As Trump Deploys Troops To D.C., Research Shows Crime Is Already At Historic Lows

As National Guard troops from Ohio, Mississippi, Tennessee, and other states flood into Washington, D.C. under the Trump administration’s “crime crackdown,” one thing is missing: a crisis. In fact, crime in the nation’s capital is at a historic low.

Violent crime is down 26% year-over-year, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Nationally, the FBI’s most recent Uniform Crime Report shows a nearly 6% drop in violent crime, an 11% decrease in property crime, a 15% reduction in murders, and a 25% drop in motor vehicle theft. The post-pandemic crime spike? All but gone.

And yet, instead of investing in the public health, education, and social programs that have helped cities like D.C. drive down crime, the federal government has chosen to deploy troops.