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Sunday night was supposed to be dedicated to Father’s Day and Juneteenth celebrations. Instead, two families in Washington, D.C., are mourning the loss of their children to gun violence.
A 15-year-old boy was shot, while a police officer and two civilians were wounded at a Juneteenth celebration near 14th and U streets. A 16-year-old girl was shot in southeast, D.C., at about the same time.
Two shootings targeting young Washingtonians on a Sunday night should be a cause for concern. Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary can determine whether the city’s residents want to tackle the issue head-on or not.
Some contested elections are labeled as a choice between the lesser of two evils. Washingtonians are being asked to choose between the status quo and much greater evils — anti-law-and-order policies that would make the current recklessness with residents’ security seem acceptable.
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s challengers argue she has done too much for D.C.’s police officers and should cut back on her support for the Metropolitan Police Department. Mind you, the city’s homicide rate in 2021 reached a 20-year high, with 226 reported homicides. In 2022, homicides are down by 6% compared to the same period last year, but assaults with deadly weapons are roughly the same. D.C. politicians are not immune to the crime wave occurring in the city. Nate Fleming, a candidate for D.C. Council at Large, was held at gunpoint during a carjacking in January.
D.C. was one of many cities that faced a push to cut funding for police. The City Council voted to reduce the MPD’s funding by $15 million in the summer of 2020. Bowser, fortunately, opposed this slash in funding and advised the City Council to reverse its course.
Bowser is now making support for police the cornerstone of her platform as she fights for her party’s nomination. She announced a $20,000 hiring bonus for new police officers in an attempt to find new recruits for the MPD. In April, Bowser released a $30 million plan that would increase the police department’s ranks from 3,500 to 4,000 officers by the end of the decade.
Despite the evident need for policies that tackle violent crime, Bowser’s main primary challengers are both running on platforms that oppose the police. Both at-large Councilman Robert White Jr. and Ward 8 Councilman Trayon White Sr. (no relation) have denounced Bowser’s support for police officers as they challenge her from the Left.
During a June 1 debate, both Whites made sure to clarify that they do not stand with Bowser when it comes to the police. “I don’t think the police are the end-all solution for reducing crime,” Robert White said. Trayon White said he has not heard a “short-term” solution from Bowser, nor has he “heard a plan, either.”
Washington, D.C., cannot afford to elect either White — it is bad enough that they are on the District Council. It pains me to say it, but Bowser is the only candidate who will not worsen the state of policing in the city.
By no means is she a preferable candidate. In June 2020, Bowser called for the National Guard to be removed from D.C. in the wake of riots across the city. Her support for draconian COVID-19 lockdowns while violating those rules would ideally get her ousted in favor of a more sensible leader.
We are not in an ideal situation. In fact, we are far from it. There is no opportunity for major improvements in the mayoral primary, but there is certainly a great opportunity for further decline. Both Robert White and Trayon White take fault with Bowser’s stance in favor of law and order. The shootings that continue across D.C. serve only to illustrate the irresponsibility of their position. Tuesday’s primary is important not only because it’ll show which way the wind is blowing in the Democratic Party, but also because it’ll determine whether D.C. has any chance in the fight against lawlessness for the next four years.
James Sweet is a summer 2022 Washington Examiner fellow.
