(NewsNation) — The carjacking of a U.S. congressman on Monday night has drawn attention to an epidemic of auto thefts in the nation’s capital.
A local news station looked into the prevalence of these crimes between May 2021 and May 2023, finding that the city averaged 14 auto thefts a day during that period.
In all, 10,685 vehicles were stolen during that time. Police said that 15% of these cases led to arrests, nabbing 1,621 individuals in connection to these crimes.
This year alone, more than 5,000 cars have been stolen.
“It’s happening in every single ward. In every single ward, cars are being stolen. And that’s a concern to me,” said Denise Krepp, who previously served as a neighborhood commissioner in the city.
While auto thefts have captured much of the nation’s attention, the city has also been dealing with an increase in violent crime. Violent crimes are up 38% in the nation’s capital compared to the same time last year.