Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser says she “never supported defunding the police” and wants to expand the city’s police force to 4,000 officers — with 30 percent made up of women cops by 2030. “We and many cities across the country are facing spikes in violence, and we’re throwing every resource that we have in curbing that violence,” Bowser said at the Axios What's Next Summit. Nationwide, about 12 percent of police officers are women, and they make up only about three percent of leadership ranks. About 23 percent of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department's current force is women.
D.C. recorded 227 homicides last year, the fourth year of rising murders, sparking renewed debate over public safety. Bowser’s new $19.5 billion budget proposal would hire more cops to reach a 4,000 officer force within nine years, starting with a net increase of roughly 40 officers next year. D.C. Council members have the final say. Some progressives are questioning the need to hire more police over investing in violence prevention and other social services.