Dear PoP – Peeping Tom/Sketchy Guy in Columbia Heights

Photo by PoPville flickr user fromcaliw/love

“Dear PoP,

I’m not sure who else to report this to (other than the cops) so I thought I should tell you so that the wider neighborhood would know. I live on the 3600 block of 11th St NW and tonight we had a second incidence of someone peeping in our window. We are in the basement unit of a row house, and thus the windows are pretty small. I don’t know for a fact that it is the same person who has done this first two weeks ago and then again tonight. The first time they attempted to get in through our gate, and then creeped through our yard and peeped in the window. This time, I only saw their face in the window, though not well enough to give a description because it was dark and I called the police.

The cops have been helpful and responsive each time, but it’s unnerving to have someone looking into your bedroom window after midnight, and also unsure if they have other motives.

MPD said they thought it might be someone drunk not going into the right house… but I’m not so sure about that.

They said I could cover up my windows more completely, but that would mean no natural light. He said many people use cardboard, just at night. We already have bars on our windows, so I don’t think there’s much of a chance he could get in through them, but it’s still creepy.

I wanted to report it so that if it has happened to anyone else we can know it’s a trend and also to keep people aware/solicit advice about security for basement apartments.”

Earlier in the week we discussed some security options here. And remember when the weather warms up please don’t forget to lock your lower level windows especially when you leave the house.

Unfortunately there have been some more disturbing reports, another reader writes:

“I was just wondering if anyone else has emailed you about a legitimately crazy guy that roams around Fairmont Street in between 11th and 13th? He’s a short (about 5’6-5’8), black male who is in his early to mid 30s. I’ve talked to some neighbors about him and they say he’s relatively innocuous, but I have my doubts. I’ve encountered him a few times and he just gives me the creeps. He tried to follow me home once and yelled things from his bike that are sexual, but at the same time don’t make a whole lot of sense (hence, the crazy hypothesis). There was also a time when he tried to follow me again and I just ran into my house as he watched me from not that far away. I get that he’s probably just crazy because he hasn’t caused me any physical harm (yet). At the same time, he could be capable of more and as a young woman, it’s hard not to feel vulnerable. Just thought that this may be worth posting to the blog as a kind of head’s up, etc.”