Connor O’Brien of the Economic Innovation Group wrote a solid “just the facts” <a href="https://www.cojobrien.com/p/how-is-washington-dc-doing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post about changes in Washington, D.C., in the past few years</a>.

There’s one piece of unambiguously good news that O’Brien reports: More housing is being built in the city than at any point in decades. It’s good to see a city permitting new construction, rather than snagging it with endless red tape.

But other than that, yeesh. O’Brien points out that the negative trends on crime this year are abnormal compared with other major cities. It’s not 1990s-level yet, but “on homicide and robbery, the city has ceded 20 years of progress in a very short period,” O’Brien writes.

Washington’s 39 percent spike in violent crime this year was by far the worst of any city. The next largest was 23 percent, in Long Beach. San Antonio saw a 21 percent <em>decrease</em> in violent crime this year. Atlanta’s declined 20 percent. Even cities known for their crime problems, such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, and St. Louis, saw declines in violent crime this year.

District leadership can’t blame the national environment for its performance. The decline in public safety in the nation’s capital this year is an outlier. Washington had better figure it out, or more people and businesses will leave.

The capital’s 39 percent spike in violent crime this year was by far the worst of any major city.{ai:summary}<p>#society Washington, D.C. is facing alarming increases in violent crime, with homicide up 34% and carjacking up 88%. Education is also suffering, with only 34% of K-12 students proficient in English and 22% proficient in math. The city's population has declined by 2.6%, but there is some positive news as more housing is being built than in decades. However, the city must address these issues swiftly or risk further decline.</p>

The Corner: Washington, D.C., Needs to Get Its Act Together

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