There’s a downward trend in violence in Washington DC in line with those in other cities – but that may not matter

“There is no public safety emergency warranting the deployment of the national guard on DC streets or the federalization of the city’s police force,” said Ryan Downer, legal director of the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, a Washington DC-based civil rights group that has litigated police brutality cases.

Noting a sharp decrease in violent crime – reaching a 30-year low this year – Downer said that federalizing control of the district “is an invitation for abuse. When you try to solve a problem of criminal behavior with overpolicing and harsher penalties … you see increases in police violence and police harassment. It’s a call at the highest levels for police lawlessness.”