Metropolitan Public Safety -- Crowd Wisdom Needed!

Dear friends,

Today I learned with shock that a friend was mugged by a gang at gun point near Dupont Circle. It was 11pm on a Thursday, on 21st between L and M st., which I always considered a safe area. What scared me more was that even after my friend gave them his wallet, they still blocked his way from two sides and hit his head with their guns, resulting in a few wounds that took 16 stitches.

Before I moved from China to U.S., my relatives told me to be extra careful because U.S. is a country where bearing arms is legal. Yes I understand that the origin of the Second Amendment, which is all the more reason why I think it should be rendered obsolete these days --- a violent revolt against the government, really???

I'm not here to argue against the right to bear arms however, I'm here to ask for your ideas and thoughts on how to make the communities safe. What could the society, NGOs, young people do to make their neighborhoods safer? I know that one should always be vigilant when walking alone after dark, but a city should provide its residents and visitors a sense of safety. When I was in Copenhagen, my host family told me with pride that thanks to the welfare system, one could walk around anywhere past midnight without fearing anything, even for a small young woman like me. And I've always felt that way when I was living near Harvard Square in Cambridge too. It never even occurred to me that central DC area could be so dangerous.

What's going on with the social equality/ welfare system in DC? Why are gangs roaming in the metro area? And if we, concerned residents, are coming together to do something to address the issue, to make our visitors feel like they have nothing to fear, what are the actions that we could take?

I look forward to your inputs. Thank you,

Ella