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Police: Rate of homicides is even with ’06
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Related Topics: Alexandria
Alexandria (Map, News) - When two men were gunned down in Alexandria last week, it was the city's first double homicide in 13 years.
The city, which usually sees a half-dozen homicides a year or less, has had three already. Additionally, a victim's body was left in an apartment complex dumpster in February.
The homicide rate is “even with last year,” Lt. Jamie Bartlett said. There were five homicides in the city in 2006, three before May, Bartlett said, noting the city is still under last year's total.
The woman whose body was dumped at a high-rise apartment building in the 5300 block of Holmes Run Parkway is believed to have been killed in Prince William County. Prosecutors there are preparing to try Frederick Ajlan, 26, of Dumfries, with whom Anna Sherman had a personal relationship.
As a result, Alexandria police removed the death from their statistics. Nathan T. Lee, 31, and Mark A. Collins, 28, were shot April 19 on the 800 block of N. Patrick Street, next to the Samuel Madden housing project.
It is an area Alexandria police have devoted extra attention to for the past four or five years, Bartlett said.
“Obviously, this sets us back a bit,” he said. “We need to renew our focus. We'll be putting more officers in that area.”
Previous attempts to curb nuisance crimes like vandalism and drug use gave officers a chance to meet people in the community. Bartlett says those contacts will help police.
2007 homicides
» Darrell Watson, 19, of Alexandria, charged with two counts of murder in Lee's and Collins' April 19 deaths. No motive is known.
» Ajlan, charged with first-degree murder in the beating death of Sherman, 21, of Annandale. Detectives say they believe Sherman died in Dumfries and her body was dumped in Alexandria. Ajlan will be tried in Manassas.
» Derrick A. Wright, 27, of Alexandria, was charged with murder in the Jan. 9 death of Kareem Timmons, 29, of Alexandria. Timmons was killed in the lobby of 108 S. Washington St.
mhegstad@dcexaminer.com
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Examiner Reader said:
Read through the lines. All this article is about is a Sheriff trying to discredit good things that are happening in a county. The UCR is the most accurate means of analying serious crime for mostpolice departments in the U.S..... They are just trying to expand their department by discrediting other's good work and this is the only way they know how to do it! The people in Carroll County think that they pay alot for the MSP, wait until they get a county police force - then they will really pay no matter what this guy says - just look at the property taxes and expenses in other counties.
136 agree | 121 disagree
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Concerned Resident said:
It sounds as if the State Police have adjusted the crime stats to save their outdated resident trooper program ! Doesnt crime go up when they want more money for troopers in Carroll County ?
148 agree | 131 disagree
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Annapolis Defense Attorney said:
Yeah don't and don't forget about all of those bong cases that go unreported each year! Thank God we pay taxes to the police to stop those horrible criminals.
170 agree | 127 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
500 or 1,000 more poilce officers will not help. The base problem is lack of respect, which starts in the home. Once the population realizes that the police and teachers can not be the parents to your kids, this whole sad situation may turn around.
164 agree | 153 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Could it be Management? Has anyone asked that question? Now that we have looked at numbers let's look at the quality of the leadership. At this point it is not about how many police, it is about what they are doing. Where is the strategic plan? That is why Mitchell's plan of the three Mayoral contenders is so weak. These folks can't get think outside of the box, and the entire city is suffering.
169 agree | 154 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Clearly, based on the above article, it is not that we have too few police. Other cities have close to the same number in proportion to their population but less crime and homicide. This tells me that the policedepartment is malfunctioning. Before we get more officers we need to put the ones we have to good use.
159 agree | 137 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Kareem Timmons was an ex-boyfriend of mine about 10 years ago. I miss him and loved him dearly. He was a very kind hearted person.
204 agree | 179 disagree
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