WASHINGTON — D.C. police are releasing the 2017 crime statistics, which show a drop in violent crime and a reduction in the type of crime the mayor said determines how safe the city feels.
“In 2017, we experienced a reduction in every single crime category,” D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said Tuesday.
He touted his officers’ hard work and the community’s interest and willingness to take an active role in attributing the drop in crime.
“Our preliminary figures show a 22 percent reduction in reported violent crime and an 11 percent reduction in overall crime when compared to last year. These reductions are some of the lowest numbers of violent crime we’ve had in the city in a long time,” he said.
“These are very significant achievements, certainly, but none of us are satisfied with any level of violent crime in our city,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser of the overall drop in crime citywide.
Since 2014, violent crime has decreased in D.C. by 28 percent, property crime has decreased by 11 percent, and total crime has decreased by 14 percent. Burglaries decreased 28 percent from 2016 which, along with robberies, Newsham and Bowser said contribute the most to how safe the city feels.
“Because those are the crimes that appear to be the most random. It could be anyone’s home that is broken into,” Newsham said.
