Justice Department announces new resources to combat violent crime in DC

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced Friday a surge of new resources to help combat violent crime in Washington, D.C., where crime rates have surged in recent years.

DOJ officials said the rise in carjackings has been particularly concerning. The new resources include moving more prosecutors to investigate cases and a multi-component Gun Violence Analytic Cell (GVAC) to help identify additional federal investigations that should be opened in the district.

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“Last year, we saw an encouraging decline in violent crime in many parts of the country, but there is much more work to do – including here in the District of Columbia,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland. 

To help with court cases, federal prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division will work on violent crime cases alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C., the DOJ explained. Fox News is told U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves is moving new prosecutors to focus specifically on carjacking and both lethal and non-lethal firearms cases.

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According to D.C. Metropolitan Police statistics, robbery is up 11% compared to this time last year. Since Jan. 1, there have been 42 carjackings with guns investigated by D.C. Metropolitan Police, though it marked a decrease of 19% year-to-date. Still, the DOJ’s posture has been that putting more resources on the streets of D.C. should only help.

“This surge in law enforcement resources will build on the department’s efforts to target the individuals and organizations that are driving violent crime in the nation’s capital. The Justice Department will not rest until every community in our country is safe from the scourge of violent crime,” Garland continued.

The announcement in D.C. closely mirrors similar efforts in Memphis, Tenn., and in Houston.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This report has been updated to clarify crime data from D.C. Metropolitan Police.