Where are the Checks & Balances?

Three incidents on Metro in the last 60 days led to the discovery that the transit agency was using a bad number to reach D.C. emergency dispatchers.

On the evening of the Washington Nationals’ World Series victory parade, Dan Stessel of Metro advised that a manager in Metro’s Rail Operations Control Center called DC 911 to report a fire at the Chinatown station, but was placed on hold which created a delay in dispatching Fire and EMS. During this period, Metro managers were also placed on hold when a rider was trapped in an elevator and again when another passenger was ill.

Metro looked at these delays and raised its concerns with the Office of Unified Communications or OUC, which oversees D.C. 911. The OUC director Karima Holmes testified at a City Council inquiry that Metro was using a number that routed calls to a low-priority queue where they’re placed on hold if the dispatch center is busy.

This is unacceptable! In light of the discovery, the OUC has subsequently provided Metro’s operations center with the same seven-digit emergency number used by neighboring 911 centers in MD and VA. Metro has verified that it now has the correct number to reach emergency responders in DC and every other jurisdiction it serves.

Comment: This is the Nation’s Capital, and the Office of Unified Communications (OUC) is the hub of emergency services for the citizens and visitors of the District of Columbia. Is this the best we can do, where are the checks and balances? There should be someone at the OUC charged with creating and maintaining a revolving schedule of information and service updates that gets distributed on a regular basis to all neighboring emergency services agencies (Police-Fire-EMS) to also include the areas Water and Power companies.

Filed under: Commentary

Here Come Da’ Judge!

Yesterday, a Fairfax County Virginia judge gave 18 year old Nebiyu Ebrahim 99 years, that’s 99 with two “N’s”,  for murdering his ex-girlfriend Jholie Moussa. Well the Concerned Citizen says hooray for da’ judge because he wasn’t about to let this mope skate after several years of incarceration. This is a no-nonsense sentence that we can all be proud of. Now let’s see if our DC judges take notice and get TUFF on violent crime, no matter what the offender’s age is.

Filed under: Local Crime

Alero Restaurant?

After hearing good things about the food at “Alero”, a Mexican restaurant in DC, our team here at The Concerned Citizen was all set to book reservations for our annual company luncheon, that is until we saw the news on Fox5 DC this morning advising that this company has a racist policy that requires their waiters to ask BLACKS for an ID & Credit Card and secure same before their food is even served. WHO DOES THAT? There’s no place in the District of Columbia for racism of any kind. We booked at “Cactus Cantina” on Wisconsin Avenue instead.

To read the entire article as reported, click here… Lauren DeMarco @Fox5DC.com:

Filed under: Around Town

Thanks to our Mayor, Lyft and Uber will soon cost you more!

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser released her new budget proposal, which includes details on how the District would pay for Metro. More than $80 million would come from increasing taxes on sales, commercial property and ride-sharing services, such as Uber and Lyft. Under the $14.5 billion budget, DC would raise a handful of taxes to come up with a large chunk of the $178.5 million it would give Metro each year. More than $80 million would come from increasing taxes on sales, commercial property and ride-sharing services, such as Uber and Lyft.

Really Mayor Bowser, aren’t DC citizens already taxed enough? City services are terrible, residential parking is all but non-existent, and the ticket writers are like ravenous dogs lurking in the shadows waiting to strike. The city makes zillions from parking, red light, and speed camera tickets. Why are you asking DC citizens foot the bill for rebuilding “METRO” when Metro’s problems were caused by years of DC government mismanagement?

Filed under: Around Town

Carjacked, Raped, then Frozen!

According to D.C. police, a woman was approached by a man while she was sitting in her car last night in Southeast on Buena Vista Terrace, near the D.C. border with Maryland. The man displayed hand gun, then got into her car and forced her to drive to a secluded area where he raped her. Then the suspect made the victim drive to another location in Anacostia Park where he forced her exit the vehicle and jump into the freezing river. U.S. Park Police Sgt. James Dingeldein advised that the suspect later fled the scene in the victim’s black 2016 Toyota Camry, DC tag FB0193. The suspect was described as a thin black male in black jeans and black jacket with a hooded shirt under the jacket. DC police asks that anyone who can identify this individual to call (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to 50411.

Filed under: Local Crime