Homicides in nation’s capital are on track to set 20-year record

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Homicides in Washington, D.C., are on track to set a 20-year record high this year, according to data from the Metropolitan Police Department.

August alone has seen 16 homicides already, setting the total for the year at 161, a 28% increase over last year’s total by August. The numbers have led some city officials to suggest that drastic measures may be necessary.

“The crime is out of control and getting worse by the day,” city council member Trayon White said in a Tuesday press release. “We must declare an emergency regarding the crime and violence in our neighborhoods and act urgently. It may be time to call on the National Guard to protect the children and innocent people that are losing their lives to this senselessness.”

“I am tired of burying our children,” he added. “We are too comfortable with the state of our city. We must take action to gain control and protect our residents. Law enforcement is only one part of how we combat public safety issues. It will take all of us to heal our community.”

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Homicides in Washington, D.C., are on track to set a 20-year record this year, according to data from the Metropolitan Police Department. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Amid the crime wave, data shows that federal prosecutors in the nation’s capital declined to prosecute 67% of people arrested last year in cases that typically would have been tried in D.C. Superior Court, the Washington Post reported in March. The police department has also been grappling with understaffing issues not seen in decades.

Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Kathy Henderson previously called on D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to bring in the National Guard to help stem violence in the city. Bowser, however, said in July that the “National Guard don’t typically do law enforcement,” according to ABC 7.

Mayor Muriel Bowser talks about violent crime during a press conference in Washington, D.C. (Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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The National Guard has not had a major presence in D.C. since early 2021, when they were brought in during the aftermath of the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol.

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.