Sligo Creek Trail Safety from the Maryland-National Capital Park Police - Community Advisory

THE BELOW IS FROM THE CHIEF OF POLICE, ANTONIO DEVAUL, OF THE MARYLAND-NATIONAL CAPITAL PARK POLICE:
"Sligo Creek Trail Users:
I want to assure all trail users that the safety our trail users is an absolute priority for our agency. There seems to be some confusion regarding recent incidents along the trail. There have NOT been any recent sexual assaults along the Sligo Creek Trail. Other than the incident that occurred on January 12th, where a female jogger was followed by a male subject on the trail in the area of Heather Avenue, we have had no suspicious incidents. A male on male sex assault did occur on December 21, 2012 at one of our parks in Takoma Park, Flower Avenue Park. Park Police Detectives were out recently in the Takoma Park area passing out a composite sketch of the suspects involved in that case. This may have caused some confusion amongst the citizenry. [NOTE: The incident occurred outside of the City of Takoma Park].Due to the recent suspicious situation we have instituted a Directed Patrol for the Sligo Creek Trail. Officers will be actively patrolling the trail on foot, in vehicles, on horseback and on motorcycle.
Although the trail continues to remain a safe place for recreational activities, trail users are reminded to follow some basic safety tips when using the trails:
· Never walk alone and always let someone know where you are going.
· Be very observant of your surroundings and of other people. Avoid areas where visibility is poor and don’t wear headsets.
· Wear reflective material and carry a whistle or noisemaker.
· Trust your instincts. Don’t walk where you feel uncomfortable.
Program the Park Police Emergency number 301-949-3010 into your cell phone before you leave."