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Bowser launches DC’s first safety hub to improve police response in high-crime area

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Bowser launches DC’s first safety hub to improve police response in high-crime area


Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser opened the city’s first “Safe Commercial Corridor” on Monday to enhance police responsiveness as the city grapples with high crime rates.

Located in Chinatown, the safety hub will connect residents to police resources, along with representatives from various outreach agencies, including the mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services, the Department of Human Services, and more. Two more hubs will open in the spring, located in Anacostia and in the U Street area.

“These hubs are one more way we can bring city services closer to the community and stay connected to residents and businesses in the neighborhood,” Bowser said in a statement. “When we talk about a whole-of-government approach to public safety, these are the people and teams who are working together every day to keep our city safe and healthy, and we are grateful for their wide range of expertise, compassion, and commitment to our community.” 

The hub will be open to residents for walk-in services Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Officers from Chinatown’s Crime Patrol Unit and Bike Unit will have access to the hub 24/7 “to complete critical administrative tasks without having to return to the First District’s main station.”

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Bowser said 2024 started with downward trends in crime, both in Chinatown and across the district, but officials must “work urgently to keep that up.”

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“We not only want people to be safe but feel safe,” Bowser added. “And if people are engaging in criminal activity, we know as a community, we have sent the clear message that they will be held accountable.”

Last year, violent crime increased 12% in Chinatown, and several businesses closed permanently as the once-popular area turned into a hot spot for robberies. On Sunday evening, a special police officer was shot and injured by a suspected robber at a Walgreens in Chinatown, close to the Gallery Place Metro station. Police officials told the Washington Post that 24-year-old Kamanye Williams had been connected to six other robberies at the same Walgreens since July. District police’s criminal investigation division and internal affairs are investigating the incident.



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Washington, D.C

What’s happening this weekend in DC, Virginia, Maryland: Nov. 14-16

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What’s happening this weekend in DC, Virginia, Maryland: Nov. 14-16


The federal shutdown is over, the holidays are approaching and the DMV is packed with things to do. Here’s what’s going on this weekend.

Washington, D.C.

Friday, November 14

Side Yards Carnival (5:30 p.m.), 355 Water Street SE

Friday Night Fever Comedy Show (8 p.m.), 2323 18th Street NW

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Saturday, November 15

Taylor Swift Dance Class (11 a.m.), 600 Howard Road SE

NWSL Semifinal: Washington Spirit vs Portland Thorns (12 p.m.), 100 Potomac Avenue SW

On Air: The Frequency of Her Power (7 p.m.), 2455 6th Street NW

Club Oz at Barrel House (10 p.m.), 1341 14th Street NW

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Sunday, November 16

Pizza and Coffee Rave (11 a.m.), 399 Morse Street NE

Samantha Bee: How to Survive Menopause (4 p.m.), 600 I Street NW

Maryland

Friday, November 14

Strathmore Shop Holiday Market (10 a.m.), 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda

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Disney Channel Skate (9:30 p.m.), 5211 Campus Drive, College Park

Saturday, November 15

Holiday Arts and Crafts Market (10 a.m.), 14900 Health Center Drive, Bowie

Dinosaur Park Open House (12 p.m.), 13100 Mid Atlantic Boulevard, Laurel

Diwali Festival (3 p.m.), 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown

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Sunday, November 16

Empty Bowls (1 p.m.), 155 Gibbs Street, Rockville

The Polar Express on the Potomac (2 p.m.), 150 National Plaza, National Harbor

Virginia

Friday, November 14

Bull Run Festival of Lights (5:30 p.m.), 7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville

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Tysons Holiday Kick-off (6 p.m.), 1961 Chain Bridge Road, Tysons Corner

Saturday, November 15

Chocolate and Coffee Festival (10 a.m.), 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly

Leesburg Tree Lighting Festival (2 p.m.), 1610 Village Market Boulevard SE, Leesburg

Sunday, November 16

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American Patchwork Quartet (3 p.m.), 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston

JMU Unaccompanied (5:30), 227 Maple Avenue East, Vienna



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As part of safety push, motor assist on DC e-bikes is slowing down – WTOP News

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As part of safety push, motor assist on DC e-bikes is slowing down – WTOP News


In response to community concerns and police observations, the motor assist feature on Lime and Veo e-bikes in D.C. is slowing down. The city’s thousands of undocked e-bikes will have a limit on how fast they can go.

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As part of safety push, motor assist on DC e-bikes is slowing down

In response to community concerns and police observations, the motor assist feature on Lime and Veo e-bikes in D.C. is slowing down.

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The city’s thousands of undocked e-bikes will have a limit on how fast they can go. Now, the boost feature on Lime e-bikes won’t be able to go faster than 18 miles per hour, the company said in a statement. The assistance on Veo e-bikes will be capped at 15 miles per hour.

The previous limit for both companies’ e-bikes was 20 miles per hour, a D.C. Department of Transportation spokesman said.

City leaders have been considering asking the companies to make a change since the spring, the DDOT spokesman said. They recently asked, and the companies agreed.

The switch comes in response to growing complaints about e-bike riders zipping by pedestrians on city sidewalks, which is not illegal in D.C. In some cases, e-bikes are being used by suspects in crimes to quickly get away.

“I read a lot of police reports, so I know there’s some use, or I should say misuse, of the bikes,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said Wednesday at an unrelated event. “We want to make sure that all the bicycles can be available for the purpose that they are intended, and curb any misuse.”

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Meanwhile, a D.C. police spokesman said Lime e-bikes and scooters are being used by juveniles who are suspects in robberies and assaults. However, the agency doesn’t have data on how common that circumstance is.

“Anecdotally, we have some concerns about some of the shared transportation equipment being used to commit crimes,” Bowser said.

While Capital Bikeshare, or CaBi, e-bikes have a pedal assist feature, the DDOT spokesman said data shows the maximum boost is 17 miles per hour.

In busy corridors, D.C. has put in place an 8 mile per hour boost limit. That’s in effect on U Street, in Chinatown and Navy Yard and at the Wharf, DDOT said.

“We’re all trying to, in tandem with MPD, promote good behavior on our shared fleet devices,” said Sharon Kershbaum, DDOT’s director.

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Jacob Tugendrajch, a Lime spokesman, said in a statement the company has “worked with the city to find what we hope will be an appropriate balance on speed limits and slow zones as have all micromobility operators in D.C. this year.”

Veo implemented the 15 mile per hour speed limit and is “working closely with the District to meet local transportation priorities and ensure our service remains a dependable option for residents traveling to work, connecting to transit, and visiting local businesses,” a spokeswoman said in a statement.

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Teenager shot and killed in Southeast DC, possibly for his jacket

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Teenager shot and killed in Southeast DC, possibly for his jacket


Tristan Johnson, 17, was a young man with plans — and the energy and determination to make them come true — says his godfather, Davian Morgan.

“When I’d talk to him about future plans, he’d be like, ‘Well, you know, starting a vending machine business or like owning my own trucking company,’” said Davian Morgan, Tristan’s godfather.

Pictures from Tristan’s life — his years at Ingenuity Prep in the District, then at Dr. Henry A. Wise High School in Prince George’s County — fill Morgan’s phone.

“He was very outgoing,” Morgan said. “So even if you didn’t know him, you knew of him, and he was eventually going to find his way to introduce you to himself.

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Family members know Tristan was with some friends around 3 p.m. Saturday when he was shot and killed in the 1900 block of C Street SE, not far from the Stadium Armory Metro Station.

D.C. police sources familiar with the investigation say the suspects may have been attempting to rob the 17-year-old of his jacket.

As his family grieves the sudden, horrifying loss, they are finding some comfort from the outpouring of love from his many friends.

“At least 20 of my previous students found my number some way, somehow and they were like, ‘Are you okay? We’re just checking in to see if you’re okay. We’re praying for you,’” Morgan said. “And in my mind, I should be saying this to you

In his grief, Morgan says he has wondered about those thousands of federal officers and National Guard troops deployed to fight crime in the District.

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“I think that is probably one of the questions right now that his mother is asking herself over and over and over again,” Morgan said. “Of all the places for it to happen, in broad daylight.”

Tristan was fatally shot just one block from the D.C. Armory, a hub of operations for the estimated two thousand National Guard troops deployed to the nation’s capital to fight crime.



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