D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb shot back at Virginia’s top prosecutor for criticizing the District’s crime woes by saying that the state should instead address gun trafficking.
Mr. Schwalb took issue with “several unsupported assertions and conclusions” in his Tuesday letter to Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, who called out the District’s lax policies toward criminals last week for fueling a “crime explosion.”
But D.C.’s top law enforcement officer did agree that tackling crime is a regional issue. Mr. Schwalb suggested that the commonwealth could do its part by cutting down on the large number of illegal guns that originate in Virginia before making their way into the District.
“Virginia is, by far, the source state for the most illegal firearms recovered in D.C,” Mr. Schwalb wrote. “Virginia is the source for nearly four times the number of illegal firearms recovered in the District than the next leading source state, Maryland, which has stricter gun laws.”
D.C.’s attorney general cited data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that said 667 of the 1,580 illegal guns recovered in the District in 2020 came from Virginia. In 2021, 619 of the 1,574 illegal guns recovered in the nation’s capital came from Virginia, per the ATF data.
Mr. Schwalb advised Mr. Miyares, a Republican, to pass laws addressing the sale of homemade firearms, or “ghost” guns, as well as those of high-capacity magazines.
He also said the commonwealth should make laws that prevent violent felons from purchasing guns, require all gun dealers to be licensed and require handguns sales to sent to law enforcement officials.
“Adopting even one of these reasonable measures would immediately contribute to reducing the presence of illegal guns in the District of Columbia,” D.C.’s attorney general wrote.
Mr. Miyares’ letter from last Thursday came in response to the gruesome slaying of Virginia woman Christy Bautista inside a D.C. hotel.
Ms. Bautista’s lifeless body was found inside her New York Avenue hotel room with 30 stab wounds, mostly to her back. Suspect George Sydnor Jr. was also in the room, covered in blood, with the large, half-broken kitchen knife located next to his jacket.
Sydnor, an ex-con with previous burglary, robbery and sex offenses on his record, had pleaded guilty to attempted robbery but was released in January pending sentencing. He skipped his subsequent court hearing and wasn’t found until he was accused of killing Ms. Bautista.
“There is no deterrent for illegal behavior in Washington, D.C., as these repeat offenders know they will either not be charged or let back on the streets in no time. That’s why we lost Christy Bautista,” Mr. Miyares wrote April 6.
“D.C.’s lenient policies and perspectives are responsible for her murderer’s release when he should have been in custody. An innocent woman lost her life to someone who should have been in jail,” he said.
The District’s handling of crime has come under attack from lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Congress passed a bipartisan resolution to overturn the city’s overhauled criminal code last month that would have lightened penalties for serious crimes and allowed violent criminals to petition for early release.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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