An increase in barbeques, family reunions, and swimming pools are expected with the arrival of summer time. In highly populated cities like DC, crime is also on the list of things that increase with the temperatures.
Last year, former Chief of Police Charles H. Ramsey, announced a Crime Emergency due to an increase in violent crime. The Crime Emergency initiative was officially implemented on July 12th, 2006. The initiative ended on November 3rd, of the same year.
According to the preliminary crime statistics on dc.gov, the years of 2005 and 2006 saw increases in crime in the summer months of June, July, and August. Types of crime taken into account were homicides, sexual assaults, and robbery.
Catherine Johnson, 61 and a Suitland, MD resident feels that homeless youth are the main reason for the increase in crime during the summer.
"Nowadays there are 17 to 19 year-olds that are homeless," said Johnson, "They are getting out of school and don't have anything productive to do with their time so naturally they get into trouble."
Johnson also feels that summer programs with a focus on a particular trade or activity during the summer would help curb criminal activity.
The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department offers various programs, such as this year's Summer of Safety 2007 (SOS). To find something for the kids to do for the summer, the SOS Activity Calendar 2007 is listed at (202) I'M-Bored or (202-462-6733).
Another program offered is OPAT, a special camp for youth who have been arrested and charged with auto theft. It is a camp primarily directed towards community service, with a component that provides fun and educational activities designed for youth between the ages of 12 and 17.
D.C. native Tia Ray, 19, feels that a part of the problem could be due to the lack of positive parenting. "There are a lot of kids that are being born to teenage parents. This is a problem because they are still running the streets themselves so they can't be expected to effectively be able tell their kids right from wrong." Last year, Ray took advantage of a summer initiative pact that required its participants to sign a promise that said they would not take part in any dangerous or illegal activities over the summer. "It was effective in lowering the crime rate because it let kids hold themselves responsible for their own actions," Ray said.
