Border Official Critiques Media Coverage of Crime in D.C.
Tom Homan, a prominent border official, expressed criticism towards the media on Monday for what he perceives as a disregard for crime issues in Washington, D.C.
Reports suggest that crime rates in the area have decreased by 35% in 2024, but these figures rely heavily on local police data. Certain serious offenses, such as felony and aggravated assaults, are excluded from this data set, potentially painting a rosier picture of the district’s crime situation since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I’ve been involved in law enforcement for over 40 years, and I wouldn’t walk through D.C. without a firearm,” Homan remarked. He challenged journalists who claim that crime rates have significantly dropped and that the city is safer, urging them to walk D.C.’s streets after dark.
During a discussion with host Rob Schmidt, Homan addressed the narrative that crime is improving, despite firsthand experiences from residents and conflicting news reports. “These are the same individuals who witnessed thousands crossing the border daily and insisted the border was secure. It shows they must think we’re foolish,” he observed. “Those who live and work in D.C. are aware of the reality.”
He also emphasized, “I recognized borders weren’t secure, that we were facing a historical crisis. They spread lies, believing if they repeat them enough, people will start to accept them as truth. But Americans are more astute than that.”
Data from D.C.’s Metropolitan Police only considers murder, sexual abuse, assaults with dangerous weapons, and robbery within its “violent crime” statistics, which showed a decline in 2024. However, according to the FBI, D.C. law excludes certain violent incidents involving weapons, which might lead to an undercount of aggravated assault cases.
The FBI compiles a broader array of assaults in its violent crime statistics, relying on local police input. Consequently, the FBI’s data indicates that violent crimes in D.C. saw just a 10% reduction in 2024, remaining slightly elevated compared to 2018 levels. Notably, murder rates have also stayed above historical levels since 2021. According to additional reports, D.C. endured a 12% rise in assaults, whether involving weapons or not, in 2024 compared to the previous year.
Research from the Rochester Institute of Technology ranked D.C.’s homicide rate as the fourth highest in the country for 2024.
In response to assaults on administrative personnel during a carjacking incident on August 5, President Donald Trump has increased the federal law enforcement presence on D.C. streets and sought greater control over the local police department.
