DC’s mayor and police chief urge shoppers to buy local, pledge increased public safety efforts
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser visited Georgetown’s Shop Made on Monday to promote buying from local small businesses for the holidays.
At the same time, she and D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith sought to reassure potential patrons that businesses will be safe, with Smith pledging a more visible police presence.
Bowser talked up the positive impact that “shopping small” can have. Noting the carefully curated products that are carried at the Shop Made in D.C. storefronts in the area, Bowser said artisans “literally really pour love into their products,” and by patronizing their goods, “you can show your D.C. pride.”
The mayor talked about her own experience, shopping for a birthday gift for a 7-year-old at a local store. “The service you get, and the know-how” produce fantastic recommendations, she said.
She also joked about having “lighter pockets” after kicking off the holiday shopping season at Eastern Market over the weekend.
Let’s support local businesses and stay safe during the holiday season.
We know residents and businesses appreciate increased MPD presence in shopping corridors. We’ve worked together to drive down crime and we want to carry that momentum into 2025.
https://t.co/2EdUIMndZn pic.twitter.com/Gt6npFaLBK
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) December 2, 2024
Asked about public safety concerns, Smith said, “I have committed to ensuring that you will see more MPD officers out in neighborhoods, at holiday markets and around the many business corridors that we have here in our city.”
Asked about recent crimes targeting small businesses and the carjacking of an Amazon worker in Glover Park on Sunday night, Bowser said, “Certainly, anytime we have individuals who victimize one of our retailers, we’re all very angry about it.”
Smith told reporters that “across the District, our officers have made well over 1,000 retail theft arrests this year.”
Asked what the public should do if they were to witness retail thefts in progress, Smith said: “Please do not intervene.” Instead, she said, “What I will ask you to do is typically something that has been a message that has been ongoing since 9/11: If you see something, say something” — and don’t hesitate to call 911.
At the event Monday morning, D.C.’s director of the Department of Small and Local Business Development, Rosemary Suggs-Evans, said: “When you shop small, more of your money stays in the community, supporting local jobs and services.”
She urged patrons to take part in the “I Buy DC” campaign.
Each time a patron dines at a D.C. restaurant or buys at a local shop, Suggs-Evans asked that they “snap a photo, share it on social media and use the hashtag #iBuyDC. It’s a simple way to show our support to inspire others to do the same.”
As part of their campaign, D.C. officials also suggested things shoppers can do to stay safe:
- Park in a well-lit space, and be sure to lock the car, close the windows, and hide shopping bags and gifts in the trunk.
- Avoid carrying large amounts of cash; pay with a check or credit card whenever possible.
- When ordering a package to be delivered, track your deliveries and confirm the delivery has occurred.
- Switch your delivery location to your work, or to lockers, such as an Amazon Hub Locker.
- Use the Safe Exchange Zones at any MPD District Station when using third-party sellers such as Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, etc.
- Stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.
- Call 911 for assistance from MPD if you see or suspect something out of the ordinary.