One Year After Trump Sent National Guard to DC, Homicides Plunge 41%, Overall Crime Stats Mixed

Murder rates, carjackings, and other crimes dropped significantly in the nation’s capital a year after President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops in the city, but crime stats still show a mixed picture.

Tuesday marks one year since Trump announced he would deploy National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., to combat crime as part of a larger initiative known as the “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force.”

Homicides in the District fell by 41% in the first half of 2026 when compared with the first half of 2025, according to a Council on Criminal Justice report. Six other criminal offenses declined while two others rose in that time period, according to the organization’s recent report.

The most dramatic decline in crime was a 63% reduction in carjackings. Motor vehicle thefts fell by 54%. However, the report shows that aggravated assaults rose by 45%, while gun assaults increased by 13%.

The Council on Criminal Justice is a nonpartisan research organization. Former Republican U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and former California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, are on the organization’s board of trustees. Past board members have included Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, as well as former Obama administration Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates.

Seven of the eight criminal offenses were down in the first half of 2026 when compared with the first half of 2019. The steepest decline from seven years ago was a 59% decrease in sexual assault, followed by 43% fewer homicides, while larceny fell by 41%.

By contrast, motor vehicle theft was up by 14% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2019, according to the council.

The District of Columbia’s statistics show that, on Aug. 11, there was a 32% year-over-year decline in homicides from 2025 to 2026, and an overall 20% reduction in crime. However, the D.C. numbers show a 3% increase in overall violent crime when factoring in a 40% increase in assaults with a dangerous weapon.

National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., were deputized by the U.S. Marshals Service, granting them temporary law enforcement powers. They did not have authority to make arrests but could detain individuals for arrest by law enforcement officers.

More than 16,000 arrests were made since the Aug. 11, 2025, launch of the task force, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. That includes 35 homicide suspects apprehended, more than 100 known gang members, more than 3,200 narcotics arrests, and almost 2,000 illegal firearms seized. The Marshals Service also notes that 25 missing children were located and returned home.

“The true impact of the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission is written not only in statistics, but the impact on our community,” Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard II, commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, said in a public statement. “It is found in the courage of those who serve so that others could move through our nation’s capital with greater safety and peace.”

Last November, a gunman shot Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe of the West Virginia Air National Guard and Army National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom in an ambush near the White House. Beckstrom died, while Wolfe is recovering.

“Sgt. Sarah Beckstrom gave the last full measure of devotion, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe endured a profound sacrifice in service to others,” Blanchard said. “Their courage will forever be part of this mission’s legacy. We honor them by carrying the work forward united in purpose, steadfast in service, and committed to protect the people of Washington, D.C.”

In a post on X, Attorney General Todd Blanche noted the arrests and said, “In just one year, D.C. is safer than it has been in years, and we’re not done yet.”

The administration first deployed about 800 National Guard members to D.C., a number which has expanded to about 4,700, NPR reported.

Critics of the deployment have pointed to Biden Justice Department statistics issued on Jan. 3, 2025, ahead of Trump taking office, which said D.C. crime was at a 30-year low.

“For one year, the people who live and work in D.C. have faced the unnerving presence of military troops on our streets, ordered there by our own country’s federal government,” Monica Hopkins, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia, said in a public statement.

“We cannot let military deployment on the streets of the United States become normal or acceptable as a part of daily life here or anywhere else,” Hopkins added. “No state would tolerate a one-year deployment of National Guard troops or the expectation that it will continue for three more years.”