D.C. mayor notes major drops in violent crime amid federal crackdown

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Wednesday praised the sharp reductions in violent crime brought on by President Trump’s surge of federal law enforcement authorities throughout the District.

Ms. Bowser, a Democrat who has been critical of the president’s reasoning for federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department and sending more than 2,000 National Guard troops into the nation’s capital, did note that major crimes have gone down precipitously since the patrols began this month.

“We greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance what MPD has been able to do in this city,” the mayor said.

From Aug. 7 through Aug. 24, she said carjackings fell 87% when compared to the same date range last year. Carjackings were one of the most rampant offenses during the city’s generational crime wave in 2023 and contributed to the sense of lawlessness that kept residents on edge.

“We know that when carjackings go down, when use-of-gun goes down, when homicide or robbery go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safe,” Ms. Bowser said. “So this surge has been important to us for that reason.”

A fact sheet distributed by the mayor’s office showed a 45% decrease in all types of violent crimes over the course of the past nearly three weeks when compared year-over-year. Homicides fell 38%, sexual assaults fell 44%, weapons assaults fell 6%, and robberies fell 62%.

Nonviolent crime such as burglaries and car thefts also dropped by 47% and 35%, respectively.

Meanwhile, arrests by MPD officers went up 20% year-over-year, calls for service increased by 18% and firearm seizures rose by 12%.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said federal authorities have made nearly 1,200 arrests and taken more than 120 guns off the street since the surge began in earnest on Aug. 11.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said some of those arrested included two murder suspects who remained on the loose months after they committed their crimes, and a convicted sex offender who was linked to a rape in Prince George’s County earlier this month.

But Metropolitan Police brass have expressed concern about how the aggressive federal operations may be fracturing trust in their communities they patrol.

“What relationships do we have to repair once this surge is over? I’m prepared to do that. I’m prepared to have those long, tough conversations. But I know it’s going to be tough,” MPD’s Sixth District Commander Jaron Hickman said Tuesday at a community meeting in Anacostia.

“We are getting some violent people off the streets, but in the long run, at what cost?” he said.

Mr. Trump said he wants to extend the crime emergency beyond the 30-day cap the law currently allows, but chances of doing so remain slim since that would require Democratic support in Congress.