WASHINGTON — DC officials came together for a meeting regarding public safety in the District Tuesday evening.
The line-up of speakers included DC Police Chief Robert Contee, Attorney General Karl Racine, U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and the founder of the T.R.I.G.G.E.R Project, a local organization that focuses on fighting gun violence.
"All of us in the city want us to build a safe city for every resident," said DC Councilmember Brooke Pinto who organized Tuesday's meeting after hearing safety concerns from the community. "To let the public in on some of the work that's already going on and what we can all do differently to change our strategy where it isn't working."
Many echoed the sentiments of the community, including AG Racine.
"In the District of Columbia, there has been too much crime. Period," Racine said.
US Attorney Matthew Graves also spoke at the event, saying he believes there is a disconnect between the people being prosecuted and if they are being held.
"In this jurisdiction, most people who are arrested, even if they are being prosecuted, are not held after an arrest," Graves claimed.
Tia Bell, the founder of the T.R.I.G.G.E.R Project, called the crime in D.C. a disease. The nonprofit aims to denormalize and destigmatize gun violence in communities of color across the nation, according to the organization's website.
DC Police Chief Robert Contee told WUSA9, "I know there's a lot of talk about numbers. I don't like to get too caught up in the numbers, especially when we have people who feel unsafe. While we're continuing to make sure we do everything we have to do as a law enforcement agency we have to continue to do everything as a city to make sure residents, visitors, business owners, that they feel safe in the streets."
"I've lived here in this neighborhood for 18 years," explained Debbie Drake, who lives in Logan Circle. "It's only the past three years that I get worried when I walk at night."
Drake says she came to the meeting to get solutions but instead left feeling unfulfilled.
"I don't know what it's going to take to get back to feeling safe but we have to do something," said Drake. "And that was not addressed here tonight."
WUSA9 asked Councilmember Pinto about the criticism and how they hope to bring answers to concerns like hers.
"There are so many concerns our community has and we really tried to limit our discussion, in only an hour, on public safety and how these agencies and community partners are thinking through these issues and working together.' said Councilmember Pinto.
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Police did not say whether any of the shootings were connected.