"Many perpetrators apparently believed they could get away with breaking the law, and they were somewhat correct.
The D.C. police force was the smallest in half a century. Arrests fell sharply during the pandemic and stayed low. Prosecutions plunged, with only 33 percent of adult arrests leading to immediate charges in fiscal 2022. D.C.’s crime lab, which analyzes forensic evidence, lost its accreditation for two years, making it harder to bring gun and drug cases. (This was finally fixed in December.)
On top of that, D.C. courts were impeded during the pandemic, creating a massive backlog and leading to strikingly low numbers held in the D.C. Jail last year. Almost every part of the District’s fragmented public safety system fell short."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/03/17/dc-crime-blame-bowser-council-prosecutors/