D.C.’s mayor and police chief on Monday attempted to downplay a spike in the District’s homicide rate as a mere “uptick” in an overall decrease during the past decade.

Over the weekend, the city experienced its 109th killing, meaning with six weeks to go in 2007 the year’s total to date is already near 2006’s final sum. But Mayor Adrian Fenty, speaking at Anacostia High School, noted that homicide rates in recent years are nowhere near as high as they were in the early 1990s.

“In 1991 we tapped out at 479. It’s been up a year or two at a time since ... yet crime is going down,” Fenty said. “Any time anything is going in a downward trend, there are going to be time-to-time upticks.”

Much more critical to the mayor than year-to-year changes is that over time a downward trend continues, he said. But not everyone dismissed the pace of homicides.

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“I have no idea what’s driving it. When we had the big spike in the past, we could tally it to the drug wars. I’m perplexed and I don’t think it’s easily solved,” said Council Member Mary Cheh, D-Ward 3. “Sometimes these things come in waves. I’d like to know how other major cities are fairing. Until I get a handle on that, I can’t (blame) the new chief or anyone else.”

To combat the situation, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier’s approach has been to deploy 100 more uniformed officers so the public reports crime with more frequency.

Lanier also said she’s trying to pay particular attention to a rise in PCP-related crimes as well as to a surge in robberies, which can escalate into violent incidents rather quickly.

And she is scheduled today to announce three targeted areas that will get more police coverage and added social services for residents.

Ward by ward, homicide statistics and the stories behind them vary widely, both officials said Monday.

Wards 4, 6 and 8 have experienced more homicides so far this year than all of last year, with the other areas of the city staying relatively steady. In Ward 8, the area with the highest rate and highest increase, 47 people were killed in all of 2006 versus 60 through Sunday.

Statistics

Homicide arrests:

» 2006– 102

» 2007 to date – 109

dlevitz@dcexaminer.com

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