President Trump’s Executive Order declaring a “crime emergency” in Washington, D.C., is both lawful and urgently needed.

Unfortunately, for too many years, the D.C. government has encouraged more crime and fewer meaningful police interactions. It has emboldened bad actors to take the risk of looting, carjacking, and assaulting because they know they won’t be stopped by D.C. police and even more likely the charges won’t be pursued. This consistent lack of deterrence has created an instable environment that, regardless of the dip in crime data, requires change.

Under the District’s Home Rule Act, the president has directed the D.C. Mayor to make Metropolitan Police work with federal law enforcement to enforce the law. Trump also ordered the deployment of roughly 800 National Guard troops — with 200 on duty at any given time — to support law enforcement. This is a temporary and targeted federal takeover of D.C.’s policing function, designed to restore order and protect the seat of our government.

The Constitution is clear: D.C. is federal land under federal jurisdiction. If local law enforcement cannot manage the crime, federal law enforcement officers are not only able to step in — they are supposed to, at least temporarily. Public safety is critical everywhere, but especially in a city where all our legislators work and millions of Americans visit each year.

The situation demands it. In 2023, D.C. experienced its highest murder rate since 2003. Carjackings nearly doubled compared to 2020. While other cities began to see violent crime decline in 2023, D.C.’s crime rate went the opposite direction — fueled by robberies, assaults with dangerous weapons, and an unprecedented spike in auto theft.

Recent numbers show encouraging declines — violent crime down 26 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, homicides down 12 percent, and carjackings at their lowest monthly level since 2020. But improvement is not safety. As of mid-year, there have been 99 murders, 189 carjackings, and a robbery rate far above the national average.

Prosecuting juvenile offenders in D.C. presents its own unique challenges. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, which handles most adult felony cases in D.C., does not have jurisdiction over juveniles — those cases fall to the D.C. Attorney General’s Office. That means the two offices must work closely together, without politics or finger-pointing, to ensure that violent juvenile offenders are held accountable. Juvenile crime overall is down nationwide and in D.C., but the most violent crimes by teens is up 47 percent. That is unacceptable.

As a former U.S. attorney, I can tell you with certainty: longer sentences are not what deter crime. It’s the probability of getting caught and punished that makes the difference. The laws on the books are strong enough. We must enforce them consistently, focusing on those driving the violence, whether they are adults or juveniles.

President Trump has taken the first step by bringing federal muscle to D.C.’s streets. Now prosecutors, judges, and city leaders must follow through. The people of Washington, D.C., deserve a justice system that enforces the law, punishes crime, and restores peace to the nation’s capital.

Until that happens, the cycle will continue — and Americans will continue to pay the price.