|
Between April 11 and 13, people walking alone in Georgetown were robbed of purses and iPods. In two of the incidents, victims reported the robber was armed.
Several days later, three men reported robberies of cell phones and iPods while walking in the Northwest neighborhood. The alleged perpetrators, all reported to be men, were later arrested and determined to be from Maryland, according to news reports. A total of six robberies occurred between April 11 and 17. Three victims were men while the same amount were women.
In response to these crimes, the Metropolitan Police Department released community alerts to notify District residents about the crimes and urge them to exercise caution.
Many GW students living in the Georgetown area said they are accustomed to hearing about crimes in their neighborhood, especially after a large crime wave that hit the area last summer.
Junior Nick Cicchatelli, who lives off M Street, referred to the area as "a late-night gold mine" for robberies because of the upscale crowd that frequents many of the area's bars. He said he still feels safe in the area.
"Unless you are by yourself, there really is no threat," Cicchatelli said.
Nathan Imperiale, a senior who lives on 28th Street in Georgetown, said that despite the crime, he rarely feels unsafe where he lives.
"Living in Georgetown, I feel like it's probably one of the safest places to live in D.C.," Imperiale said.
He added that he was still affected by the recent robbery reports. "Hearing of all these crimes and robberies is a little disconcerting," Imperiale said.
Both Cicchatelli and Imperiale said there are usually many police and security guards patrolling M Street - the main thoroughfare for Georgetown night life - but not as many on the side streets late at night.
