Crime Wave Leaves Some Residents Uneasy

Despite spikes in citizen robberies and residential break-ins, crime in the City of Hyattsville has generally decreased since this time last year.

Chief Douglas Holland told residents at a community safety meeting last month that crimes against persons have decreased by nearly 12 percent from January to June 2010 compared to the same time frame last year. Crimes against property have decreased by 2.4 percent and total crime has gone down by 3.6 percent, Holland said.

However, the two areas of major increase have residents on their toes.

"I'm not sure what to tell my daughter," said resident Christine Hinojosa, whose teenager is often at home by herself.

Residential burglaries have increased by 91 percent from 33 to 63 during the first six months of this year compared with January to June 2009.

Most of them occur on Mondays and Thursdays, clustering in University Hills, the Ager Road area and Queensbury Road / Carrollton Terrace, with the majority of them happening when no one is home, Holland said.

However, last week a resident on Nicholson Street was home when an intruder kicked in her front door, displayed a weapon and demanded the keys to the victim's car. One burglary at Hamilton Manor Apartments happened when a woman, who was home, left her window open. The intruder broke in during the night and raped the woman, said Sgt. Suzie Johnson, of the HPD's Community Action Team (CAT).

On 39th Avenue near Oliver Street recently, a home was burglarized but the offender was caught when a neighbor called the police, charged and released. Within a couple days, another neighbor called the HPD reporting another burglary at the same home, Johnson said. It was the same offender, who is now in jail without bond, she said, adding that police think he returned to collect some personal items he left the first time.

While police have made several arrests in the residential burglary cases, the crimes haven't stopped, Holland said.

"…They keep coming and the methods are similar," he said.

The citizen robberies are centered mostly on the West Hyattsville Metro station and the Mall at Prince Georges, Holland said. They happen most often on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m.

To stem these crimes, Officer Jim Denault, of Hyattsville's CAT team, suggests keeping your head up and "walking with a purpose."