The Mexican and Guatemalan Consulates have issued a warning to their citizens living in D.C. about the rising crime in the city and how to protect themselves.
The Mexican Consulate in D.C. tweeted that citizens should "take precautions" late Monday evening. The Guatemalan Consulate in Maryland echoed similar concerns about D.C. on social media.
Consuls are distinct from embassies, and their job is geared more towards citizens from their country that already live in D.C. than towards citizens visiting the District.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
Telemundo44 spoke to Mexican Consul Rafael Laveaga, who said it's time to handle the crime.
"Police departments agree that there has been an increase in criminal acts. We are part of the community, and we want to do our share, as simple as that," he said.
The announcement comes at a time when crime is up across the District, and a week after Pamela Smith was named D.C.'s next police chief. According to authorities, violent crime is up by 37% percent, vehicle theft is up by 116%, sexual abuse is up by 34% and homicides have increased by 18%.
Several sources told Telemundo44 that some diplomats have been victims of these recent violent crimes.
"Local police departments are interested in investigating the facts and not the immigration status of the complainants. We have a group of Latin American consuls and their citizens have also been involved in criminal acts," Laveaga said.
A map provided by the Metropolitan Police Department showed that the U Street Corridor/LeDroit Park, Chinatown, and Columbia Heights are the neighborhoods currently dealing with high crime rates.
Laveaga suggested ways citizens could avoid becoming victims of crime.
"Be aware of our surroundings, pay attention to our surroundings when we are going to withdraw money from an ATM, do not resist if they assault you and want to take our car," he emphasized.
News4 has reached out to Mayor Muriel Bowser's office, D.C. councilmembers and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton.
On Wednesday, Councilmember Brooke Pinto responded with a statement.
"I am deeply concerned by the rise in crime and how it effects DC residents and families as well as visitors to our city," Pinto said in the emailed statement. "The fact that violence has reached a level that has led a consulate who calls DC home to warn their community about crimes is unacceptable and represents far too many lives lost and far too many families left traumatized. That is why public safety is my number one priority every day and the priority of everyone in DC government."
"It’s why our government leaders came together just weeks ago to address gun violence and promote public safety through emergency legislation that the Council passed overwhelmingly with the Mayor’s support to ensure people who are a danger to the community are not released pretrial and implement other common-sense measures to promote safety," her statement continued. "I will continue working every day on practical, effective solutions to address this emergency so all are safe in our city.”
CORRECTION (Friday, July 28, 2023 11 a.m. ET): A previous version of this story misstated neighborhoods currently experiencing the highest crime rates in D.C. The neighborhood names have been updated to reflect correct data.
