Thursday, May 9, 2013
Will Montgomery County police stings improve pedestrian safety?
Montgomery County residents took to the Montgomery County Police Department Facebook page to express their opinions about pedestrian enforcement stings that began Wednesday. From 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, county police issued 72 citations for pedestrian safety infractions at the intersection of Veirs Mill Road and Turkey Branch Parkway in Aspen Hill, police said in a news release posted on the Facebook page. Lesli King Brown posted her wish for constant enforcement: "If only there was enough police enforcement available to to it all over the county all the time." The enforcement should go both ways, posted Wayne Lim of Silver Spring: "OK, all that sounded good. However how many pedestrians were ticketed for jay walking or running …
In the first two of a series of "pedestrian stings," 128 drivers were ticketed for not yielding to pedestrians in Aspen Hill and Bethesda.
Pedestrians in bright yellow t-shirts had about a 30 percent chance of crossing Democracy Boulevard in Bethesda Thursday without a close call from a passing car, according to Jimmy Chen, an intern with Montgomery County police. Chen was one of several plainclothes members of the department attempting to cross the street in a pedestrian "sting." Members of the department's traffic division are working to respond to an increase in complaints that drivers in some high-traffic areas aren't properly yielding to pedestrians, said Capt. Thomas Didone, head of the division. Over the next few days, uniformed officers will stand by and watch for drivers that blow past marked intersections with waiting or crossing pedestrians in key areas, like …
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Montgomery County police say drivers aren't yielding to pedestrians at crosswalks.
A cluster of Montgomery County police officers will give their traditional blue uniforms a rest this month, donning plainclothes to conduct a series of "pedestrian stings" at high-traffic intersections and ticket drivers who refuse to yield, said Capt. Thomas Didone, director of the traffic division. This year, police have received complaints that drivers aren't properly yielding to pedestrians at certain intersections. Moreover, investigators are finding that more pedestrian incidents have been the driver's fault. Officers would typically attempt to enforce that kind of law by driving around a high-traffic area and looking for drivers not following the rules, said Didone. That's not very efficient, he said. Instead, police will pose as…
Monday, May 6, 2013
Supporters of organized labor say the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee took the wrong position on a controversial measure to limit collective bargaining for local police.
The drama and protest surrounding a two-year-old Montgomery County law that inhibits the power of county police leaders to negotiate decisions that affect rank-and-file officers seem ceaseless. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown (D) are joining labor unions in a protest and picketing of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee's Spring Ball on May 11. The unions are upset with the committee's decision to support Question B last November, which put the county law on 2012's ballot for voters to decide. (The law was affirmed, easily.) Brown, a native of Prince George's County, is expected to announce his candidacy for governor May 10. "The committee took this position despite being asked to remain neutral …
The following information was supplied by the Montgomery County Police Department. Where arrests or charges are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.
Montgomery County police have released the latest crime report for the Fourth District, from April 15-23. The list published here is not comprehensive, but rather selects incidents that occurred in or near Wheaton and Glenmont. An armed robbery occurred in a bathroom at Westfield Wheaton mall, Wheaton, on Wednesday, April 17, at 4:54 p.m. The suspects threatened the victim with a weapon and obtained property. Arrested: Male, 20, from White Oak; Male, 27, from Burtonsville. A residential burglary occurred in the 1100 block of Loxford Terrace, Silver Spring, on Saturday, April 20, between 9:50 a.m. and 12 p.m. Unforced entry; property taken. A residential burglary occurred in the 10500 block of Glenhaven Drive, Silver Spring, on Friday, …
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Want to be more informed about what goes on in your neighborhood? Maryland made big news this week. Will the death penalty repeal stick? Will Walmart come to Aspen Hill? Find out more state news in one click on Patch.
By Patch Staff A robbery stuns Cartier shoppers on a quiet mid-morning, an investigation into a county police force and just one question: Which Maryland county has a lot of "excessive drinkers?" Headlines from 48 Patch sites across Maryland: Gov. O'Malley Signs Law to Take Away Death Penalty, Politicians Move to Bring it Back Maryland is now the 18th state to abolish the death penalty but a bipartisan group of elected officials says the threat of terrorism is an incentive to reverse that move. Del. Ron George to Make Bid for Governor's Office Del. Ron George, an Anne Arundel County Republican, says he plans to start campaigning in June for the 2014 race. Columbia Native Jayson Blair Reflects on Resignation from New York Times "I'm …
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Revenue is down for automated traffic enforcement, even as police consider dozens of new locations, The Examiner newspaper reported.
Speed and red light cameras captured more than 300,000 traffic law violations in Montgomery Cameras this fiscal year, so far, The Examiner newspaper reported. That figure is still way lower than previous years, including the all-time high of 562,399 citations in fiscal year 2009, according to data from Montgomery County police. From July 2012 to February 2013, about 291,000 speed camera tickets and 25,000 red light camera tickets were issued in the county, the newspaper reported from data presented to the County Council's Public Safety Committee. From last year, speed camera tickets decreased by nearly 40,000 while red light camera tickets increased by about 3,000. Fiscal year 2013 ends June 30. "Our goal is to change behavior," …
Monday, April 29, 2013
The following information was supplied by the Montgomery County Police Department. Where arrests or charges are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.
Montgomery County police have released the latest crime report for the Fourth District, from April 8-16. The list published here is not comprehensive, but rather selects incidents that occurred in or near Wheaton and Glenmont. A strong-arm robbery occurred at John F. Kennedy High School, 1901 Randolph Road, Silver Spring, on Tuesday, April 9, at 7:40 a.m. The suspect forcefully removed property from the victim. Arrested: Male, 16, from Silver Spring. An aggravated assault occurred on Tuesday, April 16, at 8:30 p.m. at Popeye’s, 12102 Georgia Avenue, Wheaton-Glenmont. The suspect assaulted the victim. No further information is available at this time. A residential burglary occurred in the 12100 block of Remington Drive, Silver Spring…
A suspect in a bank robbery earlier this year was discovered in a barbershop.
In January, Montgomery County police arrested a man shortly after he allegedly robbed the Capitol One Bank on Georgia Avenue in Wheaton and fled from the bank in a taxi cab. Last week, the police officer who made the arrest was honored at the Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce 29th Annual Community Awards Banquet at Hollywood East in Wheaton. Officer Andrew Suh received the 4th District Police Public Safety Award. Commander John Damskey told the story to those at the banquet of how Suh had driven around the area, seen the cab outside a barbershop and went inside, where he found the robbery suspect sitting in a barber chair covered in red paint from the dye pack that had exploded on him as he fled from the bank. "Now in policework, …
Justice Department sends notice to Maryland court on behalf of citizens who photograph or videotape police in public.
- GOVERNMENT
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Monday, April 29
By ALLEN ETZLER Capital News Service The Justice Department has written two letters to the U.S District Court in Maryland supporting the Constitutional rights of citizens arrested for filming police officers on duty. At the center of the controversy is a case in Wheaton in which a photojournalist says he was thrown to the ground for photographing an arrest. “The United States urges the Court to find that both the First and Fourth Amendments protect an individual who peacefully photographs police activity on a public street,” one letter read. The letters stem from two recent examples in Maryland of the types of incidents being reported nationwide. Police in a number of states have made arrests even though several courts have said citizens…
Andrew
2:08 pm on Saturday, May 11, 2013
Joe Thomas is an ass! I agree with Fran, I would add that they should also have to be made to pay speed camera tickets 100% of the time unless an investigation show's they were on an emergency call. How bout them apples JOE. more ›