Even while violent crime is down nationally, per the FBI’s annual report, released in October, it remains a challenge in many metropolitan areas.
In Washington, DC, Pamela Smith, acting police chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), has vowed to “develop and deploy tactics that would help us interrupt these patterns and make the streets safer,” including hot spot policing and the enforcement of a youth curfew.
But staffing remains a challenge. MPD has an authorized force of 4,000 but is now down to about 3,300 officers—a historic low. Response time is up, and MPD’s presence across the city is stretched thin. This year, DC mayor Muriel Bowser, SPA/MPP ’00, authorized hiring bonuses of $25,000—a 20 percent bump.
Some critics argue that a different approach to policing—not a more robust force—is necessary for public safety. “Increasing the number of officers is not the panacea,” says Patricia Mitchell, SPA/BS ’76, SPA retired judge, Sixth District Court of Maryland. “All people are responsible for community, civic, educational, and family engagement. These are expensive goals indeed—yet the revolving door of arrest, prosecution, and punishment is not only more financially expensive, it is a self-perpetuating cycle that expands exponentially to generation after generation.”
SPA professor emeritus Brian Forst says “a renewed police commitment to community engagement and problem solving” is also necessary to “restore the inclination of the community to help the police solve crimes and reverse the recent spike in serious crimes.”
To that end, Bowser announced new legislation on October 23 that will limit loitering by allowing for the declaration of drug-free zones for 120 hours, enabling neighborhoods to reclaim space; create criminal penalties for organized retail theft; and reinstate a statute that makes it unlawful to wear a mask for the purpose of committing criminal acts or causing fear.
“This legislation reflects what our community is telling us: They want appropriate accountability for those who choose to commit crimes and inflict fear in our neighborhoods,” Bowser says.
AU changemakers are tackling the crime issue from all angles. Meet a few of them here.
“Policing in the twenty-first century is and should be moving from community-oriented policing to a coproduction model, where local agencies fully partner with community members on all aspects of planning, policies, and crime reduction strategies. Giving the community an equal role ensures that police actions are smart, creative, and reflective of the needs of the communities they serve.”
—John Firman, adjunct professorial lecturer, SPA’s Department of Justice, Law, and Criminology, and former director of strategic partnerships, International Association of Chiefs of Police
“We cannot ignore the impact COVID-19 has had on the community. It stripped many community- and education-based programs that were the best drivers of public safety. Even prior to the pandemic, DC passed smart, progressive legislation—some of which was never fully implemented. When crime was down, we should have been proactive in fully implementing our reforms—such as the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Act. Now we are chasing a public safety crisis with ‘tough on crime’ rhetoric.”
—Jeremy Kittredge, SPA/MS ’16, research and strategic initiatives manager, Justice Policy Institute
“Too often, individuals who have been impacted by the justice system have been excluded from conversations on how to improve it and what services are needed for those [who have been harmed]. In the DC area, victim service organizations are working together to amplify victims’ voices and provide victim-centered resources and training for survivors and service providers to [help] fill that gap.”
—Christa Andersen, SPA/BS ’18, program manager, National Center for Victims of Crime,
“One primary explanation for the spike in crime in the District is randomness. It takes just a handful of offenders on a spree to cause such a [rise] in felony offenses, and DC appears to be experiencing such a phenomenon.”
—Brian Forst, professor emeritus, SPA’s Department of Justice, Law, and Criminology
“Fear is a reflexive and understandable reaction to crime and conflict. Danger is real, and everyone wants to be safe and protected. As a community we must collaboratively work to quell the many circumstances that cause people to use crime as a tool of survival. These include mental health [challenges], substance abuse, lack of resources and employment opportunities, and desperation at one end. And at the other: lack of supervision, family support, and education and a desire for material things that are out of one’s financial reach—but that are celebrated by folk heroes, celebrities, and social media braggadocio.”
—Patricia Mitchell, SPA/BS ’76, adjunct professorial lecturer, SPA’s Department of Justice, Law, and Criminology, and retired judge, Sixth District Court of Maryland
“Creative solutions require first understanding the root cause—what, why, and posit the how to solve—then developing and piloting strategies in the neighborhoods that are experiencing the highest levels of crime. These strategies must include a plan of action, timeline, and metrics to assess progress and determine the effectiveness—or the need to pivot.”
—Bev-Freda Jackson, SPA/MA ’01, adjunct professorial lecturer, SPA’s Department of Justice, Law, and Criminology, and managing consultant, Guidehouse