WASHINGTON, D.C. — Border czar Tom Homan is pushing back against recent media reports suggesting that crime in the nation’s capital has significantly declined, arguing that the statistics being cited give residents and visitors a false sense of safety.
Speaking Monday on Rob Schmitt Tonight, Homan challenged reporters to spend time on D.C.’s streets after dark if they believe the city is as safe as the headlines claim.
“I’ve been in law enforcement for 40 years. I won’t transit D.C. without a gun,” Homan said. “And any of these reporters that said the crime rate is way down … I dare any of them: walk the streets of D.C. after dark. If it’s that safe, go ahead and do it. See how that works out for you.”
Discrepancies in Crime Data Reporting
Homan’s criticism follows media reports citing a 35% drop in crime in 2024, based on Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) data. However, those figures exclude certain offenses — including felony and aggravated assaults — that D.C. law defines as violent crimes.
While MPD counts homicides, sex abuse, assault with a dangerous weapon, and robbery in its “violent crime” category, assaults without weapons and other felony assaults are left out. FBI statistics, which include a broader range of offenses, tell a different story: violent crime in D.C. fell by just 10% in 2024, remaining slightly above 2018 levels.
According to FBI data:
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Homicides have stayed above pre-pandemic numbers since 2020, except in 2021 when D.C.’s reporting was incomplete.
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Aggravated assaults — with or without weapons — rose 12% from 2023 to 2024 and are 37% higher than in 2022.
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D.C.’s homicide rate ranked fourth highest in the nation in 2024, based on research from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Homan Draws Parallels to Border Security Debate
Homan likened the downplaying of crime to past claims that the southern U.S. border was secure despite evidence to the contrary.
“It’s the same people who said the border was secure as you and I watched thousands cross the border every day … they think we’re idiots,” Homan said. “Anybody that transits D.C., works in D.C., or lives in D.C., they know the truth.”
He accused some in the media of repeating false narratives until the public accepts them, adding, “Americans are smarter.”
Federal Response to Rising Concerns
Crime in D.C. has increasingly drawn national attention, especially after the August 5 assault of a Trump administration staffer during a carjacking. In response, President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy the National Guard to patrol the city’s streets and increase the presence of federal law enforcement. He also signaled interest in placing the MPD under federal control.
With disagreements over crime data and public safety deepening, the debate over the true state of D.C.’s streets is likely to remain in the spotlight — and for Homan, the answer lies not in statistics but in what residents see and experience firsthand.
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