ABA Joins Call on Mayor Bowser and DC City Council to Reduce Crime and Enhance Safety
On Thursday, February 29, 70 prominent Washington D.C.-based trade associations, including the American Bus Association, wrote a letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC City Council to take swift action to reduce crime and enhance the overall safety of the nation’s capital. Washington, DC has quickly become a national outlier in rising crime. In their letter, they wrote:
“We, the undersigned members of Washington, D.C.’s vibrant business trade association community, are writing to express our deep concern about the alarming increase in violent crime across our city. As job creators, taxpayers, and dedicated contributors to the economic and social well-being of our nation’s capital, we urge the Mayor and the City Council to address this pressing issue that threatens the safety and prosperity of not only our community but also our employees and their families.”
While the national homicide rate decreased by 15 percent from September 2022 to September 2023, in Washington, D.C., homicides rose by 35 percent, while overall violent crime increased by 39 percent in 2023. Armed robberies were up 70 percent, and carjackings more than doubled to 950 from 2022 to 2023.
The letter signatories are primarily based in the downtown business district, where there have been horrifying acts of violence over the past several months, including the murders of Mike Gill, a father of three and a leader in Washington’s business and political community, and Alberto “AJ” Vasquez, a young man and father of two. Both men were senselessly murdered by the same man who conducted an 11-hour carjacking spree.
The full list of organizations that signed the letter can be found below.
Airlines for America
American Apparel & Footwear Association
American Bankers Association
American Bus Association
American Chemistry Council
American Coatings Association
American Council of Engineering Companies
American Council of Life Insurers
American Exploration and Production Council
American Financial Services Association
American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers
American Gaming Association
American Gas Association
American Hotel & Lodging Association
American Investment Council
American Land Title Association
American Petroleum Institute
American Public Transportation Association
American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association
American Society for Association Executives
Associated Builders and Contractors
Bank Policy Institute
Beer Institute
Building Owners and Managers Association International
CTIA – The Wireless Association
Consumer Bankers Association
Consumer Healthcare Products Association
Corn Refiners Association
Destinations International
Edison Electric Institute
Electric Power Supply Association
Energy Equipment and Infrastructure Alliance
Essential Minerals Association
Federation of American Hospitals
FIA
Financial Services Forum
Financial Services Institute
Finseca
Household and Commercial Products Association
Housing Policy Council
Independent Petroleum Association of America
Information Technology Industry Council (ITI)
Institute of International Bankers
Institute of International Finance
International Agribusiness Council (IAC)
International Franchise Association
International Fresh Produce Association
Investment Company Institute
ISRI
Liquid Energy Pipeline Association
Mortgage Bankers Association
National Association of Broadcasters
National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors
National Association of Investment Companies
National Association of Manufacturers
National Association of Security Companies
National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
National Grocers Association
National Mining Association
National Music Publishers’ Association
National Propane Gas Association
National Retail Federation
National Venture Capital Association
Plastics Industry Association
Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
Small Business Investor Alliance
The Business Council
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Travel Association
Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America
