D.C.’s mayor addressed another violent weekend in the District, during an event at the new Frederick Douglas Memorial Bridge on Monday.
So far this Labor Day weekend, there have been charges for minors in carjacking cases, a string of shootings in Northwest D.C., and the shooting of a pregnant woman who had been driving along Eastern Avenue.
While Bowser didn’t directly address any one shooting, she called all of the events horrific, and said “we have to act with urgency” when it comes to “demonstrated violent offenders.”
“We have to make sure our whole system is working,” Bowser said.
While data collected by WTOP in June show that violent crime in D.C. has marginally decreased since 2020, violent crimes have risen by over 15% from pre-pandemic numbers. The mayor said she was unsure what is causing the increase in violent crime in D.C. and other major cities.
“Whether it is COVID or unemployment or kids out of school or you name it … we are trying to attack the problem from all sides and all angles,” Bowser said.
D.C. Council members recently approved Bowser’s request to hire 200 more officers this year, following a hiring freeze in 2020.
Bowser said she was pleased by the move, adding, “That will help us make up, but not completely, for no hiring last year.”
WTOP’s Acacia James and Luke Lukert contributed to this report.
