Apathetic Police

Posted By Chris Remuzzi, 09/30/09 11:06 AM

An incident that just happened today on the edge of MV square has left me angry and honestly kind of hopeless. While queuing up on 4th street to enter the 395 tunnel I drive past a cracked-out individual who seemed to think it was ok to whip it out and start urinating in the tree box. Now this isn’t the most atypical action in DC but given as there was a police officer 10 feet away I thought it was unusually brazen. Hopping out of my car to knock on the officers window, I point and explain the situation and was meet with dismissal. “ he’s doing what? pissin? ah just let em piss.” Walking furiously back to my car I can see the horrified faces of the people that were right next to this individual finishing his business. That simple response from the officer to me fully captured the apathetic, lazy, lack of concern that pervades the lower ranks of the DC police force. Taxpaying citizens of DC are truly concerned about this and other quality of life crimes and the DCPD could care less. As a recent victim of a violent crime not far from here I feel very strongly that the feeling of lawlessness that pervades the neighborhood emboldens criminals and leads to more and greater crime. I was given the same kind of response when complaining about drug use and using the alleys as a bathroom behind the house I used to live in the neighborhood. The criminal that broke into our house had obviously seen the anarchy in that alley and correctly surmised that he could do whatever he wanted in the neighborhood without repercussions. When will DCPD work on some sort of community policing? When will they start to use some of their expensive Segways and bicycles to patrol a beat in the street and alleys of neighborhoods (Shaw, Bloomingdale, MV Square, Columbia Heights)that really need it ??

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Comments

The mayor, police leadership, etc claim to support "Broken Windows" but do little to push it though the courts and the DC council.

Posted By Ed Six / At 9/30/09 11:24 AM

did this incident occur north or south of NY ave? want to send it to the right MPD Lt.

Posted By Si Kailian / At 9/30/09 1:18 PM

This happened on 4th st just north of NY ave. But honestly Si we had a meeting with Lt. Pate after a much more serious crime and when we asked many of the same questions we were told that DCPD only really patrols 7th st in Shaw and that they didn't have enough officers "trained" on bike/Segways. I have signed this http://www.petitiononline.com/walkbeat/petition.html, but dont know if any of this actually does anything.

Posted By Chris R / At 9/30/09 3:33 PM

cops definitely segway and bike through our alleys up here in bloomingale. still public urination is rampant.

Posted By sean hennessey / At 9/30/09 4:18 PM

im NOT with you on this...im glad the police officer let it go.
honestly.. what did you want the police officer to do? put him away? give him a fine that could ruin his ass for months? escort him the nearest public bathroom option..(which is where...?)

you are a real jerk to scream about quality of life "crimes"..
that is real jackass move.

asorry that other people who haven't been as groomed as you live in the same neighborhood as you.. and breath the same air that you do.. AT ALL.

Posted By bmac / At 9/30/09 8:35 PM

Where do you live, bmac? Why don't we just direct people to urinate in front of your house...we'll see how you like it.

I live in Columbia Heights and agree that enforcement has to start somewhere. If people - hardened criminals or not - think they can get away with something without being caught, they'll do it. This goes all the way from spitting on the sidewalk to littering, to not cleaning up after your dog, to public urination, all the way to B&E (or worse)...all of those things are illegal. How can we tell where the cops draw the line at enforcement?

As for the gentleman mentioned in the original post, no need to arrest him, but a stern warning would probably do the trick. The fact that the cop couldn't even be bothered to yell out his window - while still relaxing in his cruiser, donuts within easy reach - absolutely disgusts me.

Posted By Big C / At 10/1/09 3:55 AM

Well Bmac would it have been better if he was pissing on the cops car?? Where do you personally draw the line?? Would like to explain your "ad hominem" arguments as you have done a piss poor job explaining yourself here. Why exactly am I am jerk and a jackass?

I was just asking the cop to give a damn - and he couldn't be bothered. Maybe that crackhead had an outstanding warrant - in NYC when they started stopping fare beaters a large percentage of them either had guns on them or had outstanding warrants. Thats what police can do - be proactive to stop small crimes and send a message before they blossom into larger crimes like home invasion and rape.

Posted By Chris R / At 10/1/09 5:56 AM

Let the poor guy piss. Are we going to arrest every homeless person who pisses in public? I mean where the hell are the homeless supposed to take a piss. Get over yourself.

Posted By RT / At 10/1/09 6:19 AM

I agree with those siding with the cop. Public urination like this is unfortunate, but I don't think it's something to be up in arms over. There are bigger crime issues in DC than someone pissing in a tree box.

Posted By LJ / At 10/1/09 7:24 AM

Honestly, how many of you, especially male citizens have to go while walking home from work or the Metro? Female citizens are not so fortunate. I know for me, if I have to go, I'll find a secluded area and let it go. I definitely will not pee on myself.

Posted By Concerned Citizen / At 10/1/09 8:22 AM

Seriously? All of you people think it is ok for a grown man to pee in a treebox in the middle of the day in your neighborhood? Would you feel the same if it was your front yard?

Our neighborhood is peppered with churches, social service organizations, shelters, retail stores, and other places with restrooms. I am appalled.

Posted By mmm / At 10/1/09 8:59 AM

wow the pro pee contingent is out in force! I would like to point out a few things...1. urination in public is a crime and yes many people have been arrested for this. If the police officer couldn't be bothered to reprimand the person, let alone enforce the law, that is a problem.. this rampant lack of enforcement whether its public peeings, vacant property, letting people go after they are caught with a gun..whatever. it has got to stop. If there are no consequences for bad things then people just keep doing them, and worse. 2. IMHO there is a big difference between peeing right by the side of the road in a treebox vs peeing behind a bush where no one has to see your junk, vs peeing in the woods which is probably legal & even fun. 3. There is something seriously wrong with MPD priorities when a cop will watch an illegal act and just sit there, while they are happy as clams to send multiple officers to serve frivolous bar notices and now temporary restraining orders! on neighborhood activists. our tax dollars pay for this madness!

Posted By Si Kailian / At 10/1/09 9:25 AM

I'm confused - in your post you describe this person as a "cracked-out individual." I'm guessing that means he's homeless or something less than employed. And you expect him to be able to walk into any place of business with a restroom and be able to use that restroom? I seem to remember back in my retail days being real clear on how management felt about letting homeless people in to use the bathrooms. DC can't shut down homeless shelters and then get upset when the homeless are peeing in tree boxes. Pick your poison, people - if you don't want people peeing on your trees, you've got to give them somewhere to go. And believe me, I feel your pain - I used to work at the Old Post Office building and was greeted just about every morning by the same homeless guy's bare ass as he peed in one of the planters - why he couldn't unzip but had to actually drop his pants, I have never figured out...regardless, it's gross (especially when you see tourists telling their kids to sit on the planters for pictures - ew!) and unsanitary and nobody wants to see it. But, where else was he going to go? The security guards in our building would never have let him in to use the public restroom.

Posted By Didi / At 10/1/09 9:56 AM

pretty much any starbucks i have been to in DC is happy to let anyone sleep there or use the bathroom. CV starbucks does draw the line at shaving tho :)

Street sense did a kind of survey regarding elimination & the homeless...they interviewed various people and printed their responses which ranged from 'i'll drop trou wherever i please' to 'i would never go in anything but a toilet'...I guess the point is you cant generalize, especially when you see little tourist boys letting loose by the mall at daddy's insistence.

at the very least find a frickin bush!

Posted By Si Kailian / At 10/1/09 10:28 AM

The pro-pee crowd is a bit more than naive to think that ignoring bums peeing in public isn't going to lead to more crime. See "Broken Windows" by James Q. Wilson and George L. Keeling. Such "unimportant" crimes signal a breakdown of society and indifferance of the police and citizens. Thus it encourages more crime. Perhaps getting arrested would encourage that individual to get his life together such that he won't need to urinate in public. Looking the other way (enabling) isn't doing him any favors.

Posted By Ed Six / At 10/1/09 2:53 PM

Many people with drug addictions never overcome their habits even with loving and caring families who devote a lot of time and money to these relatives. I don't have a great expectation for abandoned homeless folks dependent upon fabulous DC govt services to fair any better. Citizens should always speak up and be willing to engage the individuals when homeless people do it AND when well-heeled people do it after late night binges in popular bars and clubs around the city without discriminating. It's a big problem in Gtown and on Capitol Hill with well paid staffers and upper class students too.

Posted By martin / At 10/2/09 6:06 AM

I think the pro-urinate crowd has it wrong. While I dont think this rises to the level of arrest, the police should have said something and not let the gentleman urinate in peace. The lt. for the PSA, should be notified of this post. (si, did you send off to the propert PSA lt.?) Allowing bad behavior or this sort, allows for other, more serious things to occur. It is the police's job to enforce the law, no matter how small the infraction. The most appalling thing is that the police officer showed indifference to a citizen's request for him to do his job and enforce the law. It is not within his perogative to decide which laws he should enforce or not, ESP., after a citizen points out an infraction to him/her. If Chris M. has the MPD officer's badge number he should report to his higher ups, or at minimum report the time and location of the officer and the infraction to the higher ups. This needs to be reported. The reason why the Shaw community faces so much violence is that NOTHING has been done in years about ANY CRIMES and people, as it was stated, feel as if they can do whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do it. It is that sense of lawlessness that is the basis of the shooting and killing in the neighborhood. Though some may not see it, there is NOT a far strecth between peeing in a planter and shooting someone....while they are obviously two different classes of crimes, the fact of the matter is that they are both infractions of the law. The police are bound to enforce all the laws of the District and US Govt....not simply the ones they choose. Again, this needs to be reported to the MPD lt. and commander. If you get them for the little stuff, you will not have to worry about the larger stuff!

Posted By rick williams / At 10/3/09 7:01 AM

I did mssg lt pate who said he'd lookinto it. Waiting to hear back.

Posted By Si Kailian / At 10/4/09 5:16 PM