by Ashley Cobb

On the evening of December 12, 2023, MPD’s Fourth District officers responded to an urgent call on the 1400 block of Buchannan Street NW. There, MPD found the lifeless body of 49-year-old Neil Clark, a victim of a fatal gunshot wound. The harrowing incident, occurring just before 7pm, combined with other ongoing crime, shook the 16th Street Heights community, leaving many residents feeling vulnerable and unnerved by the encroaching specter of crime into their neighborhood. Now they’re considering hiring a private security firm to patrol their streets.

In 2023, all areas of crime in Ward 4 saw increases, except for thefts from autos, burglary and sex abuse. The number of homicides rose from 17 in 2022 to 20 in 2023. Notably, motor vehicle thefts more than doubled, skyrocketing from 432 in 2022 to a staggering 972 in 2023. Violent crime nearly doubled across Ward 4. In 16th Street Heights, their email listserv is filled with angst and concern about crime, from posts about recent car thefts to other area shootings.

The area of 16th Street Heights, via Google Maps.

In the wake of this tragedy, Orlie Yaniv, Ann Garlow and Cecelia Wald have emerged to rally fellow 16th Street Heights residents to restore a sense of safety and security to their neighborhood: they are looking to hire a private security firm to bolster the patrols in their neighborhood. Their call for private security patrols reflects the anxiety and fear gripping their neighborhood — and the city in general — as residents strive to reclaim the calm they once took for granted.

For Orlie and Cecelia, the very thought of living amidst the constant threat of robberies, carjackings — and now homicides — is unbearable. While out walking her dog, Orlie had her own brush with crime when she was assaulted. Between more incidences like this and more serious violent crimes like the death of Neil Clark, these neighbors are hoping to try a different route that takes matters into their proverbial hands.

Isn’t this an issue for DC’s police?
Some of the 16th Street residents did speak with representatives of MPD regarding the upticks in most categories of crime in their neighborhood. According to Cecilia, in their conversations with MPD they were told, "MPD resources have to target high-crime areas first. The 16th Street Heights area is not considered a high crime area."

Orlie mentioned that in regard to obtaining private security, MPD stated that "as a matter of policy, MPD does not comment on private security patrols or recommend one company over another."

What exactly can unarmed private security do? The realistic answer is… not much.

Urban Alarm, the private security firm they have been in communication with, is asking for just over $4,000 a month to put unarmed, trained guards walking and driving around the neighborhood streets for few hours. According to the firm, the guards will “act as visible deterrents walking residents to bus stops, providing watchful eyes while residents are walking their pets, or coming in from late evenings out.”

The three to four-hour period will be throughout the day and night. According to the proposal, the private security company will drive through the neighborhood for 30 minutes or so, then drive to other neighborhoods or businesses they also currently patrol and return to 16th Street Heights. If hired by the residents, Urban Alarm will patrol the neighborhood between 14th and 16th streets and between Emerson and Webster Streets.

The hope for the residents pushing for the private security is to have 75-100 families participate, keeping the costs around $60 per household monthly for at least a 6-month period to see if the patrolling proves effective. At the time of our interviews, 30 families were on board with moving forward, with one community member offering seed money if more families join in.

Does hiring a private security firm help MPD do their job?
MPD said that efforts to secure private patrolling are left to the discretion of the community, emphasizing that MPD's efforts across the city are aimed at providing safety for all residents, although certain areas may require more visible MPD officers. The office of Councilmember Janeese Lewis George said she was aware of the proposal by the community, but that she has advocated for increased police patrols in the neighborhood through MPD and Metro Transit Police to help deter crime and apprehend suspects. Both MPD and Councilmember Lewis George repeated they are eager and willing to work in collaboration with residents to ensure the safety and security of the community.

Considering the surges in violent crimes, along with the understaffing and low retention of officers, the workload for MPD is high, as they strive to respond to every community need. During my discussion with an MPD source, they expressed their disapproval of private security patrols, citing tragic incidents like George Zimmerman's fatal encounter with Trayvon Martin.

MPD’s concerns also touched on residents' ability or willingness to afford or engage with private security, ultimately leading to a desire to reduce emotional tensions in the community. Focusing on proactive approaches to building community and prioritizing safety, MPD proposed various alternatives, such as:

DPW trim trees to expose more lighting (also posed by Councilmember Lewis George’s office)
Community involvement in youth programs
Community organizing and getting to know your neighbors
Get the numbers of the MPD officers who patrol the community so you can report suspicious activity and they can drive by. (This does not mean call their numbers instead of 911 for a clear emergency.)

While these suggestions are not groundbreaking, it's important to reiterate that the foundational aspect of safety and security within a community stem from fostering connections with its residents. It's the common aspiration of every individual to reside in a neighborhood where they feel secure.

“We ultimately want to come home and have a high-level of safety and security,” said Ann Garlow.

The last Petworth News heard on the proposal to hire a private security company is that there hasn’t been much progress in getting more residents to commit to help pay, meaning this effort may not come to fruition.

Editor’s Note: Petworth News also wonders at the concept of privilege in this situation… of a community with incidents of crime being able to afford to hire a private security firm. What happens when a private security officer harasses an innocent person? When stereotypes, systemic racism, unconscious bias and overt bigotry could mean that a young male walking down the street is stopped by a civilian in a car with security placards on the side? How does that young man know he doesn’t have to stop? What happens if the security guard gets aggressive?

What about areas of DC where crime is more rampant, where residents can’t afford a private security company?

That a group of residents, anywhere in the city, sees hiring a private security firm to patrol their neighborhood as a viable solution to local crime problems says much about the state of resident perception of crime and how DC government is responding to crime.