Evergreen Reporter

Media outlets have recently reported a significant decrease in violent crime in the District of Columbia. Overall, violent crime has decreased by 35% and is on track to reach its lowest level since the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) began reporting these figures approximately 20 years ago. Carjackings involving firearms have dropped by 55%.

While policing and prosecution can influence violent crime numbers, they cannot fully control them. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has taken several steps to impact these statistics.

In early 2022, law enforcement partners formed investigative teams composed of federal law enforcement agents and MPD officers. The U.S. Attorney’s Office dedicated specific prosecutors to support these teams in building federal cases against individuals driving gun violence.

In April 2022, the office initiated a daily review with federal law enforcement partners and MPD of every firearms arrest in the District of Columbia. This review aims to determine whether there is a basis for federal prosecution and if the arrested individual is a driver of gun violence who should be prosecuted federally. This coordinated review continues daily.

The office allocated resources to employ modern investigative techniques to develop digital and forensic evidence linking prolific drivers of violence to numerous violent crimes.

Additionally, sophisticated data analysis was used to identify where large-scale investigations should occur and which individuals should be targeted.

By mid-2023, the office began announcing a series of prominent federal cases targeting violent crews involved in carjackings, shootings, illegal firearms possession, and drug trafficking as a result of these investigations.

Simultaneously, the office continued prosecuting roughly 90% of serious violent felony arrests at the time of arrest while investigating those that could not be charged immediately.

Acknowledging that one homicide or carjacking is too many, the office continues to innovate its approach in homicide and carjacking investigations by leveraging new technology with an aim for each investigation to be more efficient than previous ones.

Despite the steep drop in violent crime observed in early 2024 being positive news, "our Office remains firmly focused on doing everything we can to continue this trend," stated representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They emphasized ongoing important investigations designed to keep the community safe by removing known drivers of gun violence weekly.

To sustain this momentum, a whole-of-community response is necessary, including addressing root causes of crime and maintaining community-based intervention systems that deescalate conflicts before they escalate into violence.