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Crime & Safety

Crime Moves East in Greenbelt

Greenbelt Police tell residents of Greenbriar Condominiums that successful crime fighting in Greenbelt West has moved it to Greenbelt East.

While crime is down overall in Greenbelt, especially crimes against persons, the crime pushed out of Greenbelt West has moved to Greenbelt East, according to Greenbelt police. So, the police are redirecting the massive effort that reduced crime in Greenbelt West to Greenbriar Condominums in Greenbelt East.

That's the message Greenbelt police captain Carl Schinner, patrol division commander, Tom Kemp, and police community relations officer Kelly Lawson delivered to about 130 residents who packed Greenbriar's terrace room at a 7:30 p.m. meeting on Tuesday to address concerns about a spike in crimes.

Schinner spoke first, telling the residents that an increased police presence at Greenbriar has already led to four arrests, the identification of 17 suspicious individuals, and some condos under watch because of suspected drug activity.

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Loitering was the big concern for the first resident who arrived at the meeting, a woman from the 7700 block of Hanover Parkway, who asked to remain anonymous. Her concern was typical of the residents who came later to the meeting.

The resident, who has lived at Greenbriar since 1986, complained that her back staircase is still littered with cigarettes, marijuana blunts (cigars partially hollowed out and filled with marijuana) and other trash from the weekend. She has even seen condoms there, she reported.

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She also reported going to her balcony at 4 a.m. and startling a group of people who ran out of a back stairwell, having entered through an unlocked door. This makes her afraid when she has to walk to her car in the pre-dawn hours. Once at noon when she went to throw out the trash, she reported finding a young man or older teenager crouching in a corner. He ran and some neighbors and the police tried to corner him.

Only One Call About Shots Fired

But unfortuntely, that type of cooperation has been rare at Greenbriar, according to police and Steve Bupp, who manages the property for Condominium Venture, Inc. Bupp learned from Lawson that only one person called about shots in a previous incident, between midnight and 1 a.m., in the courtyard of 7825 Mandan Road.

Lawson and other officers responded and reported finding .45 caliber bullet casings on the ground. Many people poked their heads out windows, telling police they had heard the shots, yet only one had called police, Lawson said.

As the beleagured resident of the 7700 block of Hanover Parkway said, "It's disconcerting when you put up with these things for so long that you get to see them as normal."

According to Schinner and Kemp, the police "push back" will result in both a highly visible and invisible police presence, including high visibility patrols and traffic stops, officers in marked police cars and unmarked rental cars, foot and bike patrols, K-9 units, a narcotics task force, and a state police task force.

In response to a question, Kemp said that another possibility is the installation of cameras, as has been done at Franklin Park at Greenbelt Station, with management's consent.

The police sat at a table with the presidents of the three boards of directors that each oversees one of the three sections or phases of Greenbriar, which stretches from Greenbelt Road and Hanover Parkway all the way down to Mandan, including a section on Mandan Road. Also at the table were: Angeline Butler, president of the Greenbriar Community Association; Linwood Alston, head of Atlas International Security Patrol, which provides private security for Greenbriar; and, assistant state's attorney Renee Battle-Brooks.

"Banishment" Is Powerful Tool

Schinner said that the crime spike is focused in the 7600 to 7800 block of Hanover Parkway and the 7900 to 8000 block of Mandan Road. He said that part of the problem is that some of the criminals who were evicted or "banished" from Franklin Park, due to criminal records, moved into Greenbriar, often subleasing.

Schinner said that "banishment" is an old process that is rarely used in modern times, but the Greenbelt police will use it at Greenbriar and wherever managers of private property let them use it, although it's quicker with tenants than with homeowners.

Battle-Brooks explained a useful legal process called "nuisance abatement," which can lead to removal of people who sublease and owners, as well as banning people from the property.

She said that while her office can handle only resident removals for drug offences, a recent law allows condo and other community associations to file nuisance abatement complaints for just about anything that bothers the community, from littering to loitering. In either case, calling the police helps build a police record that the State's Attorney's office or citizens can use to back their case.

Crime is Fluid

There was a mix of frustration and hope among the residents, police and security. The frustrations stem from limited resources in dealing with a fluid crime spike that can change from one week to another. That was highlighted when Schinner responded to a skeptical resident who wondered how long the increased police presence would last. Schinner said that already police have had to return to Franklin Park because of a serial burglar and gunshot reports.

One resident asked if there was any protection for people who called the police. Lawson said people could make anonymous calls to the drug hotline (240-542-2145) or Crime Solvers (866-411-TIPS [8477]), and if they chose to give their name and address, they could ask the police not to come to their condo, to avoid being seen by criminals.

Praise and Criticism

Lawson was praised by residents for her back-to-back traffic stops at Greenbriar and for helping residents fight crime there. Several residents also praised at least two of the Atlas Security guards.

Herb Wyche, a resident and member of the city's public safety committee, also praised security officers and the police, especially Officer Rogers, an Eleanor Roosevelt High School resource officer who spends time at the Spellman Overpass as well.

But some residents complained that Greenbelt police and Atlas Security officers rarely leave their cars and drive too quickly through their area to see what is going on.

Many More Dorothy Pyles

The death of longtime Greenbriar resident Dorothy Pyles on June 17 prompted Kemp and Schinner to cite memories of her frequent and fruitful police calls. They nostalgically wished for "many more Dorothy Pyles."

Contacts:

Kelly Lawson: klawson@greenbeltmd.gov Non-urgent e-mails welcome.

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, Jean Huber, Nuisance Abatement Unit, 301-952-2868,  jhuber@co.pg.md.us: Individuals can report drug activity; associations can file other complaints against condo or townhome owners or residents.

This story has been corrected. An earlier version incorrectly spelled Herb Wyche's name. We regret the error.

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