Monthly Crime and Policing Brief
Columbia Heights Crime and Policing Report, May 2026
145 reported incidents · Washington, DC · Source: DC MPD
Reported incidents measure what residents report to MPD, not how safe a place is. This brief pairs them with how enforcement lands in the police districts covering Columbia Heights.
Key Takeaways
- 145 incidents were reported in Columbia Heights in May 2026.
- Theft (Other) was the most common offense (88 incidents, 61% of the month's total).
- Total incidents were up 20% versus April 2026 and up 11% versus May 2025.
- The biggest month-over-month change was Theft (Other), which rose from 63 to 88.
- This May was 10% below the 5-year historical average for the month (~161 incidents).
Monthly Crime Volume, Columbia Heights
May Incidents by Year, Columbia Heights
Offense Breakdown, Columbia Heights
How Policing Lands Here
- MPD District 3 covers about 73% of Columbia Heights's reported incidents. 35,174 stops of persons were recorded there since 2023; Black people were stopped at 3.3x their share of the district's population; the district drew 0.8x the stops that its share of reported crime accounts for. Full District 3 analysis →
- MPD District 4 covers about 27% of Columbia Heights's reported incidents. 26,175 stops of persons were recorded there since 2023; Black people were stopped at 1.4x their share of the district's population; the district drew 0.9x the stops that its share of reported crime accounts for. Full District 4 analysis →
These figures come from the same MPD stop records and reported-crime data analyzed across this site. Reported crime is not occurred crime, and stop counts measure enforcement, not danger. Methodology: stops by district and enforcement vs reported crime.
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Incident counts reflect reported MPD crimes for the calendar month and are subject to revision. This report shows historical incident counts and trends only.