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Fairmount Heights police report highlights drop in crime, provides update on Jay Street shooting and traffic-safety pilots
Summary
The Police Chief reported a successful coat-and-toy drive, gave mid-January call-and-arrest figures, said county crime is down about 35%, updated the council on a targeted Jay Street shooting linked to a .45 firearm, and outlined stop-sign and speed-camera pilots for the town.
Police Chief (Police Chief) told the Fairmount Heights mayor and council that the town's holiday coat-and-toy drive was an "overwhelming success," with "a little over 250 coats" distributed and all toys handed out. He said his department had recorded 22 calls for service in the town during the reporting period, of which 14 were handled by the town police and eight by county police, and reported four lockups and 10 vehicle impounds.
The chief said overall crime in Prince George's County is down about 35 percent, a trend he attributed in part to recent changes in detention and bond practices. He said he has met with the state's attorney (Ayesha Brave Braveboy) and other county chiefs to coordinate investigative and prosecutorial support for municipalities.
On an ongoing investigation, the chief described the Jay Street shooting as apparently targeted rather than random. He said ballistics and evidence show two firearms were involved: "29 of those rounds came from a .45 caliber handgun, and 6 of them came from a 9 millimeter handgun," and that the .45 used in that incident has been linked to a prior D.C. homicide and another D.C. shooting. He cautioned that many details remain under active investigation and are not releasable.
The chief outlined several traffic-safety measures the town is piloting. At one stop-sign location, officers observed 52 vehicles approach during the monitoring window and counted 49 that failed to stop; the department will monitor three additional intersections, post signage, distribute literature and share video captured in the work session. He also said the department is preparing to move forward on a speed-camera program and has been conducting radar enforcement at Sheriff Road and Addison Road to collect baseline data.
Council members thanked the department and public works for emergency response during recent storms and praised the "boots on the ground" efforts of officers and staff. No formal votes were taken on enforcement programs during the meeting; the chief said further rollouts would include public notification and signage.
The council asked for follow-up reports on the stop-sign pilot and additional details on planned speed-camera locations and expected revenue projections before moving to any formal adoption.
The meeting adjourned after a voice vote at the end of the session.
