Police Make Headway in Homicide Investigations

The headline that would summarize last week’s news could read, “Police Continue to Fight Violence,” as every day seemed to provide additional action to Prince George’s County Police Chief Mark Magaw’s plan.

Magaw introduced on Monday by announcing the transfer of 13 detectives to the Criminal Investigation Division, five to the Narcotic Enforcement Division and six to federal task forces. He also assigned Major Joseph McCann to coordinate all special enforcement operations in Districts I, III and IV.

Then, on Wednesday, PGPD announced a Capitol Heights was the . Greenbelt also had a brush with violence Wednesday night after a on Cherrywood Lane. This case is still under investigation, and the victim is in critical condition.

Magaw on Thursday, enlisting the help of federal officers from the FBI, DEA and AFT to aide investigators, bringing the grand total of additional officers to 135.

Later on Thursday, an interview with Greenbelt Police Chief Jim Craze revealed that with the homicide investigations. Craze said this does not mean the departments are not working together because they do on a weekly basis —  just that none of the violence in Greenbelt has developed a connection with the homicides in the rest of the county.

Finally on Friday, PGPD announced their as they had made 100 arrests in two days. The focus was on the county’s most violent areas and on Thursday night, officers made 58 arrests, 27 of which were felony arrests and recovered guns. They also recovered drugs including marijuana, Ecstasy, crack cocaine and PCP. Also, officers served 12 warrant arrests and made hundreds of traffic stops.