DPS Expands Patrols in West Georgetown

The Department of Public Safety has increased its presence both inside Georgetown’s campus and outside the front gates, in response to neighborhood residents’ concerns about noise pollution in West Georgetown.

President of the Citizens Association of Georgetown Jennifer Altemus said that residents have two primary complaints:loud parties after 11 o’clock at night and “walking noise,” which comes from people going out or coming back from the bars at night.

Residents in West Georgetown identified M Street, Prospect Street, and Wisconsin Avenue as the most troublesome areas in terms of excessive nighttime commotion.

Revisiting an old argument surrounding Georgetown’s town-gown relations, students interviewed for this article insisted that neighbors needed to be more tolerant of student noise.

“It’s a college campus,” Matt Mullarkey (COL `11) said.  “I can’t understand why people would choose to live so close if they’re not willing to put up with [the noise] … they cant have everything.”

CAG has appealed to the University to keep students in check, and Altemus believes it is part of Georgetown University’s responsibility to educate students about the school’s relationship to its community.

In May 2009, CAG sat down with DPS representatives and administrators to discuss the matter in detail.  Georgetown responded with an increase in patrolling officers.

Associate Director of DPS Joseph Smith described this increase as a routine response to the recent upswing in criminal activity. He said the move was meant to ensure the safety of students and Georgetown residents.

“There have been complaints and we’ve responded to them. We’ve increased patrols on Georgetown property,” Smith said.

DPS’s response may also reflect the ongoing discussions between University administrators and community councils about the upcoming Ten Year Plan. During meetings between Georgetown University and its neighbors, Georgetown area residents scrutinized the plan that charts the next decade of the University’s growth and voiced their complaints about current and future University policies.

Altemus recognizes that the University is probably trying to address residents’ concerns, but she said that the new tactics the school is trying are not enough. She argues that neighborhood residents want to see results.

“Noise after 11 o’clock shouldn’t be tolerated,” Altemus said. “Any laws that any regular citizen should abide by, we think students should as well.”