Q&A: Targeting Crime in America’s Cities

Q&A: Targeting Crime in America's Cities

With U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley

Q: Why did you convene a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about soft-on-crime policies?

A: I've worked on Capitol Hill since 1975 when I was sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives and enjoy welcoming Iowans to the nation's capital. Millions of Americans visit Washington, D.C. every year, including veterans who take pride in seeing war memorials honoring their military service; high school students who join class trips to learn more about the federal government and families who enjoy making memories soaking in the monuments, museums and nation's history. Two decades ago, our nation's capital was widely known as the murder capital of the country. People who live, work and visit America's capital city ought to feel safe walking the streets, taking public transportation and sightseeing. In recent years, violent crime in Washington, D.C. was once again on the rise, putting residents, workers and visitors in harm's way. According to FBI crime data, the homicide rate in 2024 was nearly twice the rate in 2012, around 25 murders per 100,000 residents.

In August, the Trump administration declared a crime emergency in Washington, D.C, deploying the National Guard to patrol city streets to help reduce violent crime, including homicide, robbery, car jackings and more. Public safety is the #1 job of law enforcement. And yet, partisan rhetoric and political decisions to "defund the police" give license to criminals to break the law and put people in harm's way. Coordinated attacks on law enforcement, including Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents, must be condemned before more lives are lost from political violence occurring across our country. The brave men and women in law enforcement who put their lives on the line to keep Americans safe also deserve to return home to their families safe and sound.

Q: What did you learn from witness testimony at the crime hearing you held?

A: One of the witnesses gave emotional testimony about the murder of her grandson on April 23, 2017. Forlesia Cook, a native of Washington, D.C. bravely shared how her family "begged for justice" and said "murder in D.C. is treated as a joke" for the victims of violent crime. The Trump administration's effort to reduce violent crime is not a joke to the people living in cities where violent crime is on the rise. In one month since this administration took action to reduce crime in Washington, D.C., the facts speak volumes: a 53% reduction in murders; a 57% reduction in robberies; and a 75% reduction in carjackings. American families, like Forlesia Cook's, are pleading for justice and safe neighborhoods.

When I questioned the chairman of the D.C. Police Union, his testimony exposed an alarming practice by which crime statistics were being manipulated in the database to falsely reflect violent crime was decreasing in the nation's capital. Such misconduct pours salt in the wounds of victims begging for justice and underscores the need for oversight to improve public safety.

At the hearing, I called out the reckless rhetoric targeting law enforcement officials and how the open border policies of the previous administration undermined a cornerstone of American society. We are a nation of laws. Crime-ridden cities who put violent repeat offenders back on the streets need a reality check. Another witness from the U.S. Marshals Service testified about recent consequences of soft-on-crime policies in the nation's capital, including the murder in May of two embassy staffers; a congressional intern killed in June blocks away from the White House; and the brutal beating of an individual in August who was trying to defend a woman from a violent mob of young men. He told the committee policies such as cashless bail and lenient juvenile prosecution are creating a cycle of "catch-and-release" that has allowed for a revolving door of criminals on city streets, saying "criminals no longer fear arrest, convictions or incarcerations." The Trump administration is taking historic steps to keep America safe in cities across the country. Reducing violent crime is an issue the American people expect and deserve. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I'm leading legislation to combat organized retail crime and strengthen violent crime laws to clarify penalties for violent offenses, including carjacking, robbery and kidnapping.

Just three days after our crime hearing, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey blocked five bipartisan law enforcement bills from final passage in the Senate. This undermines public safety and stops resources for local law enforcement. A Washington, D.C. police offer testified at the crime hearing that Congress needs to "work with law enforcement instead of against us."

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