Matt & Pat Robbed; MPD Discourages Reporting the Crime
We (Matt & Patrick) were walking home late last night on Bladensburg Rd NE just north of the intersection with K St. We were with a friend of ours, aware of our surroundings, and in a well-lit area, but still were victims of a robbery.
We were walking down the street, passed by a group of 4-5 young people (one in a wheelchair), one of which asked if we had any money. After we passed about 10-15 feet, he quickly approached us, presented what appeared to be a sawed-off shotgun in his pants, and then demanded money from us. Two of us handed over some money and they fled up L St NE toward Carver/Langston. 911 was called immediately after, but it took some time for a respose and thus the police couldn’t locate them.
It also took a lot of effort to get interviewed by the police. Frustrated with the slow response, we continued walking home, as the police had Matt’s cell number from when he called. As we reach home, the police dispatcher calls back, asks for our current location, and Matt gives her the address, which she is heard relaying to the police unit (Trinidad 1) responding to our call.
Matt sat on the front porch waiting for the police, but decided to walk down the street to the police car parked at the gas station (1/2 block away) since no one’s shown up yet. Matt approached the group of three officers, but could only get one of them interested in the crime. The other two continued to play with a cell phone or eat sunflower seeds.
Fortunately, the one interested officer seemed genuinely interested, began taking notes, and called a detective to the scene.
Unfortunately, the detective tried repeatedly to convice Matt out of making a report. He stated that a robbery hadn’t occurred since Matt “gave up the money” willingly and the suspect didn’t actually reach into Matt’s pockets to steal the money (Matt handed him the robber money when asked for it). Matt recounted that DC code doesn’t require that a robbery physically touch someone, and that someone using fear (even without a weapon displayed) to take something is considered robbery. Furthermore, the detective reminded Matt that he sticks out because Matt’s a white guy in Trinidad and asked repeatedly if he really really wanted to be remembered by the criminal’s associates if/when he’s prosecuted.
Despite the intimidation and being called stubborn, Matt continually requested that a report be completed for robbery.
The detective begrudgingly asked the other officer to initiate report numbers for “robbery (fear),” which doesn’t require that the suspect display a weapon, only use the fear of having a weapon in the course of a robbery.
We encourage all others to report crime and insist on a report being made. If nothing else, the crime statistics will show a more true reflection of the area’s crime, resulting in potentially more police resources for our neighborhood.
For the moment, it seems we’re just walking targets with no means of recourse except a police response that attempts to discourage reporting of crime. Next time we hear “crime is down in the area,” we can’t help but wonder why; is crime actually down, or is it just not getting reported?
UPDATE: MPD is initiating an investigation into how the above incident was handled.
UPDATE (25 Aug 2009): This same group apparently stuck again last night. This time, it was in the 1800 b/o M St NE.
Technically, the cop’s right. If you gave up the money willingly, you didn’t get robbed. Now, had you gotten shot, THAT would have been a robbery. You also would have been dead, but that’s a small price to pay for making MPD’s job simpler. And you can rest assured that the guy who shot you isn’t guilty of murder. Technically, HE didn’t kill you. His gun did. So please, if you’re going to get robbed, do think of the police and allow yourself to get shot. It’s a lot easier for them to ignore a corpse than someone who’s asking a lot of tough questions. Besides, their jobs are hard enough as it is, playing cellphone games and eating sunflower seeds and passing gas. Try thinking of someone else for a change.
Also, I don’t have cancer. My COLON has cancer. There’s a difference.
It’s good that you insisted that a report be taken. They are trying to keep their stats low it make you wonder how much unreported crime is actually out there. Good luck with the diner I am sure it will be a huge success.
Wow, you do have to wonder how much crime gets reported if it’s that hard to get a report written!
I can’t believe the officer’s attitude, either! It’s not robbery if you hand the money over when being threatened with a weapon? What do they call that? “Aggressive panhandling?”
Let’s hope more people do insist on reports being made. I’d hate to think how many victims are getting talked out of it.
Un-f’ing- believable. You should ping the Post on this. They won’t cover it, of course. So you should also ping the Examiner.
Jeez — when your restaurant opens and thugs like the scum who robbed you come in as “patrons”, you need to keep a smith & wesson under the counter and blow their freakin’ brains out if they try to rob you again. And kick the a-hole out of the wheelchair, too.
[...] a truly unpleasant experienced. First mugged then hesitation in filing a report from MPD. On their Web site they [...]
Sometimes police can be busy even if they don’t look like they’re busy. Without having been there to see it, I’m hesitant to blame the on-duty cops for not immediately dropping whatever they were doing. Maybe they were being lazy, but maybe they were keeping their eyes on a known gang member nearby they knew to be armed, or whatever. You never know.
That having been said, no cop should ever under any circumstances argue with someone over whether or not they’ve been robbed. It doesn’t matter if it’s violent; if you think you’ve been mugged, you’ve been mugged.
Sorry to hear of the robbery, but so glad you worked hard to get a report filed and that you publicized the MPD’s response. Let’s see how that investigation pans out. Stats padding can go way to the top.
@Monkey, that is ridiculous. The cop is not right even technically. Just because you give it up without a fight doesn’t mean you gave it up “willingly.” You were compelled to thorough fear of violence.
The very definition of a robbery is theft with violence or threat of violence. If the criminals had pickpocketed them, it would be larceny. If the criminals had hit them on the head and taken the money, it would be aggravated assault and robbery. The fact that the victim handed the money to the criminal, instead of the criminal actually removing it, is irrelevant. Violence, or threat of violence, being the compelling factor, is what makes the crime a robbery.
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Robbery
“Taking by force without intimidation is robbery. Taking by intimidation without the use of actual force is also robbery”
Jamie–
I think he was being sarcastic.
It’s a good idea for police to make sure victims really want to file a complaint and understand the consequences that can happen. Can’t police do that without being discouraging and intimidating? Some police training on handling victims’ complaints may be in order.
Hey all –
I just called to leave a message at the DC Office of Police Complaints to let them know that I heard of this incident and that I am disappointed with the apparent apathy of the DC Police. I also said that I support an investigation into the general matter.
If you would like to call or e-mail the office, the information is:
(202) 727-3838
http://www.policecomplaints.dc.gov
Something similar to this happened to me when my car was stolen. The cops did all they could not to file the report. And when they actually did the cops never got out of the car. Terrible service and why I don’t respect the cops in DC.
this is not a “DC” cop thing, all cops everywhere are like that because they are in general lazy. Same shit happened to me in NYC. Calling 911 is an even bigger joke, you call while the crime is being committed and it takes over 45minutes for a cop to show up (and this happened to me while I was around the block from the Brooklyn court house).
You should post an account of the incident on the MPD listserver for your district. I would be intersted to see what response that brings from MPD
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MPD-5D/
Good for you for being so persistent, I wonder how high the crime rate would be if all crimes were reported hope you get and demand answers.
I have to admit though you are extremely brave to open a business near that location. I’m from jersey and in real diner withdraw after a night on H street but can’t imagine walking that stretch of Blandensburg Rd. without getting mugged, that has to be one of the sketchiest areas in the entire city with the weirdest all night liquor store crowd anywhere.
I too was robbed at gunpoint in DC and was shocked at how the police didn’t work real hard to do detective work after they responded.
Keep the pressure to have the investigation results released and good luck with the struggle to have safe streets and effective policing in DC.
@Greg, That’s weird. Maybe it’s because you were in Brooklyn, but I’ve called 911 twice in Manhattan and the cops showed up literally within 2 minutes. Once, near Union Square I saw a crazy guy swinging a piece of pipe around and doing “ninja” moves. I called 911, described what was going on, and before the end of the short call (where am I, what does he look like, what type of pipe is it, has he attacked anyone or just swinging it, etc) I saw a cop car round the corner and approach him.
I haven’t lived in the DC area for a few years (and haven’t needed police either), so I don’t know how the DCPD or MPD are.
I do know that I was in an accident in Texas. I called 911, and three tow-trucks heard the call on police scanners and appeared out of thin air–15 minutes before paramedics, and 30 minutes before the cops showed up. :-/
[...] A detective discourages the writers of Capital City Diner from filing a police report after they are mugged by a man who appeared to be carrying a sawed-off shotgun. Discussion about it can also be found at frozen tropics [...]
any chance your new restaurant will be located in a “well lit area in which you are familiar of your surroundings?” cause, i for one aint gonna be showing up there, mon…
911’s a joke in yo’ town…
[...] info on the recent mugging of Capital City Diner’s owners. The owners post their own account here. As many of you know by now, the two claimed they were robbed while walking home on Bladensburg [...]
You are alive and well. If you would stop walking around looking scared then maybe you wouldn’t have been harrassed. The cops should arrest you for bring yet another trans fat laden, artery clogging, stroke and heart disease promoting resturant in the neighborhood.
D.C.’s “finest”? Not their proudest moment. But certainly lives up to their reputation.
A similar thing happened to my boyfriend two weeks ago. He and his friend were “jacked” by two boys in the middle of the street on Conn. Ave in NW at 3am (Dupont area), pushed down and threatened with a knife. My boyfriend didn’t see the knife so he kicked the guy off himself and his friend and the two kids ran away with nothing. They immediately called the police, who had no interest whatesovever in responding or reporting the incident.
Im sorry if im the only person on this blog that doesnt really have an ounce of sympathy for your plight.
The fact that you feel that what happened to you is so deplorable and we should all be outraged is insane.
Ok you were robbed and the police didnt fall to their knees and vow to hunt down the criminals and justice would be served. This isnt the movies its called real life.
The reality is your issue is no greater than anyone else’s.
You werent the first to be robbed and you wont be the last. But the fact that you have chosen to horn in on this Detective & make him look as if he could careless is what I find irresponsible.
With all the murders, rapes, assualts in DC im pretty sure that all that Detective had on his mind was to leap tall buildings w/his cape & utility belt and save you.
Excuse if I sound a bit….for lack of a better word bitchy….but that “you work for me” mentality is pure crap.
The detective in question is one of the most hard-working, dependable, and dedicated men on the force, but the fact that he didnt kiss your @ss means obviously he doesnt care for anyone that calls upon him.
So instead of whinning how about you really look at this Detective and the work that he has done before you drag his name through the mud….
By the way…..what was your blood alcohol level that night? * big smile*
@LOL/Dominique: It is unacceptable for any member of the Metropolitan Police to attempt to convince anyone out of reporting a crime.
In fact, Matt actually has worked for MPD for appx. 5 years now in his spare time, and fully supports the members of the police Department who are dedicated an hard working.
However, the reaction of the officers that night was very disappointing and against the policies of the Department.
@LOL – think how it sounds to see what sounds like an fellow MPD officer keeping up the proud tradition of standing up anonymously for their colleague’s rights to do a poor job, be rude and unprofessional, and break any laws that are inconvenient to them – because it’s just so hard, and no one understands.
Talk to us all about the real world when you’ve held a non-government job – seriously, give it a shot; tell people with an issue that they’re “no more important than anyone else” and “you don’t work for them”.
LOL 9:22 am – this detective who is now being investigated is “one of the most hard-working, dependable, and dedicated men on the force”?
Geez, what does that tell you about the rest of the force?
Plus – are you trying to say that if someone has been drinking they deserve to be mugged? raped? killed? and ignored by cops? C’mon now.
A similar thing happened to me when my house was burglarized a few years ago. When the cops finally showed up, they took a quick peek at our totally ransacked house and then spent the next hour or two standing around chatting and laughing and making jokes. We had to argue with them just to get someone to dust for fingerprints and write up a report. I should note that there were five of them– way more than seemed necessary– and they appeared to be in no hurry, so it would be hard to claim that they were busy or had better things to do.
my girlfriend and i just moved into the neighborhood on sunday. rest assured that the good people of the neighborhood are behind you all 100% on this. it’s somewhere between reprehensible and disgusting that a cop would try to convince you that a crime didn’t happen and it’s not worth adding that incident to the log. someone should lose their badge for this.
the apologists who are trying to say that this incident isn’t as important as a murder somewhere else in town are either disingenuous or stupid. the police can walk and chew gum at the same time. ALL CRIME against persons is a crime against our community, and should be vigorously fought.
stand tall, gentlemen!
“With all the murders, rapes, assualts in DC im pretty sure that all that Detective had on his mind was to leap tall buildings w/his cape & utility belt and save you.”
So, LOL. If that’s your real name.
How many rapes, murders, and assaults do you think are going on at any given moment?
As of today, the number of homicides committed this year is less than 90. That is about one every three days.
I guess 2,600 police officers are too busy with one homicide every three days to bother to respond to an armed robbery. You’re right. There are a lot of dunkin donuts stores that need protecting.
What a joke you are.
fuck the police
@LOL – I encourage you to print out your comment and show it to your friends and family.
LOL,
are you seriously suggesting that a group of kids robbing people with a SAWED OFF SHOTGUN don’t constitute a serious threat to the community? And if you really think it’s even remotely ok for a detective to discourage someone from filing a report about an incident like that I hope you have a long talk with your superiors about your utter contempt for the law, your job, and the residents you are supposed to be protecting.
Unlike some other stick-ups, this one involved (even if only as a witness) a kid in a wheelchair. It probably wouldn’t be that hard to locate a kid fitting that description who lives up that way. Maybe that’s something we should be thinking about doing before one of those kids blows someone away with that shotgun. At the very least we’d have a record of past incidents if that pattern shows up again.
All of you all are just a bunch of bitches who cries wolf when someone just taps you. you all have been fed on mickey mouse and barney all your life that you have lost touch with reality. The fact of the matter is, you all were punked, sorry about that, but there are more important things in this world than your bitch ass incident. i can’t wait for rats or roaches be found in your restaurant and see you try to sweep that under the rug. MORONS!!!!! I can’t believe you guys are making such a big deal out of this.
ninjali, it’s not bitching when there’s a legit gripe. the police are here to protect and serve not to discourage people from reporting crime– small or large. the REALITY here is that there’s a legit concern about the police response in this area.
LOL and Nijali:
Last time I looked it was a citizen’s right to report a robbery against them to a police officer. Last time I looked it was the police department’s job to take a report of the crime from the victim and then go out and attempt to catch the criminal. The problem is that DC Police are too lazy to do their job, and bad at it when they even make the attempt (and as members of that department you are defending your laziness and ineptitude). DC Police are more concerned with CYA (cover your *ss) than Protect and Serve. Most people who live in DC know this.
Just do get all upset when we call you on it. I don’t think we are expecting too much for you to do your job, just like we have to do whatever job it is that pays our salaries.
The way I read it, the detective was concerned about your safety. Trinidad is apparently a neighborhood where snitchin’ don’t pay for a white boy, and he was attempting to warn you that filing would be dangerous. Realism is something I would rather our officers display than hide – even as it acknowledges the incompetence of the department in fighting crime.
Personally? I would move.
jackhole– how do you explain that officer telling them what occurred wasn’t a robbery?
LOL and Nijali:
Hate to rock you boat, but members of the MPD do work for us. If you don’t think they do, you should share with us who you think they do work for.
Hi, I’m a Washington Post reporter; if Matt and Patrick could contact me that’d be great. Thanks. labbet@washpost.com