Keep an eye on your front (and back) porch. Photo by María Helena Carey
Although Capitol Hill is easily the best neighborhood in the whole city (and yes, we are completely biased), it’s important to remember that we live in a city, and crime happens. While I will leave the task of elucidating why crime is so much higher in cities to experts in political economy and law, as someone who is magically able to reach a large part of the neighborhood through the Internet, I am here to share a couple of cautionary tales to remind you to please be careful out there.
The first cautionary tale comes from Adrianna, who lives in northeast, off 8th street. She sent a short statement of what happened to her and her roommates, which we are sharing here:
Around 2am this past Sunday, January 11th one of my roommates awoke to noise: it sounded like someone was pulling on the wrought iron gate against our back door to see if it was open. We checked but didn’t see anyone. Then some time later we heard a noise coming from the ground gates that close the property off at the alleyway. Some time after that, we heard a dragging noise on the back porch. All of this happened between 2 and 3am. We just wanted to… urge our neighbors to ensure all of their windows and doors are locked and to call 911 if you see or hear anything. Be warm and safe, neighbors! (Emphasis mine)
Just a little to the north of Adrianna’s house, on 9th Street NE, Hill resident Andrea Hutzler recorded a man stealing a package from her front porch –one she’d intentionally filled with dog poop– to excise revenge for all the missing packages all over the Hill. You can click here to watch that video. While this happened during the holidays, it is good to remember that we deal with unwanted visitors on our front porch and backyard at all hours of the day.
Finally, one of our own had a terrible scare last night: while riding his bike home, Kyra’s husband Brian was attacked with a knife by a teenager. He was riding near 7th and L Streets SE when he ran into the teens. One of them stepped out onto the street and stabbed him on the chest. Although Brian is fine –he only required a staple and antibiotics– his story is a painful reminder that there are those out there who can and do hurt others.
Be safe, Capitol Hill. If you have any stories or safety tips to share, tell us in the comments section or share with us on Facebook or Twitter.
I hate this story, but Andrea Hutzler might be my new hero:) Bravo, Madame!
This story doesn’t make things any better. In fact it instills fear in us Cap Hill residents.
Knowledge is power. It’s up to you how you choose to react to that knowledge. Thank you for reading.