Things are far worse now in urban areas across America than they were in 2005, which was probably the high water mark of urban revitalization. Progressive policies without any check from republicans in cities and places like MoCo have led to soaring taxes to fund pensions, reduced services, and tolerance of and embrace of bad behavior. The whole “victimless crime” decriminalization of marijuana has been the latest thing that blows my mind. In the late 90s you couldn’t go out to a bar without smelling like an ashtray. We applauded when smoking bans were passed. Now we are assaulted by marijuana smoke outside, everywhere, and no one bats an eye. Young men are unemployed and shiftless—but again, we are told that it’s due to structural something or something. At some point, the tide will turn back towards sanity, but there are still enough clueless progressive voters to keep writing blank checks to liberal municipalities. When Chicago finally goes bankrupt (hard to fund a $45k pp debt with 8% interest rates) maybe some rationality will return.

Been here since the late 70s. Nature and location of the crimes has changed. 80s crime was more violent and contained in areas where drug turf wars were happening. So really bad if you lived in those areas. No real issues if you didn’t. Now it is becoming increasingly violent again, but can and does happen anywhere anytime.

Anonymous wrote:Things in DC we’re definitely worse in the early 90s. That said post-pandemic the social fabric is fraying a bit.

A bit!?

Anonymous wrote:656 Carjackings this year.

https://twitter.com/RedEarth202/status/1696702955745878086


tHiNgS wErE WoRSe iN tHe 9oS!!!1!

I bLAmE KiA.

The public schools yes of course.

656 Carjackings this year.

https://twitter.com/RedEarth202/status/1696702955745878086


tHiNgS wErE WoRSe iN tHe 9oS!!!1!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a 48 year Moco resident while there has always been some crime, there is more now. There have always been homicide, in fact the ER at shady grove hospital is named after a guy killed at a bar fight at Jj Muldouns. Yes the population has increased so per capita murders probably aren’t any higher. But you see people panhandling everywhere even at grocery stores. Intersections, etc

Agree about increase in panhandling. In our neighborhood, we have Central Americans panhandling at the intersections. Seriously? They illegally cross the US border just to beg for money. If we keep getting all their people, then we should get their land too. Replace their sorry government.

The absolute irony of this comment.

We tried and succeeded many times in the 70s and 80s. That's a major reason as to why Central America is in such a bad state.

And earlier. Basically continuously during the 20th century. "Banana Republic" was a political/economic concept long before it was the name of a clothing store.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a 48 year Moco resident while there has always been some crime, there is more now. There have always been homicide, in fact the ER at shady grove hospital is named after a guy killed at a bar fight at Jj Muldouns. Yes the population has increased so per capita murders probably aren’t any higher. But you see people panhandling everywhere even at grocery stores. Intersections, etc

Agree about increase in panhandling. In our neighborhood, we have Central Americans panhandling at the intersections. Seriously? They illegally cross the US border just to beg for money. If we keep getting all their people, then we should get their land too. Replace their sorry government.

The absolute irony of this comment.

We tried and succeeded many times in the 70s and 80s. That's a major reason as to why Central America is in such a bad state.

School shootings are more prevalent these days. Thank the Rs for blocking all common sense gun laws.

Anonymous wrote:45 year resident of Bethesda and NWDC

Yes, I lived in sheltered areas but life is way better now than it was 20, 30, 40+ years ago

DC, while the recent uptick is worrisome, is MILES ahead of where it was in the 80,90s,00s. DC has done a great job modernizing areas - City Center, Mass Ave/Ct Ave corridor, SW waterfront, SE Waterfront -- those areas were dead zones.

Anyone remember the DC snipers in the suburbs? I was pretty scared then..not too concerned about petty theft or a CVS being robbed for lipstick..that's just life in a heavily populated area.

Disagree with your last point...organized retail theft, including using kids as the perps, is part of much bigger networks and activity. The stolen or carjacked cars (often Korean) provide the transport for stolen goods.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/boosters-fencers-and-cleaners-inside-cartels-newest-criminal-enterprise-of-organized-retail-theft/ar-AA1fVy6n

Bomb threats at the zoo is a new one...

https://dailyvoice.com/virginia/fairfax/national-zoo-evacuated-closed-due-to-bomb-threat-in-dc-developing/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:45 year resident of Bethesda and NWDC

Yes, I lived in sheltered areas but life is way better now than it was 20, 30, 40+ years ago

DC, while the recent uptick is worrisome, is MILES ahead of where it was in the 80,90s,00s. DC has done a great job modernizing areas - City Center, Mass Ave/Ct Ave corridor, SW waterfront, SE Waterfront -- those areas were dead zones.

Anyone remember the DC snipers in the suburbs? I was pretty scared then..not too concerned about petty theft or a CVS being robbed for lipstick..that's just life in a heavily populated area.

I agree with you that D.C. feels much safer now than in the past, but I disagree with you that the sniper is at all relevant to people's perceptions of crime today. That was an extremely unusual situation (by the standards of 20 years ago or by our standards now). And besides that, the actual risk to people of being shot by the sniper was very, very low... so it's not like those few weeks really meant things were more dangerous then in the suburbs than they were in the city.

It is if we are comparing perception of safety today to earlier times.

It was incredibly stressful back then. Sniper, anthrax, 9/11. We never felt safe, had a go bag, etc. I guess after those traumatic years and witnessing much more crime back then, it’s hard to care too much about people stealing change out of my car.

Anonymous wrote:Defund means to take away funding.

Police means hired people to enforce laws.

Defunding the police is idiotic. Increasing social services is an incredible idea. These are unrelated ideas that were conflated for impact and they have had the impact one would have expected. It is easy to cut down all morale for police, much harder to increase social services. I hope those who supported this concept realize that it actually decreased social services while increasing crime greatly. The unhomed for instance now have a much more dangerous life.

BS - citation?

Anonymous wrote:45 year resident of Bethesda and NWDC

Yes, I lived in sheltered areas but life is way better now than it was 20, 30, 40+ years ago

DC, while the recent uptick is worrisome, is MILES ahead of where it was in the 80,90s,00s. DC has done a great job modernizing areas - City Center, Mass Ave/Ct Ave corridor, SW waterfront, SE Waterfront -- those areas were dead zones.

Anyone remember the DC snipers in the suburbs? I was pretty scared then..not too concerned about petty theft or a CVS being robbed for lipstick..that's just life in a heavily populated area.

I agree with you that D.C. feels much safer now than in the past, but I disagree with you that the sniper is at all relevant to people's perceptions of crime today. That was an extremely unusual situation (by the standards of 20 years ago or by our standards now). And besides that, the actual risk to people of being shot by the sniper was very, very low... so it's not like those few weeks really meant things were more dangerous then in the suburbs than they were in the city.

45 year resident of Bethesda and NWDC

Yes, I lived in sheltered areas but life is way better now than it was 20, 30, 40+ years ago

DC, while the recent uptick is worrisome, is MILES ahead of where it was in the 80,90s,00s. DC has done a great job modernizing areas - City Center, Mass Ave/Ct Ave corridor, SW waterfront, SE Waterfront -- those areas were dead zones.

Anyone remember the DC snipers in the suburbs? I was pretty scared then..not too concerned about petty theft or a CVS being robbed for lipstick..that's just life in a heavily populated area.