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North Brentwood officials are looking to increase police presence after Cottage City police patrols in their town ended this summer.

North Brentwood Mayor Petrella Robinson said the town is in preliminary discussions with Mount Rainier and Brentwood to secure a full- or part-time police patrol. The town has $36,000 earmarked in its current budget for policing.

Cottage City police had patrolled North Brentwood for the past two fiscal years using a $90,000 Livable Communities grant, a county grant used to improve community life.

The Cottage City Commission voted June 12 to stop the patrols because the city didn't have the same funding and Cottage City police didn't offer 24-hour patrols of their own town.

North Brentwood offered to pay $36,000 for Cottage City police to continue patrolling the town this fiscal year, an offer Cottage City declined when it voted to pass its current fiscal budget.

During a Monday night North Brentwood Town Council meeting, the acting commander of the county police's District 1 assured residents and town officials that although the Cottage City patrols have stopped, county police are still active in the town.

"The Prince George's County Police Department hasn't gone anywhere. We've always been here," acting District 1 commander Capt. Hector Velez said.

District 1 includes Hyattsville, Langley Park and College Park in its patrol areas. Velez said there are many competing interests and active community organizations that constantly call attention to crime in their neighborhoods. He urged residents to call the commander's office if they see any unusual or suspicious activity in the town.

"The squeaky wheel gets the oil," he said. "If I'm not hearing from a particular community, I have to assume everything is okay with that particular community."

Since Sept. 15, 2007, there has been one citizen robbery, one burglary, six miscellaneous thefts and four stolen vehicles reported in North Brentwood, according to Velez.

Velez praised North Brentwood for having active community members.

"I attribute these low numbers to the community itself," Velez said.

Town Manager Maryanne Anthony said she was concerned as to whether a gang problem is arising in the town. Tagging was found in Brentwood and North Brentwood over the summer.

"These kids are talking to each other, and we don't understand the language on the wall," she said. "Are we on the brink of something happening?"

County Gang Unit Capitan Bill Lynn said tagging isn't an indicator of gang activity because it is defined as an individual writing something that only has meaning to that individual. Graffiti, which wasn't found in North Brentwood, is gang-motivated and sends messages to other gangs.

"Tagging we see a lot of. It could be nothing more than kids tagging, just kids tagging something," Lynn said.

E-mail Elahe Izadi at eizadi@gazette.net.