ANOTHER MUGGING

Guys, I hope to get back to the normal watch report format with the next report. I wanted to get this info out to you on an assault that occurred on Friday. 1) 2:50pm, Friday, 17 Oct 08-Our watch folks reported an assault (see below). If you have any information, please call the police 911 or 410-222-8610. Please let me know too. We want to let the bad guys know this will not be tolerated in our communities. "Today at about 2:50 pm (a young man) was assaulted by three black youths, he was attacked at Fairbanks Drive and Boulder Court." "Two guys were wearing black hoodies and one guy was wearing a red hoodie." "(The police were called) however (the attackers) had cleared the area before the police got here." "Thankfully (the young man) only sustained minor injury; however it could have been much worse. (The young man) did not recognize them as being residents in the area, ......." "If they are not from the area, they maybe hiding out in the lake area, so people should be careful." 2) 8:00am, Thurs, 16 Oct 08-One of our watch folks reported seeing 5 police cars in the Gesna Drive/Fairbanks Drive area. I don't have any information on this event, but I will let you know as soon as I do. 3) Surveillance Cameras in Russett Community-You may recall that back when we were fighting the panhandlers in the Arundel Mills Mall area, I met Tim Reyburn and some other folks from the Russett Community. They were also fighting panhandlers in their area. We are lucky to have folks like Tim who spend so much of their free time (did I say free time?!) working hard to make our communities better and safer places to live. Since our battles in Annapolis with the successful elimination of panhandling in Anne Arundel County, Tim and I have shared information. Tim is the overall President of Russett Association, which has a bunch of smaller associations under it, for the entire Russett Community. Tim is basically the mayor of a town of some 13,000 people! Russett has gotten fed up with the normal crimes all communities face (vandalism, graffiti, car break ins, etc.) by setting up surveillance cameras. They have done some pretty neat stuff using infrared and regular surveillance cameras, and are going to install more cameras. I really believe this is a great tool to give our hard working residents in all our communities a "level playing field" against crime. I know some folks have a problem with camera surveillance. Many of our grandparents and great grandparents fled countries in Europe and elsewhere to come to America to be free of tyranny and religious persecution. I understand that point. However, when crime gets to the point where our residents have to put up with assaults and crimes against property, then it is time to take whatever "legal means" we have at our disposal to fight crime. Baltimore has been very successful setting up surveillance cameras in problem areas of Baltimore City. They even make it clear they are there with a bright blue light. These cameras in Baltimore have greatly reduced violent crime. I love it when a stupid criminal still commits a crime in camera range. That's getting your money's worth! Technology has really been important in our crime fight. Everyone has cell phones to report crimes as they see them. Neighborhood watches and community newsletters are thriving with e-mail communications which are much faster and more convenient than the old conventional ways. Besides that, e-mail is very interactive. I know when a particular watch report has made a point by the number of e-mail responses I get back from you. It gives you a voice, particularly since Captain Flemings and all are elected officials in our area receive these watch reports. The next step is to refine the use of surveillance cameras to protect hard working Americans and their families.

Woman Mugged at Walmart

Guys, I wanted to get out a very short report to bring a couple of important items to your attention. 1) 9:15pm, Wed, 8 Oct-The (Sat, 11 Oct) Maryland Gazette reported "A woman was put in a headlock and robbed by 2 men while walking in (the) Wal-Mart parking lot." The article goes on to say the woman was walking from the Wal-Mart at Arundel Mills when 2 men walked in front of her and then turned around to face her. One of the men put her in a headlock and held her as a second man went through her pockets. The woman screamed, and they ran away. The suspects' vehicle was a small, dark sport utility vehicle. The Maryland Gazette reported police searched the area with a helicopter and police dogs. If anyone happened to see anything relating to this incident, please feel free to call 911 or 410-222-8610 to report ANYTHING which may help this case. When you are in the parking lots (day or night), please scan the parking lot for anyone who gives you a bad feeling and go back inside the business if necessary. Let the store manager know or call police at 911 or 410-222-8610. If possible, park in an area that is well-lit. Sometimes people just seem to "come out of the woodwork." I scan the parking lots pretty well when I am going into or coming out of stores; I still have had panhandlers come up to me while loading items in my trunk, and I have no idea where they came from. In this case, it was a little more difficult since the 2 suspects were there already. I think the woman did the right thing by screaming and drawing attention to herself and the situation. Usually, the last thing the bad guys want is special attention. 2) 3:45pm, Friday, 10 Oct-A car was egged while driving on Dorchester Blvd in the Rutland Way area. It doesn't seem like a big deal but eggs can hit a car like a rock. In this case, it hit just below the driver's window. Police were called (911) immediately. I suspect it was juveniles hiding on a slope that is right next to Dorchester Blvd in the Rutland Way loop (townhomes are on the other side of the slope from Dorchester Blvd). Eggs can be hurled at cars and the offenders can run off quickly without being seen. If any other cars have been egged, please let me know. In many cases if vandalism isn't confronted, it can be a stepping stone to more serious vandalism and then crimes against persons. Thank you for your support and keep the info coming! Roger

Zoning and parked cars from Roger

Guys, Just wanted to let you know the County zoning inspectors are in the community due to resident complaints about the appearance of our community. Some of the complaints have been about yards with junk, old cars, old trucks, etc. The Harman Civic Association just got the official word about covered cars in yards. Many of us thought that if the car or truck is covered (on private property), it is exempt from a zoning citation. This is not the case! The zoning folks will want proof that any car or truck (on private property), covered with a car or truck cover, has a valid Maryland plate with current registration tags. Please remember there are a lot of wonderful organizations which will accept old vehicles. You can donate to a charity and maybe get a tax deduction. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. The point isn't to give residents a hard time. The zoning folks will give warnings first. And you will do your part to keep our community looking great! Thank you, Roger