presence in our area. Officers across the city are focused on this neighborhood. 2. The Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) will also be bringing on new staff to address the violent conflict playing out on our streets as soon as possible, but ONSE is a new office and the DBH staff to handle that are not currently in place yet. Their original goal was to be prepared for summer, but crime has hit us early this year. So, please keep that in mind. These offices have been made aware of recent issues and are working to speed up the process. 3. Expect additional police cameras in the area soon. Temporary ones have already gone up in some spots. I know this is still a very scary situation, but I hope having additional information and knowing that there is work going on to help will at least offer some sense of support. Sydelle Moore President, Langston Civic Association All district residents are invited to the 2018 State of the District Address on Thursday, March 15, 2018 at The University of District of Columbia Theater of Arts—doors open at 5:30 PM. For reasonable accommodation or interpretation, please call 503-442-8150 or send an email to [email protected] by March 13th, 2018.
Mayor Bowser’s 2018 State of the District Address Date: Thursday, March 15, 2018 Time: Doors Open at 5:30 pm Location: University of District of Columbia Theater of Arts, Connecticut Avenue and Windom Place NW To RSVP please visit the Eventbrite link: https://2018stateofthedistrict.eventbrite.com Despite the fact that Comm. Kathy Henderson (Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5D) missed the deadline to submit a settlement agreement while representing ANC 5D in its protest of the Food 7 Store, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board offered Henderson an extension to type and correct a previously rejected and partially handwritten contract submitted to board members on February 28, 2018. The late contract has now been filed. (Note: Henderson purchased a laptop on behalf of ANC 5D in November 2014.) For Henderson, this marks the 6th instance of a delay or dismissal caused by missed deadlines, incorrect paperwork, failure to appear or dishonesty before the ABC board since 2009. Despite years of complaints and several nearby homicides, this agreement is Henderson's first protest of the establishment during her tenure as an ANC commissioner. The last ANC protest was filed 17 years prior in January of 2000 by ANC 5B. Although the agreement includes some errors and a missing signature from the ANC 5D chairperson, Comm. Clarence Lee; this agreement is still enforceable. Lee declined to sign the agreement in January 2018 because Henderson presented him with a version of the document different than what ANC 5D voted to accept at its November 2017 meeting. Although many of you are aware of these issues, it should also be known that they do not negate the enforceability of the ANC agreement. Please find the agreement below and know that it is yet another tool that the community may use to hold the Food 7 Store accountable for much-needed change. Although the ANC agreement duplicates many of the provisions of the previously filed civic association agreement, residents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the specifics of both agreements and make your civic association as well as ABRA aware of any violations. The association will follow up on reported issues in a timely fashion, but citizens MUST be diligent. It is up to everyone to monitor the situation and maintain a strong sense of accountability. REPORT ANY VIOLATIONS IMMEDIATELY BY CALLING or EMAILING:
When making a complaint follow these three important steps to achieve the best results:
Keeping a paper trail will help keep the store as well as ABRA accountable to our community.
Wednesday HPO released draft design guidelines for the proposed Kingman Park Historic District, for public discussion and comment. The draft guidelines are available online:
https://planning.dc.gov/page/historic-district-guidelines Please feel free to contact David Maloney with any questions. David Maloney DC Office of Planning 1100 4th Street SW, Suite E650 • Washington, DC 20024 202.442.8850 [email protected] planning.dc.gov First, thanks to everyone who took time out of their busy schedule to attend a community meeting on a cold, rainy night. When we have a room full of concerned citizens ready to speak out, that makes a big difference.
On Tuesday, members of the Langston Civic Association voted to protest the ABRA license held by Sylvia's Liquor at 1818 Benning Rd. NE during its quarterly meeting. The owner of the store, Jason Kwong, attended the meeting and engaged with neighbors about violent crime, drug activity and loitering near the store. Neighbors also discussed possible solutions that the store as well as the community should pursue to improve the 1800 block of Benning Rd. NE including Great Streets grant funding, small business programs, a special detail of off-duty MPD officers paid for by the storeowner and other programs. At this point, LCA will continue to gather feedback from members about how to move forward with either a settlement agreement or a request to revoke the license. Members will receive emails requesting their input for desired improvements. The association just completed a successful protest of the "Food 7 Store" which is also on the 1800 block of Benning Rd. NE. Recent Shootings The community met with Sgt. David Jones and Officer Mincey of MPD to discuss recent reports of gunshots in our neighborhood. Sgt. Jones informed residents that there have been 25 recent reports of shots (a 19% uptick) in our Police Service Area, PSA 507. Unfortunately, MPD has had some difficulty finding the actual scenes of these incidents and shell casings have only been found in 5 of the 25 reported shootings. Sgt. Jones suggested that residents could help to improve MPD's ability to find the scene of the shooting if callers give their exact address when reporting an incident rather than the location where they believe the shots originated. The Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement also gave a presentation on some of the innovative methods that they are using to help fight the underlying causes of violent crime as well as prevention efforts geared at breaking up disputes. They will be collaborating with the Department of Behavioral Health to offer targeted services to drug dependent people who congregate at the Starburst plaza and along Benning Rd., bringing job-training programs to the community and hiring violence interrupters assigned to our neighborhood. FY 2018 Budget LCA Also voted to approve its FY 2018 Budget. The budget helps map out some of the organization's programming goals for the spring and summer including a school supply giveaway and support for other youth activities. The association has also collaborated with other charities to secure additional grant funding for the community, but those grants will be managed by our partner organizations and are not reflected in the FY 2018 budget. Anti-Littering Program LCA has been accepted to the Alice Ferguson Foundation’s anti-littering crusade. The foundation will be sponsoring a marketing campaign in our neighborhood that has been shown to reduce litter by as much as 35%. Expect to see blue signs throughout the neighborhood this summer. Please contact Jonathan Goddell or Sydelle Moore directly if you would like an anti-littering yard sign to put in your tree box or yard. |
SearchArchives
September 2019
Categories
All
|