(Updated at 12:20 p.m.) Mountain bike officers in the Capitol Hill area are getting kudos from their boss after arrests they made this month.

Bike cops helped apprehend 20-year old Trevonta Deon Barnes of Suitland, Md., on March 17 and a boy on March 11 in connection with crimes committed in the Metropolitan Police Department’s First District, which includes most of the Capitol Hill area, according to authorities.

“The advantages of the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) bike patrols are vast,” First District Commander Robert Contee said in a statement released yesterday. “They make almost no noise, so perpetrators of crime have less time to react to their presence. Bike officers remain an important asset to the MPD team by patrolling communities quickly and safely.”

Barnes was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful entry of a vehicle on the 700 block of 13th Street SE in Hill East, police said. Lawyer Kenneth Auerbach, who is representing Barnes, declined to comment.

The boy was charged in a robbery on 200 block of N Street SW.

A scammer who wears a suit and a tie and calls himself “your neighbor Bruce” is reportedly swindling locals out of cash and Metro cards.

Mark Beach, Assistant Patrol District Commander for MPD’s First District, warned locals of the ruse in an email sent over the district’s listserv Friday.

The First Police District was made aware of suspicious activity occurring in our community that involves an individual identifying himself as “your neighborBruce“, a nicely dressed (suit and tie) adult male who claims to live around the corner asking to use your phone to call around to various neighbors who had copies of his house key.

This subject “Bruce” claims to have gone outside to empty the cats litter box and his door blew closed, locking him out of his house with his keys, wallet, and phone left inside. He further explains that he has a spare set of keys in his car which he left in Springfield, Virginia and that he could Metro to Franconia and take a taxi to his car if you would loan him some money. He has been successful in obtaining both cash and Metro Fare Cards from caring and compassionate neighbors.

A man named “Gene” with a similar story reportedly swindled locals in Shaw last month.

Locals are encouraged to call police if they see “Bruce” and provide “a detailed description” or a photo of the man, if possible.

“We strongly urge you not to allow this individual in your home or car and do not advocate handing over your phone for this individual to make calls,” Beach concluded in his e-mail to residents. “Again please call 9-1-1 immediately.”

Capitol Hill-area residents are slated to meet with representatives of the Metropolitan Police Department next week to discuss crime in the community.

The First District Police Citizens Advisory Council is scheduled to hold a public meeting with law enforcement officials at MPD’s First District station (101 M St. SW) Tuesday. The First District includes much of the Capitol Hill area.

The discussion, which is set to run from 7 to 8 p.m., will include presentations from police and time for questions from locals.

The resident-run council has asked for a “detailed analysis” on the effect crime is having on First District neighborhoods, Bobby Pittman, the organization’s chairman, said in an email. The group also has requested that the U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Park Police and Metro Transit Police give their thoughts on crime trends.

“We are concerned with every crime report and every victim, and we work with all law enforcement agencies to eradicate the opportunity for anyone to become a victim,” he said.

Capitol Hill Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in the Capitol Hill area. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out our event submission form.

For more events, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Tuesday

Metropolitan Police Department’s First District National Night Out

Folger Park (3rd and D streets SE)

Time: 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Learn about safety and meet with citizen volunteers, friends and neighbors.

Wednesday

‘Stomp the Yard’ on NoMa Summer Screen

Thursday

Canal Park Outdoor Movie: ‘Pitch Perfect’
Canal Park (200 M St. SE)
Time: 7-10 p.m.

Have a picnic and see “Pitch Perfect″ for free as part of the Canal Park Outdoor Movie Series.

Sunday

‘Bring Back Joy’ Trapeze Circus

Trapeze School New York – Washington DC (4th and Tingey streets SE)

Time: 6:30 p.m. (doors), 8:30 p.m. (show starts)

Experience circus action, get your face painted and eat some Nando’s Peri-Peri chicken, all while raising money for “Clowns Without Borders.”

Photo via Facebook/Trapeze School New York – Washington DC

A group of illegal ATVs charged at a police car near NoMa last week, after an officer tried to stop one of them, the area’s top law enforcement official said last night.

The encounter happened on the 100 block of M Street NW about 8 p.m. Memorial Day, Metropolitan Police Department First District Commander Jeff Brown said at a community meeting last night.

The officer involved in the incident went against MPD policy in an attempt to stop what he thought was a single ATV, Brown said. Although D.C. Code prohibits all ATV riding on public property in the District, an MPD safety policy bars officers from stopping or chasing the vehicles.

When the officer approached the ATV, about a half-dozen of the vehicles arrived and surrounded him, Brown said. The officer then retreated to his car, which the ATVs hit.

The officer didn’t receive any injuries, Brown said. But the ATVs scratched the car’s front bumper.

Police have no suspect information.

Under MPD’s plan for illegal ATV and dirt bikes, officers who see the vehicles drive past them should relay information about the incident to their colleagues, who use cameras and other tools to safely identify the riders, Brown has said.

“They may get a free ride of their ATVs for that particular day,” he said last night. “But once we get them identified, we present the warrant and go from there.”

Maryland Avenue NE has a new camera to catch speeders.

The Metropolitan Police Department installed the camera on the 700 block of Maryland Avenue, near the Northeast Neighborhood Library. The device will monitor cars driving on the street’s southwest-bound lanes, which have a speed limit of 25 miles per hour.

Police won’t start writing speeding tickets until June, however. Starting today, speeders only will receive warnings, until a 30-day education phase is over.

The devices are among six new speed cameras that police revealed Friday. The Maryland Avenue camera is the only new one in MPD’s First District, which includes Capitol Hill and Near Northeast

The First District now has more than two dozen of the devices, including cameras on the 600 and 1200 blocks of Maryland Avenue NE.

Photo via Google Maps

The middle school on 7th Street SW was burglarized earlier this month.

Police distributed video today that appears to show a young man fleeing Jefferson Academy Middle School with a computer monitor under his arm.

The person of interest can be seen on video walking past lockers inside the 801 7th St. SW school. With his sneakers in his hands, he appears to try to open locked doors in a hallway, stops to use a water fountain and then walks down stairs with the monitor and some computer accessories. The burglary occurred about 4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 5, police said today.

The person of interest was wearing a dark T-shirt and black shorts with a white stripe on each leg. He appeared to wear red compression pants under the shorts.

No one from the school was immediately available to comment.

Jefferson has 277 student this school year, according to D.C. Public Schools.

Crime Solvers of Washington, DC currently offers a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for a crime committed in the District of Columbia. Your assistance is appreciated by your community. CCN 15-047-752.

Anyone who can identify these individuals or who has knowledge of this incident should take no action but call police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411.

Video via the Metropolitan Police Department

(Updated at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday) A trio of armed robbers stole a tip jar from Manny & Olga’s Pizza on the H Street corridor early Tuesday morning, after they failed to empty the cash register.

Three people in ski masks, one armed with a handgun, held up the pizza shop at 1409 H St. NE about 3:15 a.m., police said.

The suspects ordered a Manny & Olga’s employee to open the cash register, but after several attempts, the register would not open, police said in an update.

The thwarted thieves made off with the business’s tip jar instead and then drove away in a gray car.

A boy under 18 was arrested Tuesday for participating in the crime and six other armed robberies throughout D.C. that morning, police said in an update. The juvenile, whose name was not released, was charged with three counts of robbery of an establishment, three counts of armed robbery and one count of armed carjacking.

A dayshift worker at Manny & Olga’s, who declined to give his name, said workers do not have free access to the cash registers. Police visited the business today to pick up surveillance video of the incident.

No one was injured, a Metropolitan Police Department spokeswoman said.

Manny & Olga’s corporate office did not respond to an inquiry.

Photo via Google Maps

(Updated at 4:20 p.m.) The number of robberies reported on Capitol Hill is up, so the First District is putting more officers on the street.

Police are cracking down on a surge in robberies that falls mostly within Police Service Area 107, First District Cmdr. Jeff Brown said at a community meeting last night.

Between about 5:30 p.m. and 2 a.m. daily, 12 officers are on patrol in the area bordered by 6th Street NE, E Street NE, 14th Street NE and G Street SE. When statistics show that crime in that area is particularly high, as many as 24 officers will patrol the targeted zone, Brown said.

“I hope we will continue to see a downward trend here,” he said. “I was looking at the maps, and they do look pretty good.”

Thirteen robberies, including those in which a gun was used, were committed in PSA 107 in the past 60 days. Eight robberies occurred in the previous 60-day period, police statistics show.

An additional seven officers on bikes are also patrolling the targeted zone, Brown said.

Mayor Muriel Bowser’s budget proposal has the police chief’s OK.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier spoke in favor of Bowser’s budget proposal for public safety, in remarks at a community meeting last night.

“What we’ve got in this budget overall is excellent for us,” Lanier said at a First District Citizens Advisory Council meeting held at the station house.

“[Bowser] put $2.9 million back in the budget to help me push cops back out,” Lanier said regarding a proposal to create 48 new positions for civilians, which will move officers back onto streets.

Lanier also praised the $2.5 million plan to retain officers through college tuition assistance and forgiveness.

“An officer that has a college degree is a better police officer,” she said.

The police chief said she expects the proposed $5.1 million initiative to equip officers with body cameras will cut complaints about police misconduct.

“Everyone acts better when there’s a camera,” Lanier said.

Bowser’s budget proposal for financial year 2016, released Thursday, would raise the Metropolitan Police Department’s operating budget from about $513.6 million approved in financial year 2015 to $538.3 million. The entire budget must be approved by D.C. Council.

Drivers on South Capitol Street will have to watch out for new speed cameras near Nationals Park, police said yesterday.

The cameras will look for speeders on the 1400 block of South Capitol Street in Southeast and Southwest. The speed limit in the area is 25 miles per hour.

Police won’t start writing speeding tickets until next month, however. Starting today, speeders only will receive warnings, until a 30-day education phase is over.

The devices are among six new speed cameras that police disclosed Sunday. The South Capitol Street cameras are the only new ones in the Metropolitan Police Department’s First District, which includes Navy Yard and Capitol Hill.

MPD now has more than two dozen speed cameras in the First District.

Photo via Flickr/spacedust2019

Police are investigating after a man was found with a gunshot wound near Sherwood Recreation Center yesterday afternoon.

First District officers responded to the 600 block of 10th Street NE about 4:50 p.m. Thursday. A man was found with a wound to his “lower extremity” — that is, leg or foot — police said last night.

The incident is being investigated as an “injured person to hospital,” not an assault with a dangerous weapon, which indicates the shooting may have been accidental. Police did not immediately respond to an inquiry.

In other Near Northeast crime news, a boy of about 13 or 14 years old committed a robbery last night at 8th and H streets NE. The crime occurred about 5:40 p.m., police said. The suspect was described as having black hair and a light complexion, and standing about 4-foot-2.

Both violent crime and property crime in Police Service Area 104 rose in the past 60 days, compared with the previous 60-day period. Reports of violent crime rose from 6 to 23, and reports of property crimes jumped from 108 to 128, police data shows.

People were robbed this weekend near three schools on Capitol Hill and in Near Northeast.

A woman was robbed and attacked with pepper spray near Options Public Charter School late Saturday night.

The men attacked the woman outside about 11 p.m. Saturday on the 1300 block of E Street NE, police said. They stole her purse, police said. The victim declined medical attention.

Authorities described the suspects as black men. One had an afro and was wearing a blue hoodie, and another suspect wore a red baseball hat. Police didn’t share details on what the other two men were wearing.

In addition to the Metro worker stabbed at the Stadium-Armory station Sunday, police gave details on these crimes in the First District this weekend:

• A violent robbery occurred near Eliot-Hine Middle School in Northeast Friday night. Three thieves committed the crime about 9:30 p.m. on the 1800 block of Constitution Avenue NE. Police described the thieves as black males between the ages of 17 to 23, wearing dark clothing.

• Two juveniles with a gun robbed a man near Watkins Elementary School Sunday night. The robbery occurred about 9 p.m. on the 400 block of 12th Street SE.

Police are trying to stop illegal ATV and dirt bike riders from buzzing through Near Northeast and the rest of the First District.

Speaking at a community meeting last night, Cmdr. Jeff Brown asked locals to report packs of dirt bike riders. He told residents that officers are committed to cracking down on riders, though Metropolitan Police Department policy bars officers from chasing the vehicles.

“Don’t get discouraged if you see them flying past an officer in a scout car,” Brown said.

When police see an ATV or dirt bike zoom past, they relay information about the incident to their colleagues, who use other means to safely prevent future rides, Brown said, without elaborating. Street-mounted cameras also have helped authorities identify drivers.

D.C. Code prohibits all ATV and dirt bike riding on public property in the District.

Less than half an hour after Brown spoke at Miner Elementary School on 15th Street NE, Hill Now spotted about five ATV and dirt bike riders speeding and revving their engines past The Argonaut.

Three teenagers riding in a black SUV tried to commit a robbery Saturday afternoon on Capitol Hill.

The teens hit a victim about 1:30 p.m. Saturday on the 600 block of Acker Place NE, police said. The would-be thieves range in age from 15 to 17. Police described the teens as black young men with thin builds. They were last seen in a black SUV with a Maryland temporary license plate.

In addition to the father carjacked outside Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School on Friday night, police shared details on three other crimes in the First District this weekend:

• Two young men robbed a couple at gunpoint early Sunday morning. The couple was sitting in a car on the 1200 block of G Street NE about 2 a.m. when they were approached by two men. The men wearing masks both flashed handguns, and the couple handed over cash. The suspects were described as black men age 18 to 25. The victims were not injured, police said.

• A man working on 13th Street NE near the H Street corridor threatened a coworker with a knife. Police said the coworkers were arguing about 12:45 p.m. Sunday when one man pulled a knife and tried to attack the other. The suspect was arrested and no one was injured, police said.

• A robbery occurred about 5 p.m. Sunday on the 500 block of 12th Street NE. Police were searching for a black man about 19 years old who had dark skin, short hair and stood 5-foot-8. He was spotted driving a light green Toyota CXL with the D.C. plate DB3087. Additional information was not immediately available.