The nation's capital is still wracked by violence and youth crime, and officials are looking for solutions.

In Washington, DC, police union leaders have claimed that politics is interfering with public safety measures.

While local officials continue to disagree on the root reasons for the violence that has been hitting the nation’s capital since spring 2020, crime has been steadily rising in recent months.

“When you are driving your car, a group of organized youngsters will rob you while holding you at gunpoint. There may also be violence, such as someone being assaulted or pistol-whipped, or someone being beaten.” Gregg Pemberton, the president of D.C. Police Union, confirmed this to The News God Digital. “People are shot during armed carjackings, as we have witnessed. They will then steal the vehicle and use it to commit further crimes while on the run. Drive to neighboring neighborhoods and, if necessary, shoot people in other areas as well. They’ll be gone by the time it happens. Robberies at gas stations and convenience stores will be their primary targets.”

“Politics is getting in the way,” Pemberton explains further. Several other local leaders, in addition to Mayor Muriel Bowser, have blamed the increase in crime on “the ready availability of firearms.” Officials have also expressed concern about the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statistics

In 2021, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, D.C. recorded 226 homicides, the highest number in the nation’s capital in more than two decades. A total of 42 percent of the homicide investigations were completed.

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Homicides have occurred in 2022 thus far, compared to 63 in the same period the previous year, according to the latest available data. According to police statistics, 457 assaults with dangerous weapons and 803 robberies have occurred so far this year, compared to 455 assaults and 521 robberies during the same period last year.