Restoring hope and safety to our nation’s capital and other crime-ridden cities

• Mike Hurst says Democratic leaders have utterly failed in providing a most basic government service – keeping people safe. 

A few months ago, in the heart of Washington, DC, a young Mississippian named Sunjay was returning to his apartment on Capitol Hill, when, just steps from his home, in broad daylight, Sunjay was attacked by two masked gunmen. Sunjay was on the phone with his mom at time, and when the assault occurred, all she could hear was her son begging for his life. Then, the phone went dead. At that moment, Sunjay’s mom frantically prayed to God that her son was still alive.

Sunjay’s story is not isolated. For many residents of the District of Columbia, fear and anxiety about crime and their safety have long cast shadows over daily life in our nation’s capital. Parents worry about children walking to school. Seniors hesitate to step out after dusk. Businesses grapple with break-ins that threaten their lives and livelihoods. All the while local Democratic leaders have utterly failed in providing a most basic government service – keeping people safe. 

It did not have to be this way. In fact, it was never supposed to be this way. When our founding fathers created our new nation almost 250 years ago, one of their most basic, fundamental ideas for our government was to provide for the safety of its citizens. As former President Ronald Reagan succinctly put it: “Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.” This was one of the guiding principles of the U.S. Department of Justice when I served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi during President Donald J. Trump’s first Administration, implementing initiatives like Project EJECT locally and Operation Legend nationally that were factually documented and proven to have effectively lowered violent crime.

But this common sensical principle has recently been abandoned by Democrat mayors in some of our nation’s largest cities.  As White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recently pointed out, nineteen of the top twenty high crime cities in the United States are run by a Democrat. These cities are overrun by crime because Democrats have catered to criminals while ignoring crime victims, have put social science above simple enforcement, have targeted police officers instead of supporting law enforcement, and have prioritized perceptions and appearances over real safety. As a direct result of these Democrat policies, Americans have become less safe.

Sadly, this has become the reality in our nation’s capital. In 2024, Washington, DC, had the fourth-highest homicide rate in our country – almost six times higher than New York City, roughly three times higher than Islamabad, Pakistan, and easily exceeding the homicide rate in Chicago, Compton, and Atlanta. The year before, in 2023, the homicide rate in our nation’s capital was almost eight times the national average. In just a dozen years, from 2012 to 2024, the homicide rate in Washington, DC, has almost doubled.

Faced in the District of Columbia with grim statistics, unimaginable loss of life, and a local government that has lost all control of public safety and social order, President Trump recently made the bold decision to deploy National Guard troops to Washington, DC, with the intent to restore law and order and protect innocent lives. Several Republican governors, including Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, joined in this worthy cause, sending approximately 1,100 brave men and women from their state National Guard units to assist in safeguarding our nation’s capital.

Predictably, Democrats and the national media quickly argued that the simple presence of National Guard troops in the District of Columbia would be excessive, invasive, and disruptive. But to families in DC who have lived in fear and have become victims of crime, the addition of these “Citizen Soldiers” in the District has resulted in a real sense of security, a restoration of trust, and a concrete commitment from Republican leaders to public safety.

Unfortunately, Mississippi Democrats have followed national Democrats on these issues, opposing the expansion of the Capitol Police Department in Jackson. Likewise, former Democrat Jackson mayor Chokwe Lumumba’s strongly opposed a temporary surge of federal law enforcement into Jackson during the first Trump Administration under Operation Legend to reduce violent crime, arguing President Trump was trying to “militarize” Jackson. Democrats’ continued opposition to law enforcement and law and order in Jackson will only result in Jackson continuing to be, as the White House recently described it, a “de facto sanctuary city of criminals and illegal aliens.”

However, just as a safe, new day is dawning in Washington, DC, after President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard, with violent crime plummeting 39% in the District in just three weeks, there now appears to be hope for the City of Jackson. With President Trump preparing to deploy National Guard members to Memphis, Tennessee, other crime-ridden cities, like Jackson, could receive the same assistance. While new Democrat Jackson Mayor John Horhn recently stated he opposes National Guard deployment to Jackson, Horhn did seem willing to accept state and federal assistance to help combat crime in our capital city. And Governor Reeves continues to push for more resources for law enforcement in Jackson and has not ruled out deploying the National Guard to our capital city. When it comes to providing safety and protection to people in Jackson, whether through a surge federal law enforcement, more state resources to local law enforcement, or the deployment of National Guard troops, all options should be on the table and effectively employed. 

Sunjay survived that harrowing day in our nation’s capital. But his story proves that we cannot wait for another victim before taking action. Hope for our cities lies in the courage, boldness, and action of our leaders, who refuse to let fear define our streets and criminals rule our neighborhoods. By supporting decisive measures like deployment of the National Guard and embracing a spirit of collective responsibility and mutual collaboration among all levels of law enforcement and government, we can move towards restoration, hope, and safety in our cities for all our citizens.