‘Washington DC Murder Rate Three Times Higher Than Islamabad’: Trump Takes Control, Deploys National Guard | World News

The United States on Monday said that Washington DC should be a symbol of pride and patriotism for the American people — and a safe location for tourists, residents, and public servants. The White House’s reaction came after reports of rising crimes in the US capital. The US administration, led by President Donald Trump, said that the capital city is ‘anything but safe’. To make Washington DC safe, the Trump administration has also decided to deploy Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) staffs in the city. The White House said in a statement that Washington D.C.’s murder rate is roughly three times higher than that of Islamabad, Pakistan.

Washington DC Murder Rate

The Donald Trump adminisration has alleged high crime rates in the US capital. In a statement released on Monday, the White House said, “Washington, D.C.’s murder rate is roughly three times higher than that of Islamabad, Pakistan, and 18 times higher than that of communist-run Havana, Cuba.”

“In 2024, Washington, D.C. saw a homicide rate of 27.3 per 100,000 residents. That was the fourth-highest homicide rate in the country — nearly six times higher than New York City and also higher than Atlanta, Chicago, and Compton. If Washington, D.C. was a state, it would have the highest homicide rate of any state in the nation. In 2012, the homicide rate in Washington, D.C. was just 13.9 per 100,000 residents,” said the White House.

It further said that the number of juveniles arrested in Washington, D.C., has gone up each year since 2020 — many of whom have had prior arrests for violent crimes. “There were 29,348 crimes reported in Washington, D.C. last year, including 3,469 violent offenses, 1,026 assaults with a dangerous weapon, 2,113 robberies, and 5,139 motor vehicle thefts. So far in 2025, there have already been nearly 1,600 violent crimes and nearly 16,000 total crimes reported in Washington, D.C. There have been nearly 100 homicides, including the fatal shootings of innocent civilians like three-year-old Honesty Cheadle and 21-year-old Capitol Hill intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym,” it said.

The White House said that not only crime against humans but even car theft has also been on a rise. “Vehicle theft in Washington, D.C. is more than three times the national average — ranking it among the most dangerous cities in the world. Carjackings increased 547% between 2018 and 2023. In 2024, there were triple the number of carjackings compared to 2018,” said the US government.

Troubling Statistics

The White House termed the crime statistics as concerning and accused the city police of faking the crime data. “These statistics are not only troubling on their own, but they also likely significantly understate the level of crime in Washington, D.C. Metro Police Department leadership are allegedly cooking the books to make crime statistics appear more favorable. Many residents don’t feel safe reporting crime. More than half of all violent crime in the U.S. goes unreported in the first place,” it said.

Trump Order FBI Deployment

President Donald Trump has announced to place the Washington, DC’s Metropolitan Police Department ‘under federal control’ and deploying the National Guard to the city. “I’m officially invoking section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, you know what that is, and placing the DC Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control,” said Trump during a White House briefing.

Further, Trump told reporters that his actions come as “something’s out of control, but we’re going to put it in control very quickly, like we did on the southern border.” Trump invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which allows the president to take control of the police department for 48 hours in emergencies. “I’m deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, DC, and they’re going to be allowed to do their job properly,” Trump added.

What Is Home Rule Act of 1973?

The Home Rule Act of 1973 allows the president to take control of the city’s police for 48 hours if he ‘determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist’, which requires the department’s use for federal purposes. The president can retain control of the department for a longer period if he notifies the chairs and ranking members of the congressional committees that handle legislative matters pertaining to DC. Any request for control over the city’s police department for over 30 days must be passed into law.