September 19, 2024

Security Mandate Follows Two Homicides, Three Drug-Related Deaths, and Multiple Gun Incidents at the Property in 12-Month Period

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced that the owners of the Ivy City Hotel in Ward 5 will be required to improve security following a series of violent incidents at the property. From February 2023 to February 2024, the Ivy City Hotel was the site of two homicides, two armed robberies, three non-homicide deaths that appeared to be drug-related, and multiple incidents that resulted in the recovery of a ghost gun, a high-capacity magazine, cocaine, fentanyl, LSD, amphetamines, and mushrooms.

After receiving a referral from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) opened an investigation into the property pursuant to the District’s  Drug-, Firearm-, or Prostitution-Related Nuisance Abatement Act (Nuisance Act). Under the terms of a pre-suit settlement agreement, the owners of the Ivy City Hotel will increase overnight security staffing, maintain exterior lighting and security cameras, link cameras to MPD’s Real Time Crime Center, and submit to ongoing compliance monitoring.

“I am committed to using every legal tool available to improve public safety in the District including, where appropriate, requiring property owners to take meaningful measures to deter crime,” said Attorney General Schwalb. “The Office of Attorney General works closely with MPD to address properties like the Ivy City Hotel that are plagued by drugs, guns and violence. Just like the recent amendments to the Nuisance Abatement Act that my office proposed, this settlement agreement builds on OAG’s comprehensive public safety approach by requiring the Ivy City Hotel to make immediate security improvements and ensure that MPD can monitor the property and respond to incidents in real time.”

The Ivy City Hotel is located at 1615 New York Ave NE in Ward 5. It is owned by Ivy City Lodging, LLC, which purchased the property in 2016. From February 2023 to February 2024, there were two homicides at the hotel – one on March 31, 2023, and the other on February 23, 2024 – and three non-homicide deaths that appeared to be drug-related. There were also multiple other gun- and drug-related incidents. In February 2024 alone, there were three gun-related incidents: an armed robbery; the recovery of a high-capacity magazine and drugs; and an incident in which a ghost gun was fired in the hotel’s parking lot.  

After the incidents in early 2024, Ivy City Lodging, LLC took preliminary steps to improve security. The company also cooperated with OAG’s investigation and agreed to take additional steps to improve security moving forward.

Under the terms of the settlement, the owners of the Ivy City Hotel will be required to:

• Increase security staffing during overnight hours.
   

• Link security cameras to MPD’s Real Time Crime Center. The hotel must register its cameras with the District’s Camera Connect Program, which shares the security footage with MPD’s Real Time Crime Center.
   

• Maintain existing lighting, cameras, and security staffing levels and submit to OAG inspection through August 2025. The hotel must maintain bright exterior lighting, ensure security cameras are working properly, keep security guards on staff, and submit to OAG monitoring for eighteen months.

A copy of the settlement agreement is available here.

Under the District’s Nuisance Act, OAG has authority to take legal action against property owners and managers if there is a pattern of illegal drug-, firearm-, or prostitution-related activities on their properties and if they then fail to implement appropriate security measures to prevent further criminal activity. OAG investigates properties referred by MPD and community groups and works collaboratively with property owners whenever possible to resolve problems. OAG recently introduced legislation aimed at reducing crime at residential properties. The legislation, among other things, amends the Nuisance Act to expand the circumstances in which OAG can intervene to address criminal activity occurring on private property and to enable courts to order security assessments of apparent nuisance properties to help determine appropriate security improvements.

Resources for DC Residents
OAG works to ensure that residents across the District are safe in their neighborhoods and holds property owners accountable if they violate the law. Access OAG’s resources for guidance on how to report problems with your landlord or housing conditions.