Capital One Arena: One of the Most Dangerous NBA Venues

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Capital One Arena has been identified as one of the top 10 most dangerous NBA venues according to a new study.

Situated in Washington, D.C.’s Chinatown, the arena is the home ground for the Washington Wizards and the Capitals. It ranked as the eighth most dangerous arena, judged based on elements like fan behavior and local crime rates, as detailed in a recent report from BetTennessee.com.

Capital One Arena: One of the Most Dangerous NBA Venues — Detroit Red Wings against the Washington Capitals during the second period of an NHL hockey game at Capitol One Arena Sunday, Feb. 11, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

In 2023, Chinatown experienced a 36% increase in violent crime. The city as a whole saw its deadliest year since the late 1990s, ranking among the top five cities with the highest homicide rates.

Last year, Ted Leonsis, the owner of the Wizards and Capitals, proposed moving the teams out of Washington, but his plan did not materialize.

Ted Leonsis, right, owner of the Washington Wizards NBA basketball team and Washington Capitals NHL hockey team, speaks during a news conference with Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, left, and DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, center, at Capitol One Arena in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Last month, the District of Columbia Council approved a $515 million deal to renovate the arena and its surroundings. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser also reached an agreement with Leonsis addressing his concerns about public safety. To mitigate these concerns, the district committed to creating a public safety plan for events and assigning 17 officers to patrol the area two hours before and after events.