DC police to put officers on bicycles, scooters to patrol high-crime neighborhoods amid crime wave

Washington D.C., officials announced a new crime-fighting initiative Wednesday that will be manned by police officers on mountain bicycles and scooters in high-crime areas in an effort to engage with the community following several days of gun violence that saw a 6-year-old girl killed.

"This is a direct result of conversations I've had with communities," the chief told reporters. "'We want to see police officers out of the cars. We want to see police officers in the community'. Well, here you have it." As of Wednesday, the city had 105 homicides, which is on pace to match or surpass last year's 198 killings. Since October 2020, the department has decreased by almost 215 officers, Contee said.  Police said they will base patrols hours on violent-crime trends from the previous 14 days of this year and the next 14 days of the previous year.