19FortyFive reports that the crime rate is exceptionally high in the greater Washington, DC, area. Southwest and Southeast D.C. have a lengthy history of being prone to crime in the nation’s capital, but now it is rising all across the city, spilling into the affluent neighborhoods of Northwest D.C. and the downtown area.
2022 saw 203 murders. For the second year in a row, there were more than 200 homicides. As of April 18 this year, DC Metro Police reported 65 homicides.
The officials of the Biden administration had to worry the worst had happened to Vice President Kamala Harris because of the public safety situation in the city. Agents from the Secret Service responded to a report of gunfire near her home.
The vice president and her husband, Doug Emhoff, required immediate action from their security detail.
The event occurred on April 17 at about 1:30 AM near 34th Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW, close to the Naval Observatory. According to a statement released by Secret Service Lt. Paul Mayhair, more police were dispatched to the area after reports of gunfire.
There were no reported injuries, and Mayhair said there was minimal evidence to suggest the shooter intended to hit either the vice president or the second gentleman. In preparation for what could have been a catastrophic crime scene, the Secret Service cordoned off the area.
Harris and Emhoff were not at home. Both of them were in the L.A. area.
In the District of Columbia, there have been 49 reported cases of sexual assault, a 53% rise from the previous year.
Nearly 2,000 vehicles have been stolen this year, up 106% from last year. The overall crime rate in Washington state is up 25% from a year ago, with a 29% increase in property offenses alone.
City-Data.com claims that D.C.’s crime rate is roughly twice as high as the country’s.
The problem has been recognized even by the leftist Washington Post editorial board.
The frequency with which violence, especially gun violence, occurs in DC is quite concerning.
The recent shooting near the vice president’s home may not be related to the current crime wave, but it is a call for help from the community nonetheless. The Vice President’s wife and her husband should not be subjected to such an outrageous threat. If Washington, DC, police cannot ensure a secure neighborhood around the Vice President’s home, the Secret Service will have to step in and do it on its own.
