do the police look into cars and takes notes on clipboards?

See this messsage from a household on the unit block of W Street NW:

Here`s the skinny: the other morning at about 5:30A my husband was leaving for work and saw a plain-clothed man with a clipboard, with a car with MD. tags. the guy was standing in the middle of the road and then in and out of his car. he was looking inside cars and making (or seeming to make) notations on a clip board. he told my husband he was a cop and that a lot of stolen vehicles had been dropped in our neighborhood. my husband believed him. but i think that is just plain odd and that the guy was probably looking for cars to in fact steal! can you solve this marital dispute? :-) do you know if this is a common police practice? i haven`t ever heard of this -- and would think that, at 5:30AM the police would/should send someone in a marked car or at least in uniform?

more info on the recent muggings referenced in the prior blog entry

See this additional info from one of the people who was mugged:

``I`` was beaten up by 5 teens at North Capitol Street near the Liquor Store at 7pm, walking home alone from work, broad daylight. There were people around, nobody helped, and everybody pretended not to have seen his bag got stolen. He got away with just bruises.

``T`` was hit one time on the side of his head on North Capitol Street, also walking home from work, so probably also around 7pm, broad day light. We were in a group of 4, but two of us were ahead of him and his visiting niece.

``M1``, my boyfriend ``M2`` who`s visiting, and myself were mugged last Saturday night little after 1am at P & First NW. But they probably were following us from New York Av and First or something. They beat both M1 and M2, but M1 got the worst blow. They left me alone, until I started yelling at them to not do this to us and they decided to take my purse, one of the guys held me, they took my purse, and after that ran away. M2 my bf had already given off his wallet and cash. Might have been the same gang who attacked ``I`` -- approx 5 young guys who started by hitting hard from the back.

I would advise tenants to at least avoid North Capitol St. like the plague. In the early mornings it was always fine however. And just always take a cab home. It never crossed our mind last Saturday night, but yeah...

We have had a wonderful time here in DC, until the last few weeks... Summertime is the season for muggings is what we were told in the Howard University Hospital ER. They fix jaws all the times then, sadly!

mugging Saturday night, 5-30-2010, at 1st & T St NW

See this message received Sunday evening, May 30, 2010:

I own a house on Bates Street NW. I have had wonderful European tenants who were working on the Hill on human rights issues. As of last night, (Saturday) three young men have been mugged and beaten by teens who then robbed them. These three muggings and robberies happened over the past two to three weeks. Police were called two of the three times. I think the other two assaults were in the south side closer to New York Avenue.

Michele, the Dutch student, is now in the hospital with his jaw broken in three places and missing teeth from a mugging last night at First and T Streets NW. He has a concussion. It was nighttime. The other two muggings were on North Capitol Street in broad daylight. They were due to depart for Europe tomorrow after what they described as a great experience in Washington. Instead, Michele has to undergo surgery on (Memorial Day). I am very sad about this.

Please warn others in the neighborhood of what is happening, so they can be more vigilant. Where are the police?