Dear Ward 5 neighbors,
I am clear-eyed about the crisis of violence facing the District. You are exhausted by the incessant crime impacting our city, as am I. This update is meant to highlight what is being done and what more needs to be done to curb the violence in our communities.
The District is experiencing an increase in violent crime, particularly among youth. As of today, violent crime across DC is up by 40% compared to this time last year. A total of 159 arrests have been made for carjackings, roughly two-thirds of which are juveniles. 15- and 16-year-olds are among the most frequent arrestees—showing that we’re not doing enough to reach our young people before they make impulsive, reckless, and dangerous decisions. Motor vehicle theft has nearly doubled since last year from 3,314 to 6,372 incidents. And while MPD’s 5th District (most of Ward 5) has the lowest increase in violent crime as compared to all other police districts, the ongoing violence has a devastating impact on victims, their families, and our entire community.
In this week’s Public Safety Updates section, I’m taking a deeper dive into what is being done and what more needs to be done to address these urgent public safety issues.
In this edition of the Ward 5 Weekly newsletter, you’ll also find a recap of the November Ward 5 Monthly Public Safety Call, information about next week’s Ward 5 Senior Advisory Committee Meeting, a link to RSVP for the Ward 5 Holiday Party, updates on the progress of leaf collection, the newly released New York Ave NE Vision Framework, your last chance to give feedback on concepts for the Florida Ave NE/NW Bus Priority Project, as well as the final days for 2024 Medicare plans enrollment, and lots of holiday markets and parties across Ward 5 over the next few weeks, starting at the Arboretum tomorrow.
