Washington, D.C., Gangs

The Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) is currently working with several law enforcement agencies to address gang-related violence in Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas. HIDTA has identified 87 gangs within the district based on interviews with police officers and intelligence gathered from suspected gang members. Many gangs operate in and around public housing and engage in drug trafficking. The evaluation and crime-mapping unit at the Washington/ Baltimore HIDTA has mapped the locations of these gangs in relation to violent crime and public housing. For example, the map shows that about half of all homicides (135 of 272) occurred in the city’s sixth and seventh districts, which contain 32 gangs. These maps are provided to various gang initiatives to aid their ongoing investigations.

Courtesy of Washington/Baltimore HIDTA.