WASHINGTON – A recent 24 percent jump in violent crime in the Capitol Hill neighborhood has some residents there worried.
Since Monday, the Metropolitan Police Department has tweeted about several armed robberies by a group of teenagers on and near Capitol Hill.
Residents of the neighborhood say they are troubled by the reports.
The neighborhood is home to many families and residents can be seen walking their dogs and children in strollers at all hours. One resident tells WTOP she and her husband were surprised to learn about the recent robberies and the couple hopes the crimes don’t become a trend.
But crime has been on the rise in the neighborhood.
According to The Washington Post, violent crime on Capitol Hill and Lincoln Park has spiked 32 percent and 24 percent year-to-date, respectively.
“I’m much more aware of my surroundings,” resident Linda Sheaffer tells WTOP. “I look out for anything that doesn’t seem right.”
Police Chief Cathy Lanier says the department has added officers, to catch the offenders and soothe nervous residents.
“I’ve seen a little more police activity, but I think the best police activity is the one that’s unseen,” says Mike Sheaffer, as he and his wife stood across from Eastern Market on Independence Avenue SE.
“Nobody should have to change their routines because of crime,” Lanier told the Post.
Lanier did not immediately return requests for information about several robberies on the Hill Monday and Tuesday by young people with similar descriptions.
In October, she announced that she authorized overtime for extra patrols along the Pennsylvania Avenue corridor to combat the uptick.
