D.C.’s Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results (NEAR) Act, enacted in 2016, intended to take a “public health approach to criminal justice reform.” Still, it has thus far yielded mixed results, The Hill reports. Reports showed the program effectively engaged with high-risk groups. Still, two key initiatives of the program were ignored – the creation of an Office of Violence Prevention and Health Equity within DC Health – and a police officer and behavioral health clinician pairings to respond to specific crises.
The District has seen 86 homicides this year, an increase of 9 percent from the same time last year, according to data from the Metropolitan Police Department. The data also showed a 16 percent increase in violent crime overall. Some violent crime categories, however, saw figures decline from last year. Sex abuse was down by 18 percent, and assault with a dangerous weapon was down by 5 percent.