(Washington, DC) – On Tuesday, January 2, at 11 am, Mayor Muriel Bowser will be joined by Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Peter Newsham and Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) Director Dr. Jenifer Smith to share Washington, DC’s 2017 crime statistics and announce the accreditation of the DFS Crime Lab.
 
As promised, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s 2017 crime reduction strategies have successfully decreased crime rates across the board and yielded a significant increase in arrests and convictions. Throughout 2017, crime has dropped in every category, excluding thefts, which has remained the same from the previous year. Likewise, the District of Columbia has seen a 23 percent reduction in violent crime and an 11 percent reduction in overall crime.
 
In addition to MPD’s accomplishments, Mayor Bowser will highlight the recent advancements in the Department of Forensic Sciences. Within two and a half years, Mayor Bowser has successfully implemented a complete transformation of the DFS forensic lab that is now a national leader in testing evidence. 
 
Mayor Bowser attributes the District’s decline in crime and the refined forensic department to Washington’s “devoted and skilled” public safety agencies. “This success would not have been possible without our agencies’ community partnerships, innovative investments in technology, and comprehensive ability to safely and respectfully remove illegal and violent threats from the community.”
 
WHEN:
Tuesday, January 2, at 11 am
 
WHO:
Mayor Muriel Bowser
Kevin Donahue, Deputy City Administrator/Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice
Peter Newsham, Chief, Metropolitan Police Department
Dr. Jenifer Smith, Director, Department of Forensic Sciences
 
WHERE:
401 E Street, SW                                      
*Closest Metro: Federal Center-Southwest Metro Station*
*Bus Lines: 735, 850, P6*
 
Press interested in attending the event are asked to RSVP to [email protected]. To view the event online, visit mayor.dc.gov/live or tune in on Channel 16 (DCN).