Police Commander Briefs Residents, Advisory Board On Downcounty Crime

The Washington Metropolitan Police Department has identified “persons of interest” in a series of recent street robberies along Western Avenue, but there have so far been no arrests, according to Montgomery County Police Capt. David Falcinelli, commander of the county police’s second district.

The street robberies have , with some organizing walking parties to and from the Friendship Heights Metro, residents told Patch last week.

“How can I have my kids play out in the front yard? That’s what some of the moms from school are feeling,” Caroline Swann, whose children attend told Patch last week. “I really feel like I’m a little bit under siege. I don’t know if our area is being targeted.”

The street robberies were among series of topics, including an and the that Falcinelli discussed with concerned residents and members of the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board Tuesday.

There’s been a total of 13 street robberies along Western Avenue in Maryland and the District since the fall, with the latest occurring in Chevy Chase, D.C. Jan. 11, Falcinelli said. At least two of those have occurred in Montgomery County’s jurisdiction – one in November on Brookdale Road and one on Newport Avenue in December. It’s not clear whether more have occurred on the Maryland side of Western Avenue, because Washington’s Metropolitan Police respond to calls on both sides of the street, Falcinelli said.

In both of the two Montgomery County crimes, the robbers appeared to be targeting commuters walking back to their Bethesda neighborhoods from the Friendship Heights Metro, Falcinelli said. The robberies are taking place between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., he said.

“The robberies we’re really concerned about are on Western Avenue,” Falcinelli told the group Tuesday. “That’s where someone has serious potential to get hurt.”

Officers are looking into whether or not the robberies may be connected to a Falcinelli said. He wasn’t sure whether the car in that case had been recovered.

Falcinelli also discussed the recent uptick in second district burglaries. One neighborhood that borders saw seven burglaries in one week in late December, he said.

A man who was is tied to more in the second district, Falcinelli told Patch, though he hasn’t yet been charged with further crimes.

Falcinelli encouraged residents not to walk alone at night and to stay aware of their surroundings – and off their cell phones – while walking. 

He also encouraged residents to trust their instincts and call police if they suspect something might be wrong.

Are you concerned about crime in your neighborhood? Tell us in the comments.