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3h ago

DOJ Opens Probe of D.C. Crime Data as Trump’s Policing Takeover Intensifies

The investigation tests the stated emergency that underpins the surge of federal forces across the city.

Pedestrians pass an MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles) combat vehicle deployed by the Washington DC National Guard outside Union Station on August 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Members of the Drug Enforcement Agency and Police patrol the Lincoln Memorial on August 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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Members of the National Guard patrol outside of Union Station in Washington, DC, on Aug. 17, 2025.

Overview

  • The top federal prosecutor in Washington opened an inquiry into possible manipulation of crime statistics after the president accused the city of using “fake” numbers.
  • Six Republican-led states pledged roughly 1,100 additional National Guard troops to the capital, joining 800 D.C. Guard members, with officials saying soldiers support police, may carry arms, and are not making arrests.
  • The White House and Attorney General Pam Bondi report 465 arrests since Aug. 7, including 206 people lacking legal status, even as city and federal data show violent crime has fallen from 2023 levels.
  • Following a legal challenge by D.C. officials, a negotiated agreement kept Police Chief Pamela Smith in day-to-day control of the Metropolitan Police Department.
  • Prosecutors were directed to pursue the highest federal charges supported by evidence, while residents and reporters describe patrols concentrated in tourist and nightlife corridors and immigrant-heavy business districts report sharp drops in foot traffic.