WASHINGTON ( DC News Now ) – D.C. Police are tracking how well the city’s new programs and initiatives are working to drive down crime. In an update Monday, the city’s police chief and mayor said the programs are working to push this recent downward trend forward in years to come.
“Even if one resident feels unsafe in our community, there’s still more work to do,” said Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith.
Smith said the department is keeping its “foot on the gas,” and doubling down on new programs she says are part of what’s driving down violent crime by 35% this year, including homicide, sex abuse, assault with a dangerous weapon and robbery – which all decreased more than 15%, according to MPD data .
LAST YEAR | Crime data: DC was 1 of 4 jurisdictions with increases in all types of violent crime
The data alone is a stark contrast compared with statistics on Jan. 1, 2024, which showed violent crime had increased by 39% in 2023…