A criminal justice scholar at Bowie State University in Maryland said escalating homicide rates in neighboring D.C. require a comprehensive approach.
Charles Adams, chair of Bowie State’s Department of Criminal Justice, said he is aware of the frustration many D.C. residents and leaders have with the rise in gun-related deaths but programs instituted to solve the problem need time to work.
“If I institute something by Monday, would I see results by Friday?” Adams said, WTOP reported. “What I see is a, ‘We don’t quite understand what’s happening, but we have to do something.’’’
Adams makes his comments as the District’s homicide rate, compared to the same time last year, has increased by 11% according to statistics reported by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. He said the present upward trend regarding homicides started about 2015 but like many cities around the country, District leaders didn’t really discuss ways to thwart it.
Examining the District’s schools, the local economy and issues regarding parenting are matters related to the rising homicide rate, he said.