Congress Heights on the Rise gives 7D police and Asst. Chief Diane Groomes an "A+." The blogger writes: "The Advoc8te sees the police out in full force in my neighborhood in  response to the carjackings this week. There are about 10 police cars on our street and we feel much safer!  This increased police prescence is MUCH appreciated!" Sure. But what about all the murders in 7D?

Read More "Our Morning Roundup: Do The D.C. Police Deserve An A+?" »

Since its founding last year, the Amethyst Initiative, a campaign to initiate a public debate about the merits of a 21 year old drinking age, has been growing every day.  The Initiative, started by John McCardell, President Emeritus of Middlebury College, now boasts the support of the Presidents and Chancellors of a whopping 135 colleges and universities across the country.

But where do local schools stand on the initiative's goal of lowering the drinking age?

Read More "Where Do Local Schools Stand On the Amethyst Initiative?" »

Details are still fairly scarce as the federal taxicab investigation develops, but this much is clear: Most of those targeted are members of the East African community.

First came revelations that the man who bribed D.C. Council aide Ted Loza was none other than Abdul Kamus (pictured), a man this paper once hailed as the "de facto leader of D.C.’s Ethiopian community." Kamus' links to Loza's boss, Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham, are deep.

From the 2004 WCP article by Jonathan O'Connell:

Read More "D.C. Taxi Probe: Who Are These People?" »

WAMU-FM reported this morning that tourism is up in the nation's capital - a 3 percent increase in domestic visitors and a 22 percent boost in international ones, according to Destination D.C. - which got me thinking, of course it is!

It's not like there are armed robberies downtown, half a block from the White House, in the middle of the day, and it's not like people have been shot inside museums, and it's not like the Metro system isn't safe.

Oh, wait.

As Borderstan notes, there was an armed robbery downtown, half a block from the White House, yesterday afternoon (at 16th and K). And someone was shot inside the Holocaust Memorial Museum. And there was that crash on the Metro that left nine people dead, scores more injured and lots and lots of questions, especially since it's becoming ever-clearer that the problems were long-standing and have yet to be fixed.

But none of that, thankfully, should affect the way tourists see the city at all.

Prince of Petworth reports that finally(!) the fences have been removed from Malcolm X Park. Grass is still dry. But you are now free to play soccer or toss a baseball freely. Rejoice.

New Columbia Heights spots a possible illegal bar on Georgia Avenue. Jim Graham is so on this.

Read More "Our Morning Roundup: Fences Coming Down" »

According to Capitol Police spokesperson Kimberly Schneider, a Mercedes driven by a lone man struck a Capitol Police officer who had stopped the vehicle in Columbus Circle. The Mercedes then proceeded down Louisiana Avenue NE going the wrong way. The car was stopped near the intersection of New Jersey Avenue and C Street NW. The driver produced a handgun, did not comply with another Capitol Police officer's instructions, and was shot multiple times by an unknown number of officers while still inside the Mercedes. The suspect has died; no description is currently available. The suspect's gun has been recovered. Officers, she says, "feared for their life." Another Capitol Police officer, on a motorcycle, was injured and transported to a hospital; the officer struck by the car also has minor injuries. Capitol Police are working with Metropolitan Police on the investigation. 6:54 p.m.

Read More "Man Dead in Police Shooting Near U.S. Capitol" »

Marion Barry appeared in front of cameras this morning for the first time since his Saturday-night arrest, but that's about all he did. Longtime lawyer Fred Cooke did virtually all the talking, while Barry stood behind him in a gray suit, fedora, and paisley tie, remaining mute save for an occasional whisper in Cooke's ear.

In contrast to yesterday's presser, where spokesperson Natalie Williams spent most of the time attacking the credibility of the alleged stalkee and glorifying Barry's munificence, Cooke stuck mostly to the confines of the legal case against his client.

Read More "Marion Barry Arrest: Keeping Mum at Press Conference" »

Two weeks ago, the D.C. Council engaged in a knock-down fight over anti-crime legislation---in particular, over so-called 'civil gang injunctions.' They were at it again today, rehashing the debate regarding the permanent version of the bill. But the outcome was much the same.

A compromise of sorts was in the works today: Councilmembers Jim Graham, Jack Evans, and Muriel Bowser, all supporters of the gang injunctions, proposed allowing the measures for six months in their own wards---1, 2, and 4, respectively.

That proposal didn't get very far with their colleagues.

Read More "Civil Gang Injunctions Again Foiled by D.C. Council" »

First off, here's what's already happened today in the D.C. Council chamber: The bag tax has been approved and is ready for mayoral signature, the Public Employee Relations Board now has a quorum, and councilmembers hiked the limit on their constituent services funds from $40,000 to $60,000. Not bad for a day's work.

But not quite enough: Debate is about to begin in the D.C. Council on a competing pair of anti-crime bills. One, introduced by Councilmember Jack Evans and supported by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, takes a hard-line approach, notably toward "civil gang injunctions," which makes it easier for police to keep alleged gang members out of specific neighborhoods. LL calls this the "jackboot reactionary" version. The other, introduced by Phil Mendelson, addresses most of the same issues, but amended to address civil rights concerns raised by the ACLU, NAACP, and other organizations---such as, How do you determine someone's a gang member? and What defines a neighborhood? LL calls this the "liberal weenie" version.

Both need nine votes to pass. Neither Evans nor Mendelson claimed earlier today to have the requisite number of votes in pocket.

Live from the John A. Wilson Building: Let the grandstanding commence!

12:47 P.M.: Evans, no surprise, says he's voting against the Mendo bill (the emergency declaration, to be precise). "I thought we spent a lot of time negotiating and were prepared to go forward," he says, then says that Mendo pulled key portions of compromise legislation. But he does strike a conciliar note, nothing the "hard work" put in by all parties.

12:50 P.M.: Marion Barry: "For the last 25, 30 years, we've had a public safety problem. During my administration, we have a crack cocaine epidemic...I was very naive about how to handle it." Calls the Fenty/Evans bill a "Band-Aid approach, a shotgun approach." Says he's supporting the Mendo version. "I don't condone criminal activity," he notes. You can't make this stuff up.

Read More "D.C. Crime Bill(s) Liveblog: Grandstand City!" »

Here's an interesting but not really shocking D.C. crime fact: The District is home to about 130 criminal street gangs and smaller crews, whose members are involved in a disproportionate number of the city’s homicides, according to the report “Responding to Gang, Crew and Youth Violence in the District of Columbia.”

Gang members make up more than 60 percent of the city’s homicide suspects and four in every 10 of the victims, according to the report, commissioned by the D.C. Council and published by the Healthy Families/Thriving Communities Collaborative Council. It goes on to issue recommendation on how city officials, police and the community could do a better job of defusing youth violence and preventing teenagers from joining gangs.  You can find the full text here.

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty is scheduled to convene a press conference with local and federal law enforcement officials at 11 a.m. It's already about 15 minutes overdue; but we're ready whenever they get started.

11:30: Seriously, WTF Fenty? What is the holdup here?

11:47: Fenty begins by offering condolences to the Johns family.

11:48: Fenty confirms shooter is James von Brunn. He thanks guards: "Their efforts to bring this gunman down to quickly literally saved the lives of countless people."

11:49: Von Brunn will be charged, Fenty says. MPD, FBI "are following up on several leads." ADL is in attendance.

11:50: "We will get past this...The District remains an open, safe city for tourists and visitors."

Read More "Liveblog: Holocaust Museum Shooting Press Conference" »

The Associated Press is reporting that the Holocaust Memorial Museum guard shot today by a gunman has died at George Washington University Hospital.

He has been identified as Stephen Tyrone Johns, and had worked at the museum for six years.

UPDATE, 5:10 P.M.: The museum has posted a statement on its Web site: "There are no words to express our grief and shock over today’s events at the Museum, which took the life of Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns. Officer Johns, who died heroically in the line of duty, served on the Museum’s security staff for six years. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Officer Johns’s family. We have made the decision to close the Museum Thursday, June 11, in honor of Officer Johns and our flags will be flown at half mast in his memory."

It’s 4:30 a.m., Monday, June 1. You’re on Dagsworthy Street in Dewey Beach, where a welcome early-morning bay breeze mixes the stagnant air. Two men approach, one wearing a black hoodie, the other wearing a beige hoodie with “Concord” embroidered on the front.

You’re about to become one of two armed robberies in Dewey Beach in one week.

Read More "Two Robberies, One Week" »

Why.I.Hate.DC hates on crime:

"Memo to everyone: DC is not a safe place. That home that sold at 14th and Fairmont for $499,999 was not a good deal. In all of these recent shootings, and Oh, I forgot about the murder outside the Mt. Vernon Square metro--the police have been close enough to hear the shots and respond immediately. Still no arrests in any of these homicides. I'm not about to criticize the officers on the scene, but clearly there is a failing at some level of administration here. Obviously. You don't need someone who rarely updates a blog to tell you that.

My speculation is that things are only going to get worse as summer drags on, with the economy still in the pisser, and gang rivalry flaring up. You can tell me that violent crime is down and all of that (and maybe it is), but we'll see how those statistics work out once it's August. I've lived here long enough (in the grand scheme of things, not very long) to know that we haven't done anything magical to put a lid on crime in DC."

In case you don't trust bloggers who rarely update their blogs, how about the latest crime news from Borderstan. Crime is all the blog appears to be reporting on lately. And while we're hating on ourselves, 14th & You would like cleaner streets like they have in London.

Read More "Our Morning Roundup: Angst Edition" »

Bloomingdale (for now) reports on the rumors that the Rhode Island Avenue NE Safeway is getting skipped over for renovations in favor of Northwest stores.

Frozen Tropics believes that H Street/Trinidad just might be safer than Columbia Heights and Adams Morgan:

"I feel safer living here than in Columbia Heights. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like I know too many people who have been robbed in Columbia Heights. And when I say robbed, I mean pistol whipped, punched, or hit in the head with a brick. None of these people were resisting. By contrast, I only know (personally) one guy who was ever violently attacked during a robbery in this area. That was when he resisted (rightly, because the bastards tried to force him into an alley, and you should resist at that point)...."

JDLand has a review (with photos) of the new beer garden (called I believe the "Bullpen"). She is very kind. That place feels like walking through something Clear Channel barfed: bad cover band, dudes, and the smell of stale beer all in a fenced-in slab of asphalt. On second thought, it's not something that Clear Channel barfed. It feels like a prison yard sponsored by Clear Channel. Awesome redevelopment!

Anyway, JDLand writes: "When I arrived around 6 pm, there was a healthy crowd, and the spirits (emotional and liquid) seemed to be flowing well." How....polite.

And Now, Anacostia profiles a historic piece of Good Hope Road property that's set to be auctioned off on Wednesday.

Penn Quarter Living wonders if work has been completed at 901 E Street NW.