“The Bicycle Thief” by MPD, Shooting Near H St, NE and Muggings on Cap. Hill

The Bicycle Thief, Film Poster, 1948

The Bicycle Thief is a classic Italian film so I was intrigued by an MPD email that simply had in the title – The Bicycle Thief. Not as poetic as the film but still an important message:

This was no run of the mill burglary for the sake of stealing bicycles. Yesterday morning at about 8:45 a.m., a suspect was observed on camera breaking into a rear garage in the 4700 blk of Connecticut Ave. N.W. Once inside, he walked two bicycles out the door and moments later was observed cutting away the locks on two more which he promptly rolled out the door and then made good his escape.

As much as it pains me to tell all of you that your unattended bicycles should not be considered safe if locked to railings or fences inside private garages, the fact of the matter is they are not. Our officers canvass alleys and streets for suspicious activity but the reality is, we won’t be able to see it all as it goes down. We rely heavily on your help to bring us to the bad guys. We also need your help with removing the low hanging fruit that allows the benefits to outweigh the costs.

I cannot express with greater emphasis the importance of not doing the things that, once upon a time, sufficed to prevent crime. We live in a very different time and all of us need to ramp up our effort. If you need any pointers on what you can do to make your property more safe, I am happy to give you my undivided attention. Please call me to schedule a visit or to just get some advice over the phone.

Thank You, Lt. Victor S. Braschnewitz

Ed. Note: We discussed some of our favorite foreign films here.

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MPD writes:

“Officers responded to a call for the sounds of gunshots in the rear of 900 blk 10th St NE. Once on the scene, they located 3 shell casings. Crime Scene Search responded and processed the scene. A canvass for subjects was also conducted with negative results.”

MPD Alert of muggings on Capitol Hill after the jump.

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MPD writes:

“On Friday night at around 9pm, a lone female was walking north on 11th Street SE while holding an Apple I-phone in her hand. A man approached her from behind, put her in a head-lock and took her to the ground. The suspect then snatched the I-phone from her hand and fled south bound. The suspect was described by the complainant as a black male, 24-27 years of age, 5’6″-5’9″ in height, with a medium build, with dark complexion, a black hat, green jacket, and black pants.

In addition, on Sunday, October 24, 2010, at approximately 10pm, a young lady was walking south in the 300 block of 9th Street SE. Two young men approached her from behind, grabbed her purse and wrestled it from her control, and fled on foot. Suspect #1 was described as a black male with medium complexion, medium build, black jacket, and blue pants-nothing further. Suspect #2 was described only as a black male.

As a result of these two incidents, we have increased our nightime patrol in that particular area. Also, please be mindful of walking alone and visibly carrying valuables after dark-ESPECIALLY the latest cell phones. Anyone witnessing any behavior they consider suspicious, please call 911 immediately with a full description of the persons and behavior witnessed. Do NOT second guess yourself, if something doesn’t look right to you, call 911 immediately.”