WASHINGTON — As Washingtonians head to the polls Tuesday to help decide who should be in the mayor’s office, voters have consistently said that one of the biggest issues in this election is crime and safety in the District.
Back in February, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced a joint partnership to tackle crime, in particular the rise in carjackings. Their respective police departments started working together to combat carjackings that often-crossed jurisdictional lines.
WUSA9 checked in with the two women, both seeking re-election, to see how their partnership was working.
Alsobrooks believes the police are doing their jobs, saying the proof is in the numbers.
“We have to make sure all of the system is working and that the existing enforcement and penalties are actually being enforced,” Mayor Bowser added.
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In the District, the mandatory minimum sentence for carjacking is seven years in prison. But oftentimes, both women say that children are committing these crimes.
“What we're seeing is this escalating violence that is not just here, but across the country," Alsobrooks said. "And a large part of it is attributable to how our young people are responding to the trauma, anxiety and depression that they experienced during COVID."
Year to date, there have been more than 200 carjackings in D.C. and more than 180 across the line in Prince George’s County. So far, 73 people have been arrested in D.C. and 74 in Prince George's.
Alsobrooks stressed that it’s going to take more than police to truly curb the trend.
“I promise you if we rely solely on making arrests and having the police make arrests, this will never be resolved," she said. "It is an issue that has to be, it has to be a holistic approach to how we resolve it."
Both Alsobrooks and Bowser say the summer months are critical for keeping children engaged. They’re actively encouraging parents to enroll their kids in one of the many programs offered across the region.
“Make sure that we are using summer as a time for catching up and that's why we have boost camps this year," Bowser said. "To make sure there's enrichment and recreation for our young people."
Ultimately, Bowser and Alsobrooks agree there needs to be more collaboration with other agencies and emphasis needs to be placed on creating mentally healthy and stable communities.
“Healing people and holding them accountable," Alsobrooks said. "It's really not even that complicated."