Congress Heights on the Rise

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INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND GROUPS 101: 7th District MPD

On Thursday, February 26th, The Advoc8te joined about 150 citizens from across DC for a "Revamping our PSAs" meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to work with the Metropolitan Police Department to find ways to improve our PSA meetings and to encourage attendance. There were several representatives from the Ward 8 community representing the PSAs in the Seventh District (there are 7 police districts each serving a portion of the city).

One of the biggest issues with our PSAs are poor awareness and attendance. Overall most residents are either not aware of PSAs, are aware and for whatever reason do not attend and is the case with most new 7D residents do not know when or where the PSA meetings are held.

The Advoc8te has attended many PSA meetings and always finds them attended by a very small number of loyal, usually lifelong residents however there rarely seems to be younger residents attending these meetings. Unfortunately, it is not unheard of for no one to show up at a PSA meeting or only have 1 or 2 people at a meeting.

We need everyone to get more involved. There is a direct correlation between inactive PSAs and increased crime statistics. PSA meetings are a valuable wealth of information and offer residents, property owners and business owners a direct line to police officers who patrol their streets.

Over the coming weeks Congress Heights on the Rise will be highlighting PSAs and other community groups with the hopes of familiarizing people who these organizations while at the same time encouraging some of you to attend the meetings. Once you attend a really good community meeting you can't help but become engaged.

We CAN do this if we work together.


WHAT IS A PSA?
Every resident lives in a Police Service Area (PSA), and every PSA has a team of police officers and officials assigned to it. Residents should get to know their PSA team members and learn how to work with them to fight crime and disorder in their neighborhoods.

Printable PDF versions of each district map are available on the district pages. Residents and visitors may also access the DC Guide to easily locate a PSA and other resources within a geographic area. Just enter an address in the appropriate field and select the "Public Safety" tab below the map that appears.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE POLICE SERVICE AREAS (PSA)?
On May 2, 2004, the Metropolitan Police Department implemented a major restructuring of its Police Service Areas (PSAs), a basic building block of community policing in the District of Columbia. The goal of the restructuring is to ensure better police services for DC neighborhoods by providing greater flexibility in neighborhood patrols and by aligning PSAs more closely with natural neighborhood boundaries. The restructuring plan reduces the number of PSAs from 83 to 46, thus creating new boundaries for all of the PSAs, as well as new boundaries for some police districts. The plan was developed following extensive public discussion and a 60-day review by the DC Council.

Each PSA will have a minimum of 21 officers (with the exception of PSA 707, which is primarily Bolling Air Force Base, and therefore needs fewer MPD officers). PSAs with more crime are being assigned more officers, in some cases three or four times the minimum staffing.

WHAT POLICE DISTRICT AM I IN?
The Seventh District covers much of the Southeast quadrant of the city, including the neighborhoods of Anacostia, Barry Farm, Naylor Gardens and Washington Highlands. The district is home to such notable landmarks as Fort Stanton Park, the Frederick Douglas Home and Bolling Air Force Base, to name a few. The district enjoys an active community that is committed to working with the police to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in the area.

WHERE IS THE SEVENTH DISTRICT POLICE DEPARTMENT LOCATED?
2455 Alabama Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20020
Phone: (202) 698-1500
Fax: (202) 645-0020

Via Automobile: Take the Suitland Parkway to the Alabama Avenue exit. Proceed by Branch Avenue and turn west onto Alabama Avenue. Or via Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, turn east onto Alabama Avenue.

Via Metro: The Anacostia Metrorail station (Green Line) is located approximately two miles from the station. Another Metrorail station is currently being built at Mississippi and Southern Avenues.

WHO IS IN COMMANDER OF THE SEVENTH DISTRICT POLICE DEPARTMENT?

Commander Joel Maupin began his career with the Metropolitan Police Department in October 1983 as a uniformed patrol officer assigned to the Seventh District. He rose through the ranks, achieving the rank of sergeant in a 1990, lieutenant in 1993 and captain in November 1995.

Throughout his career, Commander Maupin has served in a variety of operational assignments, including the Seventh District as a lieutenant and the Fifth District as a captain, as well as previous assignments in the First District, Second District, Criminal Investigations Division, Youth and Preventive Services Division and Communications Division, serving as the division director. He was promoted to the rank of Inspector in April 2001 and served as deputy director of the Maurice T. Turner Jr., Institute of Police Science, where he oversaw the Department's initial recruit training and the in-service training of all members. Most recently, he served as inspector in charge of the Sixth District Substation.

He was promoted to Commander of the Seventh District in July 2004.

Commander Maupin has completed the Management College at the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration and is a 2002 graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP) of the Police Executive Research Forum in Boston.

The Commanders Letter

I look forward to serving the residents of the Seventh District, as we work together to enhance the safety of our neighborhoods. While 7D continues to face a number of challenges when it comes to crime and violence, we are also a community that is experiencing a number of positive trends, including new housing, new businesses and new residents. I intend to build on our strengths - in particular, the strength of our residents - as we move forward to build stronger police-community partnerships and safer neighborhoods.

I encourage all residents of the Seventh District to work closely with their PSA teams to identify problems and assist in developing creative and lasting solutions to the problems we face. Together we can!

COMMANDER JOEL MAUPIN
joel.maupin@dc.gov
202.698.1400


WHO ARE THE CAPTAINS OF THE 7D POLICE DEPARTMENT?

Capt. Will Goodwin
PSAs 701, 702 & FMU
202.698.1404 (office)
202.270.2291 (cell)
will.goodwin@dc.gov

Capt. Daniel Aurigemma
PSAs 703, 704 & 705
202.698.1406 (office)
202.506.0755 (cell)
daniel.aurigemma@dc.gov

Capt. David Sledge
PSAs 706, 707 & Support Unit
202.698.1405 (office)
202.423.0185 (cell)
david.sledge@dc.gov





HOW MANY POLICE SERVICE AREAS (PSAs) ARE THERE IN THE SEVENTH DISTRICT?
With the PSA restructuring that took effect in May 2004, the Seventh District now has seven Police Service Areas (or PSAs). To find out what PSA you belong to click HERE and input your home address. Once you recieve the results click the "Public Safety" tab to locate your PSA.




SEVENTH DISTRICT PSAs/POINT OF CONTACT/MTNG INFO


PSA 701
Lt. Michelle Williams
202.698.1446 (office)
202.506.0786 (cell)
michelle.queen@dc.gov
*Mtngs are held the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 7pm at the Anacostia Professional Building
2041 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE

PSA 702
Lt. Peter Hunt
202.698.1446 (office)
202.506.0786 (cell)
peter.hunt@dc.gov
*Mtng is held the 4th Thursday of every month at 6:30pm at the Faith Tabernacle Church
2465 Alabama Ave. SE

PSA 703
Lt. Edward Aragona
202.698.1443 (office)
202.506.0755 (cell)
edward.aragona@dc.gov
*Mtngs are held the last Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm at the St. John CME Church
2801 Stanton Rd SE

PSA 704
Lt. Raul Figueras
202.698.1443 (office)
202.372.5986 (cell)
raul.figueras@dc.gov
*Mtngs are held the 3rd Thursday of every month at 6:30pm at THEARC
1901 Mississippi Ave SE

PSA 705
Lt. Peter Larsen
202.698.1441 (office)
202.372.7916 (cell)
peter.larsen@dc.gov
*Mtng is the 4th Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm at the UPO Petey Greene Center
2907 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE

PSA 705
Lt. Brian Murphy
202.698.1442 (office)
202.506.0822 (cell)
brian.murphy@dc.gov
*Mtng is the 4th Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm at the UPO Petey Greene Center
2907 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE

PSA 706 (West)
Lt. Patricia Janifer
202.698.1439 (office)
202.465.0116 (cell)
patricia.janifer@dc.gov
*Mtng is held the 1st Thursday of every month at 7pm at the Greater Southeast Community Hospital
1310 Southern Ave SE (Conference Rooms 1 and 2)
PSA 706 (East)
Lt. Ashley Rosenthal
202.698.1440 (office)
202.506.0789 (cell)
ashley.rosenthal@dc.gov
*Mtngs are held the 1st Thursday of every month at 7pm at the Greater Southeast Community Hospital
1310 Southern Ave SE (Conference Rooms 1 and 2)

PSA 706 (East)
Lt. Lewis Douglas
202.698.1436 (office)
202.437.0190 (cell)
lewis.douglas@dc.gov
*Mtngs are held the 1st Thursday of every month at 7pm at the Greater Southeast Community Hospital
1310 Southern Ave SE (Conference Rooms 1 and 2)
PSA 707/Special Programs
Lt. Steven Spencer
202.698.1415 (office)
202.506.0758 (cell)
steven.spencer@dc.gov

WHO ARE THERE OTHER LIEUTENANTS IN THE 7TH DISTRICT?

Lt. Mustafa Haamid
Vice Unit
202.698.1335 (office)
202.327.4473 (cell)
mustafa.haamid@dc.gov

Lt. Andre Wright
Detective's Office
202.698.1276 (office)
andre.wright@dc.gov

WHAT DO I DO IF I HAVE A COMPLAINT ABOUT A POLICE OFFICER?
Call the Commander's Office on 202.698.1400 and provide the officer(s) or supervisor(s) name and badge number if possible, and/or the scout car number. Commander Joel R. Maupin or a designated Captain will contact you within 24 hours and advise you who will be handling your complaint, and explain the procedures. If a complaint involves a Captain, Commander Maupin will return your call within one business day.

WHAT DO I DO IF I HAVE A COMMENDATION (praise) ABOUT A POLICE OFFICER?
The MPDC does its best to recognize employees who provide exemplary service. The monthly CHAMPS awards and the Annual Awards Ceremony, held each November, are just two examples of ways the MPDC acknowledges an employee's good work. Often, an employee's supervisor will submit his or her name for recognition. Additionally, community members or visitors to DC who have had a positive experience with an MPDC officer or civilian employee are invited to share their positive experiences by submitting a commendation.

To submit a commendation, simply download the commendation form*, complete it, and, after printing it out, mail or fax it to the appropriate office.

If you know the unit and supervisor of the individual you're commending, please mail or fax the form directly to the supervisor. To get an address for an MPDC unit or office, go to the telephone directory. If you only have the employee's name, please be sure to include the location where you encountered him or her, and mail or fax the commendation to:

Metropolitan Police Department
Office of the Chief of Police
300 Indiana Avenue, NW, Rm. 5080
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 727-4218
Fax: (202) 727-9524

WHAT IS THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COUNCIL (CAC)?
The Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) is an advisory panel in each police district that provides the district commander with information and recommendations from the community on the public's safety problems and police service needs. Regular CAC meetings in each district allow residents to meet and discuss police-related issues with the commander. The meetings also provide an opportunity for police officials to assess the impact of their crime-fighting efforts on the community.

In addition to the CAC in each police district, the Chief of Police's Citizens Advisory Council provides the Chief with input and advice on matters affecting the entire Department. The Chief's Citizens Advisory Council consists of the chairs of each district CAC, as well as At-Large members who represent different communities of interest in the District.


HOW DO I CONTACT THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COUNCIL (CAC) FOR 7D?
The 7D CAC meets every 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7 pm at the Seventh District Police Department's Community Room.

You may also contact James Bunn at 202.562.1671 or jbunnward8bus@aol.com

WHO ELSE CAN I CONTACT REGARDING ISSUES (crime, nuisance properties, quality of life issues, etc.) THAT OCCUR IN 7D?

NUISANCE PROPERTIES

Bob Nixon
US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia
Seventh District
202.698.1452 (office)
202.698.1253 (fax)
robert.nixon@usdoj.gov

QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES (trash, rodents, graffiti, etc)

Shanelle Simms
Outreach and Service Specialist/ Ward 8
Mayor's Office of Community Relations & Services
202.724.7466 (office)
202.701.3763 (cell)
shanelle.simms@dc.gov

Jose Ramirez Dorce
Outreach and Service Specialist/ Ward 8
Mayor's Office of Community Relations & Services
202.442.8121 (office)
202.251.8832 (cell)
jose.dorce@dc.gov
Janasha Thomas
Administrative Assistant/ Wards 7 and 8
202.442.8158 (office)
janasha.thomas@dc.gov
COMMUNITY MEETINGS OR EVENTS

Ms. Lendia Johnson
Seventh District Community Services Coordinator
Metropolitan Police Department
202.698.1454 (office)
lendia.johnson@dc.gov

RESIDENTS OF 7D ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO JOIN THE 7D LISTSERV AT http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MPD-7D/
The 7D listserv was created for residents in the communities patrolled by the Metropolitan Police Department- Seventh District in Washington, DC. It is intended for police officials, residents, elected officials, business owners and agency representatives from local district government agencies to engage in constructive dialogue that will identify and address crime and quality of life concerns in the neighborhoods.