According to Fox News on Thursday, Feb. 19 President Donald Trump’s “Make Washington, D.C. Safe and Beautiful” special task force, launched in August 2025, has carried out 10,018 arrest operations since its establishment and confiscated 1,036 illegal firearms from the streets.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated: “President Trump’s federal actions in Washington have saved lives and helped restore the beauty of the nation’s capital. Thanks to U.S. Marshal Gady Serralta, other Department of Justice units, and federal partners, we are proving to the nation that tolerating crime is a policy choice—and we choose public safety.”
The task force, led by U.S. Marshal Gady Serralta, brings together 3,100 law enforcement officers from 28 agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department, the National Guard, FBI, DEA, U.S. Capitol Police, and ATF. Since August 2025, they have conducted street sweeps in Washington, targeting violent crime comprehensively. President Trump signed an executive order in March 2025 to officially establish the task force and launch the “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful” initiative.
Crime rates drop significantly: murders, robberies, and sexual assaults decline
Following Trump’s law-and-order campaign, Washington, D.C. saw a 68 percent decrease in homicides, a 47 percent drop in robberies, a 64 percent reduction in sexual assaults, and an overall 31 percent decline in violent crime. The task force also located or rescued 19 missing children.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement: “President Trump’s decisive action, concentrated federal law enforcement resources, and vigorous prosecution of violent crime are producing real, measurable results. Street crime is being effectively curbed, homicide rates have fallen to historic lows, and violent crime has dropped sharply. Those who threaten our communities are being arrested, prosecuted, and convicted.”
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The task force’s arrests included 28 homicide cases, 1,693 drug-related crimes, 874 firearms violations, 34 sexual offenses, and 52 known gang members. Key cases involved three teenagers accused of shooting 21-year-old congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, and the October arrests of 19-year-old Laurence Cotton-Powell and 18-year-old Anthony Taylor for alleged robbery and assault of former government efficiency department staff.
Serralta described the 10,000th arrest as a “historic achievement” and emphasized that the task force will continue working to ensure safety on Washington’s streets, fulfilling President Trump’s promises.
Firearm confiscations and high-risk suspect arrests
The task force also arrested 47-year-old Alvin Young, charged with murder with a firearm in 2022. In December 2025, Florida fugitive Christopher Watts was arrested for child abuse and online sexual crimes. In February 2026, Richard Brown was arrested for multiple firearms and vehicle offenses, having attempted to flee to Maryland and jump from a car during the pursuit before being captured.
ATF Deputy Director Rob Cekada said: “Confiscating 1,000 illegal firearms from the streets is not symbolic—it is a decisive step in restoring order to the capital. President Trump has made it clear that Washington will not yield to criminals. The task force will continue to target violent networks to protect residents and visitors.”
Nationwide violent crime declines, Trump policies show results
CBC reported that violent crime dropped broadly in major U.S. cities in 2025. Data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association showed that average homicides across the 67 largest cities fell by 19.3 percent. The White House stated that this achievement is the direct result of President Trump’s “decisive, tough public safety policies,” attributing the decline in violent crime to “federal resources being directed to Democrat-run cities overwhelmed by violence” and “removing illegal street criminals.”
Data indicates that homicides in Washington, D.C.—where Trump’s operations were active—dropped 32 percent, while nearby Baltimore, which did not deploy the National Guard, also saw a 31 percent decrease. Blue states’ cities such as Chicago (29 percent) and Los Angeles (19 percent), as well as red-state cities like Dallas (23 percent) and Tampa (53 percent), also experienced downward trends. Trump and his team emphasized that this demonstrates the effectiveness of their policies and that the nationwide decline in violent crime accelerated after Trump’s return to the White House.
