The Association’s annual public safety meeting in May focused on drug-abuse awareness and prevention, as well as other public safety issues relevant to our community.

Recently retired MPD Det. Anthony Washington described drug distribution methods, paraphernalia, and signs of drug abuse associated with crack cocaine, marijuana, heroin, crystal meth, and PCP, emphasizing that, while different areas have different drug concerns, common threads are the profits from addiction and the violence from turf wars. For example, marijuana users frequently purchase cigars to smoke marijuana because the leaves burn slower and last longer than cigarette paper. Washington said tell-tale signs of neighborhood-marijuana abuse are discarded wads of tobacco on the ground and the sale of “flavored” cigars because true cigar smokers would not remove tobacco or smoke fruit-flavored cigars. He also warned against the abuse of other common items, such as high-energy caffeine drinks and nail polish remover.

PSA 201 Lt. Antonio Charland reported the arrests of four burglars suspected in many of the recent burglaries that have concerned our community and surrounding areas. Each burglar employed a different mode of operation, such as time of day or means of entry. While burglary reports have declined since the arrests, Charland reminded residents to remain vigilant, and to contact 911 to report any suspicious activity. He suggested the use of outside motion detector lighting and that those with home alarms set them, even when home. Chevy Chase Village Maryland Police Chief Roy Gordon noted the importance of cross-jurisdiction cooperation with Lt. Charland to combat crimes, including the recent spike in burglaries, which also impacted Chevy Chase Village.

Samantha Nolan, our Neighborhood Watch Director, also provided crime prevention tips that are frequently forgotten, such as removing any valuables when leaving vehicles, not leaving purses on the backs of chairs or in shopping carts, and arranging for papers and flyers left in front yards to be removed when residents are away.

Finally, we honored Michael Lockerman, our former PSA 201 lieutenant in appreciation for his “years of dedicated service to our Chevy Chase Community, effectively combating crime, promoting crime prevention, and fostering police community relations.” We also recognized our 230-plus block captains for the critical role that they play in distributing public safety information to residents in our Neighborhood Watch Program. Special thanks are due to local businesses Arucola Osteria Italiana, Full of Beans, Periwinkle, and Salon Familia, which contributed gift certificates to a raffle for block captains at the meeting.

Contacts from the March 2010 Prime Time Expo

Contacts from the November 2009 Financial Services Forum

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