After President Trump put DC's police force under federal control and announced he'd be deploying the National Guard as well, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb slammed the move, per the AP. "The administration's actions are unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful," said Schwalb, a Democrat. "There is no crime emergency in the District of Columbia." Schwalb said violent crime in the district reached historic 30-year lows last year and is down another 26% this year.
Trump, however, invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act in an executive order to declare a "crime emergency" so his administration could take over the city's police force—the District of Columbia's status as a congressionally established federal district gave him the opportunity to do so. The Washington Post has a deeper dive into the crime stats, noting that violent crime has been declining in the district since 2023. The story notes that police have made at least four dozen arrests for car-jacking this year, adding a line the White House would likely agree with: "Not captured in statistics, though, is the grief, pain and shattered sense of safety that follow each crime."