Justice Department boosts effort to crack down on D.C. crime
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Merrick Garland took note of D.C.'s crime. Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images
The Justice Department is dispatching more prosecutors and resources to fight gun violence and carjackings in D.C.
Why it matters: The new investments aim to drive down a violent crime uptick in the nation's capital — an anomaly among big cities where homicides typically fell last year.
Between the lines: The feds are getting more involved in D.C.'s crime crackdown during an election year for President Biden. Republicans spent part of 2023 making crime a national issue through D.C., summoning local leaders to Capitol Hill to testify on the management of the city.
Driving the news: The Justice Department announced that the FBI and other federal agencies will identify new violent crime and carjacking cases to pursue, using data analytics. The collaboration includes the ATF and the DEA.
- Meanwhile, more federal prosecutors will be allocated to work on violent crime in the city. The U.S. Attorney's Office, which handles adult violent crime in D.C., will also double down on carjacking and firearms crimes.
What they're saying: "Last year, we saw an encouraging decline in violent crime in many parts of the country, but there is much more work to do — including here in the District of Columbia," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement on Friday announcing the new effort.
By the numbers: In 2023, D.C. had its deadliest year since 1997 — recording 274 homicides. Carjackings nearly doubled to 959 cases.
What we're watching: Heftier penalties for gun crimes, no-loitering drug zones and dozens of other anti-violence proposals are part of a 90-page bill moving through the D.C. Council right now.
- It combines parts of Mayor Muriel Bowser's tough-on-crime bill first proposed in late October that targets mass retail thefts. It also revises the definition of a police chokehold and once again outlaws committing a crime while wearing a mask.
- The omnibus bill is slated for a full vote in early February.