In the early 1990s, Washington, D.C., was known as the "murder capital",[11] experiencing 474 homicides in 1990.[12] The elevated crime levels were associated with the introduction of crack cocaine during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The crack was brought into Washington, D.C. by Colombian cartels and sold in drug markets such as "The Strip" (the largest in the city) located a few blocks north of the United States Capitol.[13] A quarter of juveniles with criminal charges in 1988 tested positive for drugs.[11]
The number of homicides per year in Washington, D.C., peaked at 479 in 1991,[14] followed by a downward trend in the late 1990s. In 2000, 242 homicides occurred,[12] and the downward trend continued in the 2000s. In 2012, Washington, D.C. had only 92 homicides in 91 separate incidents, the lowest annual tally since 1963.[15] The Metropolitan Police Department's official tally is 88 homicides, but that number does not include four deaths that were ruled self-defense or justifiable homicide by citizen.[15] The cause of death listed on the four case records is homicide and MPD includes those cases in tallying homicide case closures at the end of the year.[15] …show more content…
Crime in neighboring Prince George's County, Maryland, initially experienced an increase, but has recently witnessed steep declines as poorer residents moved out of the city into the nearby suburbs.[16] Crime has declined both in the District and the suburbs in recent years. In fact, the influx of more affluent new residents in the city has not led to an uptick in robberies or property crimes in gentrifying areas, including Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant, Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, and Shaw. There was an average of 11 robberies each day across the District of Columbia in 2006,[5] which is far below the levels experienced in the
The number of homicides per year in Washington, D.C., peaked at 479 in 1991,[14] followed by a downward trend in the late 1990s. In 2000, 242 homicides occurred,[12] and the downward trend continued in the 2000s. In 2012, Washington, D.C. had only 92 homicides in 91 separate incidents, the lowest annual tally since 1963.[15] The Metropolitan Police Department's official tally is 88 homicides, but that number does not include four deaths that were ruled self-defense or justifiable homicide by citizen.[15] The cause of death listed on the four case records is homicide and MPD includes those cases in tallying homicide case closures at the end of the year.[15] …show more content…
Crime in neighboring Prince George's County, Maryland, initially experienced an increase, but has recently witnessed steep declines as poorer residents moved out of the city into the nearby suburbs.[16] Crime has declined both in the District and the suburbs in recent years. In fact, the influx of more affluent new residents in the city has not led to an uptick in robberies or property crimes in gentrifying areas, including Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant, Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, and Shaw. There was an average of 11 robberies each day across the District of Columbia in 2006,[5] which is far below the levels experienced in the