It wasn’t long ago that we were concerned about a crime resurgence in the District, or a troubling increase in Washington homicides. But while a number of high profile crimes, including some well-publicized Northwest murders, have fueled anxiety among some D.C. residents, crime statistics from the MPD continue to indicate that 2006 could be a banner year for crime reduction in the city.

Through today, there have been 48 homicides in the District in 2006, or about 18 percent fewer than we experienced during the same period last year, which was itself a record setter. Washington is on pace to record 159 homicides this calendar year, which would mark the lowest number for that crime in the city in decades. Citywide, violent crime is down considerably. Sexual assaults are down 13 percent and assaults with a deadly weapon are down 11 percent, although property crimes, and particularly robbery, are up for the year. These trends are generally visible across the Police Districts, though the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Districts continue to maintain the largest percentage drops in crime.

There is a cloud to the silver lining. Absolute crime numbers are up for the city, based mainly upon continued increases in crime in the First and Third Districts. The densely populated and rapidly developing Third District above all is causing police problems. Homicides there are up 200 percent for the year (though that represents an increase from 3 to 9), car thefts are up 44 percent, and assaults with a deadly weapon are up 13 percent. A quarter of all District crime takes place in Washington’s Third Police District.

Washington continues to shed its reputation as a violent and deadly city, which is news worth celebrating. The MPD needs to get matters in the Third District under control, however, before crime seriously threatens investment in those neighborhoods.