Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C., and Mayor Sheng Thao of Oakland are both standing firm in defense of their cities amidst a recent surge in crime that has sparked concerns among business owners and residents.
Bowser, in an interview with Axios, acknowledged the challenges faced by Washington in the past year but urged observers not to be overly critical of the city. Despite a 36% increase in homicides and nearly doubling carjackings in the previous year, Bowser highlighted that compared to other major cities, Washington had seen declines in violent crime. She cited recent crime data indicating a positive trend, with total violent crime down by 17% and overall crime down by 12% so far this year.
