MENU
SEARCH“We have taken on a mindset that marijuana is not really a big issue in our city,” Chief Robert Contee said. “I can tell you that marijuana undoubtedly is connected to violent crimes that we are seeing in our communities.”
DC Police Chief Robert Contee briefs the press Friday about the city's rise in violent crime. (Photo: ABC 7 Screen Shot)
Washington D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee said marijuana is “undoubtedly” a factor in the city’s rise in violent crimes during a press briefing Friday.
“We have taken on a mindset that marijuana is not really a big issue in our city,” Contee said. “I can tell you that marijuana undoubtedly is connected to violent crimes that we are seeing in our communities.”
“When you have something where people get high reward — they can make a lot of money by selling illegal marijuana — and the risk is low, the risk for accountability is very low, that creates a very, very, very bad situation, because those individuals get robbed,” he added. “Those individuals get shot at. Those individuals get involved in disputes all across our city.”
Contee said he has personally seen an increase in violent crimes related specifically to marijuana, Yahoo News reports.
“I’m seeing it happen more and more all across our city in all different wards,” he said. “Last year, we had a murder up in Ward 3 on Western Avenue tied to an illegal marijuana pop-up. Here, recently, on North Capital Street, we had another illegal marijuana place that somebody entered into with guns, duct-taped somebody, and put a gun to somebody’s head in there. Unlawful marijuana pop-ups, unlawful distribution of marijuana in communities, that is a bad recipe for disaster.”
He added that local prosecutors are enabling the situation by not holding people accountable when caught with an illegal amount of marijuana, which is over two ounces for individuals over the age of 21 according to D.C. law.
Watch Chief Contee's Press Briefing on ABC7.
Discover how one police department cut crime nearly in half using smarter patrol data. This whitepaper breaks down the real-world strategy behind a 46% drop in vehicle thefts, improved officer safety, and stronger community visibility.
Read More →
The first – and worst – time I had to fight to keep my gun, my holster and duty belt held up far better than my training did.
Read More →
Watch expanded coverage of IACP 2025 as the POLICE Magazine team walks the aisles at the expo and shares what we found interesting on display for chiefs from across the country and around the world this week in Denver, Colorado.
Read More →
Take a look inside the expo at IACP 2025 to see a sampling of what is displayed for chiefs from across the country and around the world this week in Denver, Colorado.
Read More →
Pro-gard has introduced HD Fender and Headlight Wraps for added front-end protection and a new P1300 Pro-Cell transport system for Ford F-150 and Super Duty models.
Read More →
Free officer-wellness training comes to Las Vegas Sept. 22–25: The Wounded Blue’s 5th Annual National Law Enforcement Survival Summit opens registration.
Read More →
When floodwaters overturned a vehicle in rural New Mexico, Officer Walker Eby risked his life—crawling over raging currents on a ladder—to rescue a woman, her child, and their dog.
Read More →
Birmingham, Alabama, hosted the 2025 World Police & Fire Games, and Ahmedabad, India, has been announced as the host city for 2029.
Read More →
The memorandum says D.C. is a Federal city and violent crime “prevents Federal workers from safely performing their duties and prevents Americans from safely accessing their elected officials.”
Read More →
