Public safety in Georgetown

Residents of Georgetown, the historic, tree-lined section of Washington, D.C., in the USA, overlooking the Potomac River, share a common interest—to live in a safe, secure and peaceful environment. But that goal can be elusive in the diverse, densely populated area known for its university students, active nightlife and crime incidents that often flow from those demographics. The 80-block Georgetown community, encompassing about 6,000 residences, attracts an average of 10,000 tourists and visitors to its entertainment district on a typical weekend night.

Securitas USA has provided security services throughout the Georgetown community since 1995, initially with officers regularly walking through the neighborhoods and, more recently, with a combination of vehicle and foot patrols.

“Over the years, we’ve worked with Securitas USA to establish a good, credible program that meets the needs of our community,” says Betsy Cooley, Executive Director of the Citizens Association of Georgetown (CAG).  “Our residents feel protected, and we’ve seen a decrease in crime.”

As part of CAG’s Public Security Program, two Securitas USA officers in marked vehicles patrol Georgetown neighborhoods from 6 p.m. until 1 a.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and from 6 p.m. until 3:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.  Securitas USA’s supervising officer, Tim Harris, maintains contact via Nextel phones with CAG-sponsored Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police officers, who also patrol on Friday and Saturday nights.

Georgetown residents are given the supervising officer’s telephone number to call in case of an emergency, and can request an officer to check doors or collect newspapers while residents are away, or to escort them and their guests to and from cars.

“Most Georgetown residences don’t have garages, so cars are parked on the street, sometimes quite a distance away from their homes,” explains Cooley.  “Many of our residents regularly request an escort and everyone is aware of safety issues.”

On CAG’s website, residents can view a map showing all public safety incidents in Georgetown by date and location, as well as a short description of the incident.  Volunteer block captains and interested residents can also register to receive daily, weekly or monthly crime reports by email or receive emergency alerts by email, cell phone or PDA which, in turn, can be forwarded to their neighbors.

“Our residents are vigilant in reporting and sharing news about security incidents,” says Luca Pivato, chairman of CAG’s Public Safety Committee, who developed a mapping tool which uses GPS tracking to pinpoint the minute-by-minute location of Securitas USA officers, ensuring that all areas of the community are appropriately patrolled during each shift. “And that’s what it takes to reduce crime.”

 

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