Right On Crime, a national criminal justice campaign, supports the policy of H.R. 7530, legislation to address consistent crime occurring in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. H.R. 7530, the D.C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safer (D.C. CRIMES) Act was recently passed through committee and is now headed for a vote by lawmakers on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Despite most cities experiencing dips in violent crime, Washington D.C. is the outlier, with violent crime, including carjackings, murder, and robberies, being a constant. Violent crime in D.C. rose 39% from 2023 to 2024. In fact, 2023 was the deadliest year in the District in more than 20 years.

“These statistics paint a complicated, albeit daunting, picture. However, what remains clear is that we must quell this ongoing crime surge,” said Brett Tolman, Right On Crime Executive Director and former U.S. Attorney.  “Congress can exercise its unique authority and step in to make our nation’s capital a safer place to live, work, and visit.”

“H.R. 7530 does some good work to address the persistent levels of violent crime in Washington, D.C. without sacrificing general fairness principles,” said Rachel Wright, National Policy Director of Right On Crime. “As an organization, Right On Crime takes a conservative approach to criminal justice, balancing fairness with public safety. Right On Crime supports the language of the legislation as it was passed out of the Oversight and Accountability Committee, and we hope it will swiftly advance to the House floor for passage.”

It is with this focus on stopping violent crime that Right On Crime supports H.R. 7530, the D.C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safer (D.C. CRIMES) Act. The bill would amend the definition of a youth offender to align with most states and jurisdictions. It would also require the D.C. Attorney General to create and operate a publicly accessible and searchable website with juvenile crime data. Lastly, the D.C. CRIMES Act insulates these policy changes by prohibiting the D.C. Council from overriding them.

Right On Crime is a national campaign supporting conservative solutions for reducing crime, restoring victims, reforming offenders, and lowering taxpayer costs. For more information, visit our website at www.RightOnCrime.com.