New Poll Shows People In Washington, D.C. Panicking Over Crime

People in Washington believe crime is absolutely out of control in the nation's capital, and they have good reason to feel that way.

As someone who has lived directly in Washington, D.C. or in the surrounding metro area for nearly a decade, I have more horror stories than I can count.

Washington is insanely dangerous, especially once the sun is down. There were 274 homicides in the city in 2023, which was a staggering 35% increase from 2022, according to the Metropolitan Police. Overall, violent crime was up 39% in 2023 with 5,336 violent crimes committed. Property crime, which includes burglary and motor vehicle theft, was up 24% with a total of 29,078 reported crimes.

The city feels like a war zone, and people are very worried.

People are nervous about Washington, D.C.'s insane crime

A Washington Post-Schar School poll of D.C. area residents showed that 96% of people polled believe crime is a serious issue. A total of 32% believe it's "extremely serious" with 34% believing it's "very serious" and 30% believing it's "moderately serious."

You can see the full breakdown in the tweet from Lucas Tomlinson below. It tells you everything you need to know about how people in D.C. feel about safety.

Honestly, I'm surprised more people didn't respond that crime is "extremely serious." I can promise you it is. The numbers listed above are terrifying.

Going outside is rolling the dice on whether or not you're going to find yourself in a "Black Hawk Down" situation. As I've written before, there was a massive gunfight with nonstop fire for about 30 seconds 35-40 yards off my back balcony last Memorial Day.

I could have hit the shooters with a football. That's how close they were, and I don't even have that great of an arm. Below is another glorious D.C. moment of a shooting captured on camera.

Our nation's capital should be a safe place people feel comfortable visiting. Not a place that feels like an active war zone, and then the city's mayor brags when crime decreases for a single week. Would she like a parade?

As much as it pains me to say, people should not visit D.C. until crime is under control, and that doesn't appear close to happening. Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.