The mugging of Rep. Henry Cuellar is hardly an isolated event in Washington, D.C. A group of armed men robbed the Democrat at gunpoint. The events occurred in the vicinity of his residence, less than a mile away from the Capitol.
This is not the only crime that has recently come to light in the nation's capital. As reported by WTOP news, a man was found dead in McPherson Square Park, only two blocks from the White House. The wounds revealed that he was struck by a gunshot.
The data on the growing crime wave in the nation's capital is worrying. Washington has seen a “30% increase in violent crime” over the last year, and homicides also increased by 17%.
The situation is such that Mayor Muriel Bowser admitted last week that the measures to reform the criminal justice system and all policies that have been approved and endorsed by the D.C. Council "have been wrong," referring, among other things, to the defunding of police. She added that measures taken by the city have made the "policy environment not conducive to safe streets":
I’ve made very clear where I think the policies have been wrong, over a number of years, and those issues relate to defunding the police to … treating our police officers with employment matters different than any other employee — and in some cases, they should be. ... Other cases, it makes it very difficult.
Measures to address the crisis, including curfews
This isn't the first time Bowser has acknowledged the severity of the crime crisis. A month ago, she announced a series of measures that would be applied to combat the rise in crime in the nation's capital. Among them:
- A curfew for those under 17 years of age. If those below this age limit are in one of the areas detailed by Bowser after hours (11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 12:01 p.m. Saturday through Sunday), they will be transported to the Department of Juvenile Rehabilitation Services, which will contact the adult or adults responsible for them.
- An increase in security cameras. This initiative includes the installation of 50 closed-circuit cameras and the commitment to double the number of video surveillance devices in the next two years.
- Strengthen local security forces. Bowser proposed a bonus for members of the Metropolitan Police Department who recruit new officers. For each new officer, they could receive $5,000, and $2,000 for each cadet.
"Today marks the the first time (that we can recall), where EVERY SINGLE crime category is showing an increase. Officer numbers continue to plummet under the misguided “reform” legislation passed by the Council. It is long overdue to begin repealing the CPJRAA," the mayor posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The law aimed at strengthening public safety
The reforms announced by Bowser came in addition to the emergency approval of the Public Safety Amendment Act last month. Among other changes, the Washington, D.C., Council made it a felony to fire a gun in public and allowed judges to hold violent crime suspects in custody until trial.
Council Chair Phil Mendelson acknowledged at that time that the problem lies with the judicial system, saying, "You can get away with murder in this city," per Fox 5. Mendelson explained that in the nation's capital, "Most robberies are not solved. Half of homicides are not solved very quickly if they’re solved at all. ... Roughly 50% of homicides are not solved within the year they occurred."
A crisis warned from Mexico
The chaos generated by crime in Washington even caused the Mexican Consulate to release a warning to Mexican nationals traveling or living in the city. The National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) shared a video on social media warning about the serious "crime crisis" that is plaguing the nation. The post references a statement from the Mexican Consulate warning its citizens residing in Washington to "take precautions" due to rising crime.
The message shared by the FOP warns the Mexican community that the U.S. capital "is experiencing a significant increase in crimes in areas previously considered safe," so precautions must be taken.
Recent data from local police reveal more than 256 violent crimes in Washington compared to the 101 recorded last year.
