Crime & Safety: City’s Homicide Rate Spikes; Glover Park’s Crime Surges; Local Reports

For the New Year, could Washington’s new Police Chief Pamela A. Smith possibly not include reducing the city’s homicide levels as one of her chief resolutions for 2024?

Front page of today’s Washington Post: “A Deadly Turn for District in 2023; Homicide Toll Was Highest in 26 Years; 247 Victims were young, old and from all wards.” These year-end figures raised the District’s homicide rate to 40 per 100,000 residents, higher than it’s been in two decades and rendering the District scoring “fifth-highest [in murder rates] among the nation’s biggest cities.” More than 90 percent of the murders were committed with guns. 

“The 274 confirmed [murder] victims ranged from infants to octogenarians,” the Post reported. “They were killed in homes, in Metro stations and in motor vehicles; they were killed in alleys, in school zones and in public parks. They were slain on streets by acquaintances and strangers and in the crossfire of warring neighborhood crews, in double shootings and triple shootings. They died in the dark and the dawn and under the midday sun in all parts of Washington, from its poorest precincts to its busiest commercial and nightlife areas.” And, they included the “killing of 19 children and young teenagers.”

“It’s been a tough year,” Mayor Bowser told the Post. “There is no doubt about that.”

Is High Crime Driving Businesses From D.C.?

Following news of the potential move to Potomac Yard, Virginia, of the Washington Wizards and Capitals franchises, many have speculated that high crime near Capital One Arena and Gallery Place Metro might have spurred teams-owner Ted Leonsis into leaving D.C., even if he hasn’t said so explicitly. 

A Nov. 23, WUSA report, “Crime Blamed for Closure of Another D.C. Business; Bar Deco Permanently Closed its Doors… After Eight Years in Chinatown,” helps make the case that crime near the arena likely entered Leonsis’s business calculations. “After surviving the pandemic,” the report begins, “a D.C. business owner says he is closing his restaurant in Chinatown due to rising crime.” 

“It is with a heavy heart that we have decided to close our doors permanently today, 11/19,” owner of Bar Deco, Noe Landini announced on Instagram, according to the story. “Being a part of this vibrant and thriving community since 2015 has truly been an honor. We cannot thank our dedicated staff and loyal patrons enough for the last eight years of incredible memories,” a statement posted on Bar Deco’s Instagram account said. 

In an interview with WUSA, Landini acknowledged that the “pros” of staying were outweighed by the “cons,” including high crime. But his bar’s closure came only “days after neighboring Flight Wine Bar also announced they’re closing their location at the end of the year after a decade, leaving yet another empty store front along the 700 block of 6th St. NW.  WUSA cited A report of the Chinatown corridor released this year by DowntownDC BID noting that “visible drug sales, increased presence of unhoused people and disruptive panhandling created negative perceptions and experiences in the corridor.” Such increases in visible crime, Landini said, has led to a “decrease in foot traffic in the Chinatown corridor, which has not allowed businesses to recover from the pandemic.” 

Crime Surging Closer to Home: Glover Park’s 2023 Crime Summary

According to the Gloverparkdc.com blog, written by Chris Jones (no relation to this author), “crime in Glover Park surged 24 percent in 2023 compared to 2022.” According to Jones’s analysis, the increase was “not due to car break-ins, though that crime does remain elevated and persistent.” Instead, just as “a rising tide lifts all boats,” Glover Park is simply following D.C.’s overall 26 percent rise in crime last year. Up from 153 crimes in Glover Park in 2022, the area saw 189 crimes, amounting to “about 1 every other day on average.” Biggest crime increases last year in Glover Park: “Robbery” up 250 percent; “Theft” up 60 percent; “Assault with Gun” up 50 percent; And, “Theft from Auto” up 31 percent. 

Local Reports: Northwest D.C.

Locally, crime in Northwest D.C. — though significantly less severe than in other parts of the District — did not let up over the holidays. 

On Jan. 1, MPD’s Second District Watch Commander reported on social media an investigation into a “shooting” in the 4300 block of Military Road NW on Jan. 1, 2024 at “approximately 0115 hours.” According to the report, an “adult female was struck by gunfire and succumbed to her injuries after all lifesaving efforts. The suspect was described as a male wearing a mask,  light complexion, black Montcler jacket, with white shoes.”

On Jan. 1, MPD’s Second Watch Commander reported on social media an “Armed Robbery” at 41 Ridge Sq. NW. A victim reported that a “white sedan pulled up next to her and Suspect-1 & 2 exited the vehicle and approached her. Suspect-1 [then] produced a handgun and demanded her property. The victim complied with their demands. After obtaining the property, Suspect-1 & 2 got back into the vehicle and fled the scene. The two suspects were later apprehended.”

On Jan. 1, the Washington Post reported a “Fatal Shooting Occurred after 1:00 a.m. at the Embassy Suites in Chevy Chase Pavilion,” marking the first homicide in the District in 2024. According to the story, “D.C. homicide detectives are investigating the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old woman found slain in a hotel room in Northwest Washington, the city’s first homicide of 2024. Police were called to the Embassy Suites in the 4300 block of Military Road NW in the Chevy Chase Pavilion at 1:18 a.m. Monday. The victim was identified as Ashlei Hinds, of Clinton, Md. …  Authorities confirmed the shooting was a homicide and are searching for a suspect.”

On Dec. 31, NBC4 reported a “Woman Hit by [an] Amazon Truck in Northwest D.C.” and “taken to the hospital with serious injuries.” Officers were “called to the 3700 block of Massachusetts Ave. NW at about 4:00 p.m.,” the report said. “At the scene, officers found a woman hit by a vehicle. She was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. According to police, the victim was struck by a delivery truck, believed following video review, to be an Amazon vehicle. “The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with the investigation,” the report said. “It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.”

On Dec. 29, detectives from MPD’s Youth and Family Services Division announced an arrest connected to “First-Degree Child Sexual Abuse offenses in the District.” According to the report: “Between March 2003 and May 2010, [and between March 2019 and March 2020] the suspect engaged in sexual acts with the child victim, who had not yet reached the age of 18.  On Dec. 27, 2023, “pursuant to a DC Superior Court arrest warrant, 48-year-old Antoine Easton, of Northwest, DC, was arrested and charged with the above offenses.”

On Dec. 28, detectives from MPD’s Major Crash Investigations Unit announced an investigation in the “death of a man who was struck by a vehicle while he was riding his bicycle” on Dec. 19. According to the report, the “preliminary investigation revealed that at approximately 9:47 p.m., a male bicyclist was traveling northbound in the northbound lanes of 1200 New Jersey Avenue, Northwest. At that time, a four-door black sedan was traveling at a high rate of speed southbound on New Jersey Avenue, Northwest, and crossed over into the northbound lanes to begin turning left onto Morgan Street, Northwest. When the sedan crossed into the southbound lanes, it struck the bicyclist and fled the scene. The bicyclist was transported to a local hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries.On Thursday, December 28, 2023, the bicyclist succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The decedent has been identified as 33-year-old Peter Black of Northwest, D.C.

On Dec. 28, detectives from MPD’s Third District announced the arrest of “two juvenile males” in “Robbery offenses” in Northwest. According to the report: “On Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, at approximately 2:50 p.m., the suspects approached the victim in the 2000 block of 15th Street, Northwest. The suspects assaulted the victim and took the victim’s property. The suspects then fled the scene.” Then, on Dec. 27, the “Fourth and Third District Crime Suppression Units executed search warrants in the 1400 block of V Street, Northwest. The search warrants resulted in a 16-year-old juvenile male and a 15-year-old juvenile male, both of Northwest, D.C., being arrested pursuant to DC Superior Court juvenile custody orders. They were both charged with Robbery (Force and Violence) for the above offense.”

Per the report, the “15-year-old juvenile male was also charged with the following offense: “On Wednesday, December 20, 2023, at approximately 3:15 p.m., the suspects approached the victims in the 1300 block of Florida Avenue, Northwest. One of the suspects had his hands in his pocket as if he were armed and took property from one of the victims. The suspects then fled the scene.”

On Dec. 24, MPD’s Second Watch Commander reported on social media an investigation into an “Armed Robbery” Dec. 24, in the 1600 block of M St. NW. “The lookout is for 2 Black males, both armed with handguns,” the report said. The first suspect “was wearing a black Canada Goose jacket, blue jeans and gray Jordan’s.” The second suspect “was wearing all-black.” The report listed items stolen: “wallets, chains, and [an] unknown amount of U.S. currency.” The suspects were last seen “fleeing westbound in a white Lexus” with D.C. tags. 

On Dec. 22, MPD’s Second Watch Commander posted on social media that “Second District Officers are investigating an armed carjacking that occurred in the 3200 block of O Street NW” on Dec. 21, 2023 at approximately 11:25 p.m. “Two armed suspects approached two victims  and stole personal items and a black 2019 Hyundai Elantra was also stolen.  The suspects were described as black males wearing dark clothing and masks. The stolen vehicle was being followed by a silver Dodge Charger bearing an unknown tag.”

On Dec. 22, detectives from MPD’s Second District announced a search for a “suspect who robbed a woman in the 1200 block of 20th St. NW. On Dec. 21, “at approximately 10:08 a.m.,” the report said, “the victim was walking down the street when the suspect snatched her property from her. The suspect then fled on foot. The suspect was captured by a nearby surveillance camera and can be seen in this video and in the below pictures: https://youtu.be/ZsDuykqS9sk

On Dec. 20, MPD Second District officers reported an “Attempt[ed] Robbery of an Establishment at 2700 P St. NW. On social media, the report said one suspect “entered the established, produced a black handgun, and demanded money from the cash register. The suspect was unable to open the register and fled the scene without acquiring [any] money. No injuries were reported. The suspect was dressed in all-black, wear[ing] a black mask, operating a dark color four-door sedan.”

MPD Weekly Firearm Recovery Report

On Dec. 30, MPD issued its “Weekly Firearm Recoveries” report for Dec. 18-25. According to the report, the department “recovered 50 firearms in the District.” Of the 33 named arrestees in the report, one-third or 11-out-of-33 were age 21-years-old or younger. Capturing the problem of youth gun violence in Northwest, D.C., one listing reports: “A Glock 23.40 caliber handgun and a Glock 22 9mm handgun were recovered in the unit block of Hanover Place, Northwest. The following people were arrested: 19-year-old Akbar Adbul Karim Bilal, of Northwest, D.C., and 18-year-old Zaire Miles, of no fixed address, for Carrying a Pistol without a License, Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, Possession of Unregistered Ammunition, Unlawful Possession of Firearm in a School Zone, Unlawful Possession of a Machine Gun, and Possession of a Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device.”

tagsChris Jonescomparative crime statisticsD.C.D.C. homicide rate for 2023Glover ParkMayor BowserMPD Chief Pamela SmithWashington CapitalsWashington Wizards