City people... when is enough enough re: crime

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

This is so ignorant of the thousands of working families in the District fed up by skyrocketing crime.

A certain transient, well-to-do demographic seems to think that being flippant about crime is some sort of badge of honor. It's a slap in the face to the working-class families who can't/don't want to leave, many of whom have been impacted by gun violence or other violent crime.

But yeah, "of CoUrSe tHeRe iS CrIme, but It DoEsN'T rEaLlY iMPaCt me!"

99 percent of DC voted for Bowser and Clinton. This is on every on of you, not just the well-to-do. Nice try at passing the torch though. You were warned, should have listened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to be the new reality everywhere because Americans behave like wild animals and progressive policies enable it:

https://cwbchicago.com/2023/05/new-anti-theft-walgreens-store-in-has-just-2-aisles-of-touchable-merchandise.html

It's not Americans who behave as wild animals, it's one specific group. You voted for this, remember that.

Which group is that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to be the new reality everywhere because Americans behave like wild animals and progressive policies enable it:

https://cwbchicago.com/2023/05/new-anti-theft-walgreens-store-in-has-just-2-aisles-of-touchable-merchandise.html

That story literally opens with the CFO of Walgreens saying the company has likely overstated the impact of "organized theft rings" on the business.

So much of the question about crime in cities is about perception, what people actually see and experience versus what is actually happening.

I do think crime is up in the city (I live here) and that in particular we have to do something about juvenile crime, which IMO is very obviously linked to extended school shut downs in DC and other major cities, that left too many high risk kids at loose for a long time, and created a sense of lawlessness among this population that is escalating. I do not understand why the problem is not being talked about in this way, which might enable us to actually do something about it.

There is also increasing mental health issues among the city's unhoused population that is creating a difficult and sometimes dangerous situation, especially for employees and patrons of retail level businesses, as well the conditions in these tent cities (which simply should not exist, it is not an acceptable even short term solution).

But the way critics talk about it is as though we just have random violence and lawlessness all over the city with no explanation or recourse. That's not it.

We need to address juvenile crime directly, from both the perspective of prevention/alternative paths for first time offenders, and creating stiffer penalties for repeat offenders who, yes I'm sorry, need to be made an example of. We have kids under age 17 who are committing multiple muggings and car jackings in a matter of months. That's extreme behavior and needs an appropriate response, even if the kid is 13 and there are reasons to understand why this is what he's become. You can't just let it go on. There is a point where empathy no longer works. You need these kids to understand that if you cannot reform at this age, you will be spending the rest of your early adulthood in prison. I know. It sucks. But these kids are running around with guns and hurting people and stealing cars. What is the alternative?

And mental health services for the unhoused, as well as substance abuse programming -- we need more. And advocates for unhoused populations need to get it together. Yes, we need to listen to the unhoused and try to meet them where they are at. But right now advocates just shut down any effort to address the serious public health and safety problem posed by tent cities and certain vagrancy issues, because the solutions don't magically solve all the problems for this population at once. We need to stop making the perfect the enemy of the good. Let's figure out SOMETHING we can do that takes the safety of all citizens into account, we should not be constantly placing the needs of unhoused people always above those of families, businesses, retail workers and pedestrians. Their well being also matters!

Juvenile crime is an issue, but I see more adults committing crime/murder than kids under age 17.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in DC (EOTP, in Park View near Columbia Heights) and I am not worried about crime. It was a little touchy immediately post Covid but things have seemed fine recently. I feel comfortable walking around at night. My main complaint is litter is just terrible and I wish they put out more public trash cans. But DC is thriving and the people who fear mongered during covid should just spend a few hours along any of the commercial/retail strips and see how strong DC is right now.

Nice try at gaslighting. Please.

When is the last time you or anyone in this thread clutching their pearls actually stepped foot in DC? And I don’t mean driving on 295, try actually leaving your car.

But it’s ok, we don’t mind if boring suburban people stay away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in DC (EOTP, in Park View near Columbia Heights) and I am not worried about crime. It was a little touchy immediately post Covid but things have seemed fine recently. I feel comfortable walking around at night. My main complaint is litter is just terrible and I wish they put out more public trash cans. But DC is thriving and the people who fear mongered during covid should just spend a few hours along any of the commercial/retail strips and see how strong DC is right now.

Nice try at gaslighting. Please.

When is the last time you or anyone in this thread clutching their pearls actually stepped foot in DC? And I don’t mean driving on 295, try actually leaving your car.

But it’s ok, we don’t mind if boring suburban people stay away.

Keeping gaslighting the working families of DC that hate the way crime has skyrocketed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in DC (EOTP, in Park View near Columbia Heights) and I am not worried about crime. It was a little touchy immediately post Covid but things have seemed fine recently. I feel comfortable walking around at night. My main complaint is litter is just terrible and I wish they put out more public trash cans. But DC is thriving and the people who fear mongered during covid should just spend a few hours along any of the commercial/retail strips and see how strong DC is right now.

Nice try at gaslighting. Please.

When is the last time you or anyone in this thread clutching their pearls actually stepped foot in DC? And I don’t mean driving on 295, try actually leaving your car.

But it’s ok, we don’t mind if boring suburban people stay away.

I’m sorry, but it’s not remotely true that DC is “thriving” right now.

(DC native)

[Anonymous]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12207907/Eight-months-pregnant-model-shot-dead-DC-two-men-armed-rifles-opened-fire.html

Shooting in the middle of the day on Thursday. DC is unsafe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in DC (EOTP, in Park View near Columbia Heights) and I am not worried about crime. It was a little touchy immediately post Covid but things have seemed fine recently. I feel comfortable walking around at night. My main complaint is litter is just terrible and I wish they put out more public trash cans. But DC is thriving and the people who fear mongered during covid should just spend a few hours along any of the commercial/retail strips and see how strong DC is right now.

Nice try at gaslighting. Please.

When is the last time you or anyone in this thread clutching their pearls actually stepped foot in DC? And I don’t mean driving on 295, try actually leaving your car.

But it’s ok, we don’t mind if boring suburban people stay away.

Keeping gaslighting the working families of DC that hate the way crime has skyrocketed.

Oh, but she's so cool and hip! Who cares if "those" teens hurt each other?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to be the new reality everywhere because Americans behave like wild animals and progressive policies enable it:

https://cwbchicago.com/2023/05/new-anti-theft-walgreens-store-in-has-just-2-aisles-of-touchable-merchandise.html

It's not Americans who behave as wild animals, it's one specific group. You voted for this, remember that.

Which group is that?

The group that is committing all the violent crime, and especially: carjackings, drive-by shootings, shooting pregnant women in cars, shooting ride-share drivers.

I'm not prepared to call the non-violent criminals 'animals' at this time, but they certainly look stupid. The smash-n-grab cohort.

[Anonymous]

Why doesn't the Council even PRETEND to care about all these dead and shot black kids? Instead they are going on a several month recess! A six year old shot on Father's Day!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in DC (EOTP, in Park View near Columbia Heights) and I am not worried about crime. It was a little touchy immediately post Covid but things have seemed fine recently. I feel comfortable walking around at night. My main complaint is litter is just terrible and I wish they put out more public trash cans. But DC is thriving and the people who fear mongered during covid should just spend a few hours along any of the commercial/retail strips and see how strong DC is right now.

Nice try at gaslighting. Please.

When is the last time you or anyone in this thread clutching their pearls actually stepped foot in DC? And I don’t mean driving on 295, try actually leaving your car.

But it’s ok, we don’t mind if boring suburban people stay away.

I’m sorry, but it’s not remotely true that DC is “thriving” right now.

(DC native)

+1, 20 year resident here, I've made my life, had kids, and pay taxes in DC. I am not happy with the direction of the city, the policy positions of the progressive wing of the Council, or the attitude of many that everything is "fine" and that we just have to accept a certain level of violent crime as inevitable.

I don't understand how you can learn of children being shot and killed on the streets and then claim that crime concern is "overblown" or just overstated by people who don't live here. Look around.

[Anonymous]

This is very sad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to be the new reality everywhere because Americans behave like wild animals and progressive policies enable it:

https://cwbchicago.com/2023/05/new-anti-theft-walgreens-store-in-has-just-2-aisles-of-touchable-merchandise.html

It's not Americans who behave as wild animals, it's one specific group. You voted for this, remember that.

Which group is that?

Those MAGA republicans of course! The ones that beat up Jussie Smollet!

[Anonymous]

The implication in this thread seems to be that if you (a) have the means to leave D.C. or (b) don't have to live in the District for whatever reason but (c) choose to stay here despite rising crime rates, you're somehow insulting people with less money or making the wrong choice for yourself.

I disagree. Yes, crime is rising, and that's bad. And yes, that's particularly a problem in the less wealthy neighborhoods where crime is rising fastest. But why does that mean every person who's able to leave should flee? Seems like it's entirely possible to recognize that crime is bad and also choose to stay in a city that has more crime now than it did recently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The implication in this thread seems to be that if you (a) have the means to leave D.C. or (b) don't have to live in the District for whatever reason but (c) choose to stay here despite rising crime rates, you're somehow insulting people with less money or making the wrong choice for yourself.

I disagree. Yes, crime is rising, and that's bad. And yes, that's particularly a problem in the less wealthy neighborhoods where crime is rising fastest. But why does that mean every person who's able to leave should flee? Seems like it's entirely possible to recognize that crime is bad and also choose to stay in a city that has more crime now than it did recently.

You’ve invented your own implication. Has nothing to do with whether you leave or not (no one gives a f$ck what you do).

It’s insulting to pretend like crime is not a problem of that noticing it is somehow racist.