Homicides are rising in the nation's capital, but police are solving far fewer of the cases

As the number of homicides in Washington, D.C., rises, the percentage that are solved by the Metropolitan Police Department has dropped this year. That leaves the nation's capital on track to record its lowest so-called “clearance rate” in more than 15 years. Criminologists warn that a consistently low clearance rate in homicide cases can erode both police morale and community faith in the police, leading to a negative spiral that makes it harder to solve future crimes. As of Nov. 13, only 75 of the 244 homicides committed this year have been solved by police. Factoring in the 33 prior-year killings cleared this year, the overall 2023 homicide closure rate stands at around 45%.