Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:30 years ago was 1991, when there were 482 homicides in DC.

Last year (2020), there were 198 homicides.

Now do 2010 vs. 2020. Then do 2015 vs 2020. Then do 2018 vs 2020.

How about just the weekends so far this year??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Crime is up but only in the last year."

No offense, but you're not paying attention if you think this. Check homicide stats courtesy of MPD- homicide up 38 percent this year, 2020 was up from 2019, and 2019 was up from 2018, etc. All other stats from MPD show many things going down year over year (not auto theft), but those things are a lot easier to juke than a dead body on the street. Color me skeptical that "overall crime" is down this year- I am wary of MPD stats unless it's homicide, which they can't mess with so easily.

+1. Homicide is essentially the only stat they can’t manipulate.

My favorite is when there's a drive by that misses, but the bullets hit a car. It's classified as "vandalism" rather than attempted murder or some other violent felony.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Been here 18 years.

For me it has been:
- The disaster of the vaccine rollout. Really revealing in terms of city government incompetence.
- The failure to fully reopen schools.
- Crime. Gun violence just blocks away from our home in broad daylight.
- Proximity of Jan. 6th events to our home, the fencing off of the Capitol, the militarization of the city related to political unrest.
- The nonsensical pandemic restrictions. Schools closed, but indoor dining open pre-vaccines. Outdoor mask mandate long after it was clear unnecessary. Mayor issuing and taking back new guidance this weekend. No metrics for when restrictions will be dropped. Mayor refusing to answer reporter questions on.

It's all just so exhausting. Add on top of it, how hard it is to buy a home, get into daycare, buy in a good school district.

I love the city and have really put down roots here through early career to building a family, but at some point it's just not worth it.

I've come to expect incompetence from the local DC government and am genuinely surprised if they don't completely mess up something. Bowser has made a mockery of the mayorship. I'm with you on everything that's bold.

Anthony Williams did yeomans work improving the quality of life. Fenty was actually well intentioned and tried, but ineffective. That was the pinnacle. Gray and Bowser have destroyed all of that hard work, competence and credibility that were so hard won. It's a real shame. I honestly do not believe that there has been a more cynical mayor governing DC than Bowser. DC better enact term limits on the mayor or else...

100% agree with what you and 23:21 said. Gray was the beginning of things worsening, but Bowser really took it to the next level. I find the lack of opposition to her shocking (and it's certainly not because she's doing a good job)!

+1. I would add the critical race theory that is being taught by DCPS. They are poisoning the minds of our kids. It’s gone way too far.

It's being taught in private schools, too. I don't think it's avoidable now.

Anonymous wrote:"Crime is up but only in the last year."

No offense, but you're not paying attention if you think this. Check homicide stats courtesy of MPD- homicide up 38 percent this year, 2020 was up from 2019, and 2019 was up from 2018, etc. All other stats from MPD show many things going down year over year (not auto theft), but those things are a lot easier to juke than a dead body on the street. Color me skeptical that "overall crime" is down this year- I am wary of MPD stats unless it's homicide, which they can't mess with so easily.

+1. Homicide is essentially the only stat they can’t manipulate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:30 years ago was 1991, when there were 482 homicides in DC.

Last year (2020), there were 198 homicides.

Now do 2010 vs. 2020. Then do 2015 vs 2020. Then do 2018 vs 2020.

Here's [ur=https://mpdc.dc.gov/page/district-crime-data-glancel]the 20-year trend[/url]:

2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009
198 166 160 116 135 162 105 104* 88 108 132 144
*The citywide 2013 homicide statistics include the 12 victims of the Washington Navy Yard shooting incident that occurred on September 16, 2013.


2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001
132 144 186 181 169 196 248 248 262 232

2020 was a bad year for crime and for homicide, no question. And obviously, you should do whatever you want without regard for what anonymous Internet strangers think about it. But I personally don't at all think I need to move out of the District, partly because crime rates now are still lower than they were when I first moved here, and partly because most homicides are committed by people who know the victim, so I'm pretty unlikely to be involved in one. Crime has also been up in every city last year, though, so it's one thing if your plan is to move to the suburbs, but another altogether if you're hoping to move to some other city -- you probably won't find the stats there are any more reassuring.

Yikes. We just signed a lease in Capitol Hill but recent increase in crime and posts like this have me concerned we made the wrong decision. Hoping it changes

"Crime is up but only in the last year."

No offense, but you're not paying attention if you think this. Check homicide stats courtesy of MPD- homicide up 38 percent this year, 2020 was up from 2019, and 2019 was up from 2018, etc. All other stats from MPD show many things going down year over year (not auto theft), but those things are a lot easier to juke than a dead body on the street. Color me skeptical that "overall crime" is down this year- I am wary of MPD stats unless it's homicide, which they can't mess with so easily.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been here since 2001 and am very happy. DC represents a great mix of affordability and amenities, compared to other cities like NY and SF. If you aren't in a gang, your life is unlikely to be affected by crime.

If you’ve lived here since 2001 and have never experienced crime, you should buy a lottery ticket. I don’t know anyone in a gang, but many people I know in DC have been victims of crimes (even if minor crimes such as car break ins, street harassment, etc.).

I don't know what to tell you. DH and I have both been here for 20 years and never had an issue. We've lived in Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, Columbia Heights, and CCDC. I don't count street harassment as a crime, though I can't recall any specific instances of that either. That happens everywhere.

Street harassment absolutely can be a crime. (No one likes getting yelled at by a cursing mentally ill person while walking down the street with their small child, for example.) All crime happens everywhere, right? It’s just some cities have more of it than others. And crime in DC is on the rise.

If you're afraid of the crime, which is lower than it was when I got here 20 years ago, I think city living is simply not for you.

I honestly don’t care much what you think about where I should live. Why do you think I would?

I’ve been here almost 20 years myself. I’m glad that you’re comfortable with the rising crime rates, but please know that most people - even those of us who live in cities — prefer less (rather than more) crime.

You get what you vote for. Crime is up but only in the last year. But one party in particular has nationally only dealt in fear, the genie is out of the bottle, and now they want to govern and assure you all is well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For years I used to drive to DC to play league tennis at several different locations. Now, I’m honestly too scared to even drive into some of those areas. I cannot imagine living there and raising a family. OP needs to drive out to the suburbs and see the difference in lifestyle. Not perfect, but a completely different world. Your family’s safety should be top priority, IMO.

DCUM is just so disappointing these days. Like seriously we have to wade around in this sort of BS all of the time. So tiring. I wish you all would go off to Fairfax Underground or something.

The truth hurts: “At least 11 people were shot and another person was stabbed during a violent weekend in the District, according to D.C. police,” confirmed the Washington Post on Twitter.

“Three of the victims died, contributing to a homicide count that is rising for the fourth consecutive year. Police said one of the killings has been ruled as justified self-defense,” adds the newspaper.

The police know where the guns are. Or some of them at least - the registered ones. They need to tell those people to turn them. They have to start somewhere. Might as well be with the ones they actually know about.

Wait. Let me get this straight. You're suggesting that people who have legally registered guns should be "told" to turn them in, while the thugs with (presumably) unregistered guns should be allowed free reign to keep theirs?

In what possible twisted way of thinking does this even begin to make sense?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Been here 18 years.

For me it has been:
- The disaster of the vaccine rollout. Really revealing in terms of city government incompetence.
- The failure to fully reopen schools.
- Crime. Gun violence just blocks away from our home in broad daylight.
- Proximity of Jan. 6th events to our home, the fencing off of the Capitol, the militarization of the city related to political unrest.
- The nonsensical pandemic restrictions. Schools closed, but indoor dining open pre-vaccines. Outdoor mask mandate long after it was clear unnecessary. Mayor issuing and taking back new guidance this weekend. No metrics for when restrictions will be dropped. Mayor refusing to answer reporter questions on.

It's all just so exhausting. Add on top of it, how hard it is to buy a home, get into daycare, buy in a good school district.

I love the city and have really put down roots here through early career to building a family, but at some point it's just not worth it.

I've come to expect incompetence from the local DC government and am genuinely surprised if they don't completely mess up something. Bowser has made a mockery of the mayorship. I'm with you on everything that's bold.

Anthony Williams did yeomans work improving the quality of life. Fenty was actually well intentioned and tried, but ineffective. That was the pinnacle. Gray and Bowser have destroyed all of that hard work, competence and credibility that were so hard won. It's a real shame. I honestly do not believe that there has been a more cynical mayor governing DC than Bowser. DC better enact term limits on the mayor or else...

100% agree with what you and 23:21 said. Gray was the beginning of things worsening, but Bowser really took it to the next level. I find the lack of opposition to her shocking (and it's certainly not because she's doing a good job)!

+1. I would add the critical race theory that is being taught by DCPS. They are poisoning the minds of our kids. It’s gone way too far.

I love the curriculum my elementary kids are getting on topics of race and Us history. I’m not sure where / what you’re getting “critical race theory” but that sounds like a Tucker Carlson talking point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love all the people concerned about “safety” who are moving to suburbs where they spend far more time driving their kids around in cars, an actual risk to health and safety.

When 2 neighbors got held up at gunpoint (1 in broad daylight), I decided a bit more time in the car was a risk I was willing to take. Not to mention the home break ins, etc. in a supposedly "good" neghborhod.

Well my coworker was killed in a car crash. Others have been injured. I decided a handful of shootings in the neighborhood was a risk I was willing to take.

The cool thing about freedom is that we all get to make those judgements & decisions on our own.

Absolutely! No judgment here. Many of our friends still live in DC.

Anonymous wrote:30 years ago was 1991, when there were 482 homicides in DC.

Last year (2020), there were 198 homicides.

Now do 2010 vs. 2020. Then do 2015 vs 2020. Then do 2018 vs 2020.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one wants to raise their children in an episode of Cops.

Well good thing you didn't raise your kid in the DC in the early 90s when the murder and crime rates were 3-4x higher.

The absurd delusions about crime are a product of the propaganda you consume.

LOL at these graphs stopping in 2017! You are really trying!

As someone who has lived here since the 80s.... It's really not that bad.