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Ski masks, a fashion accessory to crime in D.C., may soon be illegal
Washington Times ^ | January 30, 2013 | Andrea Noble

Posted on 01/31/2013 10:20:18 PM PST by grundle

Buying a ski mask isn’t illegal, but could restricting their sale help prevent crime?

The notion is stirring debate among some Northwest Washington residents after reports of robberies committed by men wearing ski masks. The frequency of the robberies also has caught attention of police, who say one neighborhood crew is frequently purchasing masks at a local sports store for the express purpose of committing robberies.

“They clearly are a problem. Otherwise, we wouldn’t see it being mentioned in all the reports,” said Faith Wheeler, an Advisory Neighborhood Commission member from the Takoma neighborhood in Northwest.

And while police from the Metropolitan Police Department’s 4th District said they think the Rittenhouse Crew — many of whose members are known to police officers — is responsible for some of the robberies, the ski masks are a huge stumbling block if victims are to be unable to identify their assailants.

On a Metropolitan Police Department-run listserv, Ms. Wheeler was one of several people who broached the subject of trying to discourage the sale of ski masks in the neighborhood, or asked legislators whether there are other ways to ban their sale.

“I don’t know how you can get at it legislatively,” said Ms. Wheeler, acknowledging she meant to open the door to discussion rather than suggest her own cure-alls. “I don’t know that persuasion itself would work unless you have a personal relationship with a store owner.”

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: districtofcolumbia; rittenhousecrew; skimask; takoma; trayvon; washington
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1 posted on 01/31/2013 10:20:22 PM PST by grundle
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To: grundle

Outlaw ski masks and you will just create a market for burkas and pantyhose.


2 posted on 01/31/2013 10:28:00 PM PST by P-Marlowe (There can be no Victory without a fight and no battle without wounds.)
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To: P-Marlowe

Yeah, outlawing ski masks will work.


3 posted on 01/31/2013 10:29:28 PM PST by Jeff Winston
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To: Jeff Winston

Pretty soon they will outlaw gloves because burglars can’t leave fingerprints if they break into a home with gloves on.


4 posted on 01/31/2013 10:30:48 PM PST by P-Marlowe (There can be no Victory without a fight and no battle without wounds.)
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To: Jeff Winston

Nah... just sew a number on each ski mask.


5 posted on 01/31/2013 10:32:09 PM PST by UCANSEE2 (What difference does it make (if they eat cake)?)
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To: grundle

Point Break


6 posted on 01/31/2013 10:32:37 PM PST by Varsity Flight (Extortion-Care is the Government Work-Camp: Arbeitsziehungslager)
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To: grundle
This is something to take seriously, because there are so many surveillance cameras out there that the elites probably would want to ban anything like ski masks or hats that could conceal your identity while outside.
7 posted on 01/31/2013 10:36:40 PM PST by Vince Ferrer
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To: grundle
Just wait 'til they find out little old ladies can crank out a ski maks with a set of knitting needles and yarn...they'll have to crack down on black market ski masks.

Of course, pantyhose would have to be outlawed as well. But even after all that, you'll have some criminals who are just too damn clever...


8 posted on 01/31/2013 10:38:42 PM PST by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: Vince Ferrer

They can’t ban hoodies. That’d be racist.


9 posted on 01/31/2013 10:39:40 PM PST by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: grundle

RACISTS !!!


10 posted on 01/31/2013 10:42:00 PM PST by Tennessee Nana
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To: P-Marlowe
Maybe scissors will require waiting periods and background checks, lest criminals cut eyeholes in Onesies.


11 posted on 01/31/2013 10:45:08 PM PST by Ezekiel (The Obama-nation began with the Inauguration of Desolation.)
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To: grundle

Will they ban pants? Thankfully, I’ve never seen a burglar without pants.


12 posted on 01/31/2013 10:50:33 PM PST by Kirkwood (Zombie Hunter)
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To: grundle

This is a very important question because if you read the weekly DC (by district) crime report ( Wash. Post, every Thursday), you can see the crime patterns by neighborhood, number of people involved, whether masks were worn (last week, major numbers of them), and the times when the crimes were reported (too many people walking down dark alleys in the A.M. Just walking “ducks” for those who know the area and where to attack.

A better idea would be to put police-sanctioned secret surveillance cameras either/or - inside the stores that sell face masks, just outside the door to record who went in/came out with a purchase (for future identification if a known gang member), and across the street to record any car license plates of the cars used by suspected or known gang members.

Most group robberies, 3 or more, are committed on foot and the robbers run away. Only a few get into a waiting car, but there are enough such incidents to justify matching mask-store photos of cars with those reportedly used in street robberies.

Last week 25 guns (or more) were reported as used in street crimes in DC, 3 knives and 2 possible guns/objects. Getting the gangs off the streets and into jail will get the majority of the illegal guns off the street and save lives.

However, DC politicians, among the most morally, intellectually and criminally corrupt in the nation, are against gun ownership, i.e. leaving the majority of the crime victims (black people), helpless to defend themselves in their homes, on the street, or even in their car (lots of carjackings by 2-3 individuals who also have a getaway car).

Well thought-out surveillance cameras, intelligently placed, can greatly help to reduce crime in targetted high-crime areas. Some DC police know this and want it. Too often the brass is a bunch of liberals who want to have tea with the gangs to ask them to stop their criminal activities (aka Hillary Clinton and the jihadists of Ben Ghazi).

None of what I advocate or support here is new. It has been around for decades (I got my AA Certificate in Police Science in 1981). What is lacking is police leadership to use both new and old technology properly, and to get the prosecutors to really prosecute, not plea bargain in serious case.

One DC murder suspect was let out on bail with a GSP bracelet yet he managed to kill another person recently and wound two. That’s the “D.C. Way” to handle violent, charged suspects.

No wonder the streets of DC are so unsafe in many areas. The criminal justice system and the political system are more friendly to the criminal than their victims.

This has got to change, now!


13 posted on 01/31/2013 11:09:35 PM PST by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: grundle

Do it.
DO IT DO IT!

Outlaw knitwear, see where that gets you. Put a ten day waiting period on knitting needles and ban high capacity looms.

Maybe folks will recognize that the criminals and murderers are wearing expensive tailored suits and have bodyguards and drive around in armored SUV convoys.

Our own government officials look like narcotrafficantes wherever they go. Lots of money, prostitutes, and lots of guns packed into black Suburbans.

Yeah. Ban knit caps. You can’t fix stupid and I’m wondering if you can even keep it in check?


14 posted on 01/31/2013 11:10:48 PM PST by KitJ (Shall not be infringed)
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To: KitJ

Maybe they can outlaw crime itself, then there would be no more crime...

Here is an idea, maybe they should outlaw public officials going easy on crime....


15 posted on 02/01/2013 12:42:08 AM PST by GraceG
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To: grundle

Close the ski mask loophole!


16 posted on 02/01/2013 12:50:01 AM PST by TigersEye (The irresponsible should not be leading the responsible.)
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To: KitJ
Our own government officials look like narcotrafficantes wherever they go. Lots of money, prostitutes, and lots of guns packed into black Suburbans.

An astute and scary observation! Too true!

17 posted on 02/01/2013 1:57:39 AM PST by Flick Lives (We're going to be just like the old Soviet Union, but with free cell phones!)
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To: grundle
Saw this crap on local news broadcast.

These idiots with their urban moron mentality really have no imagination ... all they can think of to do is ban things and ask for more cops. You should have seen the whinging leftist female that was agitating for the ski-mask ban ... real parody material.

Despite "Heller", DC still has draconian gun restrictions ... I bet they could see some real progress in crime reduction by allowing the honest citizens to arm themselves.

But DCMPD, City Council, and the local Leftist Big Media are all ball-less whining idiots, and won't go for it.

18 posted on 02/01/2013 2:07:34 AM PST by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: P-Marlowe

This could actually have some major health repercussions.

The minute they take those ski masks off the shelves of corner liquor stores in Northeast and Southeast DC, the residents of those neighborhoods are going to be freezing their faces off on the slopes of Liberty, Whitetail, Wintergreen, etc.

Because of a few bad apples, all the other skiers have to pay the price.


19 posted on 02/01/2013 2:07:55 AM PST by golux
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To: grundle

Yet when you hear a crime being reported on the news he was 5’11 inches medium build wearing a hoody and going by the name of dakeeshan muhammed jefferson, guess who I am? Ski masks help the media where now they feel the pressure of having to inject a color can now comfortably report the crimes of the day without being racist, how nice


20 posted on 02/01/2013 2:13:43 AM PST by ronnie raygun ( Lexington / Concord, America's first gun grab attempt)
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