A progressive councilor in the capital is facing a recall campaign from residents fed up with a sharp rise in violence in the city, as French bulldogs become the latest targets of thieves.
A recall campaign against D.C. City Councilman Charles Allen was launched in December amid a crime wave that has hit the city in recent years, leading to 274 murders in 2023, the highest number in more than 20 years. It is said that Metropolitan Police Department data. Robberies and thefts jumped 67% and 23%, respectively, and auto thefts nearly doubled.
Armed robbers stole three French bulldogs in Washington, D.C., in November, amid an apparent increase in dog napping in the area. (DC Metropolitan Police Department)
“I don't think Mr. Allen understands this,” said Jennifer Squires, a 23-year resident of Washington, D.C., who is leading the recall effort against the 6th District council member. told Axios. Squires, who previously voted for Allen, criticized the Democratic Party's criminal justice reform stance and called the ongoing crime wave “shocking.”
Allen, a former Judiciary and Public Safety Committee chairman, voted in favor of criminal law reforms that would lower penalties for certain crimes such as burglary and auto burglary, a move that Congress and President Biden ultimately blocked last year. . Critics also accused Allen of supporting progressive legislation that would enable the crime, including decriminalizing fare evasion and cutting millions of dollars from the 2020 police budget.
In response to the recall effort, Allen said he always puts the community first and noted that he was re-elected unopposed in the 2022 election with more than 90% of the vote, Axios reported. .
The country's capital faces a continuing crime wave, according to city police data. The city's murder rate hit a 26-year high in 2023. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
“While I never take the support of my neighbors for granted, I also know that I share their values and provide leadership that they are proud of,” Allen told Axios. Told.
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According to Axios, recall organizers need to collect signatures from at least 10% of registered voters in the 6th District to proceed to a special election.
The surging crime wave has forced some businesses to relocate or close, including a nearly 10-year-old winery that closed in December after five robberies in five months. Also includes bars. One former D.C. resident, Lindsay Reuther, previously told Fox News that she fled the city in May 2022 to escape escalating violence.
“I didn't feel comfortable going to the grocery store at night, so I would wake up before work and go grocery shopping,” Reuther said. country's capital For over 10 years, I said. “D.C. has become a very dark place since COVID-19. To me, it felt like there was no hope for this city.”
Some D.C. residents are fed up with Democratic Rep. Charles Allen and his handling of criminal justice reform as crime spikes across the district. (Getty Images)
Crime rates continue to soar in Washington, D.C., even though City Council president says there is no crime crisis
Some D.C. pet owners now feel unsafe walking their dogs in the District and are taking precautions to protect themselves from dog nappers. Masu. Axios reports. French bulldogs in particular have been a recent target in the area, with several stolen towards the end of 2023.
“It's literally like someone taking a part of your family and taking that away from you.”
These thieves are looking to resell high-value dog breeds, including Frenchies, which have been the most stolen dog breed since 2020. According to AKC Reunit. Dog thefts have increased by nearly 40% nationwide since 2021.
A Washington, D.C., woman who lost her French bulldog when her dog daycare flooded in 2023 had her new French bulldog stolen from her by a masked robber at her door in November. The Washington Post reported. Her puppy was later found and returned to her, but other dog parents weren't so lucky.
Dog thefts are on the rise across the country, spiking nearly 40% since 2021, according to AKC Reunite. In November, a D.C. man had three French bulldogs stolen by three armed robbers while he was out for a walk. (DC Metropolitan Police Department)
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, three armed robbers stole three French bulldogs from a man walking in a residential area in November.
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“It's literally like someone taking a part of your family and taking it away from you,” the dog owner said. Local FOX affiliate station in November. “French people are known for being expensive, but that bond can never be recreated for me. I thought I had been with each person for 10 years, and then they just disappeared.”
“It's traumatic,” he continued. “I don't wish this on anyone.”
Mr. Allen and Mr. Squires did not respond to requests for comment.
