Crime Rates in Washington, D.C. See Significant Decrease

WASHINGTON — U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, announced a remarkable reduction in crime rates in the capital, with homicides dropping 60% and carjackings falling 68% compared to earlier figures. Overall crime rates have decreased by 32%, she reported on Tuesday.

Pirro attributed the decline largely to President Trump’s efforts to address crime in Washington. However, she noted a concerning 59% increase in cases of strangulation, an issue her team is actively trying to tackle.

“The narrative begins with President Trump’s executive order,” she explained. “It’s made Washington, D.C., safer and more beautiful—it’s almost unbelievable,” she added during a press conference.

The statistics cited compare August to December of 2024 with the same months in 2025, aiming to highlight the advantages of Trump’s funding increase for crime prevention in the area.

When looking at full-year statistics, the figures show an even more striking decline: homicides decreased by 32% and total crime by 17% between 2024 and 2025. According to the DC Metropolitan Police Department, this is significant.

Pirro cautioned against overly optimistic interpretations of the preliminary data, referencing an extensive history of violent crime drops that will culminate in a 30-year low by the end of 2024. However, she expressed skepticism about the reliability of the reporting from police.

“There have been issues with police statistics. It became apparent that crime might have been down more than previously reported, as the numbers indicated higher crime than what was actually acknowledged,” she said.

Last year, the Republican-led House Oversight Committee issued a report claiming the Metropolitan Police Department’s statistics had significant discrepancies and downplayed various types of criminal activity.

Despite this, Pirro remains confident in the integrity of the data reflecting a significant crime drop during her brief period as D.C.’s chief federal prosecutor.

“Next week, we’ll collaborate with police to refine how crime classifications are done,” she mentioned, expressing her satisfaction with the current progress.

In a recent development, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has appointed Jeffrey Carroll as the interim chief of police.

While celebrating the overall drops in crime, Pirro acknowledged the need for more measures to safeguard victims of domestic violence, particularly given the rising number of strangulation cases disrupting much of the positive crime narrative.

“It’s vital for women in the area to understand that if a man puts his hands around their neck, they are in serious danger. It’s time to leave,” she emphasized. “Victims of strangulation face an 800% greater chance of being killed. It’s crucial to take that seriously.” She noted that strangulation was only recently upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony, and police training on this issue has been significantly enhanced.

The noticeable drop in crime in D.C. mirrors a nationwide trend, where experts predict the largest single-year decline in homicides in U.S. history.

Since last August, the National Guard has been deployed in the capital following a robbery incident involving a former government employee. Currently, over 2,000 National Guard troops are stationed in D.C. after an attack on West Virginia National Guard soldiers that left one dead and one injured.

Trump has also assumed temporary control of the police force and increased federal law enforcement presence in the area.

“D.C. is prosecuting more crimes than ever, and less than 10% of cases are not being prosecuted, a dramatic improvement from nearly 70% under the last administration,” Pirro stated.

She aims to push the D.C. Council, with power to override local laws, to amend the Second Chance Amendment Act of 2022, which allows for stricter prosecutions for juveniles and enables the expungement of specific criminal records.

The federal prosecutor underscored her commitment to continuing crime prevention efforts into 2026, asserting, “The days when criminals viewed D.C. as an easy target are over. We will continue building our momentum by allocating more resources to emergent threats like cybercrime and organized criminal enterprises.”