IFA Signs Coalition Letter Urging D.C. Leadership To Address Crime and Safety

70 trade associations call on Mayor Bowser and D.C. City Council to reduce crime and enhance safety of the nation’s capital

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29, 2024 –Today, the International Franchise Association (IFA) joined 69 prominent Washington D.C.-based trade associations urging D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the City Council to take swift action to reduce crime and enhance the overall safety of the nation’s capital, which has become a national outlier in rising crime.

“Like many other job creators and taxpayers in Washington, IFA is deeply concerned about the increase in violent crime on our streets and in our neighborhoods,” said IFA President and CEO Matt Haller. “Too many, including IFA staff, have justifiable concerns about their personal safety commuting to or from the office. We stand ready to work with elected officials on common sense measures to get the District back on the right path.”

In the letter, the organizations write, “We, the undersigned members of Washington, D.C.’s vibrant business trade association community, are writing to express our deep concern about the alarming increase in violent crime across our city. As job creators, taxpayers, and dedicated contributors to the economic and social well-being of our nation’s capital, we urge the Mayor and the City Council to address this pressing issue that threatens the safety and prosperity of not only our community but also our employees and their families.”

While the national homicide rate decreased by 15 percent from September 2022 to September 2023, in Washington, D.C., homicides rose by 35 percent, while overall violent crime increased by 39 percent in 2023. Armed robberies were up 70 percent, and carjackings more than doubled to 950 from 2022 to 2023.

The letter signatories are primarily based in the downtown business district, where there have been horrifying acts of violence over the past several months.

The full letter is below and available here.

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Dear Mayor Bowser, Council Chairman Mendelson, and Members of the City Council of the District of Columbia,

We, the undersigned members of Washington, D.C.’s vibrant business trade association community, are writing to express our deep concern about the alarming increase in violent crime across our city. As job creators, taxpayers, and dedicated contributors to the economic and social well-being of our nation’s capital, we urge the Mayor and City Council to address this pressing issue that threatens the safety and prosperity of not only our community but also our employees and their families.

Washington, D.C., is quickly becoming a national outlier in rising crime, and the trends are alarming. The national homicide rate decreased by 15 percent from 2022 to 2023, and the homicide rate in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Phoenix all declined more than 10 percent. In Washington, D.C., homicides rose by 35 percent, while overall violent crime increased by 39 percent in 2023. Armed robberies were up 70 percent, and carjackings more than doubled to 950 from 2022 to 2023.

Our organizations are primarily based in the downtown business district, where there have been horrifying acts of violence over the past several months. Mike Gill, a father of three and a leader in Washington’s business and political community, recently passed away after he was shot in a violent carjacking in the middle of the K Street area. Later that night, a young man and father of two, Alberto “AJ” Vasquez, was senselessly murdered by the same man who conducted an 11-hour carjacking spree. Police are still searching for a suspect in the recent murder of Dynamo Technologies CEO Vivek Teneja, which occurred just blocks from the White House. Dynamo Technologies had recently won a contract to provide “mission-critical cybersecurity operations support” for the Department of Agriculture. Late last year, Congressman Henry Cueller (D-TX) was carjacked less than a mile from the Capitol building. The potential departure of the Capitals and Wizards from the arena in Chinatown threatens to further accelerate a rapid decline for downtown D.C. that will only exacerbate violent crime. 

Innocent people in neighborhoods across the city have been targeted in robberies, carjackings, and seemingly random acts of violence. Nasrat Ahmad Yar was a father of four, a Lyft driver, and former translator for the U.S. armed forces in Afghanistan who fled death threats from the Taliban only to become the victim of gun violence on Capitol Hill. Arianna Davis was only ten years old when she was struck by a stray bullet while riding in a car with her family on Mother’s Day. On Valentine’s Day, police had to escort children to school after a suspect wounded three police officers in Southeast D.C.

The City Council should take immediate action to target the small group of organized and repeat criminals responsible for most of these violent offenses. A recent study from the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform and the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) found as little as 200 individuals are driving the surge in repeat gun violence. Armed carjacking rings, including one broken up late last year by the Department of Justice, are responsible for many of the 950 car thefts in 2023. One man was recently arrested after committing armed robbery at the same Chinatown Walgreens location six times over the past six months.

After two decades of steady economic growth, Washington D.C. was able to cast aside its reputation as “America’s murder capital” in the 1980s and 90s. We want to ensure the city does not reprise that reputation because we are unable to contain the recent wave of violent crime. As the council considers crime legislation on March 5, we encourage you to address these issues in a way that is consistent with the crime crisis in our city.

We are committed to Washington D.C., and we are ready to collaborate with the City Council to ensure the implementation of effective measures to reduce crime and enhance the overall safety of our city. Our organizations are committed to bringing our employees back to work in our physical office locations downtown and across the District, which will contribute to the city’s tax base and give a boost to the local economy. Together, we can create an environment that fosters economic growth, prosperity, and security for all.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter, and we look forward to seeing Washington D.C. become a safer and more prosperous community for everyone.

Airlines for America

American Apparel & Footwear Association

American Bankers Association

American Bus Association

American Chemistry Council

American Coatings Association

American Council of Engineering Companies

American Council of Life Insurers

American Exploration and Production Council

American Financial Services Association

American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers

American Gaming Association

American Gas Association

American Hotel & Lodging Association

American Investment Council

American Land Title Association

American Petroleum Institute

American Public Transportation Association

American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association

American Society for Association Executives

Associated Builders and Contractors

Bank Policy Institute

Beer Institute

Building Owners and Managers Association International

CTIA – The Wireless Association

Consumer Bankers Association

Consumer Healthcare Products Association

Corn Refiners Association

Destinations International

Edison Electric Institute

Electric Power Supply Association

Energy Equipment and Infrastructure Alliance

Essential Minerals Association

Federation of American Hospitals

FIA

Financial Services Forum

Financial Services Institute

Finseca

Household and Commercial Products Association

Housing Policy Council

Independent Petroleum Association of America

Information Technology Industry Council (ITI)

Institute of International Bankers

Institute of International Finance

International Agribusiness Council (IAC)

International Franchise Association

International Fresh Produce Association

Investment Company Institute

ISRI

Liquid Energy Pipeline Association

Mortgage Bankers Association

National Association of Broadcasters

National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors

National Association of Investment Companies

National Association of Manufacturers

National Association of Security Companies

National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors

National Grocers Association

National Mining Association

National Music Publishers’ Association

National Propane Gas Association

National Retail Federation

National Venture Capital Association

Plastics Industry Association

Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association

Small Business Investor Alliance

The Business Council

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

U.S. Travel Association

Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America

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