Dear PoPville – Is it right for so many cops to be hanging out in the Yes! market?

“Dear PoPville,

On Tuesday evening at about 6:00 pm, I stopped in Yes! Market on Georgia Ave. to pick up a few things. There were two police cars outside, and as I entered, I noticed 4 police bicycles inside the store. As I turned the corner I saw 6 police officers congregated around the front cafe table. They looked to be having a good time, relaxing and staying out of the heat. By the time I checked out, two of the officers had left, but the other four were still chilling. I snapped a photo, but you can only see three of the officers – the other is hidden behind the officer in the all-dark uniform.

I often see officers hanging out there, but I had never seen such a large group that seemed quite settled in. This was definitely not a case of a few of them stopping in for a quick drink of water. They appeared to be quite settled in.

I think its great that there is a strong police presence at that store for the sake of keeping it open. Yes! is an important part of the Georgia Ave. rejuvenation. But it disturbed me to see this many officers there rather than on the streets. What good are cops on bikes if all they do is sit inside Yes!??? Has this ever been discussed by the community? I’ve only lived in Petworth for a year, but I KNOW there is plenty of activity for them to be monitoring in the neighborhoods. If nothing else, they could be monitoring all the commuter traffic using our neighborhood as a freeway.”

I think an officer is stationed off duty there (kinda like you see at Target.) But also on plus 90 degree days, I think it’s ok for the cops to take a break for a while. Hopefully, the breaks fall within a legit amount time.