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In Mount Vernon, paying for peace of mind?
In Mount Vernon, paying for peace of mind?
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There was a rape on my block yesterday.
According to the Baltimore Sun, a woman was attacked in her apartment after unloading her car. Police have already arrested and charged a 37-year-old West Baltimore man with the crime less than a day later.
The Sun article says the actions of the Mount Vernon-Belvedere Association helped police identify Karriem Mason as the suspect. MVBA apparently sent out “several emails alerting residents of the assault,” prompting my neighbors to contact detectives with information leading to the identification of Mason.
But not me. I knew nothing about the attack until this morning, after a girlfriend sent me the news of Mason’s arrest.
I’m a bit of a Mount Vernon newbie, having moved in at the end of March, so I figured I had simply failed to add myself to the neighborhood public safety email list. I contacted MVBA immediately to sign up. After all, part of the organization’s mission is to “disseminate information to our residents and businesses about issues that affect our neighborhood” and “act on matters of common concern.”
To be sure, there is a public safety email list — which I will be added to as soon as I send in my $20 ($30, if I want my husband to be included).
Don’t get me wrong — it seems like MVBA is a good group, and this incident so close to home has helped me realize it’s time to start volunteering in my new community.
But if MVBA is truly dedicated to improving and promoting the neighborhood, the least they could do is alert residents about violent crimes without asking them to drop a Jackson for the information.
