Dear Pamela, Earlier this week, Donald Trump declared "Liberation Day in DC" and announced a federal takeover of DC's Metropolitan Police Department, appointing DEA head Terry Cole as its commissioner, ordering 800 National Guard soldiers into the city, and leaving open the possibility of deploying active-duty military forces.
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In the same press conference, he vowed to dismantle bail reform in DC, Chicago, and New York, repeating the unfounded claim that it drives crime.
Despite Trump's claim that crime in DC is "out of control," the data shows the opposite: |
- DC's violent crime rate is at its lowest in over 30 years—down 26 percent from last year.
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- The city's homicide rate has fallen about 30 percent from 2023, mirroring national trends.
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- There is no evidence that bail reform has led to increases in crime.
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Federalizing a local police force and terminating comprehensive investments in community safety will not make communities safer. Decades of research show that meaningful public safety is realized through sustained investment in housing, mental health care, youth programs, school engagement, and violence prevention, not through sweeping punitive policies.
This is a misuse of federal authority. We urge policymakers and the public to look beyond rhetoric and instead rely on data and evidence-based strategies that strengthen, rather than undermine, community safety. In solidarity,
Vera Institute of Justice |
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