Alongside the taxis waiting outside Union Station in Washington D.C., the sight of uniformed troops standing next to armored military vehicles has been greeting passengers getting off their trains. It is a striking symbol of President Trump's efforts to tackle a crime emergency in the US capital, which has seen his administration take over its police department and send National Guard troops, FBI and ICE agents onto the streets. Trump says his crime crackdown, which began on 11 August, has had an immediate effect: The numbers are down like we wouldn't believe, but we believe it. He has claimed that it has led to an extended period of time without any murders, a trend he says has not been seen in the city in decades. So what do the crime figures show?
There has been a significant fall in overall violent crime since the crackdown started, according to Washington's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). It recorded 75 violent crimes from 12-26 August, a drop of 23% on the previous two weeks. Property crimes, such as burglary and vehicle theft, also fell by about a quarter over the same period. However, crime analysts warn that reporting of incidents may lag, and caution against interpreting the numbers too early.
Since the DC takeover started, more than 1,000 people have been arrested, with the Attorney General for DC indicating that a large percentage of these arrests are linked to illegal immigrants. The implications of increased arrests are placing pressure on the criminal justice system, leading to concerns about delays and human dignity.
Despite claims of falling crime rates, reports suggest that some types of crime, such as assaults, have continued to occur and that the homicide rate, though temporarily down, has seen contrasting trends over different weekly periods.
There has been a significant fall in overall violent crime since the crackdown started, according to Washington's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). It recorded 75 violent crimes from 12-26 August, a drop of 23% on the previous two weeks. Property crimes, such as burglary and vehicle theft, also fell by about a quarter over the same period. However, crime analysts warn that reporting of incidents may lag, and caution against interpreting the numbers too early.
Since the DC takeover started, more than 1,000 people have been arrested, with the Attorney General for DC indicating that a large percentage of these arrests are linked to illegal immigrants. The implications of increased arrests are placing pressure on the criminal justice system, leading to concerns about delays and human dignity.
Despite claims of falling crime rates, reports suggest that some types of crime, such as assaults, have continued to occur and that the homicide rate, though temporarily down, has seen contrasting trends over different weekly periods.
