Justice Department surges resources to fight D.C. carjackings, gun crimes

Jan. 26 (UPI) -- The Justice Department said Friday it will surge additional law enforcement resources into Washington, D.C., to target violent crime and carjackings.

"Last year, we saw an encouraging decline in violent crime in many parts of the country, but there is much more work to do - including here in the District of Columbia," Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement.

"This surge in law enforcement resources will build on the department's efforts to target the individuals and organizations that are driving violent crime in the nation's capital."

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, was the victim of an armed carjacking in Washington in October. At that time, the nation's capital had seen 750 carjackings, with three-quarters of them involving guns during the year.

Matthew Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, said in a Friday statement, "We have been surgically targeting and prosecuting those driving violence within our community. The surge of resources to these efforts will allow us to continue to expand on these efforts and to take even more drivers of violence off our streets."

Additional DOJ crime-fighting resources for Washington will include a Gun Violence Analytic Cell led by the FBI and including Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Drug Enforcement Administration agents to identify more federal investigations that should be opened to fight the violent crime and carjackings.

More federal prosecutors will also be assigned to work violent crime cases, we well. The U.S. Attorney in Washington also will move more prosecutors within the Superior Court docket to focus on carjacking and gun cases, a news release said.

In February 2023, U.S. Rep.Angie Craig, D-Minn., was attacked in the elevator of her Washington apartment building. Her attacker was sentenced in November to 27 months in prison.

In her victim impact statement, she said her attacker grabbed her neck, punched her and slammed her into a steel wall as she was trapped in the elevator.

FBI crime statistics for 2022 released in October showed murder, rape, aggravated assault and robbery all decreased.