Police Need Probable Cause, to Act

I'm Nick Lawrence. This is a Metropolitan Police Department open-air mini-station, providing increased visibility to the community, in particular to this PSA, which is PSA 511.

How long does a mini-station last?

At the discretion of the chief of police. It moves from location to location. We've been here about three times in the last thirty days. We're able to answer residents' questions without them having to call. Oftentimes, they want information — and they don't necessarily need immediate police service.

[Sharon: Are you here because there are lots of complaints from around here?]

No. Most of the complaints in this block and in the next block are litter and drinking in public.

Sharon: So you haven't had any complaints about drug dealing?

Well, that's a very fluid activity, and if people see one or two or more persons hanging — for lack of a better term — oftentimes, especially persons new to the neighborhood, assume that they're selling drugs.

If we could actually just walk up to anyone, search them — it's unconstitutional. So we have to have probable cause before we can make an arrest, for actually selling drugs.

What would probable cause be, in a case like that?

Well, probable cause is facts or circumstances that would suggest — there are laws on the books that the Council has put into place.

However, this neighborhood is rapidly gentrifying. Like, he's [Officer Lawrence points to Stephen Smith] been in the neighborhood for years, but we have an influx of young professionals, moneyed professionals, or people who may not even be professionals but had enough money to move into the neighborhood. And so right now, it's in transition.

Persons who grew up in a nonurban setting and are not used to seeing young black males — they automatically assume, because many of the images they see on television — all young black males sell drugs. That's not necessarily true.

This guy [Mr. Smith] has been valuable to us. He comes around and he talks with us. He's a young black male, but he doesn't sell drugs. But if he stands out on the corner — he's not bothering anybody — we'll hear complaints that he's young, he's black, he's selling drugs. But that's not necessarily the case.

But I can't stop and arbitrarily search him because he's young and he's black because someone accused him of selling drugs.

So how do you decipher between the [calls] that are real and the ones that aren't?

Well, I don't want to get into what we do. You could talk to Joe Gentile, our public information officer. Because you could be a drug dealer, trying to get information as to how you could sell drugs, by me telling you what we do. So I don't want to get into the operations aspect.

But if you have a complaint, call 311, the police non-
emergency number, and a unit will come by and address it. This open-air mini-station is one of the things that we utilize. I'm sure the chief of police has gotten complaints about drug sales, and when they meet, they look at where the complaints come from, and here I am.

How long have you been assigned to PSA 511?

About 10 years. I'm on the day work shift. I was downtown for a year and a half, and then I came back. I worked the power shift for a few months. If you have any specific complaints, Lieutenant Renato Caldwell is the PSA 511 lieutenant.

Unfortunately, we have to sit out here, because of the amount of complaints that we get, in air that's terrible. I was out here one day and it was Code Orange, or whatever it is recognizing that it's poor air quality. The officers are still out. So I think that shows commitment that the police department has to address residents' complaints.

I would rather not breathe in that unhealthy air, but we have to do what we have to do.

I'm sure that if you were to write or call, and ask for more presence of mini-stations, that they would take that into consideration.

It clearly changes the way this block feels, [when you're here].

Ten years ago, it was really rough. Ten years ago, this was a rough camp, for lack of a better term. Now, if you were to go east of 15th Street, its another scenario — much more violent activity.

But in six years from now, that area will be changed, and the complaints will be the nuisance complaints and drug sales, as well as the homicides and the domestics. So it takes a while. But this neighborhood is in transition.

One of the things that you've got — if people are concerned — their [Officer Lawrence points to Excello's] liquor license is up for renewal. I remember down on H Street, I had a sergeant — she was pretty vehement, and she was able to get a liquor license removed, and that cut down on the number of people who congregated, drinking. And drug dealers like to hide among the people who are standing out drinking.

You see? So that's one thing. I mean, I feel for the owner, but if the residents don't want him here, selling single-canned beer — its a collective effort all the way around. There's only so much that each person could do.

This is a great country — we can't be like Saddam Hussein, just going up to people at random, because we don't like the way they look, or the activity that they're doing. But there's a lot of laws that the Council has put in place, and hopefully the neighborhood will become a great place of promise.

511 is one of the better PSAs, actually. We have property-crime problems, and we do have some drug sales, but if you were just to go north of H Street, into the Trinidad area and Ivy City area, its totally different, the level of crime.

What's your sense of how [the police department's proposal to change the PSA boundaries would affect this PSA?]

I don't know. I think you'll get less officers.

Really? Why?

Because of the types of crimes. It's all based on calls to service. And they'll probably put most of the officers where there are a lot of 911 calls — robberies, stabbings, shootings. Just a few weeks ago, we had a guy with a sniper rifle and a vest, just on the 1600 block of Isherwood, firing on friends. Unbelievable.

The PSA which has the greatest number of homicides will probably get the greatest number of officers. Greatest number of rapes or violent crimes. Those crimes require more investigation. PSAs like 511, where we generate a lot of reports, like theft from auto — one officer can take several reports.

But I don't know! I think the chief has a plan, and he said its going to be six months to a year. Anything that we can do to help you in 511, you let Lieutenant Caldwell know. He's very supportive, and I'm sure he'll pass it down to the officers.

Thanks very much!

All right! Get that newsletter out so that people can read it, and hopefully I was able to give you some information. §