Former President Donald Trump stole the show when he announced an emergency of homeless and violent crime in Washington DC. New data from UK police forces tells a different story – one of massively plummeting violent crime figures. So far in 2024, violent crime in the district is down 35% compared to last year. These are the lowest times since at least 1988.
Trump’s comments came as he announced a forthcoming news conference aimed at discussing strategies to combat what he described as rampant violent crime in the nation’s capital. He asserted that the event would “essentially, stop violent crime” in Washington DC, raising eyebrows among local officials who pointed to the already declining crime statistics.
Metropolitan Police Department to point out that, just as overall violent crime has seen a major decrease, Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia’s nonvoting delegate in Congress, had news of a major milestone. Criminal police statistics show a compelling 26% fall in violent crime just this year! Regardless of this data, Trump’s narrative has focused a national spotlight on the renewed fears of homelessness and its association with public safety.
Recent data shows that over 3,275 individuals in Washington DC rely on emergency shelters as their only option. Moreover, more than 1,065 people reside in transitional housing congregate settings. The ex president even ordered homeless residents out of the city or else be criminalized. This command has prompted physics-defying outrage among residents and advocates this week.
“The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,” – Donald Trump
Local politicians have reacted fiercely to Trump’s incendiary rhetoric. As we noted in our testimony, Mayor Muriel Bowser consistently has touted home rule, the District’s right to self-govern without federal meddling. As recently as last month, she emphatically stated, “We are not having a crime wave.” That focus included pointing to her administration’s success in reducing violent crime the last two years.
“We have spent over the last two years driving down violent crime in this city, driving it down to a 30-year low,” – Muriel Bowser
Norton’s representatives provided passionate testimony in favor of Washington DC residents. She highlighted that the many—mostly members of Black and brown neighborhoods—should get self-rule without meddling from the federal government. She voiced her frustration at Trump’s comments, stating, “Even if crime in D.C. weren’t at a historic low point, President Trump’s comments would be misguided and offensive to the more than 700,000 people who live permanently in the nation’s capital.”
In light of Trump’s planned news conference, Norton is advocating for the enactment of her D.C. statehood bill as a long-term solution for effective governance. “The only permanent remedy that will protect D.C.’s ability to govern itself is enactment of my D.C. statehood bill into law.”
In response to the growing concerns about safety, Trump directed a surge of federal officers from various agencies to patrol Washington DC more intensively. This move comes after a number of troubling incidents where local police stepped in to break up an ongoing assault by two 15-year-olds on an unconscious victim.
Such is the ongoing chaos as we count down to Trump’s anticipated news conference. Free DC activists spearheading the movement have planned a protest for Monday. They plan to raise their concerns about Trump’s agenda on homelessness and policing at the event.
Now tensions are boiling over between federal officials and local leadership. This conflict has contributed to a contentious battle over crime and homelessness on the streets of Washington DC. The upcoming events will likely further illuminate the divide between those advocating for self-governance and those pushing for increased federal oversight.