Music videos and social media posts produced by gang members have been a motivating factor in the rise of violence in Washington, D.C., according to a new report released by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, an independent agency dedicated to analyzing public safety in the nation’s capital.
Researchers involved in the report interviewed street violence workers and more than 70 police officers about what they were finding on the streets regarding the rise of violence and crime. The report analyzed the trend of homicides gradually rising in Washington, D.C., since 2017, leading to a rise of 180% in 2022.
“Among interviewees, there was nearly unanimous agreement on the primary driver of gun violence in the District. There is a deadly mix of group/crew/gang members making music videos taunting or disrespecting their rivals that are posted on social media, and those videos spark or further inflame neighborhood conflicts that escalate into shootings,” the report said. “And while the music videos were identified as the primary issue, other comments and pictures posted to social media by group members also lead to shootings.”
The report found that 95% of victims in homicides and 94% of victims in nonfatal shootings were primarily male, black, and between the ages of 18–34.
The other leading causes of death were drug sales, drug use, robberies, and personal disputes.
On Tuesday, Mayor Muriel Bowser called for more prosecutions of juveniles for violent crime.
“We think a lot of things need to change. We think, for example, that we need to have greater prosecution of juveniles. We have seen our kids become more violent at younger ages and have less accountability.” Bowser said.
Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb pushed back on the “finger-pointing” comments and insisted that they were prosecuting juveniles.
“Finger-pointing and playing the blame game will not improve public safety. The Office of the Attorney General is laser-focused on using the law to make D.C. safer. This includes prosecuting juveniles and holding them accountable when they commit crimes, which we do for every serious offense where there is sufficient evidence to prove a case,” the attorney general’s spokesperson reportedly said.
Many police officers interviewed in the report argued that the rising crime is due to the “high bar for making arrests,” which is creating a “feeling of impunity among people who engaged in violence.”
The report also noted that officers feared “being disciplined or even fired” due to the D.C. Council’s strict rules for policing. Police claim that the requirement to read the legal rights statement before even conducting a consent search has created an impossibly high threshold for officers chasing a suspect in a vehicle and is “encouraging criminal behavior.”
The report’s data found that adults were among the majority involved in nonfatal shooting suspects, but there has been a significant increase by 25.8% of juvenile suspects involved in crimes. Many of the shootings are still heavily related to members of street groups or gangs.
The report’s researchers concluded that the city should create a “clear citywide strategy” with intensive “intervention efforts” assessing the shootings and identification of individuals “likely to retaliate.”
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Researchers recommended that police officers should hold “a weekly review of all shootings that occurred in the previous seven days.”
“A group of 30-50 officers most knowledgeable about shootings, in addition to staff from supervision agencies, should discuss every shooting incident, determine if there is a likelihood of retaliation,” the report said.
