Monday, October 24, 2016

report on the attempted break-in on Adams St NW on Sunday morning, 10-23-2016

See this 10-24-2016 message from a household on Adams Street NW:



On Sunday morning October 23 at 8:55 AM, a man tried to break into our home on Adams St NW. We were sitting in our basement at the time and also had three male contractors in and out working on our first and second floors.  The intruder approached our basement and began to open the basement door (unlocked because of contractor traffic and my partner and I being inside).  My partner had already moved toward the door because he saw the shadow of the man and thought it was our contractors.  My partner immediately yelled at the intruder who then ran off.  We chased the man (it is not recommended to do this) to North Capitol Street where he ran into one of the side streets.  We called the police and they showed up just a couple of minutes later.  We filed a police report. 

In addition to the uptick in robberies and break-ins, apparently criminals are targeting contractors/workers for cash more frequently.

The description of the assailant is as follows:

Young African-American man. Dreadlocks to ears length. Black north fleece with white logo. Dark denim pants. 5'8 to 5'11. 160 lbs, age 19-26   Any information on this intruder/incident should be reported to the police.

We were given the following tips informally - some of these tips well-known, but some we just learned, so thought we would share with the listserve.


1. Know the serial numbers for your electronics so you can report them to the police, as pawn shops then won't buy the stolen merchandise
2. Get a clear look and description of what they are wearing including shoes -- people may shed jackets, but unlikely to change shoes during a pursuit.

3. DO NOT run after them - Call the police
4. Install bars on windows and security/iron outer doors
5. Have motion detector and timer lights
6. Get to know your neighbors and look out for one another as they are added protection - knowing what should be expected at your home and when to call the police
7. Don't walk w your phone out and headphones in
8. "Crimes of opportunity" are frequent -- make things hard for them -- lock doors, metal bars, etc. 9. Alarm system with cameras


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