President Joe Biden's Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday launched an effort to curb a spike in crime rates in the Democratic-controlled city of Washington, D.C., as the 2024 presidential election cycle becomes a focus.
The timing of the effort suggests the Biden administration sees the spike in crime as a political vulnerability for Democrats.
Crime in Democratic-controlled cities spiked According to police department data, in 2023:
- Homicide: 35 percent increase
- Robbery: 67% increase
- Violent crime: 39% increase
- Auto theft: 82% increase
In response, Biden's Justice Department will allocate additional federal prosecutors, investigators, analysts and other resources to quell crime, Attorney General Merrick Garland said. announced in a press release on Friday. “This surge in law enforcement resources will further intensify the department's efforts to target the individuals and organizations responsible for violent crime in our nation's capital,” he said.
Residents in the district blame Biden-appointed U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the crime spike. Mr. Graves declined to prosecute 67% of those arrested who should have been arrested. will be tried in D.C. Superior Court, according to 2022 district statistics. By 2023, 56% of those arrested will not be prosecuted.
Graves' track record in prosecuting cases at the D.C. Court of Appeals isn't all that great, he said. Admitted Although in October, a majority of Democratic-appointed judges condemned the court for not convicting. The D.C. Court of Appeals is comprised of nine judges appointed by Democratic presidents and five judges appointed by Republican presidents. President Joe Biden has appointed three people.
“We have surgically targeted and prosecuted people who cause violence in our communities,” Graves said Friday. “With the surge of resources to these efforts, we can further expand these efforts and remove even more promoters of violence from our streets.”
Many crimes are committed by juveniles. For example, according to police data, 65 percent of those arrested for car burglaries are juveniles. In his first 10 months of 2023 he committed 760 carjackings Occurred.
Graves said in August that his office would crack down on some crimes committed by juveniles, but his office generally not prosecute they. Because the D.C. Juvenile Court holds that: jurisdiction Prosecutor in juvenile court regarding delinquent behavior must file Petition to transfer a juvenile to criminal court for prosecution as an adult. At the time, the U.S. Attorney's Office prosecute Juveniles included in the adult system from the statutory list of serious crimes.grave have First right to refuse to accept the filed case.
Whether it's Graves, a Democratic appointee, or the judge responsible for the district's de-crime stance, former President Donald Trump has vowed to restore law and order if re-elected. Exclusive to Breitbart News in October: “D.C. residents fear crime surge that turns region into America’s war zone,” former president shared called He said the Democratic-run town was a “dirty, crime-ridden death trap” and promised reform would be part of his re-election platform.
RELATED — Rep. Cuellar on Washington, D.C. carjacking: “Young men with guns stole my car, cell phone, and sushi.”
Wendell Husebo is a political reporter for Breitbart News and a former Republican war room analyst.he is the author of politics of slave morality.Follow Wendell “X” @WendellHusebø or society of truth @WendellHusebo.
