What Accounts for the High Number of Unsolved Homicides in DC?

[Anonymous]

There are so many unsolved homicides in DC. I know most do get solved. But, with all the security cameras and people walking around the city, why do you believe all these homicide are unsolved and what can be done about it?

[Anonymous]

“No snitching” culture.

[Anonymous]

They’re not in areas with lots of people and security cameras, they’re not random, and anyone who knows anything won’t talk.

[Anonymous]

Police generally are not great at solving crimes.

People don't trust the police and/or fear retaliation

Witnesses are undocumented or otherwise fear police interaction.

[Anonymous]

- Crappy MPD police culture that is both lax, unresponsive, and not good at assembling evidence that can stick
- Lack of certified police lab that can provide evidence
- completely lax USAO prosecution bullshit

[Anonymous]

Well resourced police are good at solving crimes. How large is the detective staffing in MPD?

[Anonymous]

When the person who was killed doesn’t have a network of friends and family members demanding answers, it’s easy for the case to be pushed aside. I also think - in many cases - the cases remain “unsolved” on paper… but folks know what happened…. and likely there was foul play on multiple levels so no need to involve police.

[Anonymous]

Read the 2015 non-fiction book Ghettoside by LA Times reporter Jill Leovy. It is about the difficulty of solving homicides in Los Angeles, but a lot of the same issues apply in DC. She traces the history of justice (or lack thereof) for AA victims in the AA communities in the south--i.e., the law was there to bind but not to protect, which resulted in systems of retaliation, witness intimidation, and overall distrust and dysfunction. Those paradigms were then exported to large cities in the US, where the newly arrived AA residents did not receive any better treatment from the justice systems in those locations than they had in the South. It is a very sad, but fascinating read. The book tracks the progress of a homicide detective trying to identify and bring to justice the killers of the teenage son of an AA fellow police officer. Delivering justice to victims is a fundamental principle of the rule of law in society. And when we fail to do it, societies fall apart and/or resort to vigilante justice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Read the 2015 non-fiction book Ghettoside by LA Times reporter Jill Leovy. It is about the difficulty of solving homicides in Los Angeles, but a lot of the same issues apply in DC. She traces the history of justice (or lack thereof) for AA victims in the AA communities in the south--i.e., the law was there to bind but not to protect, which resulted in systems of retaliation, witness intimidation, and overall distrust and dysfunction. Those paradigms were then exported to large cities in the US, where the newly arrived AA residents did not receive any better treatment from the justice systems in those locations than they had in the South. It is a very sad, but fascinating read. The book tracks the progress of a homicide detective trying to identify and bring to justice the killers of the teenage son of an AA fellow police officer. Delivering justice to victims is a fundamental principle of the rule of law in society. And when we fail to do it, societies fall apart and/or resort to vigilante justice.

Lack of justice yet they won't work with the justice system that could bring justice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Read the 2015 non-fiction book Ghettoside by LA Times reporter Jill Leovy. It is about the difficulty of solving homicides in Los Angeles, but a lot of the same issues apply in DC. She traces the history of justice (or lack thereof) for AA victims in the AA communities in the south--i.e., the law was there to bind but not to protect, which resulted in systems of retaliation, witness intimidation, and overall distrust and dysfunction. Those paradigms were then exported to large cities in the US, where the newly arrived AA residents did not receive any better treatment from the justice systems in those locations than they had in the South. It is a very sad, but fascinating read. The book tracks the progress of a homicide detective trying to identify and bring to justice the killers of the teenage son of an AA fellow police officer. Delivering justice to victims is a fundamental principle of the rule of law in society. And when we fail to do it, societies fall apart and/or resort to vigilante justice.

Lack of justice yet they won't work with the justice system that could bring justice.

Spoiler alert: They never actually wanted justice.

[Anonymous]

The nationwide homicide clearance rate is around 50%, a bit lower than DC's rate (62% last year).

[Anonymous]

Go away, facts

[Anonymous]

Black on black crime is never a big enough topic to apply public pressure to the gov officials who need to be better...simple and sad.

[Anonymous]

I'm still angry about the unsolved case of the WHC Fellow run over by the thugs who car jacked him in Adams Morgan last year.

Bow wowser said they didn't mean to do it! The thugs are being protected, as always. These people destroy lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“No snitching” culture.

That’s so unfortunate