An uncontrollable increase in crime has generated a vociferous response among local business owners and citizens, and both Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser are defending their communities.
Although Washington, DC, had it rough because of crime last year, Bowser pleaded with spectators not to be too hard on DC.
Violent crime in the nation’s capital increased by 36%, and carjackings almost quadrupled last year, while many other large cities had decreases.
However, according to Bowser, statistics are beginning to trend in the right direction because violent criminal activity has been down 17% so far this year, and total crime has been down 12%, according to police records. She used this to bolster her defense of DC.
Just days after local business leaders addressed a letter to Bowser and lawmakers, expressing concern over the citywide worrisome spike in violent crime, legislators in Washington, D.C. enacted a comprehensive anti-crime package in early March.
The DC Council approved the Secure D.C. Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024 by a vote of 12 to 1. Reports show that the bill contains over a hundred anti-crime measures, including stricter punishments for gun violence and more sanctions for organized retail theft, passed on March 5th.
Oakland International Airport and the Hegenberger corridor are allegedly seeing a “comeback,” according to Mayor Thao and other local leaders. The mayor said there has been a decline in the region’s robberies, thefts, and car burglaries during the last several months.
In a joint effort involving Oakland and the Black Cultural Zone, fifteen safety ambassadors linked local business owners to community-run programs and services for dealing with non-emergency or violent concerns.
In a February announcement, California Governor Gavin Newsom said that 120 officers from the California Highway Patrol will be sent to assist with crime reduction.
Some Oakland companies threatened to withhold tax payments in March unless the city took more measures to safeguard them from criminals.
In general, the Democrats’ 2024 platform argues that they have better ideas on topics where they are lacking, including immigration, Biden’s age, government bloat, crime, and economics.
In January, NBC surveyed 1,000 eligible voters on crime and asked them to rank Trump and Biden according to their effectiveness in handling violence and crime. Only 29% of voters backed Biden, while 50% backed Trump.
