WASHINGTON — D.C.'s mayor and police chief are desperate to save lives.
The number of homicides in the city has now hit 131 -- an 11 percent jump over last year -- and a tragic number of victims have been young people.
Chief Peter Newsham and Mayor Bowser ticked through the toll.
One dead and five wounded in Columbia Heights, with the suspect still at large.
A dog killed and a woman and her daughter beaten in Southeast -- the suspect still at large.
"This is not a police problem, it's not a community problem," Newsham said. "It's everyone's problem."
The chief announced patrols will be stepped up in District Wards 3, 5 and 6 with more overtime and extended hours for officers and detectives in the narcotics, special investigations, and gun units.
A press release from the mayor's office says the new overtime detail will impact over 100 officers and require members to work an additional day.
"MPD has implemented a mandatory overtime detail within the Narcotics and Special Investigations Division (NSID), requiring members to work an additional day. The overtime issuance will be in force as required. The overtime hours supplement the NSID field operations, including the Narcotics Enforcement and Gun Recovery units, increasing field operations by 27% and impacting approximately 115 officers. The Department’s objectives for the temporary increase in force include locating violent offenders, recovering additional firearms, and working collectively to make the District safer."
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"Find the money to ensure that people here are safe," Newsham said. "The amount of gun violence we've had in recent weeks is something none of us should tolerate, and we're going to do everything we can at MPD to try and stop it."
"They have a ton of political pressure on them," D.C. Police Union President Stephen Bigelow said. Bigelow appreciates what the mayor and the police chief are trying to do, but said after several of his officers have gotten shot at in the last few weeks, it's clear the city needs to go back to basics.
"We need to go back to doing what works and we need to talk and communicate," Bigelow said.
Last year, homicide suspects had been arrested an average of ten previous times, spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said.
There's a $25 thousand dollar reward for information in the Columbia Heights shooting. The police chief said neighbors and acquaintances should work together to help make the streets safer.
D.C. is hoping to get 200 more police officers over the next couple of years, but until then, the officers on the street now may have to work even harder.