D.C. mayor says National Guard presence has lowered crime

WASHINGTON—Since President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C., on Aug. 11, crime stats across the board have plummeted. According to Metropolitan Police Department numbers and the White House, overall crime is down 19%, with the most significant reductions in carjackings (down 67%), homicides (57%), and robberies (40%).

At a press conference downtown on Wednesday, Mayor Muriel Bowser thanked the White House for tackling crime but also insisted that the District of Columbia be given back control of its own law enforcement. Since Trump invoked a section of the Home Rule Act that allows him to federalize local law enforcement in Washington, at least 2,000 National Guard members have spread throughout the district, conducting traffic stops, patrolling the metro, and cleaning up parks.

“Since this surge has begun, it has been my charge to my team to make sure that while we have federal resources that we are strategically using them to enhance MPD’s efforts,” Bowser said. “While at the same time making sure that we’re living up to our commitments to D.C. residents and protecting local control and our autonomy.”

Is crime down? Bowser said that since the federal takeover, crime has dropped to its lowest level in 30 years. While policy changes since 2023 were helping with crime response, she acknowledged that the drop is largely due to the federal presence. Before the surge of federal enforcement, the district was seeing an uptick in crime, mostly in thefts. In the past three weeks, there have been 287 fewer crimes in Washington compared to the same period of time last year, according to MPD data. According to the White House, 1,283 arrests have been made since Aug. 7. The White House says that at least eight of those arrested are known gang members affiliated with MS-13 or Tren de Aragua. More than 123 illegal firearms have also been seized, and roughly 49 homeless encampments have been cleared. Mayor Bowser said the city will conduct a new census to identify homeless people who have moved and to connect them with shelters.

Why are more National Guard troops coming to Washington? According to the Joint Task Force-D.C. Office, National Guard units from Washington, D.C., Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia are in the city. On Monday, Trump authorized the U.S. Park Police to hire additional members for federal parks in Washington despite a federal hiring freeze. He also told U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro to hire more prosecutors. He wants the Defense Department to train and launch new National Guard units that specialize in public safety.

What is their mission? The extra forces are tasked with keeping the peace but also picking up trash. Trump said that part of the goal of the federalization is not only reducing crime but also beautifying the city. National Guard members have been seen in high-visibility vests picking up trash in parks. They’ve also been instructed to place mulch around cherry trees at the Tidal Basin and help remove graffiti.

What is the National Guard doing? For the most part, National Guard members may only patrol. Unlike federal officers with other agencies, they are not allowed to make any arrests except in extreme circumstances. On Sunday, members were allowed to start carrying their service pistols and rifles. They’ve been instructed to use them only as a last resort and to carry them only while on patrol, not while performing beautification duties.

Last week, a National Guard member driving an armored vehicle ran a stop light and hit a car. Emergency responders had to use the jaws of life to extract the civilian driver, who then made a full recovery in the hospital. The National Guard member received a traffic ticket. On Saturday, Mississippi National Guard members formed a barrier around a resident who said an assailant was threatening bystanders. The National Guard maintained the barrier until MPD arrived. On Friday, an Amtrak police sergeant arrested a man for spitting on two National Guard members at Union Station. The man has been charged with felony assault.

Has a deployment like this happened before in D.C.? In 2020, Trump deployed more than 5,000 National Guard members during a spike in anti-police protests after the killing of George Floyd. Before then, militia members had deployed to Washington 10 times since the War of 1812, mostly for riot and protest response. (The National Guard was not formally organized with that name until 1903.) In 1989, then-Mayor Marion Barry requested 250 National Guard members to help police during a crackdown on narcotics. They mainly helped with administrative work, crowd control, and intelligence. In 1993, Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly also asked for the National Guard to help patrol streets during a record-high homicide year. At the time, Washington was known as the murder capital of the country. Then-President Bill Clinton rejected her request.

What happens next? During the Wednesday news conference, Bowser said she is pushing the administration and Congress to approve plans to hire at least 500 additional MPD officers. The force peaked at 4,051 on the MPD payroll in 2008 but now is down to 3,189. During his federalization announcement, Trump said he believes that is enough.

“You don’t need more,” he said from the White House briefing room. “That’s like an army … this is not a big area, it’s ridiculous. What you need is rules and regulations, and you need the right people to implement them.”

The Home Rule Act only allows Trump to take over the police department for 30 days, unless Congress approves an extension. Trump indicated he will request this or declare a new emergency to keep troops on the ground. He also floated the possibility of sending the National Guard to Chicago. During the Wednesday news conference, Bowser said she had not spoken with the president or with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi about whether the administration will stick to the 30-day limit. Speaking to reporters earlier this month, Trump said he wants extensions.

What else does he want Congress to do? Trump also plans to ask Congress for $2 billion for city infrastructure. Earlier this year, lawmakers cut $1 billion from the city’s budget, which must annually pass through Congress rather than through the D.C. Council. Congress already approved the city’s 2026 budget to remain at 2025 levels, but the March stopgap spending bill left out any language that allowed the local government to use that budget. GOP appropriators said the omission was a mistake. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., promised to renew the funding during budget reconciliation negotiations, but that did not happen before the August recess.

“Though I don’t know much of the details, we will be supportive of the president’s $2 billion request to improve infrastructure, especially federal infrastructure, in the district,” Bowser said.