policing - AWOL

The killers of 11 transgender people in Washington have yet to be convicted

Experts say trust in police could be the cause.

Sam Epner • May 7, 2026

On October 14, 2023, someone killed A’nee Roberson. An unknown person pushed Roberson into the street, where a car struck and killed her, according to the Metropolitan Police Department’s web page...

Trump’s Takeover of Local Police Was New. D.C. Police Departments’ Rocky Relationship with Black Residents Wasn’t.

Despite an increase in fear, underlying problems in MPD’s policing of Washington’s Black residents already existed, data and advocate interviews show.

Will Sytsma and Stevie Rosenfeld • April 27, 2026

Five days after President Donald Trump took control of Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department, the abolitionist organization Harriet’s Wildest Dreams posted an Instagram video of a Metro Transit...

Washington’s hate crimes law infrequently delivers justice

For over a decade, charges under D.C.’s Bias-Related Crimes Act remained few. In lieu of legal solutions, some groups are fighting hate at its roots.

Sydnee Patak and Emma Pierce • April 21, 2026

On Aug. 17, 2024, Christian Dingus and his partner entered the Shake Shack by Dupont Circle alongside a group of friends. But after Dingus and his partner shared a kiss while waiting for their food, a...

Arming AUPD in the Crosshairs

As American University considers arming its campus police, community members and experts weigh in on safety and budget concerns.

Will Sytsma, Managing Editor • November 22, 2024

Editor's Note: This article includes mentions of police brutality, particularly against BIPOC and disabled people. It also includes mentions of gun violence. Ben Austin contributed reporting to this...

Rise in crime in D.C.

What is AU doing to keep its community safe?

Marisa Alvarez, Podcast Director • December 13, 2023

On Nov. 28, 2023, the student body received an email from Phillip Morse stating that the Metropolitan Police Department was investigating a robbery and assault that happened at the 3700 block of Nebraska...

Ward 5 residents call attention to thefts during a September ANC Meeting

Police tell Ward 5 residents to conceal valuables from “bad guys” as thefts-from-autos surge

Francine Worsoff, Staff Writer • May 21, 2023

Residents of the District’s Ward 5 neighborhoods, including Brookland and Langdon, said during a Sep. 30, 2022, meeting of the Ward 5B Advisory Neighborhood Committee, ANC, that they had been affected...

Encampment clearings displace people experiencing homelessness

NPS cleared McPherson Square as part of DC government’s encampment cleaning efforts

Sloan Cole, Maegan Seaman, and Jack Ford • May 4, 2023

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, DMHHS, cleared an encampment located near 13th and G Street NW on April 27, and an encampment located at 111 Massachusetts Ave. SE on April...

AU students mourn the loss of Tyre Nichols at campus vigil

Jack Ford, Photographer • February 20, 2023

American University students gathered for a candlelight vigil to honor Tyre Nichols on Feb. 15. Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died as a result of a beating by Memphis police officers on Jan. 10. ...

Policy doesn’t equal policing in drug arrests

Washington, D.C., decriminalized drug paraphernalia in 2020. Metropolitan police continue to arrest people for the offense.

Audrey Hill, Staff Writer • December 21, 2022

Although the DC Council unanimously voted to decriminalize all drug paraphernalia in 2020, data from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) shows that officers continued to arrest people for...

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