Crime in Washington, D.C. has been a serious concern among citizens and members of Congress alike, yet the city continues to pursue soft-on-crime policies. As a result, Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) has introduced a bill strengthening Congressional authority over the D.C. Council and reasserting the ability of police to address crime.
Named the D.C. Criminal Reform to Immediately Make Everyone Safer (D.C. CRIMES) Act, Rep. Donalds' bill includes provisions reducing the city definition of "youth crime" to individuals under 18 years of age. Since 2020, Washington has reduced sentencing for criminals under the age of 25 and offered parole to convicts who committed their crimes at this age.
Rep. Donalds' bill would reverse this trend, removing judicial discretion in allowing youth offenders to receive less than the minimal sentence for their offenses. Furthermore, the D.C. Attorney General must create a website documenting juvenile crime statistics to aid in creating future Washington criminal reforms and prohibit the D.C. Council from making further changes to sentencing and justice guidelines.
According to the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police, overall violent crime rose 39% from 2022 to 2023, with robbery skyrocketing 67%. Homicides rose 35% in the same period, while motor vehicle theft rose a staggering 82%.
"Our nation's capital is experiencing a historic crime wave as a result of progressive, soft-on-crime policy. This man-made public safety crisis is unacceptable. Congress has a constitutional responsibility to oversee the District of Columbia, and it is imperative that we act quickly to assert our control when local government fails to do its job. The American people deserve a safe capital city, and I will not stand idly by as it descends into chaos," said Donalds in his press release.
Last March, Representative Greg Steube (R-FL) introduced a bill mandating the installation of weapons lockers at the entrances of House Office buildings for employees who carry concealed weapons, pointing at the Washington D.C. crime rate as an impetus.
"Violent crime has skyrocketed across the country, enabled by disastrous soft-on-crime Democrat policies. Sadly, our nation’s capital is regressing to total lawlessness and violent chaos. Today, I’m introducing legislation to ensure Congressional employees have the right to defend themselves in crime-ridden D.C.," said Rep. Steube.
