The Official Data
* There were 29,348 crimes reported in Washington, DC, last year, including 3,469 violent offenses, 1,026 assaults with a dangerous weapon, 2,113 robberies, and 5,139 motor vehicle thefts. So far in 2025, there have already been nearly 1,600 violent crimes and nearly 16,000 total crimes reported in Washington, DC.
* Between 2023 and 2024, crime categories fell between 2% (theft not related to cars) and 64% (arson). But 2023 also saw 274 homicides reported, higher than any year since 2005, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
* Washington’s rate of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter was 25.5 per 100,000 people in 2024, according to a USA TODAY analysis of the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program data. That places Washington at No. 5 among more than 30 cities with more than 500,000 people.
* National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform figures show that 95.8% of homicide suspects in the District are male, and 96.8% of those are Black. Over 70% of suspects are between 18 and 34 years old. To look at the victim numbers, 89% are male, of whom 94.1% are Black. Over 62% of homicide victims are between 18 and 34 years old.
