A DC Police Union press release, issued on June 7th 2023, states that on June 6th 2023 Washington, D.C. suffered its 100th homicide. This is the earliest date in any year that the city has reached 100 homicides since 2003.
The District of Columbia has one of the highest murder rates per capita in America. This is a startlingly high rate compared to other cities throughout the 
country, making it even more apparent that something needs to be done to make the streets safer. But it seems as though city officials have no idea what needs to be done.
There are many potential causes for this jump in crime which include poverty, inequality, gang activity, and the availability of firearms. In addition, the failure of the DC court system to keep a dangerous felon in jail after arrest is a serious contributing factor.
To many repeat violators are being released back into the general public only to commit additional violent crimes while on bail or personal recognizance awaiting trial on a previous arrest.
Juveniles offenders don’t fear arrests for violent crimes because they rarely get charged as adults. If they do initially get charged as adults, by the time the case gets to court the charges have usually been reduced or the defendant has pled to a much lesser felony charge or a misdemeanor.
Unfortunately, due to its unique status as a federal district rather than a state, the District of Columbia has limited power when it comes to formulating its own laws or implementing specific measures that could help combat crime.
Filed under: The Watch Desk
Dateline: Washington, D.C. 