Police Increase Presence in Roland Park

UPDATED (1:43 p.m.)—Police are bulking up their presence near the Roland Park Shopping Center in the 4800 block of Roland Avenue following the robbery of two women there on Tuesday.

Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Baltimore City police, said the department is increasing the presence of plain clothed and uniformed officers in that area.

“We’re also encouraging and asking for vigilance,” Guglielmi said.

He used an in Guilford, where a resident called 911 about a suspicious person that led to the arrest and charges being filed against a 17-year-old in connection with an attempted robbery in the 3900 block of St. Paul St., as an example of the power of being aware of your neighborhood.

He also said leaders from the Roland Park community have been in touch with Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld III and the commander of the Northern District.

Philip Spevak, president of the Roland Park Civic League, wrote in an email that that residents are trying not to blow what happened out of proportion.

"While the incident is concerning and scares us, we need to keep our perspective and remember that the attention the incident is receiving is because it is pretty unusual for Roland Park," Spevak wrote. "Not that things couldn’t continue to improve but we are fortunate that for the most part, Roland Park is a safe community. Our family walks freely throughout the neighborhood without fear."

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On Tuesday night, a man threatened to and stole one of their purses near the historic shopping center that is home to the renowned French restaurant However, the 4800 block of Roland Avenue has been hit by other robberies in recent moths.

In November, a woman was trying to get into her car when a man wearing a approached her. The robber snatched her purse and ran before the woman noticed the robber’s gun was a toy.

In December, a robber tried to with bank documents from a Falcon Express employee. The robber reached for the waist of his pants implying he had a gun before running away. Another Falcon Express employee was the in the 5100 block of Roland Avenue.

The increase in robberies has created a heightened awareness of crime in a neighborhood considered one of the safest in Baltimore. In fact, Tapp-Harper, credited the neighborhood’s as being a big reason the district’s in 2011 during a Roland Park Civic League meeting in December.