DC Police Helping to Plan Safer Developments

• September 4, 2012

by Shilpi Paul

From The Wharf’s Stage 2 Phase 1 PUD Application.

DC’s dark alleys and shadowy parks provide criminals with convenient hiding places and can make the police force’s job much more difficult. With so many new developments popping up around DC, Police Chief Cathy Lanier is taking the opportunity to build neighborhoods that are safer from the start.

As reported in the Washington Post recently, police commanders are working with Hoffman-Madison, developers of The Wharf, SW’s massive waterfront complex, to create a safety plan that minimizes opportunities for crime.

Police commanders are weighing in on everything from surveillance cameras, sight lines, doorway openings, and the best routes for bike-patrolling cops.

From the Post:

[Project developer Monty] Hoffman said he learned a lot from his meetings with Hickson and Lanier. And he is acting on their input; at present, he is working to eliminate dark nooks from his plan. Still, not every police suggestion is embraced. Police, Hoffman said, want restaurateurs to forgo romantic street lighting in favor of brighter lamps. He is seeking a compromise. “Restaurants want romance,” Hoffman said. “Safety wants lights.”

The Wharf is a 3.2 million square foot, $2 billion development that will bring apartments, condos, offices, cultural event venues, a hotel and extensive parks and boardwalks to an area of the SW quadrant that is currently underutilized.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/police_help_plan_safer_developments/5977