I used to be born in Washington, D.C., on the finish of 1942. Rising up within the suburbs there was so little crime it made the entrance web page within the metropolis’s three newspapers. As we speak, except somebody who works on Capitol Hill is murdered, or related to a outstanding enterprise, tales are normally buried within the Metro part. Then, you could possibly stroll the streets at night time and really feel secure. Now, you’re taking your life in your arms.
President Trump has ordered Nationwide Guard troops into the town to assist DC police management violent crime.
As U.S. Legal professional for DC Jeanine Pirro famous at a White Home information convention Monday, many teen criminals are assigned to household court docket the place “they’re despatched to yoga and artwork courses. That adjustments at this time.” Video of retailer lootings are so frequent they’ve misplaced their shock worth.
There are details, lies and statistics, because the saying goes, and Democrats are claiming statistics present violent crime is down in D.C.
A D.C. police commander is beneath investigation for allegedly making adjustments to crime statistics in his district. The police union claims supervisors within the division manipulate crime information to make it seem violent crime has fallen significantly in comparison with final 12 months.
The White Home has issued an inventory evaluating precise DC crime statistics with different cities and international locations:
– In 2024, Washington, D.C., noticed a murder fee of 27.3 per 100,000 residents. That was the fourth-highest murder fee within the nation — practically six instances greater than New York Metropolis and likewise greater than Atlanta, Chicago, and Compton.
– If Washington, D.C., was a state, it will have the highest murder fee of any state within the nation.
– In 2012, the murder fee in Washington, D.C. was simply 13.9 per 100,000 residents.
– Washington, D.C.’s homicide fee is roughly 3 times greater than that of Islamabad, Pakistan, and 18 instances greater than that of communist-run Havana, Cuba.
– The variety of juveniles arrested in Washington, D.C., has gone up annually since 2020 — a lot of whom have had prior arrests for violent crimes.
– There have been 29,348 crimes reported in Washington, D.C. final 12 months, together with 3,469 violent offenses, 1,026 assaults with a harmful weapon, 2,113 robberies, and 5,139 motorcar thefts.
– Up to now in 2025, there have already been practically 1,600 violent crimes and practically 16,000 whole crimes reported in Washington, D.C.
– There have been practically 100 homicides, together with the deadly shootings of harmless civilians like 3-year-old Honesty Cheadle and 21-year-old Capitol Hill intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym.
– Car theft in Washington, D.C. is greater than 3 times the nationwide common— rating it among the many most harmful cities on the earth.
– Carjackings elevated 547% between 2018 and 2023.
– In 2024, there have been triple the variety of carjackings in comparison with 2018.
These statistics usually are not solely troubling on their very own, however in addition they probably considerably understate the extent of crime in Washington, D.C.
– Many residents don’t really feel secure reporting crime.
– Greater than half of all violent crime within the U.S. goes unreported.
– WUSA-TV: “D.C. residents voice frustration over rising violence, questioning police stats and demanding actual motion to make neighborhoods really feel secure once more.”
CNN notes: “Extending the takeover for an extended interval requires Trump to formally notify the chairs and rating members of congressional committees dealing with DC affairs. Any management lasting greater than 30 days would wish congressional approval and have to be handed into regulation, a extremely inconceivable situation given the present gridlock in a intently divided Congress.”
Space residents know what must occur along with swift punishment of the perpetrators. They embody employed fathers within the residence and college option to free particularly poor children from failing public faculties that give them nothing on which to construct a life. With out these the Nationwide Guard will solely be a brief repair.
Readers might e mail Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Search for Cal Thomas’ newest guide “A Watchman within the Evening: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).
