Well,

After a lot of emails, an ABC News broadcasts, and constant discussions on the listservs, Jim Graham has said that he is going to jump in and help.

This is what Jim had to say:

Thanks for your message (see below) and for your recognition of our
work.

I am very concerned.

There is a real problem here. And we do need people to respond, such
as yourselves. There are--as you point out--various things that
residents can do. For example, I am right now attempting to get
neighborhood and ANC support to fund a camera in the alley behind the
Safeway. I will contribute from my constituent fund--as I did recently
in LeDroit Park. I have the agreement of Safeway to place a camera on
their property and allow for monitoring.

Are there other areas where we should consider the same thing?

We have a crime camera on 18th Street right now. These would not be
as sophisticated or as expensive as the MPD cameras.

Orange hat patrols, warnings on how to behave (do not walk down the
street chatting on a cell phone, for example) can be issued. It is
incredibly important that people stay alert and observe what is
happening around them.

We continue to press for more police. And these muggings help make
the case for just that. We also have the Adams Morgan BID hiring cost
reimbursable police officers.

I am with this email asking Cmdr McCoy and Chief Groomes to also
comment on this problem. We can take comfort on the fact that we have
such fine police leadership.

Bests, CM Jim Graham

We will also be updating crime news on MyAdamsMorgan.com - http://www.myadamsmorgan.com