ADVERTISEMENT
Republicans have increasingly highlighted crime in Washington as evidence of broader Democratic failures on policing and criminal justice policy. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized D.C. leadership over public safety issues and used crime concerns to justify a heightened federal presence in the city.
The issue became a major national flashpoint last summer when National Guard troops were deployed to Washington as part of a federal anti-crime initiative after a series of violent incidents involving youth mobs and repeat offenders.
ADVERTISEMENT