Crime going up in Washington: What's the latest in the trend?

Crime going up in Washington: What's the latest in the trend?Photo: iStock
Hoodline
Published on August 23, 2019

The number of crime incidents in Washington increased slightly for the week of Aug. 13-19, for the second week in a row, according to data from CrimeoMeter, which collects reports from police agencies and validated sources. Incidents rose to 707 in the latest seven-day period of available police reports, up from 696 the week before.

The specific offenses that increased the most were theft and robbery. Theft rose to 322 incidents, from 305 the week before. Robbery went from 42 to 57.

In somewhat smaller categories, there was also a sizable percentage increase in homicide, from zero incidents per week to six, and in burglary, from 23 to 24 incidents.

Among the few types of offenses that saw a downturn, reports of auto burglary went from 239 to 222. Incidents of assault fell from 30 to 26, and rape or sexual assault went from six to two.

Considering the concentration of crime across the city, Anacostia, Capitol Hill and Downtown had the most reported incidents. Anacostia and Capitol Hill were at the top of the list the previous week as well.

Downtown saw the largest increase; incidents in the neighborhood have been rising for two weeks in a row. Crime reports in Columbia Heights also rose, after declining the week before, and incidents in Southwest are up considerably as well.

Regarding when most crimes are committed, Saturday, Wednesday and Thursday had the most reported crimes. The largest increase from the previous week occurred on Saturday, Wednesday and Friday, while incidents on Monday, Sunday and Tuesday went down. Comparing times of day, the evening, late night and late afternoon saw the most crime last week.

Want a longer-term view of crime in Washington? Here's our latest monthly crime report.

To report a crime in progress or life-threatening emergency, call 911. To report a non-urgent crime or complaint, contact your local police department.

Head to CrimeoMeter to get free local crime alerts in your area.

This story was created automatically using local crime data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about our data sources and local crime methodology. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.