August 18, 2015
Making Sense Of D.C.’s Uptick In Violence
Facts & Latest Updates
In Washington, D.C., there have been 116 homicides in 2015, which is a 45 percent increase over the 72 homicides through Aug. 17 of last year.
While homicide totals have been on the downturn for the past 20 years, the current homicide count for 2015 is on track to outpace the all-year totals for the past five years.
Mayor Muriel Bowser addressed community members and media about the surge at school in Southeast Washington on Thursday, Aug. 27.
mayor Bowser speaking now pic.twitter.com/jDV8paA6Gv
— Patrick Madden (@Patrick_Madden) August 27, 2015
DC Mayor Bowser at crime presser: “We will take concrete steps to make Black Lives Matter more than just a hash tag”
— Bridget Bowman (@bridgetbhc) August 27, 2015
Meanwhile, #BlackLivesMatter activists here at presser and ready to protest plan to create new police powers.
— Patrick Madden (@Patrick_Madden) August 27, 2015
DC Mayor Bowser: "We’re not here to talk about arresting black men, but how we can save their lives.”
— Bridget Bowman (@bridgetbhc) August 27, 2015
DC Govt staffers block aisle near where a couple of protesters have briefly shouted out to mayor. pic.twitter.com/ujBWdgecJS
— Tom Sherwood (@tomsherwood) August 27, 2015
Bowser: "we will be open and transparent and we will tell the truth. Here's the truth. There is no easier answer."
— Patrick Madden (@Patrick_Madden) August 27, 2015
Bowser: "there's been an uptick in synthetic drugs…There's a small # of violent offenders…I stand here not to give you half-truths.
— Patrick Madden (@Patrick_Madden) August 27, 2015
Bowser: "after 25 years of policing streets… I have every confidence Cathy Lanier will lead us" to end this spike.
— Patrick Madden (@Patrick_Madden) August 27, 2015
.@MayorBowser says she’ll propose spending $15 million on her crime-fighting initiatives.
— Martin Austermuhle (@maustermuhle) August 27, 2015
Protesters disrupt mayor, but she shouts over them to applause. . pic.twitter.com/PKEiOAAFzT
— Tom Sherwood (@tomsherwood) August 27, 2015
Bowser powers through protests and gets standing O. pic.twitter.com/7i8PgW71Tt
— Patrick Madden (@Patrick_Madden) August 27, 2015
.@MayorBowser says she wants to do away with widely used assault on police officer statute. @Patrick_Madden on this: http://t.co/UiDnp2u1rX
— Martin Austermuhle (@maustermuhle) August 27, 2015
Police Chief Cathy Lanier gave an update Monday, Aug. 18, on NewsChannel 8’s NewsTalk:
Her main points were:
On @News8NewsTalk, Chief Lanier says seizures of illegal guns have increased. 10 seized over weekend alone.
— Martin Austermuhle (@maustermuhle) August 18, 2015
Chief Lanier says police have recovered 100+ guns the past month.
— Patrick Madden (@Patrick_Madden) August 18, 2015
.@DCPoliceDept Chief Lanier: 95% of homicides in DC this year are between people who know each other. Dice games involved in 8 murders.
— Public Safety in DC (@SafeDC) August 18, 2015
Lanier on link b/w synthetic drugs and homicides: at least four ppl charged with murder had taken synthetic drugs.
— Patrick Madden (@Patrick_Madden) August 18, 2015
“The federal government has to do something, and it has to do something now,” says Lanier about changing laws to criminalize synthetic drugs
— Martin Austermuhle (@maustermuhle) August 18, 2015
Lanier says there are 150 vacancies at MPD, due to retirement bubble. She’s reassigning officers to do street patrols.
— Martin Austermuhle (@maustermuhle) August 18, 2015
Lanier says she can hire up to 300 officers a year without compromising standards, like MPD did in early 1990s.
— Martin Austermuhle (@maustermuhle) August 18, 2015
“I think, for a nation, morale for police is tough,” says MPD Chief Cathy Lanier.
— Martin Austermuhle (@maustermuhle) August 18, 2015
That same Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the re-launch of D.C.’s illegal gun initiative, which offers cash rewards for information that leads to an arrest of seizure of an illegal gun. By Tuesday, Aug. 19, the reward amount increased from $1,000 to $2,500.
Here at Kennedy rec center to relaunch illegal gun initiative – with increase in rewards for people who have info. pic.twitter.com/5vmqT50hyo
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) August 19, 2015
The Kojo Nnamdi Show segments
For more context — from members of affected communities, police forces and the media — listen to the following segments on local violence:
Murders Spike In The Nation’s Capital – The Kojo Nnamdi Show
Reacting To The Spike In Violence In Southeast D.C. – The Kojo Nnamdi ShowHow Rank & File Police View D.C. Violence – The Kojo Nnamdi ShowSynthetic Drugs and Public Safety – The Kojo Nnamdi Show
Police Department Resources
Track your area with the Metropolitan Police Department’s crime map.
View D.C.’s crime data from the past 20 years.
Read details of the Major Case/Unsolved Homicides of 2015.
The Kojo Nnamdi Show will continue to cover the increase in violent crime in the Washington, D.C., region. Tune in 12-2 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and Fridays 12-1 p.m. for The Politics Hour.
This post was last edited on Monday, August 24, 2015 at 12:26 p.m. It will continue to be updated as new information is made available.