Though the memo says “there is not, nor has there ever been a quota for traffic enforcement,” it goes on to list “monthly proactivity expectations,” complete with a set number of traffic summons and a maximum percentage of warnings.
ARLnow.com obtained a copy of the memo from a police officer who expressed surprise that the department would issue such an obviously controversial directive. The memo itself was authored by two patrol commanders, both captains.
A man, believed to be homeless, was found dead today behind the Arlington Funeral Home in Virginia Square.
The man was found unresponsive behind a dumpster in the funeral home parking lot around 10:30 this morning, according to police. Officers arrived and determined that the man had passed away. Detectives are still on scene investigating the man’s death, though so far there’s no word of anything suspicious.
A woman died Saturday after falling from the parking garage at Ballston Common Mall.
The woman fell from an unknown level of the parking structure and landed on the sidewalk on the N. Randolph Street side of the garage. The woman was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The incident remains under investigation.
“Reaching this mark is only possible through a combination of effective policing, excellent medical care, successful prosecution and cooperating communities; all of which we have experienced in Arlington County the past two years,” police chief M. Douglas Scott said in a statement.
The county has not recorded a single homicide since March 14, 2010, when a 20-year-old man was stabbed to death in the Lyon Park neighborhood. The suspect in the case later pleaded guilty to second degree murder.
In this week’s Arlington County crime report, two men are accused of particularly vicious instances of domestic violence. Both alleged crimes took place yesterday (Tuesday) while in public.
At 11:50 a.m. on Tuesday, a man is accused of holding down a woman and threatening her in Crystal City, before a Good Samaritan intervened.
(Updated at 4:20 p.m.) Police are questioning a “person of interest” in connection with a bomb threat at the Sheraton National hotel on S. Orme Street this afternoon.
The building was evacuated around 1:45 p.m. after a bomb threat was phoned in to the hotel. The caller claimed a bomb had been planted on street level and was going to detonate at 3:00 p.m., according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Police shut down S. Orme Street between Columbia Pike and Southgate Road (the entrance to the Marine Corps’ Henderson Hall) as a precaution.
A man reportedly attempted to rob a small store while displaying some sort of a weapon, initially said to be a gun but possibly a pipe.
The search for the suspect has now been called off. Earlier, Fairfax County police were using a police dog and a helicopter to try to track the suspect. Arlington police, meanwhile, searched the area around nearby Kenmore Middle School and Carlin Springs Elementary School.
The proposed FY 2013 Arlington County Police Department budget includes funding for eight red light cameras at six intersections. An ACPD official tells ARLnow.com that the “dangerous” intersections (below) were each identified as safety concerns.
The additional cameras will cost the police department $438,102 during FY 2013, including $66,794 to hire a full-time employee to review each image captured by the camera to confirm that a violation took place. The remaining $371,308 will go to the contractor chosen to install and maintain the cameras.
The theft happened between 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7 and 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 8, according to police. A suspect broke into the school trailer by forcing open a window, and then made off with a laptop, a microscope and keys.
Police do not have a description of the suspect, who remains at large.
Just before 8:00 p.m. on 4200 2nd Road N., in the Buckingham neighborhood, an unknown assailant wearing black clothing and a ski mask approached a man and shot him two times. The victim is described as a Hispanic male with gunshot wounds to the thigh and abdomen. He was reported to be in critical condition after the shooting. As of Saturday afternoon, police said he was still in the hospital.
The assailant, who is still at large, is described as a 5’8″ black male. He’s said to be armed and dangerous. Police say they’re not sure if the suspect knew the victim or if it was a random act of violence. As they continue to investigate the incident, police are encouraging anyone with information about the suspect to call them at 703-558-2222.
Law enforcement officers will be performing the training exercise in Oakland Park, which is located at the corner of Wilson Blvd and Oakland St. It’s slated to run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Residents who park in the area are advised to pay extra attention to signs on parking meters during that time. Many meters around the park will be designated for use only by those participating in the training.
There were two incidents of men arrested for downright creepy behavior at Ballston Common Mall on Monday.
First, a man was arrested for allegedly masturbating while watching women work out at the Ballston Sport & Health Club in the mall.
