Five people are in custody in the nation’s capital following an overnight crime spree Monday, as the city is promising to increase police presence and resources to cope with the rampant crime plaguing the downtown area. 

“Overnight, groups of individuals decided to destroy property and burglarize businesses throughout our city, specifically in the City Center and Georgetown areas, along with a store in the H Street Corridor, a store in Logan Circle, and a store north of Columbia Heights,” the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police said in a statement. “We immediately increased our police resources in the impacted areas.” 

Following the overnight crime spree, police say they are investigating “six burglaries and six destruction of property offenses” in the affected areas. Five people were quickly taken into custody for “charges including burglary and fleeing from law enforcement,” the police said, noting that “as a result of the incidents overnight, MPD will continue to maintain an increased police presence throughout the city. “ 

Violent crime in the nation’s capital is down overall this year, with 1,448 instances of robbery as of Tuesday compared to 2,414 at the same time last year, and 131 homicides compared to 189 at this point last year. Still, the city is struggling to bounce back from crime waves that have given it a public reputation crisis and has caused residents and businesses to flee, or even to take security measures into their own hands.  

After 2023’s skyhigh crime numbers — the city recorded the most homicides it had in 26 years — the city’s leadership faced heat from residents who didn’t think enough was being done to combat and reduce crime. In a Washington Post-Schar School poll in May, 65 percent of residents said crime was an extremely serious or very serious problem in Washington, D.C., and an additional 30 percent said it was a moderately serious problem. 

Police are seeking information from the public and say they’re investigating the overnight incidents, promising to hold the perpetrators “accountable.” 

The D.C. mayor’s office and the police department did not immediately respond to a request from the Sun for comment.