Crime rates in Old Greenbelt have remained close to numbers from the past year, according to a virtual town hall held by the Greenbelt Police Department last week. According to Police Chief Richard “Rick” Bowers, however, auto crime is up citywide, with 45 instances of auto theft in the city as a whole since the year began. The department has also seen a higher proportion of auto-part theft this year relative to the theft of property from inside vehicles. Bike theft rates have remained almost steady, with 19 thefts citywide since the beginning of the year.
Bowers noted that the perpetrators of the auto parts theft are likely to be professionals who are able to quickly resell parts with Toyotas and Hondas as the apparent most frequent targets.
To reduce the risk of auto theft, George Mathews, public information liaison for the police department, said that Greenbelt residents should take items of value out of their cars or hide them. They should also alert police officers when they recognize suspicious behavior so officers can check out the area.
Officer Timothy White, who oversees the patrol division, noted that officers measure their response to a suspected crime or person based on the description Greenbelt citizens call in to the station. If a description is vague, he said, officers cannot do much more than survey the area.
To combat bike theft, the Greenbelt Police Department offers bike registrations, which can be a deterrent to criminals, and can also help the department track down stolen bikes. A one-time registration is good forever, but residents are encouraged to reach out to the police department once a year to update any information that has changed.
Mathews also proposed the idea of a Neighborhood Watch, something that Greenbelt has had in the past. However, he noted by email, “the impetus has to come from residents, with the department doing what it can to facilitate.”
The town hall had 22 attendees and was held as a part of ongoing meetings the police department has had with different Greenbelt neighborhoods. Prior to this town hall, the department met with residents from Greenbelt East, Franklin Park and Greenbelt Station.
During the town hall, Bowers indicated a desire to offer mini-sessions of the Citizen’s Police Academy to inform Greenbelt residents on the use of force by police officers. The Citizen’s Police Academy is an eight-week program that gives Greenbelt residents an opportunity to experience what it is like to be a police officer. The department has offered three programs over the past few years.
“It does come down to the residents of the city being the eyes and ears,” Bowers said. “The police department can’t do it alone.”