Jay Block, a senator from New Mexico, said that additional law enforcement has improved safety in Washington, D.C., citing more than 1,600 arrests under President Trump's federal initiative. The statement was made on X.
"DC is very safe," said C Block, New Mexico State Senator from 12th District (R). "Even the Democrat mayor there thankfully acknowledged how helpful additional law enforcement enhanced safety! Let's go get those criminals off the street!"
In August 2025, President Trump declared a "crime emergency" in Washington, D.C., using section 740 of the Home Rule Act to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department and deploy approximately 800 federal agents and National Guard troops. This marked the first use of that provision and drew backlash since violent crime in the city was already at record lows, raising concerns about local autonomy and federal overreach, according to a report by Wikipedia on the 2025 federalization of law enforcement in Washington, D.C.
During the first 13 days of the federal surge in Washington, D.C., officials recorded about 550 arrests, with roughly a quarter categorized under "other" and not tied to specific crimes. On a single night, August 25, 2025, 87 arrests were made, including four for illegal firearms and 39 involving undocumented immigrants. These figures highlight the focus and scope of the initiative as reported by CBS News and documentation on the Declaring a Crime Emergency order.
Washington, D.C. recorded a 35% drop in violent crime from 2023 to 2024, reaching the lowest level in over 30 years. Homicides fell by 32%, robberies by 39%, carjackings by 53%, and assaults with a dangerous weapon by 27%, showing sharp declines before the federal intervention began. These figures suggest broader crime trends were improving independent of the surge according to data from the U.S. Department of Justice and Metropolitan Police Department.
Block is a Republican senator from New Mexico who was elected in 2024 and took office in 2025 to represent District 12. A retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, he served as an ICBM officer, deployed to Afghanistan, and worked in nuclear policy at Air Force Space Command and the Pentagon before retiring in 2016. He later became a defense contractor and served two terms on the Sandoval County Commission according to information from the New Mexico Senate Republicans.
