Washington, D.C., Ward 6 Councilman Charles Allen, who is facing a recall effort from residents who perceive him as soft on crime, is moderating a panel on juvenile carjackings in the district on Tuesday night.
The panel, called “Understanding Juvenile Carjacking: A Panel Discussion Moderated by Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen,” will begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and run until 9 p.m.
“Councilmember Charles Allen will lead a panel discussion of stakeholders and community on the motivations that lead youth to carjack; and the way the District’s justice system holds them accountable for their actions,” the event’s website read.
Among the panelists is U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves. The panel comes a few days after the Justice Department announced a boost in resources to tackle the rise in violent crime in Washington. The DOJ plans to create resources such as “a multi-component Gun Violence Analytic Cell (GVAC),” which will be led by the FBI in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The goal of GVAC is to use data analytics to sort through federal investigations to deter violent crime and carjackings.
Graves said in the release announcing the DOJ resources that the attorney’s office has been “surgically targeting and prosecuting” violent criminals in the district.
Other panelists include Hill Rag reporter Elizabeth O’Gorek; Miss Hardy, founder of Guns Down Friday; Reginald Mathis, who is listed as a credible messenger for Building Blocks DC; and Kevin McGilly, a D.C. foster father and concerned citizen. Questions can be emailed in advance, and “written queries” will also be permitted at the event.
The leader of the recall effort against Allen is Jennifer Squires, an ex-government worker who voted for him. She formed a recall committee in December, stating that the Ward 6 councilman should be more focused on curbing crime.
In 2023, motor vehicle theft in the city increased 82%, robberies increased 67%, and homicides increased 35%. So far, in 2024, there have been 198 robberies and 416 instances of motor vehicle theft — in the last week, that number increased from 240.
The Secure D.C. Omnibus bill, which is heading to a full council vote in February, expands the definition of a carjacking to make it a crime any time the victim is not just in their car but in the vicinity of the vehicle, as well. The crime legislation would also make it a rule to hold juveniles in pretrial detention for those accused of certain violent crimes.
Juvenile crime has risen substantially in the district, and there is now a lack of strong policies to detain or prosecute offenders. District Attorney General Brian Schwalb has come under fire for working against the “Get Tough on Crime” bill supported by Mayor Muriel Bowser, which would have increased pretrial detentions for juvenile offenders. He also declined to prosecute several juvenile cases, leading to recidivism.