Anyone who reports an illegal gun in D.C. could get a reward of as much as $2,500.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Cathy Lanier announced a spike on Wednesday in the reward offered for tips that lead to an arrest and conviction in a shooting, and the seizure of an illegal gun and the arrest of its owner.
A reward of as much as $10,000 is available for tips related to shootings, up from $1,000. Officials boosted the reward for tips related to illegal guns to $2,500, up from $1,000.
"We have added a reward of $10,000 for shootings because we are seeing too many of these shootings now with high-capacity magazines, and the potential for them to be lethal is much, much greater," Lanier said at a news conference.
There have been 98 homicides in the District so far this year, a 35 percent increase over the same point last year.
Lanier says police have made four arrests in homicide cases in the past two days.
Bowser and Lanier rejected suggestions from the D.C. Police Union that police are not properly deployed or that they are not familiar enough with high-crime communities.
Additionally, Bowser said the District's website will track homicide cases from arrest through conviction.
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She spoke on Wednesday about people who live in violent communities.
"We gave a press availability at Congress Park yesterday and it was among the saddest experiences of my life -- after that press briefing, to walk around and talk to neighbors about what they're dealing with day in and day out," she said.
