I sympathize with the person who was falsely ticketed for talking on a cell phone when she was obviously not doing so. But fully half the drivers that I observe as I walk around Tenleytown really ARE talking on their cell phones. I can't tell you how many times I've nearly been run over, when crossing the street in a legal cross walk, by drivers whipping around the corner while talking on their phones. They don't slow down, and they are totally oblivious to pedestrians. Where are the police when we need them?

--- Carolyn Long
--- carolynlong@earthlink.net

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

From: philkdc@verizon.net

There is a significant problem with the MPD work culture. There are a
lot of reasons why this is the case and the rapid hiring of marginally
qualified officers in the 1990's, many of whom are still with the
force, is one of them. But another big contributor is the fact that
public officials will not confront the problems on the force and
reflexively dodge behind the fact that these men and women put their
own safety on the line every day. They do. But the fact that we've
had three recent incidents in the neighborhood where the MPD
response was inadequate or worse is not unusual in my experience and
points to a problem with the work culture. This force may do well at
mobilizing for big events and activities, but it is very poor at
neighborhood level policing. Anyone who has interacted with the MD or
VA state police will know what a professional police force looks like.
This is not the look of MPD.

Phil Kogan