Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) disclosed that one of his staff members and a friend were robbed “at gunpoint” by “three men” in Navy Yard, a neighborhood in Washington, DC.
“Early this morning, three men attempted to rob one of my staffers and a friend at gunpoint in Navy Yard,” Collins wrote. “One attacker took a watch, the other took a fist to the face.”
“Our nation’s capital has become a warzone because of pro-criminal policies peddled by D.C.’s government,” Collins continued. “Thank the good Lord, after fending off the assailants, both young men are safe.”
Early this morning, three men attempted to rob one of my staffers and a friend at gunpoint in Navy Yard.
One attacker took a watch, the other took a fist to the face.
Our nation’s capital has become a warzone because of pro-criminal policies peddled by D.C.’s government.
Thank…
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) June 9, 2024
During 2023, there were a total of 5,336 violent crimes committed, a 39 percent increase from the 3,850 violent crimes reported during 2022, according to data from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The nation’s capital also reported seeing 274 homicides during 2023, the highest annual number of homicides in the city since 1997.
In January 2024, D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto (D) introduced the Secure DC Omnibus bill, which was described as being a “historic public safety legislative package with over one hundred interventions that respond to calls from the community to address the unacceptable level of crime and violence undermining safety in the District.”
Under the bill, officers would be allowed “to pursue vehicular chases if there is an imminent threat,” there would be penalties established for “new felony offenses for endangerment with a firearm and unlawful discarding of firearms and ammunition,” and the MPD would be allowed to “declare drug-free zones” in hotspots where there is an increase in crime and drug activity, among many other initiatives.
Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) signed the bill into law in March.
In a press release, Pinto explained that Bowser had signed the bill into law “on a permanent basis and also on an emergency basis, which means that most of its provisions can take effect immediately.”
