Violent crime in D.C. spikes

Violent crime in the District of Columbia jumped by 9 percent last year, according to the FBI’s preliminary report, despite boasts by the Metropolitan Police Department in January that 2006 was the safest in decades.

The increase follows a nationwide trend in which the crime rate has increased for the second consecutive year. The news comes while D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier deals with four murders this weekend, including that of a 13-year-old boy. For the year, the District has suffered 74 murders compared with 63 last year, an increase of 17.5 percent.