Car thefts in Washington, D.C., have soared in the past year — more than any other crime.
There are seven times more car thefts than carjackings in the nation’s capital. Last week, a thief was involved in a high-speed chase in a stolen truck and later in a stolen ambulance, which plowed into police cruisers and 13 vehicles, sending at least seven victims to the hospital needing medical care.
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“He struck my cruiser once. He’s trying to strike it again. We’re trying to get him to stop,” an officer was heard saying on the police scanner.
Darell Caldwell, a 30-year-old car thief, had a previous arrest record for car theft in April, in which he stole a Cadillac Escalade SUV and rammed into two parked cars. When his stolen vehicle got stuck near train tracks, he was detained and arrested by police. Two days after his arrest, he was released from jail, which is raising questions from city leaders as to why car theft has not been added to the list of criminal offenses for local judges to hold thieves in jail until their trial date.
“If the theft of the car was for just stealing — very likely that the judges, per the [D.C. Criminal Code], would have no grounds to hold him pending trial [in] such a case,” a D.C. Courts spokesperson reportedly said.
Washington resident and attorney Denise Rucker Krepp responded on social media.
“4610 cars stolen to date this year in D.C. Maybe it’s time to update the law?” she asked.
“A D.C. Courts official told 7News a judge has no authority to hold a car theft suspect in jail until their trial begins under the current criminal code”…. 4610 cars stolen to date this year in DC….Maybe it’s time to update the law? https://t.co/cjrQat0nMM
— ANC6B10 (@Anc6B10) August 21, 2023
After the summer break, the DC Council will be considering various measures to curb crime in the city, including Mayor Muriel Bowser‘s “Safer, Stronger DC” bill, but car theft is not listed as a crime for judges to hold suspects in jail until their trial.
Bowser’s office reportedly responded by touting Bowser’s proposed safety bill and Councilwoman Brooke Pinto’s legislation.
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“In May, as part of her Safer Stronger Amendment Act of 2023, Mayor Bowser proposed greater discretion for the Courts to determine who should be held pre-trial, including defendants previously convicted of a violent crime while they await trial for a new violent crime. In July, Council passed, 12-1, Councilmember Pinto’s Prioritizing Public Safety Emergency Amendment Act of 2023, which built upon Mayor Bowser’s proposal by expanding the presumption of detention to all charged with a crime of violence,” Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Lindsey Appiah reportedly said in a statement.
“Those negotiations are ongoing,” Ward 5 Councilman Zachary Parker said.
