“One illustration of what the city is up against comes from police reports detailing Washington’s many armed robberies.
Those reports show that in many D.C. neighborhoods, robbers do not feel the need to tell their victims, ‘This is a robbery.’
Instead, they merely show that they have a weapon, and let the victim know in street lingo that they are about to be held up.
One common phrase was used during a 1 a.m. holdup last month near the Howard University campus. The robber simply told his victim, ‘You know what time it is.’
The victim got the message: He gave up his earrings, watch and $40.
They don’t want to use the old cliche of saying, ‘This is a robbery,’ ‘ said Detective McKinley Williams of the 4th Police District. ‘It’s like . . . “If you see this gun, what do you think I’m here for?”‘”
From The Washington Post article: D.C. Leads Big Cities In Rate of Homicides.