Potential Crime Does Pay

In an effort to reduce crime, the D.C. Council unanimously approved a new program to pay up to 200 people a year to not commit crimes. Based on a Richmond, California, program, the District would potentially pay the at-risk residents up to $9,000 per year. The program would cost $4.9 million over four years to implement, according to the District’s independent chief financial officer.

Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, who wrote the legislation, said in a letter to constituents, “I want to prevent violent crime — particularly gun violence — by addressing the root causes and creating opportunities for people, particularly those individuals who are at the highest risk of offending.”