D.C. Police Upping Surveillance

GARY EMERLING
Washington Times
Aug. 23, 2006

The Metropolitan Police Department yesterday said three more surveillance cameras soon will be placed in high-crime neighborhoods, bringing the total number of cameras deployed in the District under emergency legislation to seven.

The closed-circuit television cameras will be installed at the 5300 block of Dix Street Northeast, the 4400 Block of Quarles Street Northeast and the unit block of K Street Northwest.

The Dix Street camera will be focused on the 5300 block of Clay Terrace Northeast and the Quarles Street camera will be placed in the alley between 45th Street and Kenilworth Avenue, police said.

Police spokesman Kevin Morison said all three neighborhoods especially around Quarles Street have been sites of violent crimes, including assaults, street robberies and homicides.

In January, Anthony Goldsberry, 22, was killed in a drive-by shooting in the 4500 block of Quarles Street.

In March, a 15-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man were shot on the same block after a carjacking that began on Benning Road Northeast ended up in the Quarles Street neighborhood.

"There's some serious problems with street crime in those areas," Mr. Morison said. "That's why those areas are being prioritized."

Police plan to deploy about two dozen cameras by the end of this month and 23 additional cameras next month as part of a crime emergency declared by Metropolitan Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey after the slaying of a British activist in Georgetown, the District's 13th homicide in 11 days.

Police statistics show that crime in the District is down about 5.5 percent since the crime emergency began July 11 as compared with the same time last year.

Mr. Morison said officials hoped to have the three new cameras installed yesterday.

In addition, police said a temporary camera that had been perched atop a three-story D.C. government building with no identifying decal is being replaced with a newer-style camera and moved to Fifth and O streets Northwest.

"We have to accelerate the pace a little bit," Mr. Morison said. "We're taking delivery of the cameras and then working to get those up as soon as possible."

The D.C. Council appropriated $2.3 million to buy and install the cameras as part of the same anti-crime legislation in which they authorized use of the cameras.

The emergency legislation expires in the middle of October. The City Council is expected to consider permanent legislation authorizing the use of the cameras before the sunset date.