Georgetown residents on Monday expressed shock over the gruesome stabbing death of a 27-year-old London man and demanded that the District stem the violent crime that they say has crept into the world-renowned neighborhood.
British political activist Alan Senitt waskilled outside a Georgetown mansion early Sunday by robbers who slashed his throat and tried to rape his female companion. Within hours of the attack, D.C. police arrested two men, a woman and a 15-year-old boy. Police believe the suspects might be connected to similar Georgetown robberies last month.
Georgetown is home to the some of the wealthiest and most powerful people on the globe. But it has also become a hangout for criminals who take advantage of the moneyed residents returning home or out-of-towners who are lulled into a false sense of security.
Robberies, said Councilmember Jack Evans, are the “quintessential Georgetown crime.”
D.C. police say that except for a spike in April, overall crime has been trending down in Georgetown. But neighborhood leaders say that anecdotally, crime seems more violent.
Residents said they want a greater police presence in the area, with officers walking the beat instead of driving squad cars. They also said Georgetown needed its own police substation.
Resident Ron Lewis said he can’t recall a more viscious attack in his 30 years in Georgetown.
“The perception and probably the reality is that crime has increased,” Lewis said Monday. “This can’t continue. It’s now up to the city to come up with a forceful response.”
Victoria Rixey, president of the Citizens Association of Georgetown, said she knows of two friends who had their homes burglarized and cars stolen. Another person woke up with the burglars in her house, she said.
“It’s scary,” Rixey said. “When you get people robbing with weapons, someone is bound to get killed.”
