The Washington, DC, government is dedicating hundreds of thousands of dollars to the city. But it is not curb the crime rates that have been going through the roof recently. The funds are for touching up its “Black Lives Matter” street painting.
The rate at which crime is growing in the Democrat-run city concerns the murals. As a result, the government thinks refurbishing them will appease the criminals. Democrat Mayor Muriel Bowser initially painted the mural in June 2020 as BLM protests rocked the city and country.
The refurbishment of this infamous mural reportedly gobbled up $271,231 in taxpayer money. The labor cost was $217,680, with the city spending $53,551 on paint supplies.
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Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton is not happy about how much will be wasted on the mural. He said in a statement, “DC crime is out of control, but local leaders continue to waste $270,000 in tax money promoting the extremist Black Lives Matter movement in the heart of Washington DC that is racist, anti-police, anti-American, and often violent.”
To retouch the mural, the city called in DC-based vendor Equus Striping. The company posted videos on Facebook, capturing its team “making progress on prepping the surface” of the BLM mural on November 8. The restoration did not take long because the following day, they shared the completed project.
The vendor wrote: “As a black and women-owned DC business, we couldn’t be prouder of our crew. A lot of elbow grease went into this project, and we are incredibly happy with how it turned out. Thanks for Helping us Change the World, One Line at a Time.”
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Money for retouching became available after the DC government slashed its police budget by millions in 2020. The budget has not received higher allocations since. Little wonder the city has 400 fewer officers than it did three years ago.
In the meantime, Washington, DC, continues to experience higher crime rates. While the leaders are busy trying to lessen anxiety, crimes like larceny and robbery have become so commonplace it is no longer news.
During the House Committee on Oversight meeting in late March, Democrat DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson urged residents not to worry about the crime rates even as he acknowledged their significant concerns regarding crime.
Mendelson said. “With regard to crime, yes, there is considerable concern. But while perception is important, the reality is less concerning. Let me be clear: People should feel safe, and it is a problem that many residents of the district don’t.”
He continued: “I know this belies the common belief – and when it comes to crime, how people feel is important – but there is not a crime crisis in Washington, DC.”
The hearing followed months of disputes between Congress and the DC Council over crime proposals. It also occurred mere days after a staff member for Republican Senator Rand Paul was severely injured after being stabbed by a recently released felon.
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Data from the DC Metropolitan Police Department shows that homicides have increased by 34% as of November 28 over the same time in 2022. Robberies are up 68%, motor vehicle theft is up 93%, and arson is up 125%.
Overall, violent crime has risen to 40% this year, while all crime is up 27%, the data shows. While Mendelson does not believe there is a crisis, Democratic DC Councilmember Trayon White Sr. sings a different tune.
In early August, White went as far as saying it might be time to call in the National Guard due to the crime rate. His statement reads:
“I am tired of burying our children. We are too comfortable with the state of our city. We must take action to gain control and protect our residents. Law enforcement is only one part of how we combat public safety issues. It will take all of us to heal our community.”
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