At risk of sounding cliche, it is sometimes the case that the best way to fight fire is with fire. While this particular incident did not involve the brandishing or use of a weapon, many such robberies or attempted robberies in the Georgetown area do. Should the Supreme Court decide to uphold the decision of the US Court of Appeals in overturning the DC Handgun Ban, it is not unreasonable to suggest that concerned Georgetown students should take the initiative of arming themselves while residing in the veritable warzone that is the District of Columbia.

The Metropolitan Police Department has repeatedly proven itself impotent in dealing with the threat of crime in our neighborhood -- largely the result of a gross lack of focus and misallocation of resources. DPS, as far as protective forces go, is nothing more than a farce. By neglecting their respective mandates to ensure the safety of the community, these organization leave students with few options -- namely, leave, or take matters into your own hands. With any help from the Supreme Court, the latter will become a more viable option.

As it stands, there are few disincentives associated with perpetrating crime in Georgetown. The large student population exhibits many of the characteristics prized by felons: generally affluent, somewhat careless, relatively trusting, and far more likely to give in than to fight back. The downside to preying on this population is virtually nonexistent. Criminals must view the "threat" of law enforcement much as children view the "threat" of getting coal in one's stocking at Christmas - in the back of one's mind, but not very likely to influence one's behavior in any meaningful way. And why would it? The likelihood of being apprehended is negligible, and in the off chance that one is caught, the reputation of the court system in DC would provide little cause for concern. The risk-reward profile for committing a crime in Georgetown must make doing so a no-brainer for a would-be criminal.

In this environment, it stands to reason that the only thing violent offenders would understand or fear is the threat of violence itself. It wouldn't take long for news to spread within the community of criminals that one of their colleagues, in trying to rob an innocuous-looking college student, found himself (or, herself, in the case of this incident) staring down the barrel of a loaded Glock. Make no mistake, after hearing of several such incidents of foiled robberies, the risk-reward profile associated with targeting a Georgetown student would surely change for the average DC criminal.

The so-called deterrents, Metro and DPS, have been ineffective at changing the risk-reward dynamics of committing crime in our neighborhood. But students, by exercising their Second Amendment rights (when and if sanctioned by SCOTUS), have a much better chance of doing so.

You poor misguided child,
I'm quite sure that you don't realize that nearly 90% of the law enforcement resources in the Georgetown area are used in order maintenance roles and are not available for crime prevention, investigation and interdiction. And most of the order maintenance required is running to complaints of large loud house parties where drunken students run amuck at all hours of the night. And let’s not forget about the nightly parade of students, at bar closing time, making their way from the bars and house parties to the university, screaming and destroying property as they go. If you, as a temporary resident want more from the police, you should stop wasting their time with your childish behavior and try to help instead of commenting on subjects that you obviously know nothing about. With regard to your suggestion that students should be armed, that's ridiculous. If you want a gun why not join the military and earn the rights you enjoy that others have and are still fighting for.

I'm quite sure you haven't perfected the skill of close, careful reading. I do certainly realize that an inordinate amount of Metro's resources are devoted to "order maintenance" - hence the comment about a marked lack of focus and misallocation of resources. Therein lies the problem.

What you fail to realize is that the problem at hand is not one created or even exacerbated by students. There are individuals from neighborhoods quite far removed from Georgetown that have made a practice of walking the streets of Georgetown in search of targets to rob, assault, or otherwise victimize. They exist totally independently of the student population and would perpetrate their crimes whether or not students inhabited the area. Simply, Metro has and has always had a choice: focus on doing the real work of preventing violent crime, or target alcohol and noise violations in an effort to justify its existence. The problem with doing the former is that, frankly, it is hard - it involves risking officers' lives to protect others, trying to understand and disrupt patterns of crime that are more complex than merely walking from campus to M St. in the hopes of getting a drink, and potentially clogging DC's already-crowded jails with offenders whose crimes would require them to serve time rather than pay a fine. Clearly, this is far too much effort for Metro to expend. Instead, Metro can justify its existence in spite of failing to protect the community from real dangers, by engaging in a PR campaign to "crack down on the incessant problem of student drinking". And why wouldn't they? This is, after all, a far easier approach: it is much easier to figure out where a student will go to find a drink than it is to figure out where a potential mugger will go to find his next victim, it is far less likely that the student will pull a gun on a cop, and it is far easier to show "results" to taxpayers in the form of statistics showing an increase in civil arrests for alcohol or noise violations (as opposed to criminal arrests for violent crime, which arrests, we've established, are far harder to secure). Any resident of Georgetown, permanent or temporary, should be absolutely outraged that Metro has consciously made this decision in favor of "maintaining order", much to the detriment of actual public safety.

Moreover, you must realize that students are not the only patrons of the Georgetown neighborhood bars, and many of the arrests made in the name of maintaining order every week do not involve students at all. But even if you could conclusively prove that students were solely to blame, your point would still fail to pass the reasonability test: To suggest that students as a group are somehow less deserving of the full protection of the judicial system is nothing short of ludicrous.

Finally, it seems as though the last sentence of your post is devoid of even a shred of common sense, reasonability, or relevance. Last I checked, military service was not a prerequisite for enjoying the full benefit of the rights afforded by the US Constitution. That is, after all, part of the beauty of our system of government. The proud service of the brave men and women of our military is not in question here, and has absolutely nothing to do with the crime wave presently seizing our nation's capital. Further, protection of one's person and property domestically is easily as valid and legitimate a reason to keep and bear arms as is the furtherance of our nation's foreign policy. There seems to be little wrong with suggesting that carrying a firearm (if sanctioned by the law) would be an effective way for a resident of Georgetown, student or otherwise, to protect himself or herself in the face of the danger we all face on a nightly basis.

Perhaps you should take a little more care in the future before throwing around terms like "misguided", and consider just how ridiculous your own views might sound.

There is nothing I appreciate more than an entitled Georgetown student clamoring to carry a glock while ignoring the fact that DC exists more or less in a state of racial and economic apartheid.

I fail to see the point in this statement. Is this alleged state of 'apartheid', whether or not it in fact exists, a reason not to protect oneself? Irrespective of its roots in some social injustice, the fact remains that residents of the District face the threat of violent crime on a daily basis. A threat is a threat is a threat. If someone approaches you with a weapon and demands your belongings, my guess is that you are not going to take the time to discuss the perpetrator's background with him, and determine whether his motivations for jacking your ass stem from some socioeconomic imbalance. Rather, you will probably defend yourself against the attempted robbery with nary a thought given to the systematic ills facing the District at large. As well you should.

I will grant that this city faces a vast number of social ills which desperately need to be addressed. However, addressing these ills is separate from the more immediate need to protect one's person and property while going about one's daily business. After all, person who is fully committed to correcting the economic and racial injustices in DC is not likely to do a whole lot of good if he or she is killed on O Street by an overzealous mugger. (And do not accuse me of overreacting - granted, over the past few years, those who have been shot by muggers in West Georgetown have been lucky enough to survive, but at this rate, it seems like only a matter of time until one victim does not.)

Moreover, what you think we should do instead of "clamoring to carry a glock" [sic] is unclear. Are you suggesting that we should simply make ourselves victims, comply with the demands of would-be attackers and hand over all of our possessions, all in the name of combating what you have so colorfully termed 'apartheid'?

Further, assuming that the person posting the message to which you replied is entitled (if he or she is even a student to begin with) is hasty and foolish. The Georgetown University community is remarkably diverse, both racially and socioeconomically -- and certainly not every member of said community can be considered 'entitled' in any absolute sense. (And while we're on the topic, consider the irony of a student who sees a degree from a prestigious university as an opportunity to escape the poverty and violence of their home neighborhood, only to come to Georgetown to be shot by a mugger.)

Yes, Georgetown needs to make sure that doors are locking properly, but students need to do their parts, as well. Stop leaving the door unlocked for your roommates and pay out the $50 and get a new key before you pay out more for your stolen items. Lock the doors at ALL times, even if you're at home. Be familiar with your roommates' friends. Know when to expect visitors. Be responsible adults. There is only so much Georgetown, DPS, and Metro can do.

Nothing like an ad hominem attack!

Yes, I'm sure word would spread quickly in the "community of criminals" about news of one of their "colleagues." They would quickly gather and hold a roundtable discussion with the major criminal community leaders.

Is that supposed to be funny? It seems as though the original poster's attempt to apply standard, intellectualized terms to the discussion was utterly lost upon you.

Word 'spreading' among the criminals might take the following form:

Criminal 1: Yo, you heard that [name] done got shot by some college kid he was tryin' to rob? Kid looked all innocent, like was gonna just run his sh*t without puttin' up a fight. But when [name] tried jackin' him, the dude pulled out a heater and said he was gonna blast his ass if he tried anything. Kid called the po-po and waited for them to come. [Name]'s locked up now.
Criminal 2: Oh dip, I guess you never know who be strapped these days. Damn, son, we gonna have to find some other way to make money.

The point here is that communication, regardless of formality, will inevitably take place among those committing crimes. While no 'roundtables' are involved, the effect is entirely the same - if residents of Georgetown arm themselves, word will spread among the perpetrators in the area, and behavior would change accordingly.

Perhaps the temporary residents of Georgetown should attempt to show more deference to the town's more established resident, Georgetown University. After all, the university was here long before the residents. Indeed, it existed before Washington in its present form. But no matter. Better to parasite off of the town Georgetown University built than to acknowledge their valued, though slightly inconvenient place, of directing the police to fight, rather than protect, students. Perhaps if Georgetown Students began robbing Georgetown residents, rather than hosting parties, priorities would change.

This situation is clearly an ongoing lack of effort on the part of the University. Lights that function and cameras would go along way.

Have you ever used the library steps at night? A moron high as a kite would know that is prime real estate for robbing someone.

DPS? Why aren't they armed,very visible and connected real time to MPD communications? I was amazed a student was assaulted two blocks from campus and DPS was called but would not respond? I want to know why?

If the holiday season brings out the criminals why aren't patrols increased. If students who are supposed to be focused on finals can't safely move around their own campus and walk a short distance home at night, It a huge University problem.

As a Parent, I want something done about it. Now