Discussion of recent crime activity continues today, but not in an encouraging way. The Post focuses on Chief Ramsey’s comments yesterday, which noted that criminals are increasingly leaving their own neighborhoods and coming to wealthier places in the city, including areas of the National Mall. Ramsey says this is new and striking behavior, but it’s hard to imagine that no one saw this coming.
Luckily for Ramsey, the mayor is back and ready to begin taking the lion’s share of the public frustration, which is sure to bubble over after reading things like this:
D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D), back in town after a two-week trip through Africa and Europe, said he and his deputies are working on a strategy to deal with crime and underlying social problems.
It’s good that after holding his office for nearly a decade, a third of which he’s spent outside the city, the mayor is getting around to noticing that the city is not without its social problems.
The Washington Times also has plenty of coverage of the scramble to explain the situation, but adds the interesting detail that this is the third summer in four years the Chief has issued a Crime Emergency, though the other two were focused on stopping rampant auto theft. Times columnist Tom Knott also weighs in, using his inches to defend the cop who was recently reassigned for urging Georgetowners to be suspicious of groups of blacks (it’s cool, Knott has a black friend, according to the column).
Oh, and the D.C. Council, who we yesterday castigated, responded by approving $31.5 million for use in hiring new beat cops.
Residency Requirement Irks Cabbies: In a fascinating Examiner article, we learn that District taxi drivers are irate over recent enforcement of a D.C. residency requirement the city didn’t even realize existed until stumbling across it a few months ago. The rule only applies to independent cab operators, and since enforcement began in March, 15 new cab companies have sprung up to employ affected drivers. The piece notes that 80 percent of D.C. cab drivers live outside the city.
Briefly Noted: Long delays expected on Wilson Bridge during work on Saturday…Montgomery County adding jobs by the handful…Massive gun, drug sting in Prince William County.
This Day in DCist: We brought you the shocking news of Borf’s arrest, and we turned up a handful of historical curiosities while searching for the Whitehurst behind the Whitehurst Freeway.
Picture taken by James W. Bailey.
