Hyattsville Police Officers Shed Light On Crime In Town

Here are some leftovers from the Hyattsville Police Department's crime meeting on July 20. Some HPD officers talk about issues facing the city recently.

How Many Are People Who Commit Crimes Are Coming In From Outside Hyattsville?

Det. Scott Ratty: “We get a good mix of where offenders are coming from. Some from [Washington], D.C., some from other areas of P.G. Locals are fewer.

“We have a lot of transit offenders. A lot of the folks that we’re having issues with here … folks are riding the Metros and stopping off in the Silver Spring area or going into D.C. So very, very transient.”

A Place Where Crime is Not Easy

Ratty: “Target probably has some of the most sophisticated surveillance equipment of anywhere. The odds of getting caught at a Target are pretty, pretty good.”

Officer James Denault: Property crimes are the most frequently reported crimes in the U.S. It is estimated that 99 percent of us will be victims of some form of theft.

“Burglaries are one of the hardest crimes to solve.

“Residential burglars are often male teens who live near your home. They are opportunists who look for easy targets. If the risk of detection is too high, the average burglar will not attempt to enter your home.”

General Burglary Statistics:

• Burglars break into a house, apartment or condo every 11 seconds.

• 60% of residential burglaries occur during the daylight hours.

• July has greatest number of burglaries recorded and February has the least.

Cpl. Mike Rudinski: Robbery involves people, whereas burglary does not.

The average street robber is in the late teens or early 20s. Almost half are under 21 and they are usually male.

They look for victims with money or valuables or who appear vulnerable and unaware of their immediate surroundings or seem lost.

The seek people on their cell phones, rummaging through bags or using MP3 players.

“MP3 players are very, very dangerous to be wearing in public. It diverts your attention from your surroundings. We’re finding that many people are being robbed of their MP3 players.”

“It’s so important that you listen to that because your body, your mind your senses, sometimes act in ways that you don’t even know.”