Manipulated statistics, high murder rate: 5 things to know about federal takeover of DC
2. Murders reached a two-decade high in 2023
Statistics compiled by The Washington Post show that there were 274 murders in Washington in 2023, the highest number recorded since 1997. The 2023 homicide rate amounted to 40 per 100,000 residents, giving the nation's capital a higher murder rate than all but four of the 60 largest cities in the U.S.: New Orleans, Cleveland, Baltimore and Memphis.
Twenty years of data compiled by the Metropolitan Police Department shows that the number of homicides fell to 187 in 2024. As of Wednesday, 100 murders have occurred in Washington this year, a slight decrease from the 113 murders committed at this time last year.
Still, the number of annual homicides in Washington remains higher than in the decade leading up to 2020. The year 2012 had the lowest number of recorded homicides, with 88 murders reported. The number of annual homicides increased from 166 in 2019 to 198 in 2020, surging to 226 in 2021 and dropping to 203 in 2022 before rising to a record high of 274 in 2023.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
