JULY 2024, Volume 68, Issue 52
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The Untold Stories
Certified Business Enterprise
By: Ashleigh Fields Last year citizens in the District were subject to the highest rate of violent crime and property theft in the last two decades. Over 274 lives were claimed due to gun violence making 2023 the deadliest year for the city since 1997. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the city council faced significant pushback from residents who felt like elected officials were not doing enough to keep neighborhoods safe. By the end of the year, Bowser and the City Council selected Police Chief Pamela Smith to take over the Metropolitan Police Department to make improvements to the broader community. “The Metropolitan Police Department remains steadfast in our mission to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of the District of Columbia,” said Chief Pamela Smith prior to announcing the city’s enrollment in a new drone program. The District’s police force will join the 1,500 other departments across the nation that utilize remotely operated aircraft systems like drones in cases of missing persons, locating individuals with high-risk warrants, car crashes and other instances.
(Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Police Department)
“MPD’s new drone program marks a significant step in integrating the latest innovative technology to better serve and protect the residents and visitors of the District of Columbia,” Smith added with the support of Mayor Bowser. Throughout the last six months, the
department says their air unit has responded to 493 calls for service and assisted officers in conducting 76 arrests. “We know that MPD’s Air Support Unit plays an important role in driving down crime and keeping our community safe, and these upgrades are going to support that work,” said Mayor Bowser. “We have already seen continued on P4
Community News New laws in the DMV to start this month Read More on P10
Local Education News Black Celebrities advocate on Capitol Hill Read More on P5
National News Senate Blocks Rights to IVF Read More on P8