Back in January, we thought 2006 might be an ugly year for criminal activity in the District. By February, some of the worst trends had moderated, but homicides in the city were still disturbingly high. Three months into the year, it now seems that crime in 2006 will continue its ten year downward trend, and it also appears that the type of criminal activity seen in D.C. is fundamentally shifting.

March was an extraordinarily good month for homicide statistics. The District recorded only 10 last month and is currently 16 percent below last year’s homicide rate. Homicides are still up significantly for the year in Police Districts 3 and 6, but most of those crimes took place early in the year.