Crime at 7 DC Locations: Which One is Safest?
Wisconsin and M NW: This area has a low crime rate, except for thefts: 331 thefts were recorded during the past year. (MPD Crime Database)
How does crime in three major commercial corridors of the Dupont-Logan-U Street area compare with some similar areas in DC?
Are you safer at 12th and U NW than at at Eastern Market at 7th and E SE? How does 17th and Q NW compare to Wisconsin and M NW in the heart of Georgetown? Is there more crime in Adams Morgan at 18th and Columbia Road NW than at 14th and Q NW? How does Columbia Heights compare to all the rest?
The crime statistics for each of the seven areas are from the MPD Crime Database. Each one covers a circular area that radiates 1,000 feet from the address. See the list below that summarizes the number of crimes in each of the seven areas; complete crime states for each of the seven areas are below the fold.
Each month Borderstan runs stories on crime statistics for three areas in the neighborhood: 12th and U NW, 14th and Q NW and 17th and Q NW. Along with these three areas, four additional intersections were selected and then all seven were compared for both violent and property crime for the past year, Nov. 18, 2009, to Nov. 18, 2010.
14th and Irving NW: Of the 101 violent crimes reported in the past year, 55 were robberies and 41 were assualts. Of these, 14 were committed with a gun. (MPD Crime Database)
Of the seven intersection-areas, the safest is Pennsylvania and 7th SE. Coming in at Number 7 (last place) is 14th and Irving NW. Results are the same for both violent and property crime: the Capitol Hill intersection has the least of each and the Columbia Heights intersection the most.
In addition to the three intersections in Dupont-Logan-U Street area, the four additional intersections are:
- 14th and Irving Streets NW/Columbia Heights: This intersection is on the south side of the DC USA mall (Target, Best Buy, Staples, etc.) and is now a shopping and nightlife area.
- 18th Street and Columbia Road NW/Adams Morgan: Possibly the heart of Adams Morgan, it’s both daytime shopping and nightlife.
- Wisconsin Avenue and M Street NW/Georgetown: This Georgetown hub is a major draw for tourists and the bridge-and-tunnel crowd as well as locals.
- Pennsylvania Avenue and 7th Street SE/Capitol Hill: Just south of Eastern Market and north of Barracks Row, this Capitol Hill area has shops, restaurants and nightlife.
The area around 12th and U NW recorded 152 thefts from autos in the past year, the highest number of the seven areas compared. (MPD Crime Database)
Total Crime: The Best and the Worst
Of the seven intersection-areas we compared, the safest is Pennsylvania and 7th SE on Capitol Hill. Coming in at Number 7 is 14th and Irving NW in Columbia Heights. Looking at only violent crime or property crime, the results are the same: the Capitol Hill intersection has the least of each and the Columbia Heights intersection has the most of each.
The Dupont intersection of 17th and Q NW comes in at Number 2 in both violent and property crime, making it the second most safest area of the seven compared. Number 3 is 18th and Columbia NW; it is Number 5 for violent crime and Number 3 for property crime. Right in the middle at the Number 4 spot is 14th and Q NW; it is Number 4 for both violent and property crime.
17th and Q NW comes in at Number 2 in both violent and property crime… 14th and Q NW comes in at Number 4 for both violent and property crime… 12th and U NW is Number 5, but comes in at Number 6 for Violent Crime and had the most gun crimes.
At Number 5 is 12th and U NW; this U Street intersection is Number 6 for violent crime and Number 5 for property crime. Coming in at Number 6 is the intersection of Wisconsin and M NW. This Georgetown intersection is actually Number 2for violent crime (second safest to the Capitol Hill intersection), but it has a huge number of thefts in the property crime category, which drives its overall ranking down. Number 7, last on the list, is the Columbia Heights intersection of 14th and Irving NW; it is in last place for both violent and property crime.
Crime in Past Year
- Pennsylvania & 7th SE: 158 crimes (18 violent, 140 property); 0 gun crimes.
- 17th & Q NW: 186 crimes (35 violent, 151 property); 4 gun crimes.
- 18th & Columbia NW: 287 crimes (62 violent, 225 property); 8 gun crimes.
- 14th & Q NW: 307 crimes (43 violent, 264 property); 15 gun crimes.
- 12th & U NW: 355 crimes (73 violent, 282 property); 21 gun crimes.
- Wisconsin & M NW: 404 crimes (38 violent, 366 property); 2 gun crimes. Note: The huge number of thefts (331) at this intersection-area skews the results.
- 14th & Irving NW: 504 crimes (101 violent, 403 property); 14 gun crimes.
Violent Crime
Robberies. Robberies are categorized as with and without a gun. The fewest robberies were at Pennsylvania and 7th SE (11) while the most occurred at 14th and Irving NW (55). The intersection of 12th and U came in at Number 3 (49), but actually had the most robberies with a gun (16).
Assaults. Assaults with a Deadly Weapon are categorized as with and without a gun. The fewest number of assaults occurred at 14th and Q NW (five) while the Pennsylvania & 7th SE came in at Number 2 (seven) and 17th and Q NW was Number 3 (eight). The most assaults took place at 14th and Columbia NW (41) while the second highest number was recorded at 12th & U NW (22).
Gun Crime. Gun crimes are homicides, robberies and assaults committed with a gun. The fewest gun crimes in the past year were at Pennsylvania and 7th SE, which recorded zero gun crimes. At Number 2 was Wisconsin and M NW with two gun crimes. While 14th and Irving NW had the most robberies and assaults of the seven areas compared, it did not have the most gun crimes in the past year (it has 14).
The most gun crimes were at 12th and U NW (21) followed by 14th and Q NW (15). The one homicide recorded in the past year for all seven areas was the Sept. 28, 2010, shooting death of Jamal Coates at 11th and U NW.
Property Crime
Auto Crimes. Auto crimes are major quality-of-life crimes in the city. The area with the most stolen autos in the past year was 12th and U NW (30) followed by 14th and Irving NW (27) and 14th and Q NW (23). The fewest? There were only six stolen autos at Wisconsin and M NW. Much more common are thefts from autos (“smash and grabs”). The hands-down leader was again 12th and U NW (152) followed by 14th and Irving NW (104) and 14th and Q NW (88). The fewest smash and grabs were at Wisconsin and M NW (18) followed by Pennsylvania and 7th SE (32). The complete list is below the fold.
Burglaries and Thefts. The most burglaries in the past year were at 14th and Q NW (34) followed by 12th and U NW (21). The remaining five areas all had between 10 and 15 burglaries each. The number of thefts for the Georgetown intersection of Wisconsin and M NW skewed this areas crime stats: it had 331 thefts in the past year. (It would be interesting to know how many were purse and cell phone snatches on the street.) This is substantially more than the 270 for 14th and Irving NW. The fewest thefts were reported for 17th and Q NW (67).
Complete crime states for each of the seven areas are below the fold.
Crime Statistics for Nov. 18, 2009, to Nov. 18, 2010
| Crime Type | 12th& U NW | 14th & Q NW | 17th & Q NW | 14th & Irving NW | 18th & Columbia NW | Wisconsin & M NW | Penn. & 7th SE |
| Homicide | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sex Abuse | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Robbery WO/Gun | 33 | 28 | 24 | 46 | 35 | 17 | 11 |
| Robbery W/Gun | 16 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Assault Dangerous Weapon WO/Gun | 18 | 4 | 7 | 36 | 19 | 17 | 7 |
| Assault Dangerous Weapon W/Gun | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Violent Crime | 73 | 43 | 35 | 101 | 62 | 38 | 18 |
| Burglary | 21 | 34 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 11 | 10 |
| Theft | 78 | 119 | 67 | 270 | 113 | 331 | 89 |
| Theft From Auto | 152 | 88 | 56 | 104 | 70 | 18 | 32 |
| Stolen Auto | 30 | 23 | 18 | 18 | 27 | 6 | 9 |
| Arson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Property Crime | 282 | 264 | 151 | 403 | 225 | 366 | 140 |
| TOTAL CRIME | 355 | 307 | 186 | 504 | 287 | 404 | 158 |
