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Residents press Takoma Park, DC and PG County for MOU and cameras as crimes cross the border
Summary
Residents described recurring drug activity and youth violence around Eastern Avenue and the McDonald's corridor and urged a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with DC to allow seamless cross-border response; officials described legal limits, joint task forces, and processes for mobile camera placement.
Residents from the Pinecrest and Eastern Avenue areas pressed city and regional police at the Takoma Park community safety meeting to address what they described as persistent open-air drug markets and youth-driven violence on the border with the District of Columbia.
Alex, a resident who has tracked incidents at the Eastern Avenue and New Hampshire Avenue border, pressed representatives for a clearer operational response: he said overdoses and violent incidents have happened within a block of his home and argued that the multi-jurisdictional border inhibits enforcement. "We had 2 overdoses within a block of my house ... and several people died as a result," Alex said, calling the border area a "cluster problem." He urged political pressure to secure an MOU with MPD to allow more immediate cross-border pursuit for minor offenses.
Chief Duvall acknowledged the challenge but said legal boundaries with the District of Columbia limit pursuit for minor offenses in the absence of an MOU. "Prince George's County Police as well as the Takoma Park Police have full jurisdiction in the state of Maryland to pursue offenders into Prince George's County and vice versa," he said, adding that "the biggest challenge ... would be the District Of Columbia ... we don't have an MOU." He asked residents to advocate to DC and elected officials to pursue a formal agreement.
Prince George's County Lieutenant Canela and MPD Captain Jessica Hawkins described operational steps already in use: targeted joint operations along New Hampshire Avenue, pole/mobile camera deployments at problem addresses, outreach to property owners (including attempts to secure trespass letters from the McDonald's owner), and a federal task force that can operate across jurisdictions when cases meet criteria. Captain Hawkins highlighted MPD's threshold for a "mass overdose" (three or more people) that triggers narcotics enforcement, and said evidence-driven investigations have led to multi-jurisdiction arrests in some auto-theft cases.
Residents demanded more transparency on outcomes. Several speakers asked whether Takoma Park could act as a liaison to follow cases that cross into other jurisdictions; officials said arrest outcomes tied to Takoma Park arrests are shared on the department's social channels, but that prosecutions handled by other jurisdictions would require follow-up with the responsible agency.
What's next: Mayor Talisa Searcy and Councilmember Schlegel encouraged residents to write letters, engage advisory neighborhood commissioners and newly elected officials to press for MOUs or resource commitments. Agencies said they would continue joint operations and invited resident participation in ANC meetings to request mobile camera placements.
