Public Safety Members to be Awarded in Greenbelt

The annual Valor Awards will be given out at Martin's Crosswinds.

The "best and the bravest" of the Prince George's County public safety community will be awarded Wednesday, according to a press release from County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III's office. The 36th annual Prince George's County Valor Awards Luncheon will be held starting at 11:30 a.m. at Martin’s Crosswinds at 7400 Greenway Center Drive in Greenbelt. According to Prince George's County Fire/EMS Spokesman Mark Brady, a number of emergency personnel from his department will be receiving awards. Brady tweeted that three firefighters, a retired lieutenant, three paramedics, eight members of the technical rescue team and a civilian member of the fire department will receive awards. Baker is set to speak at the event, according to his public …

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Greenbelt Crime: Several Home Burglaries, Armed Robberies Reported

A look at crime for the weeks of Jan. 20 and Jan. 27, 2013 in Greenbelt, MD.

The Greenbelt Police Department reported a number of burglaries in Center City from Jan. 21-25 almost daily off Crescent Road. (Details can be found in the two police reports attached to this post.) Also several attempted strong armed robberies were reported near the metro and in Franklin Park. The details are below: Jan. 18, 6 p.m. in the 9100 block Springhill Lane: According to police, "the victim was walking with the two suspects, whom the victim had just met, when one of the suspects took the victim’s cellphone from his jacket pocket and fled on foot with the second suspect. The two suspects are described as black males, approximately 17 years old—suspect 1: 6’0”, thin build, wearing a brown North Face jacket; and suspect 2: 5’11”, …

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Prince George's County Wins $432K Public Safety Grant

The award was among $6.3 million given to Maryland's state and local governments by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Prince George's County has been awarded $432,311 in federal funding earmarked for violent crime reduction and other public safety activities, Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin announced Thursday. The U.S. Department of Justice grant is one in a $6.3 million bundle given to the state, county, and local governments of Maryland. The county's share will be used on crime prevention, community corrections, and technological improvements in four of its five public safety agencies. At the community level, Laurel was awarded $11,933 for electronic control devices and associated equipment for officers; Hyattsville, $11,143 for equipment and accessories; and Greenbelt, $15,442 for ruggedized mobile data computers. The grant funding is based on a …

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Greenbelt Police Advise on How to Avoid Child Abduction Attempts

Capt. Thomas Kemp advises children and teens that "if something doesn't seem right, they should pick up on that instinct and not dismiss it."

  That well-worn phrase your mother always repeated to you growing up—never talk to strangers—is key advice, when it comes to avoiding abduction. Greenbelt Capt. Thomas Kemp said that young people are savvy and "they should go with their instincts on not trusting strangers." Police continue to investigate a possible child abduction attempt after a man  allegedly tried to coax a 12-year old girl into his vehicle in the area of Springhill Drive and Edmonston Road Monday, Greenbelt Police Department said in a release. "The man, a number of times, repeatedly asked her to come over to the vehicle and she resisted," Kemp said on Thursday, when police released a photo of a white truck they say was in the area the time the incident occurred. …

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Beware the Dangers of Fireworks

Almost two-thirds of annual fireworks-related injuries happen in the 30 days centered on the 4th of July, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Fireworks are a traditional part of 4th of July festivities—but can also be dangerous. Area firefighters have warned of the dangers of consumer fireworks and in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, consumer fireworks are illegal. A recently released study from the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission revealed that last year, 65 percent of all fireworks-related injuries in the U.S. occurred in the 30-day period centered on the 4th of July. About 46 percent of those injuries involved the hands, and 34 percent affected the head, face or eyes, the agency reported. Injuries to the eyes are particularly serious. According to Dr. Michael P. Grant, director of Oculoplastic Surgery and of the Eye and Orbital Trauma Center at Johns Hopkins…

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Silver Spring Woman Found Dead in Bed Under Fallen Tree

A Montgomery County resident was killed in the severe storm, authorities say.

  A 71-year-old Montgomery County woman was found dead Saturday, the apparent victim of a tree that fell through the roof of her house and onto her bed during a severe storm. Montgomery County Police were investigating the discovery by Fire and Rescue workers who responded to a call for a tree downed on a home in Silver Spring. Rescue workers had to force themselves into a locked home on the 10000 block of Grant Avenue. Once inside, they discovered the woman's body, unresponsive, in a bedroom on the second floor of the house, according to police. Authorities said she was apparently killed by a large Maple tree falling through the roof of the building and onto her bed sometime during the night. Police will release more information on the …

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Prince George's Headlines: Fire Lt. Charged With Stealing Hay, Lottery Scams

A roundup of news and information from around Prince George's County, MD.

  A look at the stories that made the biggest splash this week around Prince George's County. DC Fire Lieutenant Charged With Stealing Hay From Upper Marlboro Man DC Fire and EMS Lt. Kellene Davis is facing charges after she allegedly attached a chain to a pickup truck, ripped off the doors of a shed, and stole almost 20 bales of hay in Upper Marlboro. If convicted, she faces up to 15 years in jail. Police Warn Residents to Look Out for Fake Lottery Scams A New Carrollton woman was reportedly conned into withdrawing $8,000 for someone claiming to be from Publishers Clearing House. Greenbelt Housing Co-op Passes Non-Smoking Directive GHI housing co-op members give their board the nod to come up with a proposal that would allow them to …

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Video: Gov. Signs Executive Order for Regional Bomb Squad Readiness and Coordination

Gov. O'Malley signed an executive order Tuesday that will formalize relationships between emergency responders across the state during certain types of emergencies.

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