NASW Opposes Federal Takeover of Washington, D.C., Police

In Brief

NASW condemned President Trump’s federal takeover of Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department in August. Trump cited a “crime emergency” in the city, despite data showing a significant drop in violent crime across D.C. An Aug. 21 blog post by NASW Senior Policy Adviser Mel Wilson states that city residents and leaders in the civil and human rights community argue that Trump used a false pretext to justify this intrusive disregard for the city’s ability to manage its law enforcement and public safety departments. Although the administration justified federalizing law enforcement by saying there has been a “surge in violent crime, including homicide and robbery rates higher than any U.S. state,” the data do not support that characterization. As has been widely reported, the District’s violent crime rate has significantly dropped over the past few years. This includes homicides, robberies and carjackings.