Prince George's County

Prince George’s Community Meeting on Crime Becomes Combative

William J. Ford WI Staff Writer

An amiable conversation addressing ways to combat crime in Prince George’s County turned emotional at Creative Suitland, one of the county’s designated safe spaces for children and young adults in the jurisdiction.

It began after counselor Dr. Shryl Whigman summarized mental health, behavioral and other services available for youth and young adults in the county.

The last six minutes of the estimated 90-minute discussion on Thursday, April 15 ended in shouting.

“What are we doing about the homelessness in P.G. County? What are we doing about the P.G. police brutality?” Kenneth Clark, a local activist from Oxon Hill, yelled in the back of the room.

County Executive Angela Alsobrooks intervened to respond to one of his questions but Clark yelled “Mic check!” five times.

Alsobrooks attempted to answer a question, again, but Clark said, “It’s a dog and pony show. We have to get real with it and deal with it.”

“Be respectful. Let me answer the question,” Alsobrooks said.

Antonio Mingo of Suitland stood beside Clark and yelled about how residents of the surrounding community weren't in the room.

“I have two kids. I’m here for them,” he said.

Another woman chimed in about not seeing her grandson for two years. Both Clark and Mingo continued to talk.

“The problem is we don’t respect each other. I want to answer the question. Please be respectful of the people who are descending here tonight,” Alsobrooks said.

The Rev. Tony Lee, pastor of Community of Hope AME Church in Temple Hills, served as a

5 Police Chief Malik Aziz (center) chats with Dawn Dalton (right), Nikki Owens and Beverly John confer after a community conversation on crime at Creative Suitland on April 14. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer) panelist to respond to written questions from the audience, walked off the makeshift stage to go outside and talk with Clark. “I have been doing the civilized thing. I’m tired of no one talking about the real issues,” Clark said. After the discussion ended, Mingo walked over to Alsobrooks and apologized for yelling. Mingo highlighted how several Prince George’s County police supervisors in white shirts, local politicians and candidates running for local offices filled some of the seats.

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William J. Ford ARETHA WI Staff Writer

Mayly Cisneros and Tsion Wolde summarized how the First Generation College 5 A

Nonprofit Organizations Seek CDBG Funding in Prince George’s

Bound program helped them Laurel on allowing them to become matriculate SAT tests, financial the first in their families to attend aid process and boost their con- college in the fall. More significantfidence. ly is First Generation receiving a The two high school seniors $50,000 grant that helped students praised the program based in like them. They presented virtual testimony Monday, April 18 before Prince George’s County Council on the jurisdiction’s annual action plan for housing and community development. Money toward the plan would come from Community Development Block Grant [CDBG], HOME Investment Partnership funds and Emergency Solutions Grant. Prince George’s could receive the following amounts from the federal government: $5.6 million in CDBG funds; $3.5 million for HOME; and $880,550 in ESG (county must provide half of the money for emergency solutions). CDBG Page 34

Total amount: $10 million.

Money can be used for various projects such as economic development, affordable housing initiatives and to combat homelessness.

Those who participated in Monday’s hearing made requests for CDBG money. For instance, the proposed resolution from the county executive’s office designates First Generation College Bound for public services, which received $50,000 last year.

Mayly, a student at DuVal High School in Lanham, plans to attend the University of Maryland in College Park to study graphic design. Tsion, a student at High Point High School in Beltsville, will study biology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. The county asked residents to register online to attend the meeting.

“I was not trying to be disrespectful in any way,” he said. “But the thing was, the other women and families in the back were raising their hands and not being acknowledged. So, what is this panel for if you are not involving the actual community? If you looked in the audience, you didn’t see people from the community. I don’t have all the answers but I think I’m at a good start.”

Police Chief Malik Aziz chatted with several people afterward including Dawn Dalton, whose son Lupe Hawkins was assaulted by Prince George’s police in 2010.

“I always have to try and play my position and I play it really well,” Aziz said. “This is a professional police service that we’re trying to deliver. We should never be pushing back. We should be engaging with each other.”

Aziz also spoke with Nikki Owens, the cousin of William Green, whose family received a $20 million settlement from the county after he was killed by a former police officer in January 2020.

“I feel like there’s a huge people problem in the police department and even within our entire judicial system, ” said Owens, who traveled from Fredericksburg, Virginia, to attend the session. “As Black people, these things are happening in your community. What are you going to do to stop the people problem?”

Aziz, who became the chief last CRIME Page 53

Prince George’s Residents Applaud $400M Investment Along Blue Line Metro Stations

But Many Wonder Whether The Washington Commanders Will Remain or Move On

William J. Ford WI Staff Writer

Roberto Williams could hardly contain his excitement with the prospect of seeing an amphitheater, sports and entertainment facilities being built and beautifying Metro’s Blue Line corridor in Prince George’s County communities like his inside the Beltway.

“The development can’t start soon enough as far as I’m concerned,” said Williams, who has lived at the Residences at Victory Promenade in Landover, less than a mile away from FedEx Field, since 2012.

“I really think this general area will be great for mid-county and just a real opportunity and secondary only to [National] Harbor. I’m excited.”

Part of his glees stems from a $400 million investment for the Maryland Stadium Authority to issue bonds to refurbish, construct and open sports and entertainment facilities in the county.

More specifically, the projects will augment communities inside the Beltway along Metro’s four Blue Line stations that include Largo, Morgan Boulevard, Addison Road-Seat Pleasant and Capitol Heights.

The plans include a library/cultural center, sports fieldhouse, a plaza, market hall and residences.

None of the money will be used to help construct a new stadium at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Commanders that remains

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5 Roberto Williams stands outside his townhouse April 19 in Landover less than a mile from FedEx Field, home of the Washington Commanders. (Robert R. Roberts/ The Washington Informer)