November 4, 2025
Fact Sheet
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America First Policy Institute
Positive Economic Impact of National Guard in Washington, DC
- On August 11, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14333, “Declaring a Crime Emergency in the District of Columbia,” which enabled President Trump to order the National Guard troops into Washington, D.C., to assist local police.
- At the time of the Executive Order, crime in the District of Columbia was rampant:
- “Higher violent crime, murder, and robbery rate than all 50 States, recording a homicide rate in 2024 of 27.54 per 100,000 residents.” (Federal Register, 2025).
- “The Nation’s highest vehicle theft rate with 842.4 thefts per 100,000 residents — over three times the national average of 250.2 thefts per 100,000 residents.”
- The results of the troop deployment have been remarkable (Metropolitan Police Department):
- Overall crime in D.C. fell by 27% from August 11 through October 15, 2025, relative to that same period in 2024.
- Homicides decreased by 61%, saving 23 lives.
- Robberies decreased by 54%, preventing 231 violent crimes.
- Motor vehicle thefts decreased by 53%, preventing 534 thefts.
- Overall crime in D.C. fell by 27% from August 11 through October 15, 2025, relative to that same period in 2024.
The total reductions in crime have led to savings of more than $450 million so far, using per-unit societal cost estimates of crime (McCollister et al., 2010).
Washington, D.C., crime during National Guard Deployment Compared to Previous Year
Crime Comparison
Periods: 8/11/2024–10/15/2024 vs 8/11/2025–10/15/2025
| Metric | 8/11/2024–10/15/2024 | 8/11/2025–10/15/2025 | # Decrease | % Decrease |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Crime | 5,647 | 4,116 | 1,531 | 27% |
| All Violent Crime | 638 | 401 | 237 | 37% |
| Homicide | 38 | 15 | 23 | 61% |
| Sex Abuse | 12 | 19 | -7 | -58% |
| Assault w/ Dangerous Weapon | 163 | 173 | -10 | -6% |
| Robbery | 425 | 194 | 231 | 54% |
| All Property Crime | 5,009 | 3,715 | 1,294 | 26% |
| Burglary | 223 | 133 | 90 | 40% |
| Theft from Auto | 1,248 | 811 | 437 | 35% |
| Theft/Other | 2,523 | 2,291 | 232 | 9% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 1,014 | 480 | 534 | 53% |
| Arson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 100% |
Source: Metroplitan Police Department
works cited
Federal Register. (2025, August 14). Executive Order 14333: Declaring a Crime Emergency in the District of Columbia. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/14/2025-15550/declaring-a-crime-emergency-in-the-district-of-columbia
McCollister, K. E., French, M. T., & Fang, H. (2010). The cost of crime to society: New crime-specific estimates for policy and program evaluation. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 108(1–2), 98–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2009.12.002
Metropolitan Police Department. (n.d.). DC crime cards. Retrieved October 16, 2025, from https://crimecards.dc.gov/all:crimes/all:weapons/dated::08112025:10012025/citywide:point