DOJ Surging Resources to Washington, DC to Fight Crime Wave
The Department of Justice is surging resources to the nation’s capital following increased violence. Last year, Washington, D.C. reported its highest murder rate since 1997, overall violent crime spiked 39 percent, carjackings nearly doubled, and motor vehicle theft rose 82 percent.
Even Congressman Henry Cueller (D-TX) was among those carjacked, calling Washington “at least two or three times more dangerous” than his district along the Mexican border.
As a result, DOJ is surging law enforcement resources in the District of Columbia to fight the growing crime wave.
“Last year, we saw an encouraging decline in violent crime in many parts of the country, but there is much more work to do — including here in the District of Columbia,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland. “This surge in law enforcement resources will build on the Department’s efforts to target the individuals and organizations that are driving violent crime in the nation’s capital.”
To fight the violence DOJ will detail federal prosecutors from the DOJ criminal division to work on violent crime cases in D.C.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia is also moving additional prosecutors within the Superior Court docket to focus on carjacking and both lethal and non-lethal firearms cases.
“We have been surgically targeting and prosecuting those driving violence within our community,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia.
In addition, DOJ will deploy a multi-component Gun Violence Analytic Cell (GVAC), which uses data analytics to identity additional federal investigations that should be opened to fight violent crime and carjackings.
The GVAC is led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
This is not the first time DOJ has surged law enforcement resources as part of its Violent Crime Reduction Strategy.
In 2023, DOJ surged resources to fight gangs and other violent groups in Memphis, Tennessee, and in 2022 resources were sent to Houston, Texas to fight gangs.
The Violent Crime Reduction Strategy focuses on improving collaboration between prosecutors and federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, as well as making Department tools and expertise available to local law enforcement agencies.
In December, DOJ released a roadmap to help law enforcement better implement the crime reduction strategy.