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Takoma Park police outline Ward 3 crime trends, auto- and airbag-theft spikes and prevention steps
Summary
Takoma Park Police presented Ward 3 crime data and described enforcement and prevention measures focused on auto theft, vehicle vandalism and a recent string of airbag thefts; officials emphasized interagency evidence-sharing, movable cameras and community deterrents such as steering-wheel locks and tracking devices.
Deputy Chief Shabu Filipos of the Takoma Park Police Department presented a Ward 3 crime overview at a community safety meeting, saying the neighborhood's Part 1 crime counts remain low in some categories but that vehicle-related crimes have been notable. Captain Cody Evans provided slide-based figures showing zero reported arsons and assaults in the cited months, three burglaries in Ward 3 and several stolen vehicles and auto-theft incidents citywide, and described recoveries made across jurisdictions.
The presentation highlighted an uptick in vehicle vandalism in May that later declined and a concentration of incidents affecting Honda models: "Honda vehicles encompass 40% of all vehicle vandalism incidents," Evans said, noting Honda Civics were the most commonly targeted model. Evans also described a series of airbag thefts in late April and May and showed video from a city camera trailer that captured suspects removing airbags on Cheney Drive; he said the incident dated to 05/14/2026 at 00:01:30 and that investigations are ongoing.
Why it matters: auto-theft and airbag-theft trends can ripple across neighborhoods when suspects operate across municipal lines. Capt. Evans and deputies said cross-jurisdiction data-sharing and joint task forces have helped identify suspects and recover vehicles.
Officials outlined prevention and recovery steps. Deputy Chief Filipos and Metro Transit Police District 1 commander Aaron Donald described practical deterrents and resources the city and partners are using: a prior giveaway of about 500 steering-wheel locks, distribution of TileMate tracking devices to residents, and deployment of movable camera trailers. "We have three trailer cameras that we move around for problematic areas," Filipos said; Capt. Evans confirmed a camera was recently placed at 4th and Eastern.
Metro Transit Police said platform security and a large camera network are part of the response. Aaron Donald said Metro has roughly 30,000 cameras systemwide and that the agency's real-time video-evidence unit and interagency sharing produced arrests in several recent serious cases. "If you see something, say something," Donald said, urging residents to call 911 to trigger the fastest operational response.
What's next: officials said joint high-visibility operations with Prince George's County and DC partners happen periodically and that they will look to increase such operations. Residents were encouraged to request specific camera placements through advisory neighborhood channels and to take simple household steps — steering-wheel locks, alarms, well-lit parking and tracking devices — to lower risk.
The meeting closed with an offer to post the presentation slides, recordings and command contacts for follow-up.
