Retired Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith claimed that surging homicides and youth crimes in D.C. are driven by police 'demonization' and a lack of consequences.
A massive surge in homicides and youth crime in Washington D.C. has sent city leaders scrambling for solutions and law enforcement officials pointing the finger at anti-police sentiment in communities across the nation's capital. The Washington, D.C. homicide toll recently exceeded 200 before October for the first time in a quarter-century, angering local leaders and creating anxiety for residents.
In 2022, 97 juveniles were arrested for first-time violent crimes. Ninety juveniles were shot. In July 2023, a Lyft driver was shot dead in Northeast D.C. Video footage shows four teens running from the scene, likely aged between 14 and 17. In early April, three teenage girls and a 17-year-old boy were connected to 13 robberies at gunpoint that occurred over the course of five days. Three weeks later, two teenage boys were accused of stealing from more than ten people in the span of five hours.
Despite these changes, Smith said the normalization of anti-police rhetoric and a lack of follow-through on punishment for criminals has led to the city's current predicament. 'Washington, D.C. already has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. But for the last three years, you have seen the vilification and the demonization of their police department.
For more Culture, Media, Education, Opinion, and channel coverage, visit foxnews.com/media. Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and Megan Myers contributed to this report.
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