WASHINGTON — D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith took a break from fighting crime to fight hunger—volunteering alongside members of her command team at the Capital Area Food Bank on Wednesday.
Smith says efforts like these enforce her department's commitment to police with purpose and serve with care.
"Throughout this entire year, we made it very clear to our commanders and police officers that we wanted to rebuild our relationships in the community in a much stronger ─ positive way," Smith said.
Smith took the time to recognize the work of her team, emphasizing the impact that native Washingtonians in the police department are having in their hometown.
D.C. Assistant Police Chief LaShay Makal says their participation offers the community a different perspective of the work police officers do.
"It's not just about handcuffs and putting people under arrest; and having to tell people tales of tragedy in the community. It's about having the opportunity to give back," Makal said.
For Executive Assistant Chief for Patrol Operations Andre Wright, the volunteer work is a full circle moment.
"I am a D.C. kid like you said. I have four brothers and a sister and my mom, so I remember what it's like to live off the mercy of others," he told WUSA9.
It is the contact with the community that Smith says is in part helping her officers close cases and contributing to the drop in crime.
The latest D.C. Police data shows overall crime is down 15% compared to the same time last year.
Violent crime has dropped 35% with the biggest decrease being robberies.
The drop in 2024 comes after a violent 2023. There were 274 homicides reported last year, the highest number in decades. So far this year there have been 177.
D.C. officials insist that the coordination among public safety agencies has contributed to the drop in crime in the nation's capital.
During a news conference last Friday, Mayor Muriel Bowser credited the work of Kwelli Sneed, her nominee to take on the permanent role as the Director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE).
"She has helped the agency achieve a 34% reduction in gun violence in our 25 priorities areas," Bowser said.
Those 25 areas include neighborhoods like Greenleaf in Southwest, Historic Anacostia in Southeast, Mayfair in Northeast, and Petworth in Northwest.
However, moving into 2025, Sneed says she's planning to move away from this model. Starting in January, she plans to take a city-wide approach, deploying violence interruption groups across all eight wards.
Sneed said, "It always disheartened me to have to say to a resident, I'm sorry that the community that you're referring to isn't in this priority area. So with this ward-based approach, our entire city is a priority."
The DC Council is taking up Sneed's nomination next week during a hearing. Mayor Bowser said she feels confident with her pick because she has the data to show Sneed delivers results.