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Washington D.C. Home Security

Washington, D.C., is a district created by the U.S. Congress, and is the only city that isn’t part of any state. With a population of 591,833, Washington, D.C., is the 27th largest city in the United States. Nearby cities include Baltimore, Maryland, and  Arlington, Virginia.

Law Enforcement Personnel: In 2008, the total number of law enforcement personnel in Washington, D.C., was 5,190 with roughly 15 percent being civilian employees. Total law enforcement personnel per capita is nearly 2.5 times the national average, though cities this size tend to have higher concentrations of law enforcement.

Year	Washington, D.C.Population	Violent Crime	Property Crime	Murder	Forcible Rape	Robbery	Aggravated Assault	Burglary	Larceny- Theft	Vehicle Theft
2008	591,833	8,509	30,211	186	186	4,430	3,707	3,788	19,958	6,465

Both violent crime and property crime rose between 2007 and 2008 in Washington, D.C. According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports, in 2008 the violent crime rate was more than three times the national average, while the property crime rate is nearly 60 percent greater than the national average. However, the Metropolitan Police Department says that crime in the district is lower than it has been since the late 1960s.

To get even more specific information about the crime near your home in Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department has a public crime mapping system (http://crimemap.dc.gov). This service allows you to gather crime data from nearby specific addresses that have occurred during the current month through the last year. This site can help shed some light on the security of your own neighborhood.

Understanding the prevalence of crime in Washington, D.C., will help you properly protect your family and your belongings. Consider the installation of a home security system. Advanced security technology offers homeowners options like wireless monitoring equipment, alarms and sensors to help deter burglars. And, despite the complexities, the homeowners can usually install these systems.

Make your Washington, D.C., home security a priority by installing one of these systems today.