DC council members question 'catch and release' as juvenile crime causes chaos across DC
WASHINGTON - Teen violence is causing chaos across D.C. as the community demands answers on how to stop the crime.
It seems that juveniles are increasingly at the center of dangerous and sometimes deadly crimes in the District and neighbors are calling it out of control.
On Tuesday, D.C. police announced the arrest of a 12-year-old who is now facing charges in connection to an attempted armed carjacking that they committed with a 13-year-old.
The pair tried to steal a car from an off-duty federal security officer who pulled out his own legal firearm and shot the 13-year-old, killing him. FOX 5 has since learned the teen had several prior carjacking offenses.
And on Monday, two teens were taken into custody for 10 separate carjackings across the District — seven of them done at gunpoint. A 16-year-old is being charged as an adult in six carjackings over the past two months and a 15-year-old is suspected in four that took place between Oct. 21 and Oct. 26.
Last week, a 15-year-old girl was arrested for a carjacking and fatal crash on Brentwood Road. She was allowed to go home with an ankle monitor – despite her priors for robbery and theft, according to the Washington Post.
DC's teen carjacking crisis and the complex blame game leaders are playing
Two teens are in custody after a string of carjackings across the District. One of them is being charged as an adult.
FOX 5 was told she was allowed to go home because the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services said there was no space for her.
"These reports of repeated arrests only for young folks to be back on the streets to commit the same types of crime is absolutely disturbing. What residents don’t want is finger pointing among public safety officials who are charged with holding to account these individuals who commit these crimes," D.C. councilmember Kenyan McDuffie said.
But that’s exactly what’s happening. Local leaders are now pointing fingers as to who is to blame.
"We need to figure out who and what agency is responsible and hold them accountable for what decisions they are making," McDuffie said.
The mayor says judges are being too lenient with repeat offenders and these kids need to be in secure detention centers. The DYRS say they don’t have enough space.
In fact, FOX 5 has learned that the agency has 88 beds but the facility currently has 94 juveniles in custody.
Meanwhile, council members have their own questions.
"I don’t understand what those reasons are and that’s the problem is that we need to be clear. Did the court misjudge or did the prosecutor misjudge or is it the DYRS not functioning effectively? So, that’s not clear," D.C. City Council chair Phil Mendelson said.
Emergency public safety bill passed by DC Council to address citywide crime crisis
The D.C. Council voted by majority Tuesday to approve Councilmember Brooke Pinto's emergency public safety bill, the Prioritizing Public Safety Amendment Act, in an effort to address the crime wave crippling the city.
Regardless of who’s responsible, local leaders telling us that residents and visitors don’t feel safe in the nation’s capital.
"No matter where your zip code is, you should feel safe in your homes and in their communities and right now sadly, tragically, that isn’t the case for many people in our city," said McDuffie.
Council members tell FOX 5 that the mayor’s office was supposed to release a new crime bill to the council last week but has yet to do so.