1000+ unique media and news posts every 24 hours…
WASHINGTON, DC (7News) — The Metropolitan Police will increase patrols in commercial corridors over the festive period.
Gerren Price, head of the Downtown DC Business Improvement District (BID), said this is the time of year when businesses experience the highest levels of shoplifting and property crime.
“This time of year is one of the most challenging for many of our retail businesses,” Price told 7News.
Since the beginning of the year, property crime has fallen by a total of 11 percent, according to Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) data as of December 9.
This data shows that the number of thefts this year (excluding car thefts and vehicle thefts) has decreased by 3 percent, and burglaries have decreased by 8 percent.
Price said he has had ongoing strategy conversations with MPD since property crime increased 24 percent from 2022 to 2023. He said many business owners have seen a positive change since then.
“They are really feeling that difference, especially compared to some of the challenges experienced in 2023,” he said. “They feel like this year is like night and day.”
At the holiday market in Dupont Circle, most vendors told 7News they haven’t had any problems with shoplifting.
“This market is very well managed and there is a lot of certainty,” says Leah Sturgis, a jewelry designer with studio space at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, told 7News. “They’re walking around. They keep an eye on things. If someone needs to keep an eye on them, they’ll watch.”
Sturgis told 7News that this is her 20th year in the DC holiday market and that she has only experienced a few thefts in that time.
One vendor said items were recently stolen from their tent at the Chinatown market, but other than that they haven’t had any problems.
1000+ unique media and news posts every 24 hours…