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The GLLU, MPD’s Gay and Lesbian Liason Unit, serves the District’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender communities. A round-up of the past week’s crime reports—including some Internet hijinx and claims of discrimination by police—below.
DIGNITY THEFT. TUESDAY, FEB. 24 at 2 P.M. A man reports he’s been the victim of a theft! The suspect? A man he met on “an adult-oriented website,” who he then followed-up with at a residence on Kalorama Road. “Upon arriving home, the victim realized his wallet, which contained U.S. currency, credit cards and personal identification cards, was missing from his pants pocket.” The man called his credit card company to cancel his cards, but learned that “one of his credit cards had already been used fraudulently at a local hotel.” The Web site dude “is described as a white male, 47-48 years old, 5’10” tall, 165-170 pounds, with dark eyes and dark and grayish hair.”
* TRANSGENDER POLICY IN ACTION! WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25 at 6 P.M. Police officers located a burglary suspect at 1200 Ingraham Street NW. When police took the suspect to the station for processing, “officers were unable to determine the gender of the arrestee.” Good thing MPD has a policy in place for just such occasions: “the arrestee was handled as directed by the Metropolitan Police Department’s General Order entitled “Handling Interactions with Transgender Individuals.”
* DON’T HATE ME BECAUSE I’M GAY. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25 at 9:15 P.M. Police arrested a man in the 1300 block of Euclid Street NW after a “report of threats.” The next day, the arrestee contacted the GLUU “to report he wished to make a complaint against the responding officers, because he felt he was arrested solely based on his sexual orientation.” Police blotter reads, natch: “Although there was no evidence to support the caller’s assertion, he was provided with multiple ways to file a complaint against the officers, to include filing the complaint with the Metropolitan Police Department, Office of Police Complaints, and District of Columbia Office of Human Rights.”
* DOUBLE THREAT. SATURDAY, FEB. 28 at 3 A.M. Police responded to a club in the 2000 block of 8th Street NW. “Upon arriving on the scene, officers located the male victim in front of the location, suffering from an injury to his nose and face.” The man with the nose “stated he was dancing inside the club when a black male suspect began to crowd the victim on the dance floor. After being confronted by the victim, the suspect punched the victim in the face, causing the injury. The suspect fled outside the club, but attacked the victim a second time, upon the victim exiting the club to seek medical attention.” The suspect has not been located.
* KEEP WALKING. SUNDAY, MARCH 1 at 3:30 A.M. Police responded to 5th and K Streets, NW “for the call of prostitution in the area.” A caller told police, “Several men dressed as women are prostituting in the area.” Police “responded and located five to seven members of the Transgender community walking in the area. The individuals were walking back-and-forth on the sidewalk and crossing the street.” When police tried to contact the folks, they refused to stop and simply street-walked away. “The officers departed the scene, however were summoned one-half hour later for the same complaint. No arrests were made.”
* DATED EX. SUNDAY, MARCH 1. A Columbia Heights man contacted the GLLU “to report continued harassment by his ex-boyfriend.” The victim said he had last dated the ex “more than two years ago,” but that the ex now “has been creating profiles on adult-oriented websites using the victim’s personal information and photographs.”
*ANONYMOUS E-MAILS LIE. MONDAY, MARCH 2. A business owner at “14th Street and Rhode Island Avenue NW” contacted the GLLU “to report he had received a suspicious e-mail message from an anonymous source and e-mail address.” The e-mail “claimed the author was working with the police” and “accused the business of knowingly allowing drug use and sales at the location and specifically identified a suspect.” Helpful tip from the GLLU: “NOTE: Law enforcement officers do not send anonymous emails.”
Photo by One Laptop per Child