Violent crime has dropped significantly in D.C. this year, as it has in other major cities across the country, according to statistics provided by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The homicide rate in the District has dropped 27.2 percent in the past year, with 99 homicides recorded so far this year, compared to 136 as of September last year. For a city once known in 1991 as the murder capital of the United States, this is a surprising turn of events, and an inspiring one for Metro Police, the MPD told The Washington Post.
“Everybody wants to beat us up when it goes up, so we’ll take credit for it when it goes down,” D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier told the Post.
Lanier credited new technology and better community relations for the decrease in crime. The MPD now uses portable devices, such as laptop computers and PDAs, which increase efficiency by allowing officers to perform duties that would normally require returning to the police facility. Officers can remain visible in neighborhoods while performing basic tasks like identifying suspects and completing reports, according to the 2008 MPD Annual Report.
The MPD implemented new training initiatives for officers including an online distance learning program that allows officers to “spend more time on police functions,” according to the report.
Experts are unsure of the cause of the decrease in crime, but many criminologists agree that the widespread belief that crime is connected to a worsening economy is false, according to the Post.
There have been no recorded violent crimes this year within 1,000 feet of AU’s main campus. Other universities in the D.C. area have seen the effects of the falling crime rate, although crimes have still been recorded.
AU is located in Northwest D.C., in the MPD’s second district, which has the lowest crime rates in the District.
Since January of this year, two violent crimes have taken place within the area of Georgetown University. At George Washington University, also in Northwest, the MPD recorded 29 violent crimes within 1,000 feet of the Foggy Bottom campus. Five violent crimes occurred in the area of Catholic University in Northeast, and twelve were recorded near Howard University in Northwest, according to the MPD Web site.
“I feel fairly safe in all of Northwest D.C. because it has a completely different atmosphere than other quadrants,” said Darrell Rivers, a freshman in the School of International Service. “There are adequate security patrols in and around campus. I feel the most safe in Northwest and at the [National] Mall.”
AU Public Safety crime logs for this month show that recent on-campus crimes include thefts from bike racks, drug and alcohol violations, harassment, disorderly conduct and defacing property.
Some students voiced concerns about safety in the city at night, as well as in certain Metro stations, such as Metro Center, Gallery Place-Chinatown and Anacostia.
The Anacostia Metro station and much of Southeast D.C. are part of the MPD’s seventh district. Crime rates in this area are the highest in the city, but statistics for this district show falling crime rates, with a 21.7 percent drop in homicides between 2007 and 2008. Total violent crime has dropped by 6.3 percent, according to Metro Police statistics.
Adams Morgan, a popular hangout for college students at night, is in the third Metro Police district. Violent crime in this area decreased by 5.5 percent between 2007 and 2008, but homicides increased by 10 percent, with 22 homicides recorded last year, according to Metro Police.
“I do not feel safe in Adams Morgan at night ... there is so much crime and a lot of people clearly dealing drugs and up to no good on the streets,” said Alessandra Conti, a sophomore in the School of Communication. “Also, anywhere in Southeast and around H Street is a rough neighborhood.”
Many students stressed the importance of simply being careful and being aware of the surroundings in any area, especially at night.
“All of the Metro stops feel safe to me, except Metro Center and Chinatown,” Rob Wiedenmann, a junior in the Kogod School of Business and SIS said. “I was in Chinatown twice at night and did not feel very safe. There were a lot of shady people around.”
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