Officials in Washington, D.C., said incidents of violent crime fell in 2016 after they spiked in 2015.
Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Peter Newsham announced that violent crime was down 10 percent in 2016. This includes a 17 percent reduction in homicides and a 13 percent reduction in robberies. In 2015, crime in both categories had spiked from 2014.
However, the District of Columbia still saw its second-highest homicide total of the decade in 2016, with 135 homicides.
“The reduction in crime across our city is also a testament to the relentless efforts of the men and women of MPD to ensure safety as a top priority,” said Newsham. Bowser added that the cities efforts are “paying off.”
She also announced a new patrolling strategy for city officers known as “sector policing,” which she said would continue making our streets safer and our neighborhoods stronger.
The policing method allows officers to focus on smaller geographic areas, thus helping with accountability and community relations. “Sector policing has been lauded by the FBI,” Bowser said. “Residents will see no change in officer deployment under the new model.”
