Catholic U surrounding area

[Anonymous]

How is it safety-wise?

[Anonymous]

Rough. There was a shooting last week in the Brookland metro platform. We would have sent our kid to CUA if it weren’t for the crime. The area surrounding the Franciscan Monastery is now unsafe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How is it safety-wise?

My DS is a student at Catholic U and I'm not going to lie - I have never been someone who worries about crime. But this school year, there have been too many shootings/murders surrounding campus and I can't wait until he graduates. He lives off campus this year so he's in the surrounding neighborhood daily, unlike his first two years on campus. Maybe because I have a DS at CUA but I don't hear about similar incidents on or near American U, Georgetown, GWU or Howard.

Two murders of young men (both were in their mid 20's) have been completely random, most likely related to muggings. Those are the ones that scare me the most because it easily could have been my DS. One was in July when a young teacher was in town for a conference. He was approached at the metro, walked with the suspect onto campus as he was texting his family he was being robbed. He was shot and killed on campus. Several months ago, a young man who was living in one of the Catholic organizations near campus on a year long volunteering mission, was shot and killed. He was returning to his apartment with roommates after they had been at a church event. Someone in a vehicle stopped and shot into their group killing this young man. The other two murders by campus seem more targeted - the 14 year old just killed a couple of weeks ago at the metro. In late summer, a middle aged man was shot and killed right outside one of the restaurants on Monroe Street - that's the street right outside campus with the Pot Belly, Chipotle, bookstore, Poets & Busboys, Starbucks, the Brookland Pint, etc. A month or so ago, shots were fired around 6:00pm on a Saturday on Monroe Street. A parent I know was at the Brookland Pint at the time. Thankfully no one was shot but it was a gorgeous evening and the street must have been packed with students.

Catholic U admin is very aware of parent concerns. In partnership with DC, police presence has increased around the campus. There is a police officer that is stationed between the metro station and the athletic complex. I don't think they are there 24/7, just during metro operating hours. My DS is an athlete at CUA and I'm on campus frequently during his season so I've seen the stepped up presence.

The only crime I'm aware of involving students are vehicle related. Vehicles parked on the streets around campus are frequently broken into, but that can happen anywhere. However, recently a vehicle was parked at the athletic complex's parking lot (a campus lot) and all four tires were stolen.

[Anonymous]

It's in the hood. Point blank. Can't sugarcoat it.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's more crime than the Howard area, to the previous poster. It's quiet until it isn't. There is a risk--either of being an innocent bystander, or a target like the man who was robbed and shot last summer. But there are also lots of mentally unstable and/or homeless people in Georgetown and near GW...far more than in the CUA area. Whether they are dangerous, I don't know.

[Anonymous]

Have a kid at AU and don’t worry as much about their safety as friends with kids at Catholic do.

[Anonymous]

The neighborhoods around Catholic and Howard can sometimes be rough, and there have been some really unfortunate violent crimes near both recently. Some of the streets surrounding Catholic Univ are oddly deserted and poorly lit.

GW and Foggy Bottom have less serious safety issues. The streets are usually busy, which helps.

Georgetown and AU campuses are largely protected from all of this. Re the previous post, no, there are not a notable number of mentally unstable or dangerous people hovering around the Georgetown campus. I live a block away and walk my dog around and on campus at all hours. The only danger we have faced is the warm-weather rat population on campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rough. There was a shooting last week in the Brookland metro platform. We would have sent our kid to CUA if it weren’t for the crime. The area surrounding the Franciscan Monastery is now unsafe.

+1. It was awful when I was a student there, and it is awful now. I know two people personally that were held up in broad daylight. One was a 6'3" African dude, who was carjacked, and one was not, but still held at gun point. There is little that the campus police can do, their presence is not 24/7. You are right to be concerned. CUA was off the table for us because I know the neighborhood well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The neighborhoods around Catholic and Howard can sometimes be rough, and there have been some really unfortunate violent crimes near both recently. Some of the streets surrounding Catholic Univ are oddly deserted and poorly lit.

GW and Foggy Bottom have less serious safety issues. The streets are usually busy, which helps.

Georgetown and AU campuses are largely protected from all of this. Re the previous post, no, there are not a notable number of mentally unstable or dangerous people hovering around the Georgetown campus. I live a block away and walk my dog around and on campus at all hours. The only danger we have faced is the warm-weather rat population on campus.

PP, don’t delude yourself. DC youth now bring the crime to your nice neighborhood. Get involved with making the city a better place.

[Anonymous]

Brookland is not the “hood.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Brookland is not the “hood.”

Oh, it most certainly is. Perhaps not as much as at one time, particularly in the areas immediately adjacent to campus, but despite the high property values and the extensive development, Brooklyn’s remains very much a mixed area with plenty of places where bad stuff can happen.

[Anonymous]

Also, unless something has changed, the CUA Campus Police are not armed with firearms, relegating them to more of a “security observer” role if anything seriously occurs.

[Anonymous]

Last 15 months it’s been getting bad around Catholic University. Too many vehicles with fake tags rolling down the streets. DC police just started a big crackdown on crime but I am not sure where they’ll place all these possible criminals.

Juveniles are taking point for a lot of criminal groups since there is no prison space for youngsters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last 15 months it’s been getting bad around Catholic University. Too many vehicles with fake tags rolling down the streets. DC police just started a big crackdown on crime but I am not sure where they’ll place all these possible criminals.

Juveniles are taking point for a lot of criminal groups since there is no prison space for youngsters.

Juveniles must be doing it because they are hungry, just like all the other criminals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, unless something has changed, the CUA Campus Police are not armed with firearms, relegating them to more of a “security observer” role if anything seriously occurs.

This is shocking considering local history of high crime.