DC Mayor's violent crime plan aims to help hundreds 'at risk of gun violence'

WASHINGTON - In an effort to address the spike in violent crime, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser introduced a new program Monday to steer around 200 people deemed "at risk of being involved with gun violence," away from that path. 

The Mayor's new program is called "People of Promise Initiative." It is supposed to target around 200 "at-risk" residents identified by the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR).

The plan is to connect those individuals with either someone from the city’s Department of Youth Services, Department of Parks and Recreation, or the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement. That "team" would then be assigned to a member of the Mayor’s cabinet. The goal is to make sure those individuals get the support they need, so they can break the cycle and not turn to gun violence.

David Muhammad with the NICJR told FOX 5 these individuals were actually part of an assessment done regarding D.C.'s gun violence and homicides. It’s the study the Mayor and the D.C. Police Chief have referenced to strengthen their argument that violent crime in the District is committed by a small group of individuals. 

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Muhammad told FOX 5 the report involved community members between the ages of 18 and 35, with the average age being 28-years-old. Muhammad said researchers analyzed "every single homicide over a two-year period and every individual non-fatal injury shooting incident over the course of a year." It also included interviews with detectives assigned to the cases. 

FOX 5 was told the review started with around 325 people, and ultimately was narrowed down to around 200 people. At the time of their selection, we’re told none of the individuals had been convicted of a homicide. 

The Mayor's announcement took place at "His and Hers" restaurant on Rhode Island Avenue NE. The owner of the business, Paul Weinstock, told FOX 5 he served around 23 years in prison for selling crack cocaine. Weinstock said he was able to open his restaurant after participating in a few other programs to help those re-entering in society. But not everyone in the city takes advantage of the government programs like Weinstock did. 

"I’m not going to say there’s a disconnect. I think we have to want it as individuals first. And we have to accept that we want change," Weinstock said. "A lot of times we're worried about our so-called friends."

Total crime is up 28% in the District from this time last year, according to the D.C. Police website. FOX 5 asked the mayor, among other questions, whether she feels she and other District officials have a handle on the crime in D.C. 

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In part of her response, Mayor Bowser told FOX 5, "What people are really frustrated by is when MPD goes out, does the hard work, makes the arrest and there’s no accountability. And we know young people have to be held accountable just like any person – less that behavior persists. So there’s a lot. But we also need communities working double-time…" 

The Mayor went on to discuss a program the city’s parks department runs to engage youth as D.C. continues to deal with more youth involved in violent crime. 

Last week, three juveniles were among seven people arrested in connection with a crime spree that police say also included a double shooting, armed robbery and the taking of two dogs at gunpoint – one of those dogs is still missing. There was outrage online after FOX 5 learned the U.S. Attorney’s Office decided not to prosecute the four adults charged with "receiving stolen property." 

The Attorney General’s Office, which prosecutes juvenile crime, could not confirm whether any of the juveniles were released due to District child-privacy laws. Police also charged at least one of the juveniles, a 15-year-old from Maryland with three additional armed carjacking charges. 

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also doubled down on her call to hire more officers. Last month, D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee told the city council due to staffing shortages and the increase in crime, response time on priority calls has increased up to 90 seconds. 

The Mayor also called on the D.C. Council to support funding for approximately 20 "Life Coach" positions to "provide intensive and high-quality care coordination services."

"We know that a relatively small number of people are responsible for a significant amount of the gun violence happening in our communities. What we are doing is reaching out to those people, listening to them and figuring out what they need, and then working with them to get them on a better, safer path forward," Mayor Bowser said in a press release. "We also know that no one person or agency can do this work alone. We need community members like Paul, who have these lived experiences and who know how to create better and safer opportunities, working with us. We also need to make sure every resource and all of our programs are being used effectively to help the people who need them most – and that’s what the People of Promise initiative will help us do."