Dear PoPville

“DC 911 issues” cont.

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

DC Fire and EMS arrived on our block (across from Hechinger Mall in NE) on 5/25. They asked our neighbors across the street if there was a fire at their home, and when our neighbors confirmed everything was fine, DCFEMS went across the street and broke into our building by forcibly opening the front door. I wasn’t home at the time, but everyone else was and they all swear that no one knocked or rang the doorbell at the front for any unit. They just went and broke in, and told one of the residents that they had “the wrong address” (and they refused to answer any questions beyond that). There was never a fire here.

In February or March of this year, my wife called 911 because a severely inebriated person (from the known trap house next door) kept trying to break our front door down. The cops never showed so I took my dog out with me and chased him off. When I approached our council member for Ward 5, they connected me with the MPD commander for 5D who confirmed that DC 911 mislabeled our call as “low priority.” (more…)

“our community has experienced escalating gun violence, open drug activity, and other dangerous conditions that are now part of daily life.”

By Prince Of Petworth


via google maps

“Dear PoPville,

I’m reaching out as a resident of the 15th Street NE corridor, bordering ANC 6A06 and 7D06, to raise urgent concerns about public safety conditions that are deteriorating rapidly in a neighborhood made up largely of young families. Many with children under the age of five.

Over the past several months, and especially in recent weeks, our community has experienced escalating gun violence, open drug activity, and other dangerous conditions that are now part of daily life. Just this week, there were seven separate shooting incidents in a single night, between 10 PM and 4 AM. That followed a recent morning shooting at 8:30 AM, while children were walking to nearby Miner preschool and elementary school. Some had to run for cover inside their school building.

In addition to the gun violence, we are regularly witnessing: (more…)

What the Helen of Troy is This?

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

Is that …a swastika quilt? On Florida Ave, NE.”

Update from KD:

“Is that …a swastika quilt?” Yes and no. Yes, those are swastikas, which are ancient symbols predating Nazism by millenia. No, those are not Nazi swastikas, which are not curved and always point clockwise.”

“Recently, (well for the last 5 months), my recycling has just stopped being picked up and I have experienced one of the most jaw-dropping runarounds I have ever experienced”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

With Mayor Bowser’s twelfth year in office rapidly approaching, I wanted to see how the POPville readers see the “response to their issues” from her Office of Constituent Relations and Services (MOCRS)? And if they, too, have seen a decline in the service that was specifically set up as the “avenue of last resort” to solve our dat-to-day issues

Recently, (well for the last 5 months), my recycling has just stopped being picked up and I have experienced one of the most jaw-dropping runarounds I have ever experienced in my almost 3 decades of living in DC. I will start this with I live on a street where the majority of my neighbors have “alley access” (I do not) meaning my weekly trash and recycling pick-up is in front of my house, it has been missed many times over the years…early on in her terms, a 311 request or call to the DPW helpline did the trick but right around the beginning of this year all avenues to get this issue dealt with seem to have gone “cold”.

Since January, (more…)

“the sidewalk seems to be eroding away.”

By Prince Of Petworth


1406 14th Street, NW

“Dear PoPville,

Folks that live in the area brought down the barrel and the cones.

The local business owners have been calling 311 and asking for help. DDOT representatives were here this week looking at the problem.

Our collective concern is that if this isn’t fixed before the Pride Parade, the potential exists for someone to be hurt. (more…)

“I don’t understand why they (Police Week) get to block off Columbia Rd. at Connecticut Ave.”

By Prince Of Petworth


7:45am this morning from Jenna “Street currently blocked to get from Conn Ave to Columbia by the Hilton for police week activities.”

Jeremy writes: “I’ve seen less disruption to DC traffic from POTUS motorcades than there is today (think Xmas tree lighting caliber) thanks to #NationalPoliceWeek in DC. MPD & SS cars parked on corners w/lights on causing slowdowns, unpredictable road closures, bus-cades etc.”

Another reader writes:

“Do you have any insights on police week and why a bunch of police motorcycles need a motorcade that includes some buses too? I also don’t understand why (more…)

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