Crime: Bowser and Pinto Move to Stem D.C. Car Thefts and Gun Violence; Recent MPD Reports
By • February 27, 2023 0 1415
The District’s crime problems are once again in the national spotlight.
Representatives in the U.S. Congress, both Democratic and Republican, are considering using their federal powers to override the D.C. Council’s Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022 – passed over Mayor Bowser’s veto in January 2023. Conservative Members of Congress are asking whether the District is being “too soft on crime” by lowering maximum penalties for burglaries, carjackings and robberies, and allowing violent youth offenders to petition sentencing.
High crime in “Democratic areas” is often used as a wedge issue by Republicans, as politicians eyeing the 2024 elections are keenly aware.
While Mayor Bowser (D) and Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto (D) are opposed to such federal “interference with D.C.’s home rule” and would like to see the D.C. Council reconcile its own jurisdiction’s updated criminal code, each elected leader says she agrees with approximately 95 percent of the revised code designed to update and rationalize sentencing and other guidelines according to contemporary practice both in the nation’s capital and around the country.
D.C.’s criminal code was originally constructed in 1901 and has not been systematically revised since. Painstaking revisions to the code have taken more than a decade to hash out. For the mayor and D.C. Council members, the issue is therefore politically fraught and a matter of sunk costs.
It should be no surprise, therefore, that both Bowser and Pinto have taken well-publicized recent steps to address crime-related issues in the District.
To stem the epidemic of car thefts, Mayor Bowser joined with MPD on Feb. 23 to offer free steering wheel locks to District residents. Starting on Feb. 24, residents who own a 2011-2021 Kia or Hyundai vehicle became eligible to receive a carlock from a nearby MPD District station, as part of a partnership agreement with Kia and Hyundai. The move followed a social media challenge that encouraged car thieves to use a USB cable to steal these types of cars, leading to a significant upswing in such thefts.
“Car theft is a serious problem – it’s incredibly stressful and often costly and time-consuming for the victims, and it’s dangerous to have these stolen cars on the road,” said Mayor Bowser. “I encourage all D.C. residents who own a 2011-2021 Kia or Hyundai to pick up their free steering wheel locks as soon as possible from a District station to prevent theft. As MPD and our public safety partners work together to prevent car theft and hold accountable those who are stealing cars in our city, this is one way we can work together to proactively prevent crime.”
Qualifying residents can pick up their car locks on a first come, first serve basis at 3320 Idaho Avenue NW, at MPD’s Second District station. More information on this initiative can be found here.
Council member Pinto, now serving on the D.C. Council as the Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety – with primary responsibility for re-examining revisions to D.C.’s criminal code – will also be addressing gun violence in the District by hosting a three-day public roundtable on gun violence prevention on March 3, 4, and 6. The roundtables will allow public testimony and are designed to “bring together community, government agencies, and experts to discuss gun violence in the District and develop actionable solutions to this epidemic,” Pinto said.
“Gun violence is the greatest crisis facing the District. We cannot accept the level of violence and trauma that residents in D.C. are facing every day,” said Council member Pinto in a press release. “That is why I am holding an emergency three-day public roundtable on gun violence prevention. The goal of this event is to hear directly from residents about how gun violence is impacting their lives, to hear ideas for more effective interventions, and to bring our government partners and experts to the table to focus on immediate solutions.” To learn more about the public roundtables go here.
Recent MPD Reports
Car Theft Arrests
Speaking of car thefts in the District… In their most recent report of “Arrests Made in Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and Theft One (Stolen Auto) Offenses,” MPD announced 18 arrests throughout the city from Feb. 17 – Feb. 23. The average age for those arrested was 23.1 years-old, including suspect car thieves as young as 13, 14 and 16-years-old. Per the report, arrests in car thefts incidents in Northwest D.C. include:
Friday, February 17, 2023
- A 13-year-old juvenile male, of Northwest, DC, was arrested for an Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle offense that occurred in the 6500 block of 1st Street, Northwest. CCN: 23-026-185
Monday, February 20, 2023
- A 16-year-old juvenile male, of Northwest, DC, was arrested for a Theft One (Stolen Auto) and Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle offense that occurred in the 1100 block of Spring Road, Northwest. CCN: 23-027-864
Weekly Firearm Recoveries
In their “Weekly Firearm Recoveries” report covering Feb. 13 – 20 in the District, MPD announced 40 firearms taken off the city’s streets. Most were taken from younger suspects, as the report listed suspects mostly in their 20s, with only a few in their 30s. The youngest included suspects ages 16, 17 and 18.
Crimes in Georgetown and Northwest, D.C.
On Feb. 24, Detectives from MPD’s Third District requested public assistance in their search for a suspect in a “Burglary Two Offense” on the 1800 Block of Belmont Road NW. “On Monday, Feb, 20, 2023, at approximately 8:28 a.m., the suspect gained entry to a residence at the listed location. Once inside, the suspect took property and then fled the scene,” a press release said. According to MPD, the suspect was captured by a surveillance camera and can be seen in this video: https://youtu.be/0nweFRGUr9A. Then on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at approx. 1:45 a.m., the [same] suspect forcibly gained entry to a residence and, once inside, took property and fled the scene. Additional surveillance video of the suspect can be seen here: https://youtu.be/Pfp9lMsi7MU.
On February 23, MPD Third District detectives called for public assistance in their search for a suspect sought in a “Burglary Two Offense” on the 1900 block of 14th St. NW. “At approximately 5:57 a.m., the suspect forcibly gained entry to an establishment at the listed location. Once inside, the suspect took property and then fled the scene,” MPD said. Video surveillance footage of the suspect can be seen here: https://youtu.be/4oWLsJlJdNU.
MPD Second District detectives also requested on Feb. 23 public assistance in locating a suspect in a “Burglary One Offense” on the 4500 block of Connecticut Ave. NW. “At approximately 3:05 a.m., the suspect gained entry to an occupied residence at the listed location,” the MPD press release said. “Once inside, the suspect took property and then fled the scene.” Surveillance footage of the suspect can be seen here: https://youtu.be/SMTuy-V-Hck.
On Feb. 23, MPD Third District detectives requested public assistance in locating a suspect in a “Theft One Stolen Auto” offense on February 7 in the unit block of N Street NW. “At approximately 4:24 p.m., the suspect entered an unattended vehicle that was running with the keys in the ignition at the listed location. The suspect fled the scene in the vehicle. The vehicle has been recovered,” MPD said in a press release.
The suspect was captured by a surveillance camera and can be seen in the photos below:
Surveillance image from an incident on the unit block of N Street NW.
MPD Second District detectives also requested public assistance on Feb. 22 in their search for a suspect in an “Armed Carjacking (Knife) Offense” on the 4800 block of MacArthur Blvd. NW. “At approximately 10:20 p.m., the suspect approached the victim, who was seated in their vehicle, at the listed location. The suspect brandished a knife and demanded the victim’s vehicle. The victim complied and the suspect fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle,” an MPD press release stated. The suspect was captured by a surveillance camera and can be seen in these photos:
Surveillance photo of a suspect in an “Armed Carjacking (Knife) Offense” on the 4800 block of MacArthur Blvd. NW.
MPD Second District detectives also requested public assistance in locating a suspect in a “Burglary One and Theft One (Stolen Auto) Offense” on Feb. 19 in the 5000 block of Macomb Street NW. “At approximately 4:30 a.m., the suspect entered an occupied residence at the listed location. Once inside, the suspect took keys to the victim’s vehicle and then fled the scene in the vehicle. The vehicle has been recovered,” an MPD report stated. The suspect was captured by a nearby surveillance camera and can be seen in the photo below:
Surveillance photo of a suspect in a “Burglary One and Theft One (Stolen Auto) Offense” on Feb. 19 in the 5000 block of Macomb Street NW.
