Updated on August 11, 2026
Today marks the one-year anniversary of when President Trump announced he would deploy National Guard troops in Washington, DC, to combat crime in the city.
This brief examines crime trends in the District using data from the Council on Criminal Justice mid-year 2026 crime report, released in July 2026. That report examined 13 offenses recorded by law enforcement in Washington, DC, and 35 other American cities from 2018 through June 2026. Data on eight offenses were available for the District.
Key Takeaways
- Reported levels of six of eight offenses declined during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. All six of those offenses fell by 10% or more, with carjacking (-63%), motor vehicle theft (-54%), and homicide (-41%) posting the largest declines. Aggravated assault rose 45% and gun assault increased 13%.
- Seven of eight offenses were lower than during the same period in 2019. Six offenses fell by more than 10%, with sexual assault (-59%), homicide (-43%), and larceny (-41%) experiencing the steepest drops. Motor vehicle theft (+14%) was the only offense that increased in this time period. Table 1 summarizes the changes for all eight offenses.
The charts below present Washington, DC’s crime rates in six-month intervals for eight offenses. Monthly counts and rates for the District and other cities in the sample can be explored in the offense dashboard accompanying the mid-year 2026 report.
The findings have several limitations. The cities included in this analysis are not necessarily representative of all U.S. jurisdictions, and not every city reported data for every offense. Trends for offenses reported by fewer cities should be interpreted with additional caution. See the Appendix of the mid-year 2026 crime trends report for details on which cities reported each offense. In addition, not all crimes are reported to law enforcement, and the data used in this report may be revised by local jurisdictions.
Homicide
Figure 1 shows Washington, DC’s reported homicide rate in six-month intervals from January 2018 through June 2026. In the first half of 2026, the rate was 41% lower than during the same period in 2025. The average change among the 30 study cities reporting data for that offense was -18%.
Washington, DC’s homicide rate was 43% lower in the first half of 2026 than it was during the same period in 2019, compared with an average change of -31% across the study cities.
Of the years examined, Washington, DC’s homicide rate during the first six months was highest in 2023, at 17.5 per 100,000 residents. The rate during the same period in 2026 was 6.2 per 100,000, 65% lower.
Aggravated Assault
Figure 2 shows Washington, DC’s reported aggravated assault rate in six-month intervals from January 2018 through June 2026. In the first half of 2026, the rate was 45% higher than during the same period in 2025. The average change among the 21 study cities reporting data for that offense was -2%.
Washington, DC’s aggravated assault rate was 21% lower in the first half of 2026 than it was during the same period in 2019, compared with an average change of -3% across the study cities.
Of the years examined, Washington, DC’s aggravated assault rate during the first six months was highest in 2018, at 117.7 per 100,000 residents. The rate during the same period in 2026 was 87.4 per 100,000, 26% lower.
Figure 2. Aggravated Assault Rates in Washington, DC, January 2018 – June 2026
Gun Assault
Figure 3 shows Washington, DC’s reported gun assault rate in six-month intervals from January 2018 through June 2026. In the first half of 2026, the rate was 13% higher than during the same period in 2025. The average change among the nine study cities reporting data for that offense was -6%.
Washington, DC’s gun assault rate was 14% lower in the first half of 2026 than it was during the same period in 2019, compared with an average change of -17% across the study cities.
Of the years examined, Washington, DC’s gun assault rate during the first six months was highest in 2023, at 69.5 per 100,000 residents. The rate during the same period in 2026 was 40.4 per 100,000, 42% lower.
Sexual Assault
Figure 4 shows Washington, DC’s reported sexual assault rate in six-month intervals from January 2018 through June 2026. In the first half of 2026, the rate was 10% lower than during the same period in 2025. The average rate among the 22 study cities reporting data for that offense increased by 3%.
Washington, DC’s sexual assault rate was 59% lower in the first half of 2026 than it was during the same period in 2019, compared with an average change of -13% across the study cities.
Of the years examined, Washington, DC’s sexual assault rate during the first six months was highest in 2018, at 21.6 per 100,000 residents. The rate during the same period in 2026 was 6.2 per 100,000, 71% lower.
Note: While most crimes are tracked in similar ways across cities, that is not always the case for sexual offenses. For example, cities included in the CCJ sample may have reported rape and other sexual offenses separately, combined them, or excluded some or all of those offenses from their data.
Robbery
Figure 5 shows Washington, DC’s reported robbery rate in six-month intervals from January 2018 through June 2026. In the first half of 2026, the rate was 20% lower than during the same period in 2025. The average change among the 31 study cities reporting data for that offense was -17%.
Washington, DC’s robbery rate was 36% lower in the first half of 2026 than it was during the same period in 2019, compared with an average change of -41% across the study cities.
Of the years examined, Washington, DC’s robbery rate during the first six months was highest in 2023, at 225.3 per 100,000 residents. The rate during the same period in 2026 was 88.4 per 100,000, 61% lower.
Carjacking
Figure 6 shows Washington, DC’s reported carjacking rate in six-month intervals from January 2018 through June 2026. In the first half of 2026, the rate was 63% lower than during the same period in 2025. The average change among the seven study cities reporting data for that offense was -47%.
Washington, DC’s carjacking rate was 1% lower in the first half of 2026 than it was during the same period in 2019, compared with an average change of -51% across the study cities.
Of the years examined, Washington, DC’s carjacking rate during the first six months was highest in 2023, at 67.5 per 100,000 residents. The rate during the same period in 2026 was 8.9 per 100,000, 87% lower.
Larceny
Figure 7 shows Washington, DC’s reported larceny rate in six-month intervals from January 2018 through June 2026. In the first half of 2026, the rate was 18% lower than during the same period in 2025. The average change among the 31 study cities reporting data for that offense was -6%.
Washington, DC’s larceny rate was highest in the first six months of 2019, at 1,696.3 per 100,000 residents. During the same period in 2026, the rate was 1,008.2 per 100,000, 41% lower. The average change among cities with data for that offense was -21%.
Figure 7. Carjacking Rates in Washington, DC, January 2018 – June 2026
Motor Vehicle Theft
Figure 8 shows Washington, DC’s reported motor vehicle theft rate in six-month intervals from January 2018 through June 2026. In the first half of 2026, the rate was 54% lower than during the same period in 2025. The average change among the 32 study cities reporting data for that offense was -20%.
Washington, DC’s motor vehicle theft rate was 14% higher in the first half of 2026 than it was during the same period in 2019, compared with an average change of -3% across the study cities.
Of the years examined, Washington, DC’s motor vehicle theft rate during the first six months was highest in 2023, at 523.9 per 100,000 residents. The rate during the same period in 2026 was 160.2 per 100,000, 69% lower.
