“we’ve noticed police activity on our block that we don’t really understand”

via google maps

Ed. Note: It was an operation for “prostitution related offenses”. See below for full MPD report.

“Dear PoPville,

We live near the intersection of 12th St. & N St. NW. Over the last few months — and most recently last night — we’ve noticed police activity on our block that we don’t really understand. We’re hoping that the community might shed some light.

In short, several police cars will pull over a car (sometimes with a squad car blocking that car from the front); an officer will approach the driver and have him out of the car within a minute or so; the driver will then be put in the back of a police car a few seconds later (sometimes cuffed, sometimes we’re not sure, but never with any fuss); and finally a different police officer will immediately hop into the pulled-over car and drive it away (without, e.g., first documenting any evidence). To be clear, the entire sequence of events lasts only 3-5 minutes — much too quickly to be an ordinary traffic stop, in our view. And we’ve never before seen a police officer get into someone’s car and drive it away.

And then — what’s even stranger — the entire sequence will happen again with different drivers and cars. On the nights we’ve noticed this — typically weekend nights around midnight — the police will often run through the sequence several times: stop, “arrest,” drive the car away, repeat 15-30 minutes later.

What is going on? Are the police practicing stops? Bringing in undercover cops by “arresting” them? Running a DUI checkpoint? Executing warrants? We really don’t know. Perhaps we should add that our street is a well-known prostitution hotspot, and we see some policy activity related to that, but in both tactics and timing this seems quite different.”

From MPD:

“Good morning. Members of the Narcotics and Special Investigations Division (NSID) conducted another prostitution enforcement operation last night/this morning in the area of 12th Street and N Street NW in response to community concerns regarding an increase in visible prostitution activities. The operation resulted in the arrests of 6 adult males for prostitution related offenses. We will continue our efforts in the area in hopes of making a lasting impact on this illegal activity.”