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Mayor Bowser: Crime down, homeless census coming
New data from President Trump’s federal takeover of D.C. shows a sharp drop in crime and a rise in arrests. Mayor Muriel Bowser says the city is also preparing a new homeless census. FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick has the latest.
WASHINGTON - The Joint Task Force District of Columbia says violent crime in D.C. dropped nearly 60% during a one-week span amid President Donald Trump’s federal law-enforcement crackdown.
Guard presence expands
According to Metropolitan Police Department data shared by the task force, as of Wednesday, carjackings are down 60%, robberies are down 56%, and overall violent crime has dropped 58% compared to the same week last year.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's office responded by saying violent crime is down 45% since last year and is down 27% since the start of the federal surge.
READ MORE: Federal government planning takeover of DC's Union Station
JTF-DC says it’s currently staffing a request from MPD to increase National Guard presence at Metro stations as the school year begins.
Crime numbers drop
As of Wednesday, 2,258 Guardsmen were deployed across the District—nearly 1,000 from the D.C. National Guard and more than 1,300 from out of state. Troops are also supporting law enforcement near the National Mall, Metro stops, and the Library of Congress.
READ MORE: Bowser says violent crime in DC down 45%, urges less focus on immigration enforcement
The task force said Tuesday that two South Carolina Guardsmen helped a distraught woman who reported being aggressively followed, escorting her safely to her Metro platform without incident.
Earlier this month, President Trump took over Washington's police department and activated the National Guard in the hopes of reducing crime.
READ MORE: DOJ worker who threw sandwich at National Guard to be charged with misdemeanor: source
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press, the Joint Task Force District of Columbia, the Metropolitan Police Department and previous FOX 5 reporting.