Maryland police chief issues apology after officer’s remark about ‘black bad guy’

The Washington Post,by Dana Hedgpeth, August 29 at 2:54 PM
The Prince George’s County police chief apologized in a video this week after an officer made a comment to a group of children Friday about a “black bad guy” in explaining how the K-9 unit at the department operates.
Chief Hank Stawinski said in a YouTube video that he was apologizing on behalf of the officer and the department for the remark, which he called “unfortunate.”
The chief’s comments were in response to another video posted to YouTube in which an officer is heard explaining what a K-9 dog does “if a black bad guy is running and he drops his cellphone.” . . .

Your Family Needs You

PGPD Investigates Fatal Collision in Oxon Hill - Aug 25

The Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit is investigating a fatal crash in Oxon Hill early Saturday morning. The victim is 38-year-old Angela James of Rowe Lane in Catonsville.
On August 25th, at approximately 3:10 am, patrol officers responded to the intersection of Indian Head Highway and Wilson Bridge Drive for a collision involving a single car.
The preliminary investigation reveals the car was heading southbound on Indian Head Highway, when for reasons which remain under investigation, it left the roadway and struck the median curb and guardrail. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene. There were no passengers in the car.
 Anyone with information is asked to call the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit at 301-731-4422. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477); online at www.pgcrimesolvers.com or the “P3 Tips” mobile app (search “P3 Tips” in the Apple Store or Google Play to download the app to your mobile device).

School Zone Moving Violations Endanger Children Walking to School in D.C. Area

(Click on the image for Scott MacFarlane's News4 report)

• “Parents are trying to get to work, kids are trying to get to school, everybody is running late,”
• Violations include reckless driving, speeding and distracted driving.
• From 2015 to 2017, there were 18 Prince George's pedestrian injuries walking to and from school.

Students are not watching out for you. Please drive as if they are your kids!

Business and Community Donors Who Made National Night Out Possible

Thank You!

Drivers Aren’t Securing Their Loads on the Road

(Click on the image for the AAA report)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 11, 2016)- More than 200,000 crashes involved debris on U.S. roadways during the past four years, according to a new study released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Road debris has resulted in approximately 39,000 injuries and more than 500 deaths between 2011 and 2014.
About two-thirds of debris-related crashes are the result of items falling from a vehicle due to improper maintenance and unsecured loads. The most common types of vehicle debris are:

• Parts becoming detached from a vehicle (tires, wheels, etc.) and falling onto the roadway
• Unsecured cargo like furniture, appliances and other items falling onto the roadway
• Tow trailers becoming separated and hitting another vehicle or landing on the roadway

Securing Vehicle Loads: When moving or towing furniture, it is important to make sure all items are secured. To properly secure a load, drivers should:

• Tie down load with rope, netting or straps
• Tie large objects directly to the vehicle or trailer
• Cover the entire load with a sturdy tarp or netting
• Don’t overload the vehicle
• Always double check load to make sure a load is secure

I can add another warning from personal experience - don't carry a box-spring & mattress set on the roof of your car. Thankfully we were uninjuried but the mattress set flying off the roof of the car in front of us on MD 210 last Friday evening caused over $3,000 in damage to our car and loss of its use for 2 weeks. 😞(Ron)

Speed Cameras Work

(Click on the image for the briefing)

• Speed Cameras Slow Drivers
• The Vast Majority of Drivers Do Not Get Cited by Speed Cameras
• More and More Drivers Are Slowing Down Because of Speed Cameras
• A Few Incorrigible Speeders Are Unaffected by Speed Cameras
• Increasing Penalties Might Get Them to Change Their Behavior

How Do We Keep Our Community Safe?

Tips from ADT:

1. Get to Know Your Neighbors – exchange phone numbers, learn each other’s schedules and routines, and regularly check on elderly neighbors.
2. Don’t be a Target – have plenty of light around your home and leave lights on inside or use timers when you're gone. 
3. Report Suspicious Activity – call 911 whenever something looks unusual. Have a pen and paper handy to write down details that could help police.
4. Walk around your neighborhood or sit outside as much as possible and encourage your neighbors to get out with you.

Scammers impersonate Prince George's Sheriff's to get cash from people in phone scheme

(Click on the image for the WJLA report)

• Prince George's Sheriff's officials are warning residents of scammers who impersonate sheriff's and call residents to get their money.
• Authorities say the scammers, posing as sheriff's, contact individuals asking for money to "close open warrants" or to resolve other court-related matters.

Work Zone Speed Cameras: Good News and Bad News

Fewer drivers are getting speed camera tickets but 40% of those who get tickets are repeat offenders.

• The good news: “according to AAA Mid-Atlantic, drivers seem to be getting the message of safety as ticket issuing significantly decreased in 2018. For example, on the northbound lanes in the work zone area, around 50,152 speed camera tickets were issued from July 2017 to December 2017. But from January 2018 to July 2018, that number dropped to 27,949 tickets issued, a 44.2 percent decrease, AAA Mid-Atlantic said.” (Teta Alim’s WTOP report)
• The bad news: “In the past year alone, speed cameras in the work zone where the Capital Beltway crosses Suitland Road have recorded 124,477 people speeding, according to a report compiled by AAA. At $40 a pop, those work zone tickets would earn the state close to $5 million.” Per John B. Townsend II, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, “About 40 percent of the people who get these tickets are repeat offenders.” (Ashley Halsey III’s Washington Post report)
• While figures from Maryland’s SafeZones speed-camera program show a reduction in speed through work zones, the $40 citation that accompanies violations hasn’t been enough to slow down an incorrigible group of speeders. Some are willing to pay the fine and put the pedal to the metal because there is no increase in penalties for amassing dozens of citations—and some drivers do exactly that.
  Take the owner of a particular Toyota, who in May 2015 received a $40 speeding ticket for the 44th time in a little over two years. On the 44th occasion, a speed camera snapped a photo of the car as it allegedly zipped past a highway construction zone at 71 miles per hour, well above the 55 mph limit.
  A large majority of the recidivists notched just two or three tickets, but the group includes 1,944 vehicles with 10 or more tickets; 97 with 20 or more; and 16 with at least 30. Topping the list: a Honda that racked up 68 citations between 2010 and 2013. The totals include any warning notices issued in the first three weeks of a new camera deployment.
  “Unfortunately, there are those drivers out there who will drive without regard for workers” or people in other cars, said Lora Rakowski, spokeswoman for Maryland’s State Highway Administration. (Wall Street Journal story via Fox News)
• Thanks to John Townsend, AAA, for this information.

National Night Out 2018 at District VII

A message from Major Keleti:  I would like to express my appreciation to those that assisted and attended a very successful National Night Out at District VII last evening.  We handed out 560 raffle tickets as I’m sure we reached over 600 participants.  A job well done!

 

See pictures from last year's NNO further down on this blog!

Local Heroes Honored

(Click on the image for José Umaña's report in the Prince George's Sentinel)

• 172 awards were passed out to 154 recipients, most to the day-to-day officers that rarely receive praise for their work.
• “Nobody sees us in the middle of the night, in the snow storm, in the rainstorm, on the coldest night of the year and the hottest day of the year,” Chief of Police Hank Stawinski said addressing the officers. “And none of you seek any affirmation or accolades for your service which makes today that much more important.”