President Donald J. Trump has issued an executive order declaring a crime emergency in the District of Columbia, citing rising violent crime rates and their impact on federal operations in the nation’s capital.
In the order, President Trump stated, "Crime is out of control in the District of Columbia. Washington, District of Columbia, is our Nation’s capital and home to the central institutions of American governance. Yet rising violence in the capital now urgently endangers public servants, citizens, and tourists, disrupts safe and secure transportation and the proper functioning of the Federal Government, and forces the diversion of critical public resources toward emergency response and security measures. The city government’s failure to maintain public order and safety has had a dire impact on the Federal Government’s ability to operate efficiently to address the Nation’s broader interests without fear of our workers being subjected to rampant violence."
The executive order points to increased rates of violent crime in Washington, D.C., noting that in 2024, it recorded one of the highest robbery and murder rates among large U.S. cities. The homicide rate reached 27.54 per 100,000 residents last year. Vehicle thefts were also highlighted as a significant concern with 842.4 thefts per 100,000 residents—over three times higher than the national average.
President Trump emphasized his responsibility to ensure law enforcement in the capital: "As President, I have a solemn duty to take care that our laws are faithfully executed, and a sacred responsibility to protect the safety and security of United States citizens who live in and visit our Nation’s capital, including Federal workers who live or commute into the District of Columbia. These conditions cannot persist. We will make the District of Columbia one of the safest cities in the world, not the most dangerous."
Under this order, effective immediately, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department is required to provide services for federal purposes such as maintaining law and order around federal buildings and monuments for as long as permitted under section 740 of the Home Rule Act.
Operational control over these police services is delegated from President Trump to Attorney General oversight: "The authority of the President conferred by section 740(a) of the Home Rule Act to direct the Mayor with respect to the current special conditions of an emergency nature is delegated to the Attorney General." The Attorney General will determine necessary police deployment for federal needs.
The Attorney General is also tasked with monitoring ongoing conditions related to this emergency declaration: "The Attorney General shall monitor and regularly consult with any senior official...on...the special conditions...that require use of Metropolitan Police force for Federal purposes," providing regular updates directly to President Trump about whether further action may be needed or if circumstances change.
The executive order includes provisions ensuring that its directives do not override existing legal authorities or budgetary functions assigned elsewhere within government agencies.
Publication costs for this order will be covered by the Department of Justice.
