Washington DC has recently been locked in a struggle with violent crime rates since they have long been higher than comparable cities with populations of around 700,000. AH Datalytics’ Real-Time Crime Index paints a troubling picture. For example, the predominantly Black/W.A.V.E. Congress Heights neighborhood in the nation’s capital boasts some of the highest homicide rates in D.C. Former President Donald Trump’s answer to these terrifying statistics was to announce that he would call the National Guard to Washington DC. He wants to reorganize the local police department and place it under federal control for 30 days.
Trump made this announcement at a press conference in the White House. He pointedly called out the disruptions happening in communities such as Navy Yard. Protesters were on the steps of City Hall a block away just minutes later as they condemned his plans, a testament to how polarizing Scott’s proposal is.
We are at the point now where thirty days from now is going to be September. Our juvenile crime will probably go down because it always does. During the press conference, Trump said, “It looks to me like they’re going to fake it.” He continued, “As part of their plan, they did this huge deployment.”
Local leaders and residents were cautiously encouraged by Trump’s intervention. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser condemned the move as “unsettling and unprecedented.” She made the case that it was unnecessary given the current fate of law enforcement within the city. Despite rising concerns over crime, Bowser pointed to recent data indicating a decrease in crimes like robbery, homicide, and assault with a deadly weapon. Ironically, violent crime fell to a 30-year low in Washington DC in 2024.
Keya Chatterjee, executive director of Free DC, criticized Trump’s actions, asserting that “nothing Trump is doing right now is about our safety.” As for the why behind Trump’s proposal, she noted that the driving force behind the plan appears to be more political than concern over public safety.
Sandra Seegars, long-time anti-crime activist, received Trump’s announcement with open arms. “He’s going to make me feel safer,” she said, adding, “I think he’s doing the right thing. He should have done it before now.”
Fears for public safety have led local authorities to implement preventive measures. The city just recently enacted a curfew under 18 after sundown as part of preventing rowdy conduct. With schools getting ready to start again, this was the perfect time for Trump’s plan to privatize control over the police department.
They fear that these drastic measures would only deepen the tensions they’re meant to calm. Edward Daniels expressed skepticism about the efficacy of Trump’s intervention, stating, “It’s going to make things even more chaotic here and cause what I believe to be even more dangerous situations than what we’ve seen here on the ground.”
Washington DC has taken on its fraught history with crime and police overreach. In the meantime, residents are divided on how to balance safety concerns. Lamont Mitchell, a senior resident, voiced his desire for action: “As a senior in Washington, I need to feel safe. We gotta take drastic action when drastic action is called for.”
The situation continues to unfold as local leaders and residents engage in discussions about the future of policing and public safety in Washington DC. An unprecedented, massive federal intervention is on offer. Now that they’ve been implemented, it should be fascinating to see how these subsequent changes impact crime trends and police-community relations within the capital.