D.C. Police Report Rise in Dangerous-Weapon Assaults as Homicides, Robberies Decline

Washington’s latest preliminary crime figures show a sharp increase in reported assaults with a dangerous weapon, even as homicides and robberies declined from the comparable period in 2025.

The Metropolitan Police Department recorded 736 assault-with-a-dangerous-weapon cases through July 31, 2026, compared with 511 during the comparable year-to-date period in 2025. That represents a 44% increase.

At the same time, homicides fell from 95 to 61, a 36% decline, while robberies dropped from 861 to 724, down 16%. Total violent crime rose from 1,522 cases to 1,578, an increase of 4%.

One category is rising faster than the broader trend

The figures do not show that every violent-crime category is worsening. They show a mixed citywide pattern in which assault with a dangerous weapon increased substantially while homicides and robberies declined.

Assault with a dangerous weapon is a category tracked separately by MPD. The count should not be treated as interchangeable with homicides, shootings or another narrower offense unless the department specifically defines it that way.

For residents, the distinction matters because a single overall crime figure can obscure important changes within individual offenses. For police officials and policymakers, category-level results can inform how current public-safety conditions and resource priorities are assessed.

What the MPD comparison shows

• Assault with a dangerous weapon: 736 cases in 2026, compared with 511 in 2025; up 44%.
• Homicide: 61 cases in 2026, compared with 95 in 2025; down 36%.
• Robbery: 724 cases in 2026, compared with 861 in 2025; down 16%.
• Total violent crime: 1,578 cases in 2026, compared with 1,522 in 2025; up 4%.

The comparison covers citywide year-to-date data through July 31, 2026, against the comparable year-to-date period in 2025. The figures do not establish why the dangerous-weapon assault category increased.

MPD warns that the numbers can change

MPD says the statistics reflect data entered into its records-management system as of 12 a.m. on July 31, 2026. The figures are based on D.C. Code offense definitions and are preliminary.

The department says later changes may result from amendments to classifications, cases determined to be unfounded or changes in offense definitions. MPD also says the figures do not reflect Part I crime totals reported to the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System.

That limitation means the July 31 comparison should be read as MPD’s preliminary account of reported offenses under its District definitions, rather than as a final national-standard crime total.

Why the mixed results matter in D.C.

The latest data give residents a more specific picture than the phrase “violent crime is up” or “crime is down” alone. Dangerous-weapon assaults require attention because of the 44% increase, but the declines in homicides and robberies show that the city’s violent-crime measures are not moving uniformly.

As officials review public-safety strategies, the numbers support a category-by-category discussion rather than a conclusion that all violent crime is rising. The figures remain a current snapshot and may be revised.

Sources

• District Crime Data at a Glance — Metropolitan Police Department
• Assault With a Dangerous Weapon Cases Rise, D.C. Police Report Says — NBC4 Washington