Bethesda vs Vienna/GF/Reston? Violent crime in MoCo is concerning

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live a block from that CVS and was also a little shocked at that stabbing (they did arrest the guy btw) but I don’t feel unsafe walking around.

Maybe there are reasons for you to live in Va but I donmt thi k fear of violent crime is a reason to stay away from Bethesda.

Of course this forum has people whose mission it is to complain about MoCo politics and policies and who are apparently on a mission to convince everyone MoCo will be a dystopian hellhole unless we adopt Singapore-style public canings so you can certainly expect to hear a different view on this thread (I’m going to assume for now this is a bona fide question and not a softball for those people to tee off on).

OP, this is hyperbole. Nobody on this forum is advocating for public canings in MoCo. Some people, like me, follow MoCo politics and therefore we are very aware of the discrepancy between what politicians want (fewer police) and what the county needs (more police). County task forces have called for a 50% reduction in police in the midst of this crime spike. The report suggests fewer police will lead to fewer police-related incidents:
https://montgomerycountymd.gov/rps/Resources/Files/reports/rps-task-force-recommendations-report.pdf

Some of us think this is short-sighted and a bad response to rising crime. Others think this is the right call. You can decide for yourself depending on your own comfort level. You can ignore the PP, however. Nobody is calling for public canings. Some of us would just prefer a more logical and reasonable response to rising crime.

(For what it’s worth, I say move to northern VA. I grew up there and now live in MD. We talk regularly about moving back.)

This is the op. Thanks for sharing the link to this report. I agree that while the authors likely have good intentions, this plan is short sighted and likely contributes to the rise in violent crime. This is why I am concerned that things will get worse not better. Here’s a few snips from the report that stood out to me:

“Lessen police presence on streets as a direct to help diminish impacts of racial bias in interactions with MCPD officers

More than 7 in 10 (72%) respondents supported reallocating funding from the police department to other services within the County.

Conduct a risk assessment of police activities to determine when it is necessary for officers to carry a gun. Conduct a risk assessment audit of policing activities to determine the need for and effectiveness of having all officers carry firearms at all times.

Re-engineer and smart design roadways to enhance safety for persons panhandling

Reduce sworn officer FTEs in police Districts 3 and 4 by 50 % to reduce patrol officer contact with residents in these districts. The more than $12,000,000 saved from these reductions should be shifted by the County Executive 50% to other agencies and departments for quality of life improvements in these districts, including Community Partnerships, Health and Human Services, Housing and Community Affairs, and Recreation; and 50% to a new Community Safety Grants Program that would award grants to residents and local organizations in districts 3 and 4 to complete projects that improve public safety, improve economic conditions and alleviate poverty, and increase community pride.

The reimagined public safety paradigm shifts from policing, prosecution, and incarceration as a default path from which potential violators of laws must qualify for diversion, towards a support-and-serve model as a default premise, with an aim to minimize aggregate harm.”

Ugh. This would be a disaster and reflects some incredibly naive thinking. Is it likely to be implemented?

[Anonymous]

What's the best way to advocate against this plan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's the best way to advocate against this plan?

Call Elrich's office and tell him you want more police. Tell your neighbors to do the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live a block from that CVS and was also a little shocked at that stabbing (they did arrest the guy btw) but I don’t feel unsafe walking around.

Maybe there are reasons for you to live in Va but I donmt thi k fear of violent crime is a reason to stay away from Bethesda.

Of course this forum has people whose mission it is to complain about MoCo politics and policies and who are apparently on a mission to convince everyone MoCo will be a dystopian hellhole unless we adopt Singapore-style public canings so you can certainly expect to hear a different view on this thread (I’m going to assume for now this is a bona fide question and not a softball for those people to tee off on).

OP, this is hyperbole. Nobody on this forum is advocating for public canings in MoCo. Some people, like me, follow MoCo politics and therefore we are very aware of the discrepancy between what politicians want (fewer police) and what the county needs (more police). County task forces have called for a 50% reduction in police in the midst of this crime spike. The report suggests fewer police will lead to fewer police-related incidents:
https://montgomerycountymd.gov/rps/Resources/Files/reports/rps-task-force-recommendations-report.pdf

Some of us think this is short-sighted and a bad response to rising crime. Others think this is the right call. You can decide for yourself depending on your own comfort level. You can ignore the PP, however. Nobody is calling for public canings. Some of us would just prefer a more logical and reasonable response to rising crime.

(For what it’s worth, I say move to northern VA. I grew up there and now live in MD. We talk regularly about moving back.)

This is the op. Thanks for sharing the link to this report. I agree that while the authors likely have good intentions, this plan is short sighted and likely contributes to the rise in violent crime. This is why I am concerned that things will get worse not better. Here’s a few snips from the report that stood out to me:

“Lessen police presence on streets as a direct to help diminish impacts of racial bias in interactions with MCPD officers

More than 7 in 10 (72%) respondents supported reallocating funding from the police department to other services within the County.

Conduct a risk assessment of police activities to determine when it is necessary for officers to carry a gun. Conduct a risk assessment audit of policing activities to determine the need for and effectiveness of having all officers carry firearms at all times.

Re-engineer and smart design roadways to enhance safety for persons panhandling

Reduce sworn officer FTEs in police Districts 3 and 4 by 50 % to reduce patrol officer contact with residents in these districts. The more than $12,000,000 saved from these reductions should be shifted by the County Executive 50% to other agencies and departments for quality of life improvements in these districts, including Community Partnerships, Health and Human Services, Housing and Community Affairs, and Recreation; and 50% to a new Community Safety Grants Program that would award grants to residents and local organizations in districts 3 and 4 to complete projects that improve public safety, improve economic conditions and alleviate poverty, and increase community pride.

The reimagined public safety paradigm shifts from policing, prosecution, and incarceration as a default path from which potential violators of laws must qualify for diversion, towards a support-and-serve model as a default premise, with an aim to minimize aggregate harm.”

Ugh. This would be a disaster and reflects some incredibly naive thinking. Is it likely to be implemented?

I’m the PP who posted the link. Honesty, I doubt it will be implemented. The council had a public forum recently during which county residents called for more police. If anything, this document highlights a contrast between what government and citizens want.

Even if it doesn’t get implemented, it has already had an effect. This illustrates the anti-police environment in the county, one that is responsible for many MCPD vacancies and the decimated recruitment numbers. People don’t want to work for this department because of this hostile atmosphere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in Ashburn near the Dulles corridor. The worse crimes we have is maybe a soccer mom getting a speeding ticket. Besides that, very quiet and safe. Make the move.

Ashburn is the exurbs. No one commutes from Ashburn or Leesburg to DC proper, they all work in Reston/Herndon area. I know a coworker that does the commute, it takes her 2 hours each way.

OP isn’t commuting into DC either, her DH works in the Dulles corridor. Putting aside everything else, this is the top reason to pick VA over MD if OPs DH plans on going into the office occasionally.

+1. One attempt to drive over the American legion bridge on a week day and OP’s husband will be begging to move to Ashburn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Ashburn near the Dulles corridor. The worse crimes we have is maybe a soccer mom getting a speeding ticket. Besides that, very quiet and safe. Make the move.

Not true. You must be a realtor from Ashburn.

[Anonymous]

Working from home may not last forever, and if it does not you'd be much better positioned in NoVa than anywhere in Md.

Great Falls, McLean, Reston, and similar areas have very little serious crime. Tyson's Corner Mall does sometimes experience crime from transients, almost always people from D.C. or sometimes traveling criminals from New York, but the County Police maintain a presence in the Mall and issues are infrequent. Those issues do not spill into residential areas or into other commercial locations.

Fairfax County politicians increasingly lean left, but not to the same extreme extent as those in Montgomery County, and anti-law enforcement activity has thus far mostly been confined to the policies of a left-leaning Commonwealth's Attorney, whose tenure may not endure.

On balance, living in Fairfax or Loudoun County would seem the best match for your priorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi, we lived in Bethesda for years, moved to the midwest, and now we are planning a move back. We really enjoyed Bethesda before and assumed that is where we will return. However, my friends in the area have told me that violent crime is way up: carjackings, armed robbery and glass broken out/vandalism in stores across downtown Bethesda. Last week an employee at the CVS on Wisconsin was stabbed. (Yikes! I used to go to that CVS!) A friend in CC is thinking of moving. We are not interested to spend $$ and feel unsafe going out. My read is that there are some deep problems in Montgomery County leading to the spike in crime and I am concerned that it will get worse.

My husband is in tech and his company's HQ is in the Dulles corridor. His team has always been 100% remote since before the pandemic. However, if we lived near the HQ he would like to go into the office some. Also, I read that violent crime in Fairfax was 1/2 of what it has been in MoCo recently. Housing prices and taxes are also lower in NOVA. They have a more robust police department and their judicial system seems stricter. We don't care about the public schools as we have always done private.

When I write it out like this, NOVA seems like the best choice. However, we have a strong emotional attachment to Bethesda related to our previous years there. I would like to smooth over my unease about violent crime in MoCo but am unsure. Thoughts?

Things have gone really bad in the last 2-3 years, PP. I would not move to the area at all, but if given the chance i'd pick NOVA over DC or MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live a block from that CVS and was also a little shocked at that stabbing (they did arrest the guy btw) but I don’t feel unsafe walking around.

Maybe there are reasons for you to live in Va but I donmt thi k fear of violent crime is a reason to stay away from Bethesda.

Of course this forum has people whose mission it is to complain about MoCo politics and policies and who are apparently on a mission to convince everyone MoCo will be a dystopian hellhole unless we adopt Singapore-style public canings so you can certainly expect to hear a different view on this thread (I’m going to assume for now this is a bona fide question and not a softball for those people to tee off on).

OP, this is hyperbole. Nobody on this forum is advocating for public canings in MoCo. Some people, like me, follow MoCo politics and therefore we are very aware of the discrepancy between what politicians want (fewer police) and what the county needs (more police). County task forces have called for a 50% reduction in police in the midst of this crime spike. The report suggests fewer police will lead to fewer police-related incidents:
https://montgomerycountymd.gov/rps/Resources/Files/reports/rps-task-force-recommendations-report.pdf

Some of us think this is short-sighted and a bad response to rising crime. Others think this is the right call. You can decide for yourself depending on your own comfort level. You can ignore the PP, however. Nobody is calling for public canings. Some of us would just prefer a more logical and reasonable response to rising crime.

(For what it’s worth, I say move to northern VA. I grew up there and now live in MD. We talk regularly about moving back.)

This is the op. Thanks for sharing the link to this report. I agree that while the authors likely have good intentions, this plan is short sighted and likely contributes to the rise in violent crime. This is why I am concerned that things will get worse not better. Here’s a few snips from the report that stood out to me:

“Lessen police presence on streets as a direct to help diminish impacts of racial bias in interactions with MCPD officers

More than 7 in 10 (72%) respondents supported reallocating funding from the police department to other services within the County.

Conduct a risk assessment of police activities to determine when it is necessary for officers to carry a gun. Conduct a risk assessment audit of policing activities to determine the need for and effectiveness of having all officers carry firearms at all times.

Re-engineer and smart design roadways to enhance safety for persons panhandling

Reduce sworn officer FTEs in police Districts 3 and 4 by 50 % to reduce patrol officer contact with residents in these districts. The more than $12,000,000 saved from these reductions should be shifted by the County Executive 50% to other agencies and departments for quality of life improvements in these districts, including Community Partnerships, Health and Human Services, Housing and Community Affairs, and Recreation; and 50% to a new Community Safety Grants Program that would award grants to residents and local organizations in districts 3 and 4 to complete projects that improve public safety, improve economic conditions and alleviate poverty, and increase community pride.

The reimagined public safety paradigm shifts from policing, prosecution, and incarceration as a default path from which potential violators of laws must qualify for diversion, towards a support-and-serve model as a default premise, with an aim to minimize aggregate harm.”

Ugh. This would be a disaster and reflects some incredibly naive thinking. Is it likely to be implemented?

I’m the PP who posted the link. Honesty, I doubt it will be implemented. The council had a public forum recently during which county residents called for more police. If anything, this document highlights a contrast between what government and citizens want.

Even if it doesn’t get implemented, it has already had an effect. This illustrates the anti-police environment in the county, one that is responsible for many MCPD vacancies and the decimated recruitment numbers. People don’t want to work for this department because of this hostile atmosphere.

Indeed.

And, worse, even if the plan doesn't get implemented exactly as proposed, who says some other iteration of the same won't?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi, we lived in Bethesda for years, moved to the midwest, and now we are planning a move back. We really enjoyed Bethesda before and assumed that is where we will return. However, my friends in the area have told me that violent crime is way up: carjackings, armed robbery and glass broken out/vandalism in stores across downtown Bethesda. Last week an employee at the CVS on Wisconsin was stabbed. (Yikes! I used to go to that CVS!) A friend in CC is thinking of moving. We are not interested to spend $$ and feel unsafe going out. My read is that there are some deep problems in Montgomery County leading to the spike in crime and I am concerned that it will get worse.

My husband is in tech and his company's HQ is in the Dulles corridor. His team has always been 100% remote since before the pandemic. However, if we lived near the HQ he would like to go into the office some. Also, I read that violent crime in Fairfax was 1/2 of what it has been in MoCo recently. Housing prices and taxes are also lower in NOVA. They have a more robust police department and their judicial system seems stricter. We don't care about the public schools as we have always done private.

When I write it out like this, NOVA seems like the best choice. However, we have a strong emotional attachment to Bethesda related to our previous years there. I would like to smooth over my unease about violent crime in MoCo but am unsure. Thoughts?

I’ve been in GF for 25 years. Been wonderful here. North Reston, also nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've been hearing a lot about gun battles at Tyson's lately. Sounds very safe.

Metro

[Anonymous]

There’s no reason to live close in counties anymore. Moved to Adamstown. Beautiful, easy living and safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Buy in VA.

Never again ever

Why not ?
OP is going to work in VA and her kids will have a better option for public colleges.
I live in MD but I am recommending VA.

I moved to MOCO for the privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've been hearing a lot about gun battles at Tyson's lately. Sounds very safe.

Fake news.

https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2022/12/16-year-old-boy-faces-gun-charges-after-tysons-corner-incident/

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/rapper-noah-settles-no-savage-fired-3-times-tysons-mall-police/3134395/

[Anonymous]

I’ve been in GF for 25 years. Been wonderful here. North Reston, also nice.

What area would you define as North Reston i.e. what are boundary roads or landmarks that delineate the area?