United States Drug Enforcement Administration

Washington, D.C., -- Today, Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the DEA Washington Division, and Michael Rothermund, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division joined D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Robert J. Contee III to announce a new D.C.-based strategy to reduce violent crime across Washington D.C.

The press conference announcement covered the new D.C. Homicide Reduction Partnership (HRP) – a new collaborative initiative, bringing together D.C.-based federal and local resources, to reduce violent crime through data-informed strategic prevention and focused enforcement. This HRP is part of the DEA Washington’s Operation Overdrive initiative in Washington, D.C. Operation Overdrive aims to use a data-driven, intelligence-led approach to identify and dismantle criminal drug networks operating in areas with the highest rates of violence and overdoses.

The HRP strategy will focus resources and intelligence-led policing efforts in collaboration with local and federal law enforcement and criminal justice partners, DC government agencies, and community partners.

“We are throwing every resource we have at the recent rise in drug-related violent crime and overdose deaths. This new partnership effort is a great example of just that,” said SAC Forget. “We are excited to announce this new program, where we are taking what works – collaborating with our partners, using data-driven strategies, and focusing on enforcement efforts on the greatest threats – and scaling it, to do more for our local communities. This new approach will have a great impact for our hardest hit neighborhoods in D.C. and help up keep communities safer.”

The HRP focuses on reducing violent crime within Washington D.C. Wards 6, 7, and 8 – areas which accounted for over 60% of all murders city-wide in 2021 – throughout the entire 2022 calendar year. The objective of the HRP is to use a “whole of government” approach to reduce violent crime, have a positive impact on the community’s perception of safety and security, and increase trust among residents in the police and DC government. By committing an entire year, the goal is to sustain success after the conclusion of the initiative.

The DEA Washington Division worked with MPD to achieve reductions in violent crime and overall crime during Summer and Fall Crime Prevention Initiatives. During the most recent 2021 Summer Crime Prevention Initiative (SCPI), focus areas experienced a 20% reduction in violent crime, a 9% decrease in property crime, and an overall 12% reduction in crime. During the 2021 Fall Crime Prevention Initiative (FCPI), focus areas experienced an 11% reduction in overall violent crime. The HRP will include elements of past SCPI and FCPI initiatives, but will be enhanced by greater collaboration and contributions by other agencies. Those agencies will include law enforcement and criminal justice partners as well as non-law enforcement DC government agencies and community organizations.

“Together with our law enforcement partners, we will be laser-focused on providing areas hit the
hardest with all available resources and utilizing intelligence-driven strategies to reduce homicides affecting these communities,” said MPD Chief Robert Contee III.

The DEA Washington Division is also working closely with other area law enforcement partners such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigations, U.S. Marshals, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, the DC Housing Authority, DC Health and Human Services, and others on this effort to keep area families and communities safer from drug-related violent crime and overdose deaths.

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