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Category: Public Safety Page 1 of 30

Steering Wheel Lock Giveaway!

Join the Prince George’s County Police Department at the Mall of Prince George’s on May 18th for a Steering Wheel Lock Giveaway! Owners of Hyundai or Kia’s (2015-2020) can show proof of residency and ownership to claim. Stay safe – get there while supplies last!

Meeting to Discuss Recent Public Safety Issues in College Park

Many of you have asked about yesterday’s disturbing incident of the “street takeover.” Some of the questions are related to how the incident unfolded and how police helped to end it.

Our police officers will be at tomorrow’s Public Safety meeting to discuss crime in the area. Residents will have opportunities to ask questions. I would expect that the issue of loud noise and “Street takeover” will be addressed in this meeting.

The meeting will start at 7:30 pm Monday, April 10.

This is a virtual meeting so you can join from the convenience of your home. Here you can find more information about the meeting and how to join:
https://collegeparkmd.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=6540&month=4&year=2023&day=10&calType=0

The meeting is regularly attended by City elected officials, police, the Department of Public Services, and neighbors from around the City for an informative monthly meeting.

This community-wide meeting discusses City-wide statistics, recent incidents of public interest, neighborhood watch tips, and special public safety-related topics. Tell your friends and neighbors to join the zoom meeting here.

Link: https://zoom.us/j/96024845217

“Street Takeover” in College Park

Last night a loud street take-over incident happened last night at the Edgewood Rd and Rhode Island Avenue intersection.

Based on what I learned, from 2:00 AM till 2:40 AM, about 15 high-powered cars did burnouts + spins in this intersection to a crowd of 150 or so. They blocked the intersection on all roads. Cars spun around at high rpm with loud screeching and smoke from spinning tires. A police helicopter showed up around 2:20 AM. Around 2:45 AM, Police ended the spinouts, and the crowd dispersed.

Police said several cars were impounded. They are investigating the incident further.

You can watch a video of the incident here:

Simple Steps to Prevent Car Thefts

This car theft incident has really struck my nerve. Unfortunately, the victim lives in north College Park. The resident’s minivan was stolen at his job site in Baltimore first. The thief found the victim’s W2 form and the keys inside the van. He then drove the minivan to his home in College Park and stole his personal vehicle. Please read more about the incident here in this Fox news article.

Police are advising us to follow these simple steps to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future:

  • Never leave keys inside or on your vehicle. Always keep them on your person
  • Ensure that all doors and windows are secure before leaving the vehicle unattended.
  • When possible, park the vehicle in a well-lit area.
  • Never leave valuables in plain sight. (Hide it, lock it, or keep it)

Tire and Wheel Theft Prevention Tips

Recently, wheels from several cars in north College Park were stolen. Police have advised us to follow the following tips to prevent similar crimes from happening in the future. If you see any suspicious activities in your neighborhood, please do not hesitate to call 911. Thanks a lot for your help! Stay safe!

HB-1130: The House bill to Address Loud Noise by Modified Mufflers

Thank you all who took the time to submit your testimonies about Senate Bill SB-229.

A House version of the bill, HB-1130 has been introduced The hearing is set for 1:00 pm on March 2, 2023. You can read more about the bill here: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb1130

The College Park City Council has supported this bill. Some of the Council members will also testify at the March 2nd hearing,

House committees require registration via MyMGA two business days in advance. This means the signup window for Thursday’s hearing on HB 1130 in the House Environment and Transportation Committee is tomorrow from 8 am to 3 pm.

Please follow this quick tutorial on signing a Maryland General Assembly (MGA) bill.

More on how to submit testimonies can be found here: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/pubs-current/current-ent-faqs.pdf

Thank you!

City Plans to Add 15 New Cameras to City’s Public Safety Network

The City plans to install 15 new security cameras on new utility poles to City’s existing security network.

The City plans to install 15 new security cameras on new utility poles to City’s existing security network. The plan also includes adding 19 cameras to the existing maintenance contract with City’s camera vendor Hitachi Vantara and funding Pepco’s cost to provide power to those utility poles.

Another security camera project has been undertaken at the office complex on Baltimore Avenue between Calvert and Hartwick Roads. For this project, we used four cameras from our existing inventory. Those cameras will also be added to our maintenance contract when the warranty expires. This cost is included in the current proposal.

The map shows the new locations in our security camera system. Out of 15 cameras, two will be added to north College Park – one at the end of Lackawanna street near the Metro, and another on Rhode Island Avenue near Duvall Field.

All cameras will be independent, stand-alone cameras with 360-degree fixed-focus views. Video data is stored on-site and retrievable remotely. These will not be on the UMPD monitored system, but they and PGPD investigators will have access to the video.

The total project cost, including the Pepco cost, is $295,926.83. A portion of the cost is anticipated to be reimbursed with CPCUP Grant funds ($119,221), with the remainder to be funded from Capital Improvement Project # 092003 funds.

Fire Prevention Community Zoom , 7:30, Mon. 10 Oct. 2022

October 9-15 is National Fire Prevention Week. This year will focus on the need to prevent fires ,and escape quickly if one occurs. The theme is “Fire Won’t Wait, Plan Your Escape”

The City’s October community public safety Zoom meeting will feature public fire safety educator Ms. Teresa Crisman, Director of Public Affairs, Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office. Ms. Crisman will present life saving information about fire prevention, and escape from home fires.

This Zoom will begin at 7:30 p.m., Monday,  10thOctober 2022

Here is the Zoom link:

https://zoom.us/j/96024845217

Special Tax District Sought to Fund Public Safety Initiatives

At tomorrow’s City Council meeting, the Council will discuss a proposal to establish a special taxing district to fund public safety initiatives in some designated areas of south College Park.

In determining whether to create a district, the Council must decide what project it wishes to support and define the boundaries of the area in which the project will be provided. This can include systems, facilities, services, programs, or activities. Once projects are selected, and the boundary is defined, City staff would calculate what amount of ad valorem tax would be necessary to finance the initial projects, operation, and maintenance.

Potential programs using tax district funds may include:
(a) additional contract Police patrols and pedestrian safety enforcement in the tax district;
(b) use of Police Auxiliary/Ambassadors around Purple Line/Metro stations;
(c) additional security cameras, including noise enforcement technology (pending technology development and enabling legislation);
(d) additional code officers for tax district inspections and noise enforcement;
(e) sustaining real-time security camera monitoring by UMPD (FY23 costs are $160,162.00).

[City of College Park]

When Should I call 911 ? Get the Answer from Police, Monday, May 9, 7:30 pm

Is it true that we should only call 9-1-1 when we have a true “life or death” emergency? Should we also call 9-1-1 if we see suspicious activity? What to expect when we call 9-1-1?

When it comes to public safety, “When to Call 9-1-1?” is probably one of the most frequently asked questions our residents ask.

Please join this Monday’s Public Safety meeting to get the answers directly from our police officers. William R. McGown, Operations Division Manager, Prince George’s County Public Safety Communications, will discuss 9-1-1 and non-emergency call-taking processes and requirements.

Join by Zoom – http://b.link/CPCommunityPolice, Monday, May 9,  7:30 pm

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