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ARMED ROBBERY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have a news letter....NEWS LETTER !!!!! I think that is the proper name for the letter I'm paying dues for. I can not see one word regarding the armed hold up of the Mexican carry out next to the BP gas station on Highland Ave. I understand they put a gun up to the head of a 7 year old child....this is news!!!!!!. The Texaco at the end of Rosedale is held up with a gun, I think I see a pattern and maybe residents want to know about these issues so they may protect a household and lock doors. I've heard rumors that this kind of news will not be printed because a realtor has mentioned that is not good for the values. Well whoever is buying a home in EBCA is not on the mailing list so that quote does not hold water. We put up with enough resident and non realtor mailings etc. from these realtors and I don't think that these few realtors should influence our newsletter for their benefit by censoring information critical for families to safeguard their homes. We should report all the news and strive to get a better Neighborhood watch program together. If you printed all the bad news ,and there is more than what I just mentioned. How about the woman assaulted a few months back? You would have more people joining the watch program. People need to know what's happening. You all sit down at the rec - center with blinders on. WAKE UP and quit letting these few realtors run the EBCA.....everyone should use a realtor outside of EBCA so that we can get back to an impartial voice.

I didn't know about any of this - I think I will have to get a dog and keep my eyes open. Thanks for important info!

In February there were a rash of incidents that neighbors reported as "fyi" to EBCA.  Those we heard about were forwarded to website members via the e-alert email system.  They were not included in the March newsletter.  Another neighbor posted a hotlink to a website that tracks crime data.

If someone is interested in tracking these types of incidents on behalf of the neighborhood or being a liaison with the police department to provide useful information to all residents via the newsletter, that would be extremely helpful.  Please contact president@ebca.org or newsletter@ebca.org to express your interest.

I second the president's suggestion that a liaison to the police department would be helpful. If your concern that this kind of news should be reported to the community is so great, then perhaps you'd consider this important position. You'd be doing a good service to the Bethesda community. The issue of realors' influence seems to be a separate one. Anyone who'd like to know about crime in the area can easily do a search on-line to find out what's going on in any neighborhood.

I was looking for the large yard sale info. and felt the need to sign up and express our concerns regarding the crime. I agree that a liaison should be in place or maybe we should have had one already. So I agree with a part of the president's comment, but must say I'm lost with her other FYI comments, websites, other neighbor's hotlines etc. So we state that we have 1200 houses in EBCA and the people can only get info if they are on alert menus, other neighbors hotlines, or this website which only has a hundred members. I think the first posting is right that the newsletter needs to be tool for all needs. It does sound like the EBCA newsletter is censoring news that might keep neighbors out of harms way. I can't make the meeting Weds. but I do plan to make the following month. It is a shame to read the first post and the crimes mentioned, but for my families sake I would rather know than not. Thank you Riley for pointing out these dangerous events and I'm sure we will work together and make a safer East Bethesda.

This sounds as much like a conspiracy theory fueled rant against realtors as it does a concerned citizen alerting neighbors.  I have been impressed with the timliness and availability of the neighborhood crime reporting by EBCA and even recall a printed newsletter article advising the neighborhood of a rash of vehicle break ins last year.  As discussed above, crime reports are available on-line and are published in the Bethesda Gazette which is delivered to all EBCA households.  I do not believe that a substantial portion of the newsletter should be devoted to crime reporting as there are other media outlets already providing this service.  Should a trend develop as it did with the car break ins I believe an article is warranted until that point the e-mail alerts and local media outlets should suffice.  A police department liason sounds like a great idea and would help to identify  alarming trends early on so they can be reported on.

I've been in travel since the posting I placed some 10 days ago, and I must say that I'm pleased that about 135 people have looked at the view points of everyone. I did receive a thoughtful email from a Jay Briar the editor of the newsletter. Jay I think you do a wonderful job for the community, and all of your time is not without my notice. I was pleased that you mentioned to me that you had not heard about the armed robbery either. This is what I'm trying to stress to your group as leaders of the community. I do get alerts on my email because I've signed up for EBCA on the internet. But we only have 135 people in this site and we stress that we have 1200 homes in EBCA. Several hundred upon hundred people are not getting valuable information that could keep a family out of harms way, or lock a door if need be. Jay thank you for your note and I don't think you are blocking the newletter.

Brian...What can I say but you must be a realtor and once again this is why it's better to use people out of our neighborhood. You would be better off just not writing in, because you really have not been reading what I've written. These are your words" I have been impressed with the timliness and availability of the neighborhood crime reporting by EBCA  don't you get it,  what your saying about the reporting goes to 135 people that have signed up on the internet, the newsletter goes to 1200 houses we are missing a thousand house. So you get the news and your happy and impressed while your neighbors don't have a clue. Another quote from Brian " I do not believe that a substantial portion of the newsletter should be devoted to crime reporting as there are other media outlets  Come on dude, nobody said a word about a substantial portion devoted to crime, give me a break. The editor of the newsletter was not aware of armed robberies in the area. Take a one inch section and print it for the other 1100 houses. Last quote about Brian " Should a trend develop as it did with the car break ins I believe an article is warranted until that point the e-mail alerts Only thing I can say about you Brian is please don't run for an EBCA office or a liason with the police, I'll need to move. A trend like two gun point robberies and two woman assulted in the past three months, hell thats not important enough to make the newsletter. Oh, but you think the car break ins should make the news, wake up you can replace windows not lives. Brian you are not thinking as a citizen with a family that you love in this community, you might call it a rant against realtors but you sound just like a realtor to me. Let's say we both drop our guards and give some addresses, you up for that Brian. I think everyone would like to know such a smart EBCA citizen. I'll meet you at the next months Weds. meeting and we can debate about it. I'm out of here, once again it's like talking to myself.

Riley at 02:51PM on May 28, 2009

I've been in travel since the posting I placed some 10 days ago, and I must say that I'm pleased that about 135 people have looked at the view points of everyone. I did receive a thoughtful email from a Jay Briar the editor of the newsletter. Jay I think you do a wonderful job for the community, and all of your time is not without my notice. I was pleased that you mentioned to me that you had not heard about the armed robbery either. This is what I'm trying to stress to your group as leaders of the community. I do get alerts on my email because I've signed up for EBCA on the internet. But we only have 135 people in this site and we stress that we have 1200 homes in EBCA. Several hundred upon hundred people are not getting valuable information that could keep a family out of harms way, or lock a door if need be. Jay thank you for your note and I don't think you are blocking the newletter.

 

Brian...What can I say but you must be a realtor and once again this is why it's better to use people out of our neighborhood. You would be better off just not writing in, because you really have not been reading what I've written. These are your words" I have been impressed with the timliness and availability of the neighborhood crime reporting by EBCA  don't you get it,  what your saying about the reporting goes to 135 people that have signed up on the internet, the newsletter goes to 1200 houses we are missing a thousand house. So you get the news and your happy and impressed while your neighbors don't have a clue. Another quote from Brian " I do not believe that a substantial portion of the newsletter should be devoted to crime reporting as there are other media outlets  Come on dude, nobody said a word about a substantial portion devoted to crime, give me a break. The editor of the newsletter was not aware of armed robberies in the area. Take a one inch section and print it for the other 1100 houses. Last quote about Brian " Should a trend develop as it did with the car break ins I believe an article is warranted until that point the e-mail alerts Only thing I can say about you Brian is please don't run for an EBCA office or a liason with the police, I'll need to move. A trend like two gun point robberies and two woman assulted in the past three months, hell thats not important enough to make the newsletter. Oh, but you think the car break ins should make the news, wake up you can replace windows not lives. Brian you are not thinking as a citizen with a family that you love in this community, you might call it a rant against realtors but you sound just like a realtor to me. Let's say we both drop our guards and give some addresses, you up for that Brian. I think everyone would like to know such a smart EBCA citizen. I'll meet you at the next months Weds. meeting and we can debate about it. I'm out of here, once again it's like talking to myself.

Wow.  While I am not a realtor I believe your negative characterization of those in that industry is unnecessary and deserves a response.

Should you take the time to read my earlier posting you will notice that I said a substantial portion of the newsletter should not be taken up with crime reporting which is what would be required if all crime in downtown Bethesda were to be reported . Again, I am all for a police liason who would be responsible for reporting on what they deem to be important and relevant.

Please provide a source for your crime data as the only Montgomery County record of an armed robbery at the Texaco station occured in 2006.  While the December 19, 2008 robbery of Delicias was much more recent it certainly did not occur in the past 3 months as you suggested.  If there in fact have been 2 recent assaults on women in the neighborhood please provide us with more information (i.e. where, what time of day, etc.) as this is clearly a trend that needs to be reported.

While I'd love to spend the next EBCA meeting debating with you I'm not really sure what we would be arguing about since it seems you already agree with me on what should be done with the newsletter.  The only issue seems to be how to get more people to actually read the newsletter and to register online, maybe a front page article discussing the benefits of joining the website?

Regards,

Brian Morrison

Chase Avenue

just signed up because i came across this post and got so angry.  I agree with the first poster...everytime i hear of a crime happening in this neighborhood i immediately check the next newsletter and NEVER see anything mentioned.  IMO this should be one of the main reasons for having the newsletter....keeping our community safe and AWARE.  I dont know how many times i have been driving through the neigborhood and seen cops roaming the streets on bike and car. just a few weeks ago there was a break in at NOON in  glenbrook townhouses - i saw a cop and asked what was going on...i can remember awhile back seeing cops and even a helicopter looking for someone running through our neighborhood on to the columbia golf course.  its outrageous for this information to not be mentioned.  a liason sounds like a great idea! 

thank you.