Be Careful Out There!

Drive Carefully - Don't Become a Statistic!

If You Are Driving on the East Coast - Be Extra Careful!

Americans Don’t Think They’ll Get Arrested for Driving High

(Click on the image for the AAA press release)

• Nearly 70% of Americans think it’s unlikely a driver will get caught by police for driving while high on marijuana, according to a new AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety survey. An alarming finding shows that an estimated 14.8 million drivers report getting behind the wheel within one hour after using marijuana in the past 30 days. The impairing effects of marijuana are usually experienced within the first one to four hours after using the drug. And marijuana users who drive high are up to twice as likely to be involved in a crash.
• “Marijuana can significantly alter reaction times and impair a driver’s judgment. Yet, many drivers don’t consider marijuana-impaired driving as risky as other behaviors like driving drunk or talking on the phone while driving,” said Dr. David Yang, Executive Director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “It is important for everyone to understand that driving after recently using marijuana can put themselves and others at risk.”

Scam Callers Threaten Apex Police Captain with Arrest

(Click on the image for the video)

"Please do not interrupt me when I'm speaking."
Apex, North Carolina, is in the Raleigh-Durham area.

Theft from Auto Suspect

(Click on the image for the Police Blog post)

"In this picture, the suspect appears to be checking car doors. He’s linked to thefts on August 7th in Fort Washington. Cars were targeted on Dillard Place, Lampton Lane and Gable Court. If you have information that could help detectives identify this suspect, please call 301-292-5401. Refer to case 19-0046099."

County Schools Open Sep 3 - Drive EXTRA Carefully!

Keep in mind:

• Children do not stand a chance went hit by a 3000 pound car at 35 MPH.
• 27 pedestrians were killed last year in Prince George's County.
• Kids are pedestrians when they cross the street.
• Please obey reduced speed limits near schools!

Maryland Ranks 39 out of 50 in Highway Performance, Virginia Ranks 2 out of 50

(Click on the image for the Reason Foundation's 24th Annual Highway Report)

• Maryland ranks 23 in urban fatality rate - Virginia ranks 6.
• Maryland's administrative cost is $7,418 per lane-mile - Virginia's administrative cost is $3,143 per lane-mile.
• Maryland's total disbursement per lane mile is $181,323 - Virginia's total is $37,875.
• Maryland urban Interstate mileage in poor condition is 6.51% - Virginia has 2.76% in poor condition.

MD 210 Traffic Alert

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) will close the MD 210 (Indian Head Highway) intersection to crossover traffic between Kerby Hill and Livingston Roads beginning this fall between October 1 and November 30 and continuing through the life of the project. Once complete, the project will replace the existing intersection of MD 210 at Kerby Hill Road/Livingston Road with an interchange and access ramps that will improve safety and reduce congestion. The $82 million project should be complete by year-end 2021.

(Click on the image for the flyer)

Blindsided: Portland spends millions to stop cars from killing people. It’s not working.

(Click on the image for the essay)

"Anjeanette Brown knows you don’t see her.

That’s because her neighborhood doesn’t have enough streetlights.

The uneven street outside her house in the Centennial neighborhood is dirt and gravel. The crosswalks are spaced a quarter mile apart. On nearby Division Street, the main drag, streetlights line only one side of the road, and they aren’t bright enough to illuminate darker-skinned pedestrians at night anyway."

The Most Important Thing You Can Do To Keep Us Safe!

Call the Police!

Use 911 in true emergencies.

Use 301-352-1200 (non-emergency number):

• To report incidents that requires the non-emergency dispatch of Police, Fire, EMS or Sheriff personnel
• To report a non-threatening suspicious person, vehicle, or situation
• A loud party or noise complaint
• A parking violation
• Vandalism or property damage
• Traffic accident where there is no personal injury
• To report that you were a victim of a crime that happened in the past and the suspect is no longer on the scene

Our COPS Officers:

• Officer Timothy Green, TDGreen1@co.pg.md.us, 301-292-5300
• Cpl. Stephen Rannacher, sdrannacher@co.pg.md.us, 240-507-8110
• Cpl. Victoria Blackwell, vablackwell@co.pg.md.us, 240-695-7505

Our police are "First Responders" - We are "First Preventers"

Indian Head Highway crash causes major delays in Fort Washington area

(Click on the image for the Fox5 report)

August 21, 2019: All southbound lanes closed between Old Fort Rd and Fort Washington Rd

Man Hit on Indian Head Highway in Accokeek

(Click on the image for Tracee Wilkins' News4 report)

A pedestrian was airlifted to a hospital Tuesday after he was hit by an off-duty Prince George's County police officer at Indian Head Highway.
Also covered by:

• The Washington Post
• WTOP
• WUSA9

PGPD to Conduct Sobriety Checkpoint

From http://pgpolice.blogspot.com/

The Special Operations Division will conduct a sobriety checkpoint on Friday, August 23, 2019, from 9:00 pm to 1:00 am. Officers will focus on the southern portion of the county. This is one of the many checkpoints that will be conducted throughout the year.
Please never drive under the influence. The consequences are not worth the risk.

District VII Commander Major Mitchell reported at the Aug 19 MD 210 Safety Meeting that 56 DUI arrests have been made on 210 this year.
Also, 16,788 citations have been issued on MD 210 since the beginning of this year. In the last month, police have been issuing citations at the rate of 70 per day.
Please drive responsibly and come home safe. Don't be the next statistic.

How to steal a car in 10 seconds (and how to keep it safe)

(Click on the image for the video)

Thieves don't need fancy technology to open unlocked cars. 

SHA Customer Service Request

(Click on the image for the actual service request form)

Seven ways traffic danger hasn’t changed since 1928

(Click on the image for the Greater Greater Washington article)

In 1928:

1. Traffic was getting safer, but was still far from perfect
2. Distracted driving was a huge problem
3. Street design made a big difference
4. A lot of people died in traffic violence
5. Prosecution for traffic deaths was rare
6. DC wasn’t as bad as many other cities
7. There were endless studies

What's Going On with Vision Zer0 in Prince George's County?

(Click on the image for the briefing)

Vision Zer0 - NYC's Changing Traffic Safety Strategy

(Click on the image for the CBC video)

Vision Zer0 is New York City's new traffic-safety strategy and so far it's worked. Queens Blvd [the "Boulevard of Death"], which used to be the most deadly area in the city, has had zero deaths since Vision Zero was implemented [as of Aug 2018].
New York City made 5 major changes:

1. Road design
2. Bike lanes
3. Traffic enforcement
4. Controlling speed
5. Political will

Over all, New York City plans to spend $1.6B on Vision Zer0.
""The last time people were this safe, people were getting around in a horse and buggy." (Mayor Bill de Blasio)

Prince George's Residents Upset With Slow Response to Alarms

(Click on the image for Tracee Wilkins' report)

"Residents of a Prince George's County neighborhood are happy about the arrests of two burglary suspects but not so happy about police response times to their home alarms. Police say if you have visual evidence of intruders in your home, like a neighbor or camera images, police will escalate your automatic alarm call to a priority 1 and respond faster. They suggest you call them directly if that’s the case and not depend on your alarm company. County Bureau Chief Tracee Wilkins reports."

Tantallon Burglary Victims Help Police Make 2 Arrests

(Click on the image for Tracee Wilkins' News4 report)

• Police say victims' videos were key to solving these crimes.
• Victims collaborated with each other and with the police to connect the dots.
• Tracee Wilkins' reports were key to the cooperative effort.

Fatal motorcycle crashes on the rise in Maryland

(Click on the image for the WJLA report)

• Maryland State Police issued a warning Wednesday afternoon reminding everyone to take precautions during the remaining warm weather months.
• Since July 28, troopers have responded to six fatal motorcycle crashes across the state. The crashes represent reminders to take extra precautions while driving.
• In Maryland, an average of 70 traffic fatalities and 1,400 injuries associated with motorcycles are reported each year, with 82 such fatalities in 2017 alone, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office. Common factors associated in motorcycle crashes include alcohol impairment, lack of helmet use and aggressive driving.

In Prince George's County, an average of 15 motorcyclists die per year on our roads (2014-2018 average). 18 of those 82 motorcyclists killed in Maryland in 2017 died in Prince George's County.

UPDATE: Concern Grows After Several Tantallon Burglaries - Arrests Made

(Click on the image for Tracee Wilkins' update on the latest break-in)

You may be interested in the Nextdoor Virtual Neighborhood Watch Guide

Arrests made!

Keep Our Community Unfriendly to Criminals

(Click on the image for a set of Block Captain documents)

These documents are a bit dated and they will be updated if newer documents are available.

Neighborhood Watch is a joint community-police effort to:

• Enhance neighborhood security
• Heighten the community's power of observation, and to
• Encourage mutual assistance and concern among neighbors.

Ft. Washington Home Surveillance Captures Burglars on Camera

(Click on the image for Tracee Wilkins' News4 report)

A home surveillance camera captured burglars robbing a woman's home in Fort Washington, Maryland. Now, she's waiting for justice.

Cyclist Killed In Brooklyn After Sedan Runs Red Light, Slams Into SUV

(Click on the image for video of the crash. It is disturbing.)

From CBSNewYork:
The incident happened just before 12:30 p.m. Surveillance video from a nearby bakery shows a grey car traveling southbound on Coney Island Avenue, running through a red light at the intersection of Avenue L. The car then crashes into a blue SUV that had the right of way, sending it spinning onto the sidewalk, not before hitting 52-year-old Jose Alzorriz, who had just pulled up to the corner.
“He didn’t stand a chance. It was so fast,” witness Simon Gifter said.

A Great Time Was Had by All at District VII's National Night Out!

17-year-old Maryland cyclist dies after falling from bike and being struck by SUV

(Click on the image for a clip from Chris Gordon's News4 report)

From Dana Hedgpeth's Washington Post report:

• A 17-year-old died Thursday after he was struck by a car a day earlier while riding a bike in Bethesda.
• Montgomery County police said Jacob Cassell of Bethesda was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries after the crash, which occurred before 5 p.m. Wednesday at Old Georgetown Road and Beech Avenue.
• Police said Cassell was riding southbound along Old Georgetown Road on the sidewalk when he fell into the roadway and was struck by a Volkswagen Atlas. The driver, who was not hurt, stopped and stayed at the scene, according to police.

From News4:

• Jacob was riding his bike to the local YMCA where he loved to swim, his parents said. He wore his helmet and was on the sidewalk — possibly weaving around obstacles such as poles and trash cans — while approaching Beech Avenue when he fell into the roadway, where he was struck by a Volkswagen SUV, police said.
• It isn't the first time a fatal crash like this one happened in the community. Two years ago in Gaithersburg, a bicyclist fell off the sidewalk into traffic and was killed, said Montgomery County Police Capt. Tom Didone.
  "As a vision zero community, there's a lot for us to learn. We have to build the infrastructure in a way that doesn't come with tragic results," Didone said. 

From WTOP:

• At-Large Montgomery County Council member Hans Riemer said he has biked many parts of the county but, in his experience, Old Georgetown Road is among the most dangerous. Riemer said the problem is the lack of a buffer between the sidewalk and the busy roadway. . . “There’s just no margin for error,” Riemer said.
• Old Georgetown Road in Montgomery County is a state-run road, so improvements will have to come from the Maryland State Highway Administration. Riemer said he wants to see his colleagues on the council and state officials sit down to discuss options for making the roadway safer.
• State Highway Administration spokesman Charlie Gischlar said the agency “has recently implemented a statewide program to enhance pedestrian safety in urbanized areas, and in March, lowered the speed limit on Md. 187, as well as other roads in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.”

Traffic Fatalities (Includes motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists)

Source: Maryland Highway Safety Office - Benchmark Reports and PGPD

Source: Maryland Highway Safety Office - Benchmark Reports

Source: https://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx