A D.C. Witness analysis of law enforcement data during the federal troop surge shows that arrests in the city have increased significantly while violent crime is down, in some cases dramatically so compared to cases from the same period last year.
However, a review of DC Jail lock up lists obtained by D.C. Witness from Aug. 25 to Aug. 29 –summarized in the graphic below–shows that while 422 defendants were processed and charged for a variety of crimes, no one was booked for murder or carjacking.
“I don’t really know who the arresting officers are. I’m told that the National Guard can only detain someone until the police get there to make the arrest. But there are definitely a lot more arrests in general,” said Todd Baldwin, president of Superior Court Trial Lawyers Association. The group represents most criminal defendants that come before the court.
In the mix, there were 79 assaults, including sixteen against police officers; there were 43 firearm related charges; 32 individuals were accused of driving without a license; 24 were accused of carrying an open container of alcohol; nine were cited for consuming marijuana in public.
There were also six charged with Metro fare evasion. One defendant was accused of using fighting words. There was also one person charged with unlawful disclosure of sexually explicit material.
One seasoned defense attorney says a large number of the arrests are for highly visible crimes like assaulting a police officer or carrying an open container of alcohol (COCA).
Beginning on Aug. 7, more than 2,000 members of the National Guard have been deployed to the District to counter what President Trump has declared as a “crime emergency.”
New data from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) confirms the approach has had an effect.
Looking at the surge period from Aug. 7 to Aug. 31, the total number of arrests has gone up 25 percent from 1,567 in 2024 to 1,962 this year. The enhancement has also resulted in a dramatic decline in the rates of certain crimes, according to the MPD data.
Also, according to the MPD, homicides and sex abuse offenses are down 58 percent and 40 percent respectively. Carjackings, often committed by youthful offenders, are down a whopping 83 percent.
The downward trend in homicides reflects a declining rate during the past three years, according to data compiled by D.C. Witness.
On Sept. 2 DC Mayor Muriel Bowser issued an executive pledging to continue of the “Safe and Beautiful Task Force,” established by the President, as well as the Presidential declaration of emergency.
