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Residents press Cheverly council for lighting, cameras and traffic calming at 58th Place and Newton Street
Summary
Multiple residents described shootings, abandoned cars and loitering near 58th Place and Newton Street and urged immediate steps — lighting, traffic calming, and cameras — while police and staff described interjurisdictional limits and offered a community meeting and coordination with the National Park Service and Pepco.
Residents from Ward 1 urged the Cheverly mayor and council on March 26 to prioritize safety improvements at the 58th Place and Newton Street intersection, describing recurring loitering, abandoned vehicles and at least one incident in which a bullet struck a home.
Councilmember Wade opened the discussion by citing a history of public‑safety concerns at the park and greenbelt adjacent to the intersection, including a prior shooting and a 600‑tire illegal dump. “That is a major issue … and the reason why we need to invest in certain that particular area,” Wade said, asking the town to consider lighting and video surveillance.
Police Chief Dave Morris and Town Administrator Mr. Galloway responded with data and a process plan. Morris said a 12‑month pull of county reporting showed 297 calls for service in the larger reporting area but only eight inside town limits; he emphasized the perception of activity is real even when incidents occur outside municipal boundaries. Galloway said the town has requested Pepco evaluate lighting locations and that staff would follow up with the National Park Service about the greenland where tires had been dumped.
Residents described daily safety tradeoffs. Keisha Walker (Ward 1) said her family had lived for 12 years at the corner and that a bullet hit her daughter’s bedroom window: “Luckily, it was my daughter’s room — she had a double pane window, so it didn’t get all the way through.” Minty Wade (Ward 1) described rearranging family routines because of unknown cars sitting in the street and asked the council to consider traffic calming, sidewalks and other engineering fixes.
Several speakers asked the town to expand its camera‑rebate outreach so residents could plug door‑camera footage into investigations; Chief Morris said LPRs (license‑plate readers) and fixed cameras are useful but retention and reciprocity with other states constrain enforcement for out‑of‑state vehicles. Morris noted the town controls only some of the reporting area and said cameras should be used to coordinate with county and national‑park partners.
Town staff recommended a walking meeting and traffic‑calming study with residents, police and a traffic engineer; Galloway said staff would coordinate with Councilmember Wade to schedule a community meeting. No formal vote was taken; council asked staff to return with cost estimates and vendor images for the proposed fencing and lighting on April 9.
