Republicans on the House Oversight Committee sent a Friday letter to Washington, D.C., Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser regarding the spike in violent crime throughout the city.
The letter was spearheaded by ranking member Rep. James Comer of Kentucky. In it the lawmakers mention the killing of Tarshaqua Chappell in Southeast D.C., the 37- year old who was shot while driving on Sept. 15. They also mention the spike in homelessness around the nation’s capital.
“The message coming from your office regarding the future role of, and funding for, the city’s police is contributing to the decline. As the committee of jurisdiction for all matters involving the District of Columbia, House Committee on Oversight and Reform Republicans request information regarding this dangerous trend in the nation’s capital. Violent crime plagues the city, and the number of homicides this year is expected to meet or exceed the 16-year high of 2020. The violence is spread across all areas of the District, and scooter-related shootings are on the rise, as well,” the lawmakers said in the letter. (RELATED: DC Housed Homeless In Swanky Upscale Apartments. It Didn’t End Well)
READ THE LETTER HERE:
House Oversight Letter to Bowser by Henry Rodgers on Scribd
“In May, a mother and her five-year-old daughter were both shot walking home from the park by someone riding a scooter.3 Additionally, the emergence of vast homeless communities—where drug use and violence often go unchecked4—will only exacerbate and add to the crime in the city. Earlier this year, residents of Mount Vernon Square wrote to the U.S. Park Police requesting homeless encampments be removed, pointing to various criminal and sanitary violations from the inhabitants. The request to remove the encampment was denied, and the District’s homeless population grows. Tent cities are scattered throughout the District for any tourist or commuter to see,” the letter continued. (RELATED: DC Mayor Muriel Bowser Calls For More Police Overtime To Address Skyrocketing Violence)
Bowser announced in July that she is directing the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to use overtime in order to address growing violence in the nation’s capital.
There has been a surge in violent crime in D.C. throughout 2021. MPD data shows the number of homicides increased 19% in 2020 and has remained constant this year, the Washingtonian reported.