Feds Forced To Send Reinforcements To America’s Capital As Rising Crime Devastates City

The Justice Department announced Friday that it is sending more federal resources to Washington, D.C. to curb the growing spike of gun crime in the nation’s capital.

The district saw a 35% increase in homicides in 2023 compared to 2022, going from 203 to 274, while robberies went up by 67%, at 3,470 last year, according to Metropolitan Police Department data. As a result, the department said Friday that it would be sending more federal agents, analysts, federal prosecutors and other resources to investigate and prosecute carjackings and gun crimes, according to a press release. (RELATED: CVS In DC Will Close Due To Teen Theft Epidemic)

“We saw an encouraging decline in violent crime in many parts of the country, but there is much more work to do, including here in the District of Columbia,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said. “This surge in law enforcement resources will build on the Department’s efforts to target the individuals and organizations that are driving violent crime in the nation’s capital. The Justice Department will not rest until every community in our country is safe from the scourge of violent crime.”

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 05: Attorney General Merrick Garland (2nd L) delivers remarks regarding ongoing efforts by the Department of Justice to combat violent crime and a reported decrease in violent crime seen in many cities during the previous year January 5, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Carjackings went up for the sixth year in a row to 959 in 2023 and out of 182 individuals who were charged with armed carjacking, 139 of them were juveniles and out of the 43 adults, 31 were under the age of 24 D.C. U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, said Thursday at the Police Executive Research Forum conference, according to Axios.

“To the teenagers fueling these crimes, know that there is no such thing as a ‘free ride.’ Masks will not protect you. We will track you down and aggressively pursue the charges that fit the crime,” Graves said.

Elected officials and even law enforcement have been hit with the crime wave. Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas was carjacked in October and an FBI agent was carjacked at gunpoint in November.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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