Official figures reportedly show that crime in DC is declining, with violent crime recently hitting a 30-year low.Trump says the numbers are cooked. He is warning that if his program is successful in DC, he may expand it to Chicago, Baltimore and Oakland. 
DC's homicide rate in 2024—roughly 26.4 homicides for every 100,000 residents—is lower than in both 2023 and its peak in the 1990s. But it's still nearly seven times higher than New York City's rate (3.8 per 100,000). DC's rate is also worse than that of Philadelphia, Atlanta, and even Chicago. In fact, it's closer to that of infamously crime-ridden cities like Memphis and Detroit. 

As in many cities, violence is also hyperconcentrated among tight social networks. According to a from the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, in any given year about 500 people are responsible for 60 to 70 percent of all gun violence in the city. The Atlantic recommended targeting the "power few" who drive the large majority of violent offending for apprehension, prosecution, and incapacitation.