police

WUSA 9: Memo Reveals ACPD Ticket ‘Quota’

By ARLnow.com

A memo sent to Arlington County police officers earlier this month appears to outline a quota system for traffic tickets, arrests and parking citations, according to a report from television station WUSA 9.

Though the memo says “there is not, nor has there ever been a quota for traffic enforcement,” it goes on to list “monthly proactivity expectations,” complete with a set number of traffic summons and a maximum percentage of warnings.

ARLnow.com obtained a copy of the memo from a police officer who expressed surprise that the department would issue such an obviously controversial directive. The memo itself was authored by two patrol commanders, both captains.

In a statement issued to WUSA, Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said the memo “serves as a guideline for Operations Division personnel and will not be considered a quota for enforcement.”

Man Found Dead Outside Arlington Funeral Home

By ARLnow.com

 

A man, believed to be homeless, was found dead today behind the Arlington Funeral Home in Virginia Square.

The man was found unresponsive behind a dumpster in the funeral home parking lot around 10:30 this morning, according to police. Officers arrived and determined that the man had passed away. Detectives are still on scene investigating the man’s death, though so far there’s no word of anything suspicious.

A man who said he was an acquaintance of the deceased said the man’s name was Lenny and he was in his 40s. Lenny was homeless and sometimes slept in front of the nearby St. George’s Episcopal Church, the acquaintance said.

The funeral home, located across from Arlington Central Library at 3901 Fairfax Drive, is closed and will eventually be torn down to make way for a new office building.

Woman Dies After Fall from Ballston Parking Garage

By ARLnow.com

A woman died Saturday after falling from the parking garage at Ballston Common Mall.

The woman fell from an unknown level of the parking structure and landed on the sidewalk on the N. Randolph Street side of the garage. The woman was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The incident remains under investigation.

The incident happened around 5:25 p.m. on Saturday, as St. Patrick’s Day revelers were heading to local bars. Several passersby witnessed the fall, we’re told.

This is the second time in the past two years that someone has fallen to their death from the county-owned public parking garage.

Arlington Homicide-Free for Two Years, But ACPD Staffing Levels a Concern

By ARLnow.com

As of today, Arlington County has been homicide-free for exactly two years. It’s the first time Arlington has gone this long without a homicide in the 72-year history of the Arlington County Police Department.

“Reaching this mark is only possible through a combination of effective policing, excellent medical care, successful prosecution and cooperating communities; all of which we have experienced in Arlington County the past two years,” police chief M. Douglas Scott said in a statement.

The county has not recorded a single homicide since March 14, 2010, when a 20-year-old man was stabbed to death in the Lyon Park neighborhood. The suspect in the case later pleaded guilty to second degree murder.

Amid the celebration of the murder-free milestone, however, there’s some concern within the department that there are not enough cops on the street to ensure that the recent, broader drop in crime continues. Despite a growing population and new post-9/11 anti-terrorism responsibilities, Arlington’s police force has actually shrunk slightly since 2001.

Whereas there were 362 sworn officers in Fiscal Year 2001 for a population of 189,983, there are currently 359 sworn officers for a population of 213,400 in FY 2012. That means ratio of officers to every 1,000 residents is 1.68, compared to 1.91 in FY 2001. That ratio is expected to get even narrower — to 1.67 — if the current recommended FY 2013 budget is adopted. (The population is expected to grow to 215,000 while the budget doesn’t provide for any additional officers.)

By comparison, in 2010 Alexandria’s officer/resident ratio was 2.19, and D.C.’s ratio was 6.52, according to a law enforcement source. Just to match Alexandria’s ratio, Arlington would need to hire more than 100 new officers.

“Our numbers are extremely low,” a police official told ARLnow.com. “Obviously we’re working efficiently, I don’t think anybody would deny that… [but] at some point in time, I’m not sure how much lower our ratio can go” without a corresponding increase in crime.

Crime Report: Domestic Violence Edition

By ARLnow.com

In this week’s Arlington County crime report, two men are accused of particularly vicious instances of domestic violence. Both alleged crimes took place yesterday (Tuesday) while in public.

At 11:50 a.m. on Tuesday, a man is accused of holding down a woman and threatening her in Crystal City, before a Good Samaritan intervened.

ABDUCTION/ASSAULT & BATTERY, 03/13/12, 2600 block of Jefferson Davis Highway. On March 13 at 11:50 am, a male subject and a known female victim were involved in a verbal argument. When the female attempted to flee the scene on foot, the male subject knocked her to the ground and threatened her while holding her around the neck to the ground. A witness came to assistance of the victim, recovered a knife from the subject and police arrived a short time later. James Curtis, 43, of Washington, DC, was charged with domestic assault and battery and abduction. Curtis was held without bail.

Later that day, a man was accused of breaking a car window and trying to pull a woman through the broken window, before she was able to drive away and lead him on a car chase that ended at a fire station.

ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 03/13/12, 1900 block of S. Walter Reed Drive. At approximately 8:10 pm on March 13, a victim was involved in a verbal argument with a known subject when the subject punched her vehicle window out and attempted to pull her from the vehicle. The victim was able to drive away but the subject followed her, striking her vehicle several times with his vehicle. The victim was able to stop at a local fire station and the suspect fled. Officers apprehended him a short distance away. Michael Hallmon, 50, of Arlington, was charged with attempted malicious wounding, felony hit and run, domestic assault, driving while intoxicated, refusal to submit to a breath test and possession of marijuana. He is being held without bond.

As always, all suspects are innocent until proven guilty. The rest of this week’s crime report, including the motivation behind Friday’s Buckingham shooting, after the jump.

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Sheraton Evacuated Due to Bomb Threat

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:20 p.m.) Police are questioning a “person of interest” in connection with a bomb threat at the Sheraton National hotel on S. Orme Street this afternoon.

The building was evacuated around 1:45 p.m. after a bomb threat was phoned in to the hotel. The caller claimed a bomb had been planted on street level and was going to detonate at 3:00 p.m., according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Police shut down S. Orme Street between Columbia Pike and Southgate Road (the entrance to the Marine Corps’ Henderson Hall) as a precaution.

The bomb threat was called in to the hotel on the first day of the Human Capital Management Defense conference. Dozens of attendees of the conference, along with other guests and hotel staff, were evacuated. Scheduled speakers at the conference include a number of Department of Defense and U.S. government officials. There’s no indication the bomb threat was connected with the conference, according to Sternbeck.

Sternbeck said officers stopped a “person of interest” — a guest at the hotel — for questioning after the individual was pointed out to police by hotel staff. That individual is still being questioned, but the evacuees have now being let back into the hotel and S. Orme Street has been reopened.

At least a half dozen bomb sniffing dogs were on scene to assist with a search for any type of explosive device. Pentagon Police and Virginia State Police were also on scene. Sternbeck said the basement, garage and ground floor of the hotel were swept by K-9 units. The floor the person of interest was staying on was also swept, he said.

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Police Search for Armed Robbery Suspect Near Schools

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 12:50 p.m.) Fairfax and Arlington County police are investigating an attempted armed robbery that took place within the past hour on the 3100 block of S. Manchester Street, on the Fairfax/Arlington border.

A man reportedly attempted to rob a small store while displaying some sort of a weapon, initially said to be a gun but possibly a pipe.

The search for the suspect has now been called off. Earlier, Fairfax County police were using a police dog and a helicopter to try to track the suspect. Arlington police, meanwhile, searched the area around nearby Kenmore Middle School and Carlin Springs Elementary School.

During the search the schools locked all external doors and were not allowing anybody to go outside, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

Eight New Red Light Cameras Coming to Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Arlington is planning on expanding its PhotoRED red light camera program during Fiscal Year 2013.

The proposed FY 2013 Arlington County Police Department budget includes funding for eight red light cameras at six intersections. An ACPD official tells ARLnow.com that the “dangerous” intersections (below) were each identified as safety concerns.

The additional cameras will cost the police department $438,102 during FY 2013, including $66,794 to hire a full-time employee to review each image captured by the camera to confirm that a violation took place. The remaining $371,308 will go to the contractor chosen to install and maintain the cameras.

The expenses are expected to be offset by the revenue generated by the cameras, estimated at $558,688 in the first year. Despite the expected profit, the police department is “very emphatic” that the red light camera program is about safety and not revenue, according to one official.

Currently, ACPD has red light cameras active at the intersections of N. Lynn Street and Lee Highway, Fort Myer Drive and Lee Highway, Washington Boulevard and Lee Highway, and N. Glebe Road and N. Fairfax Drive. Under the budget proposal, new cameras will be installed at the following intersections:

  • Jefferson Davis Highway and 23rd Street S.
  • Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road
  • N. Glebe Road and Washington Boulevard
  • Columbia Pike and George Mason Drive
  • Four Mile Run Drive and George Mason Drive
  • Lee Highway and George Mason Drive

For Arlington, Fiscal Year 2013 starts on July 1. No word yet on when exactly the cameras would be installed, should the police department’s budget be approved as is.

Under Virginia law, Arlington is authorized to install red light cameras at up to 20 intersections.

Theft from TJ Middle School Trailer

By ARLnow.com

Someone broke into a relocatable classroom outside Thomas Jefferson Middle School (125 S. Old Glebe Road) and stole equipment, according to a recent Arlington crime report.

The theft happened between 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7 and 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 8, according to police. A suspect broke into the school trailer by forcing open a window, and then made off with a laptop, a microscope and keys.

Police do not have a description of the suspect, who remains at large.

Man Shot In Buckingham

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 3:55 p.m.) A man was shot in Arlington Friday night by a suspect who remains at large.

Just before 8:00 p.m. on 4200 2nd Road N., in the Buckingham neighborhood, an unknown assailant wearing black clothing and a ski mask approached a man and shot him two times. The victim is described as a Hispanic male with gunshot wounds to the thigh and abdomen. He was reported to be in critical condition after the shooting. As of Saturday afternoon, police said he was still in the hospital.

The assailant, who is still at large, is described as a 5’8″ black male. He’s said to be armed and dangerous. Police say they’re not sure if the suspect knew the victim or if it was a random act of violence. As they continue to investigate the incident, police are encouraging anyone with information about the suspect to call them at 703-558-2222.

Photo courtesy Brendon L.

Police Training Exercise Tomorrow in Oakland Park

By Katie Pyzyk

Residents in Virginia Square and Ashton Heights may see more police presence in the neighborhood tomorrow. The Arlington County Police Department advises residents not to be concerned, because it’s only a training exercise.

Law enforcement officers will be performing the training exercise in Oakland Park, which is located at the corner of Wilson Blvd and Oakland St. It’s slated to run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Residents who park in the area are advised to pay extra attention to signs on parking meters during that time. Many meters around the park will be designated for use only by those participating in the training.

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