Reuters finds National Guard cited in 1.3% of DC criminal cases
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
A Reuters review found National Guard soldiers were mentioned in about 1.3% of criminal cases filed in the District of Columbia Superior Court during the deployment ordered by President Donald Trump. The roughly 4,500 soldiers deployed outnumber the city's 3,200 police officers and are projected to cost $1.4 billion through 2029. The soldiers mostly patrolled wealthier, whiter areas and were absent from neighborhoods where 82% of murders occurred.
Key Facts
- The Trump administration told Congress it plans to keep sending National Guard soldiers to Washington until the end of Trump's presidency in 2029, at a cost of $1.4 billion.
- Roughly 4,500 National Guard soldiers are currently deployed in Washington, outnumbering the city's 3,200 police officers.
- The deployment cost about $1.65 million a day before officials doubled the number of troops this summer, while the city's most recent police budget was about $1.5 million daily.
- Reuters found no reference in court records to soldiers doing law enforcement in neighborhoods where about 82% of the city's 859 murders occurred over the past five years.
- In dozens of cases, soldiers appear as victims of crime rather than as people making arrests.
The Guard Deployment
President Donald Trump deployed thousands of National Guard troops to Washington last summer as the centerpiece of what he describes as a no-holds-barred effort to combat crime, especially in cities run by Democrats. Every day, small groups of soldiers in camouflage and body armor patrol tourist-heavy areas, including national monuments, subway stations, and the area around the professional baseball park. The roughly 4,500 soldiers currently deployed outnumber the city's 3,200 police officers.
Court Record Findings
Since their arrival last August, the National Guard soldiers have been mentioned in about 1.3% of the criminal cases filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, which handles nearly all criminal prosecutions in the city. In one spring incident, three police officers stopped a man stomping on a young woman outside a nightclub while approximately 15 National Guard members on routine patrol did not take any action, according to a police report by officer Xavier Jimenez. In dozens of cases, the soldiers appear not as people making arrests but as victims of crime. Reuters compared court records to demographics and crime information and found that the soldiers mostly responded to minor incidents in wealthier, whiter, and less dangerous neighborhoods. The news organization found no reference in court records to soldiers doing any kind of law enforcement in neighborhoods where about 82% of the city's 859 murders occurred over the past five years.
Cost and Future Plans
The Trump administration told Congress last year that sending guardsmen to the capital cost about $1.65 million a day, before officials doubled the number of troops this summer. The city's most recent police budget was about $1.5 million daily. The administration told Congress it plans to keep sending soldiers to Washington until the end of Trump's presidency in 2029, at a cost of $1.4 billion.
1 source
Reuters finds National Guard cited in 1.3% of DC criminal cases
