Agenda

1. Police Report for the NAC 3 area

2. Matt Bowman—presentation on the City of Frederick’s new GIS system

3. Darlene Mongelli— overview of her experience with the Citizen’s Police Academy

4. NAC 3 news

Welcome – Connie Pryor

Introduction to NAC, the board and what areas comprise NAC3

Police Department Summary

Presenter: Sgt. Earl Rocca

* There was a big drug bust on Country Court in Amber Meadows; several people were arrested. This resulted from an ongoing investigation.

* The multiple drug arrests recently made in the Hillcrest area were done through a joint effort of State, County and City law enforcement agencies. Frederick City Police didn’t orchestrate these arrests; however, they helped provide manpower.

* There have been a number of car windows being smashed all over the City of Frederick. Four of these occurred in the NAC 3 area; however, the incidents are no different from those that have happened in other areas of the City. There were also some eggings, which Sgt. Rocca says usually end around Halloween. Eggings are a “seasonal” crime. This year, possibly because the weather has stayed warm, the eggings have continued longer than usual.

* There is still no news about, or suspects charged for, the vandalism to Rev. Conyers property in Amber Meadows. The graffiti, or tagging, that was painted in the house was J-Bock or J Block City tagging by a gang that seems to have originated in Brunswick. Sgt. Marker (the Frederick Police gang specialist) is trying to track down names of those belonging to this gang.

* Sgt. Rocca brought a handout to show residents what sort of computer printout the police officers get when going on duty. It summarizes the latest incidents and calls.

* If a resident is going to be out of town for an extended period of time, he/she can request that Frederick Police do a residence check during his/her absence. The check means that an officer will walk around the residence once a day to be sure there are no signs of break-ins. These checks are not performed at a set time; they are conducted when officers become available.

* Connie presented Sgt. Rocca with a framed certificate of appreciation to thank him for his and/or his officers being present at each NAC 3 meeting to answer questions and keep residents informed of developments.

GIS System

Matt Bowman, the City’s information technology GIS administrator, gave an excellent presentation on the City’s new GIS System. He demonstrated, via visual aids, how to use the System’s various features.

The System features two maps. One presents information about a particular area or property within the City. The other one pinpoints crimes that have occurred throughout the City (e.g., murders, rapes, aggravated assaults, burglaries, robberies, thefts, etc. This map also shows where police and schools are located.

Matt demonstrated how to use the Layer List Information. Some of these functions help users locate property within the City. The system is connected to the State of Maryland’s Real Estate and Property Taxes records, making it possible to determine the owner of a property as well as its ownership history.

At this time, the City can’t tap into the FCPS System because of the fear of viruses.

GIS crime statistics usually run about two months behind their occurrence because it takes time to confirm incidents and update the system.

Connie presented Matt with a certificate of appreciation for helping to educate NAC 3 residents on this important City resource.

Citizens Police Academy

Darlene Mongelli, a long-time Amber Meadows resident, works for the Department of Justice. One of her duties is to disperse grant monies to help police departments strengthen their relationship with the community. Darlene decided to see firsthand how the money was being used, and so she signed up for the City of Frederick’s Citizens Police Academy.

Darlene initially thought she would go to only one or two meetings. However, she had such a good time and learned so much that she attended every class. She then shared humorous and informative examples of her experience. She highly recommends that other residents participate in the annual program.

Darlene was impressed with how patient and professional the police were at all times, and she came away with a greater appreciation for the challenges they face. She said that the City’s police department gets quite a bit of grant money from the Dept. of Justice, and after seeing firsthand all that City police do, she will be watchful for any extra money she can bring Frederick’s way.

NAC 3 news

* Stephanie Davis, the NACs’ community outreach specialist, was asked if there was any news regarding a bus to transport Amber Meadows students to T.J. High School. Residents had brought this item up at a previous meeting. Residents consider the two-mile walk to be dangerous, as students have to cross heavily trafficked intersections at which there is a continuous flow of traffic or where cars do not yield to pedestrians. This is particularly pressing at the intersection of Rt. 15 and Motter Avenue. Stephanie said the Mayor will make a request to FCPS for a bus to transport the students.

* Connie asked if anyone would be interested in serving as a NAC liaison to the City/County as plans continue to be laid for the completion of the Christophers Crossing/T.J. Drive extension/intersection. Upon completion, Christophers Crossing will feed into an overpass over Rt. 15, which, in turn, will connect with Monocacy Boulevard.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned with two raffles. The winners were Ann Thomas Palmer and Nancy Sue Phillips.

Next NAC 3 meeting

Because of the holidays, NAC 3 will not meet in December and January. It will next meet on Monday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m., at Monocacy Elementary School. Our special guest will be Det. Marker, gang specialist for the Frederick Police.

To learn more: www.cityoffrederick.com. On the left-hand side, scroll down to the “Neighborhood Advisory Council” link and then click on the “NAC3” sub link.