Candidates address crime in Langley Park

Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006

Maryland House of Delegates and county School Board candidates made residents’ concerns about absentee landlords, crime and education their main focus at a meeting with Langley Park residents.

Langley Park has been a hotbed for crime. Car thefts, burglaries and murder — the latter believed to be perpetrated by MS-13 gang members — have resulted in a greater police presence in the area.

Del. Doyle Niemann, who is seeking reelection to the District 47 House of Delegates, wants new ways to be found to stem the rash of robberies in Langley Park in recent years.

‘‘We have to organize ourselves ... and to demand a [police] response,” he told the residents at the Aug. 10 meeting.

Niemann said some apartment complexes with absentee landlords were contributing to criminal activity. ‘‘Our goal is not to create tenements but to create housing that people can enjoy,” he said of the densely populated area, which has about 65 percent Latino residents.

District 1 Police Major Kevin Davis said crime is down in the district by about 10 percent this year compared to the same period in 2005.

Davis said Langley Park has a strong gang presence, and the recent crackdown on roadside truck vending has helped curb gang activity.

Some vendors were known to be lookouts for MS-13 gang members, Davis said.

While robberies are a major concern, other issues such as diversity needs to be addressed, Del. Victor Ramirez said. Residents need to be educated on the benefits of having a wide range of ethnic groups living together in the Langley Park area, he said.

Apart from Latinos, Langley Park is also home to African, Asian and Caribbean immigrants.

‘‘Diversity is good because sometimes when you have too much of one [group] your kids get directed in the wrong way because of the influence of one particular group,” Ramirez said. He added that the influences of many cultures could help make students more well-rounded.

Del. Rosetta Parker, who did not attend the meeting, said she does not support a county proposal to allow vending trucks along streets in Langley Park. ‘‘We just don’t want to see trucks all over the area. It just doesn’t look good,” said Parker, who is seeking reelection to the House of Delegates.

Jolene Ivey, a first-time House of Delegates candidate, talked about communication concerns within a diverse school community.

‘‘I’m very involved with the schools,” she said, adding that ESOL [English for Speakers of Other Languages] classes are a vibrant component of what will improve communication between students, educators and parents.

Board of Education candidate Amber Waller, said people need to know more about the High School Assessments.

‘‘I want to make sure everyone knows what’s going to happen when [the class of] 2009 graduates,” she said, referring to graduation requirements like service hours and credits needed to pass the High School Assessment tests.

E-mail Sarah Nemeth at snemeth@gazette.net.