Tunnels Used as Escape Route – What Do you Think?
Tunnels at Davis filed
Earlier I wrote about the little ponds at the Davis Field Park the other day. The pond had some issues about its maintenance, which is in the midst of being addressed by our County personnel.
But I’ve recently found that there is another issue other than that little pond. If you go a little further north you will see 3 tunnels that go below the CSX / Metro train tracks.
Neighbors are complaining that these tunnels are being used by drug dealers / criminals as escape route. They have also been troubled by gang members who frequently have parties in the northern part of the park, some time late in the evening with beers / alcohols. Some time they come in large numbers, as many as several dozens.
On one occasion, these gang members made life threatening remarks to one of the neighbors. When Police came, they escaped through the tunnels (picture below) located at the north east corner of the park at the end of the creek that runs under the train truck.
Like many others in the community, I see these tunnels are serious public safety threats to the neighbors who live next to these tunnels.
The County and the City are now looking into various ways to stop these tunnels being used as escape route. One option is to place metal gates at the entrance of tunnels. The other option could be to build fence around the northern part of the park.
I thought I should share these ideas with you in case you live around the park and are also troubled by these activities. Please feel free to email me ( fkabir@collegeparkmd.gov), if you want to share your thoughts.
Public Safety | Fazlul Kabir August 29, 2012
5 Comments to “Tunnels Used as Escape Route – What Do you Think?”
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By dj, August 29, 2012 @ 1:17 pm
I wonder why there are no grates over those?
51st Avenue is a MESS! The City really (badly) needs to clean up the right of way, grade and plan grass from Davis Hall to Brachville Road.
There are limbs and weeds surrounding the traffic signs in some places.
By dj, August 29, 2012 @ 4:07 pm
Branchville Road is the site of a WSSC project that is directly across the street from a single family home. This hissing gas main is a nuisance.
Also, as before the City does not do high quality work in the rights of way. The City told me today that they had “No Plans” to do any work along 51st Avenue. I agreed to do it myself if the city will at least pick up the limbs, and they said that they woudl do this. But I now see this as the very minimum that the City could do. Does the City care about appearance? How does unmaintained rights of way help property values and prestige?
By dj, August 29, 2012 @ 4:10 pm
Has anyone else thought about moving and leaving the city to the dogs? I bet people that come here to look at housing wonder about the poor appearances all over the City.
The City never lifted a finger to improve the appearance of US-1. When I worked in other towns they did lots of heavy lifting to improve civic appearance. Not here!
By Fazlul Kabir, August 29, 2012 @ 4:18 pm
Hi DJ, Thanks for you email. I’ve asked our Public Works staff to take a look at the issues you mentioned on 51st Avenue
By dj, August 30, 2012 @ 11:49 am
Please remove my comments – we have discussed the issue with the Public Works and we found a solution
- thanks – and my apologies for the over the top comments. The City cares!
Please remove all above comments!