Compromise PSA 103 Would Be Bounded by 9th Street, Maryland Avenue

This letter outlines the compromise reached between current PSAs 511 and 106 at a meeting on Tuesday. There will be meetings on Dec. 10 and 11 for final community input (see last paragraph).

Over the last month, the community has been actively engaged in discussions regarding the recent change to the proposed boundaries of Police Service Area (PSA) 102. As you might be aware, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is in the final stages of realigning the current PSA boundaries into larger geographical areas of responsibility. In short, the number of PSA will decrease from 83 to 42. Since the decision has been made to implement this change, it is critical to continue to work with MPD to ensure proposed changes take into account the issues and concerns of our neighborhoods.

The issue at hand relates primarily to the western and eastern boundaries of PSA 102. During the summer public meetings, MPD proposed that PSA 102 have a western boundary of North Capitol and an eastern boundary of 15th Street. The northern and southern boundaries were New York Avenue, Florida Avenue and Benning Road and Constitution and East Capitol respectively. On June 12, 2003, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6A sent a letter to Chief Charles Ramsey generally supporting these proposed boundaries with the following comments: (1) moving the Capitol Hill community into one police district — the 1st District — is a welcome change; (2) placing H Street NE in one PSA is critical to implementing effective public safety measures for the emerging economic corridor and (3) a recommendation the western and eastern boundaries should be the tracks at Union Station and 16th Street NE respectively.

As the summer progressed, MPD received several suggestions and comments from citizens, neighborhood, civic and business association and ANCs throughout the city. Perhaps one of the most thoughtful and researched comments from the entire city came from what is currently PSA 106. In an exhaustive review of service call statistics, the community members of PSA 106 analyzed the proposed boundaries of the entire city as well as those on Capitol Hill. Specifically in reference to the proposed PSA 102, the analysis indicated that this PSA would have an inordinate number of "hot spots" ranging from the bus terminal on K Street, NE, Union Station grounds, the difficulties on Wylie and 15th Streets to the long-standing challenges of H Street, NE. The analysis also indicated that the originally proposed PSA 103, with a small area and call density, represented a poor allocation of police resources and was a direct contradiction to the department's arguments for restructuring the PSAs. After reviewing this detailed analysis, MPD decided in September to change the western boundary from 15th Street to 8th Street NE.

At the November ANC 6A meeting, exception was taken with this recent change for the following reasons: (1) the commercial corridor of H Street needs to be in one PSA, (2) using 8th Street as a boundary line is difficult as this street has seen increasing numbers of "crimes of opportunity" on pedestrian traffic from Union Station and (3) while from a statistical standpoint using 8th Street may be logical, from a community perspective it is not the best solution. To that end, ANC 6A passed a unanimous resolution to encouraging Deputy Mayor Margaret Kellems to reconsider this recent change.

Subsequent to this ANC 6A meeting, there has been vigorous and energetic dialog between several neighborhood associations and PSA organizations on Capitol Hill. While the exchanges have been pointed and sometimes heated, the best traits of our community rose to the top. This discussion culminated in a hands-on discussion at a November 24, 2003, get-together between members of PSA 106, PSA 511, ANC 6A and ANC 6C — Mr. Roger Mattioli, Mr. Greg Noonan, Mr. John Wirt, Ms. Jennifer Flather, Commissioner Joseph Fengler, Commissioner Cody Rice and Commissioner Karin Wirt. By working together and reviewing the statistical data as well as the community boundaries, a working alterative has been identified. In simple terms, the working alternative proposes using Maryland Avenue as a "sliding" eastern boundary versus the [vertical] line of 15th Street as well as shifting the western boundary to the railroad tracks at Union Station.

This alternative balances the stated concerns of ANC 6A about community boarders and H Street revitalization with PSA 106's concerns about equitable PSA size and call density. At the December ANC 6A community meeting, the following PSA 102 boundaries will be offered for consideration — a western boundary aligned to the Union Station railroad tracks (in practical terms, 2nd Street NE); a northern boundary as outlined above; an eastern boundary starting at the intersection of Florida and Maryland, traveling down Maryland to 9th Street and then moving south on 9th to East Capitol; and finally, a southern boundary of East Capitol to 2nd Street.

It is also important to recognize the community input provided on Nov. 18, 2003, at the Old City Capitol Hill Neighborhood Association meeting held at the Sherwood Recreation Center. At that meeting, Charles Burger, chair of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, publicly commented that from an alcoholic licensing perspective, putting these emerging economic corridors, such as H Street, into one PSA provides better opportunities to enforce voluntary agreements as well as regulatory requirements. Building on that recommendation, Fifth District Commander Jennifer Greene, drawing upon her years of experience with the H Street corridor, also agreed that from a policing perspective placing H Street in one PSA is key to implementing effective public safety measures.

However, the proposed boundary of PSA 102 is still officially drawn at 8th Street, NE. If your busy holiday schedule permits, please consider attending both the ANC 6C meeting on December 10th at 7p.m. at the Children's Museum (800 3rd Street, NE) and the ANC 6A meeting on December 11, 2003 at 7 p.m. at the Miner Elementary School (600 block of 16th Street) to discuss this issue. Your continued input is not only welcome, but also desperately needed. §