President Donald Trump’s decision to federalize Washington, D.C., after declaring a “crime emergency” sparked mixed reactions—but it also pulled back the curtain on a reality many residents say they’ve lived with for years.

ABC News anchor Kyra Phillips underscored that reality on air, revealing she was “jumped” just two blocks from her D.C. studio within the last two years. Her account came despite official data showing violent crime in the city has declined since 2023.

“Yes, the stats say crime is down,” Phillips said. “But right here around our bureau, in just the past six months, two people were shot. One died two blocks away. My car was nearly stolen, and a coworker’s was taken just this morning.”

While D.C. police report violent crime is down 26% compared to 2024, the city has still recorded 99 homicides so far in 2025. Complicating matters further, a senior police commander is under investigation over allegations of manipulating crime statistics—claims he denies.

In the first full week after the White House took control of the city’s police force and deployed federal agents and National Guard troops, reported crime dipped modestly. Property crime fell about 19%, violent crime dropped 17%, and robberies and car break-ins plunged more than 40%. However, burglaries and assaults involving dangerous weapons rose, and two homicides were recorded during that same period.

Federal agents have since embedded with local police, assisting with patrols, arrests, and warrant executions—often in unmarked vehicles. At the same time, immigration enforcement surged. Since early August, roughly 300 undocumented individuals have been arrested in D.C., more than ten times the city’s typical weekly ICE total.

White House officials say the results speak for themselves. “These drops aren’t ‘moderate,’” said spokeswoman Abigail Jackson. “They’re life-changing for residents who weren’t robbed, carjacked, or killed last week. The mission is simple: get violent criminals off the streets—regardless of immigration status.”