President Donald Trump\u2019s federalization of Washington, D.C., on the heels of declaring a \u201ccrime emergency\u201d on Monday was met with mixed reactions, but it has also launched a conversation among residents and members of the media about a subject that, for years, has been hidden in plain view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For instance, ABC News anchor Kyra Phillips mentioned on-air hours after Trump\u2019s declaration that she was \u201cjumped\u201d just two blocks away from her Washington, D.C. studio \u201cwithin the last two years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Violent crime in the nation\u2019s capital has reportedly dropped since 2023, according to data from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) cited by The Washington Post on Monday. Still, Phillips pointed out that multiple alleged incidents have taken place near ABC News\u2019 Washington, D.C., bureau \u2014 including two network employees who were reportedly among the victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been talking so much about the numbers and yeah, usually that\u2019s how you play devil\u2019s advocate, is you talk about, \u2018Oh, well stats say crime is down.\u2019 However, I can tell you firsthand here in downtown D.C. where we work right here around our bureau just in the past six months, you know, there were two people shot,\u201d Phillips said. \u201cOne person died literally two blocks down here from the bureau.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also Read : Donald Trump Appears To Name Likely 2028 Republican Ticket<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was within the last two years that I actually was jumped walking just two blocks down from here. And then just this morning one of my coworkers said her car was stolen a block away from the bureau,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo we can talk about the numbers going down, but crime is happening every single day because we\u2019re all experiencing it firsthand while working and living down here,\u201d Phillips continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While violent crime in Washington, D.C., is reportedly down 26% compared to 2024, the MPD\u2019s crime tracker shows there have still been 99 homicides in the city so far in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, D.C. Police Commander Michael Pulliam is under investigation over allegations that he manipulated crime statistics, NBC4 Washington reported in July<\/a>. The department suspended him, but Pulliam has denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other Washington-based media figures also acknowledged that Trump\u2019s crime crackdown is overdue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n