Washington D.C. Homicide Rate Soars Amid Lowest Clearance Rate in Over 15 Years

Decreased police staffing and loss of crime lab accreditation contribute to the city's public safety crisis.

Homicides in Washington D.C. have risen by 33% this year, but the city is on track to record its lowest homicide clearance rate in over 15 years.
As of November 13, only 75 of the 244 homicides committed this year have been solved by police, resulting in an overall closure rate of around 45%.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is currently staffed with around 3,300 officers, down from 3,800 in 2020, a decrease of 500 over three years.
D.C.'s crime lab, the Department of Forensic Science, lost its accreditation in spring 2021 over allegations of flaws in its analysis, which may be impacting the clearance rate.
The impact of these unsolved killings is devastating for the victims' families and can erode community trust in the police.