Central ND News

At a press conference in Washington, Senator John Hoeven discussed the results of efforts to address crime in the nation’s capital. Hoeven highlighted the impact of policies enacted under President Trump’s administration, which included a law enforcement surge in Washington, D.C.

Hoeven and his colleagues pointed out that previous policies described as “soft-on-crime” contributed to high rates of violent offenses in the city. They cited data showing that Washington, D.C., had the fourth highest homicide rate nationally, along with one of the highest robbery rates and a vehicle theft rate three times higher than the national average.

According to figures from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, since August 2024 there have been notable decreases in several categories: homicides dropped by 58%, cases of sex abuse fell by 40%, robberies decreased by 57%, and car-jackings declined by 82%.

“People need to be safe in our capital city, whether they live here or they come for work or to visit. We have a responsibility to bring down crime, and it’s good that President Trump is taking action that has delivered real results to make sure people are safe in our nation’s capital,” said Hoeven. “Our National Guard military police, along with law enforcement from a wide range of federal agencies, are trained to do this work, and as a former governor, I know firsthand how effective our Guard members are in responding to emergencies. Their visibility and hard work are a strong deterrent to crime, and it’s long past time that we support police in enforcing our laws and keeping the public safe. It’s just common sense.”