Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) has reintroduced the D.C. Criminal Reform to Immediately Make Everyone Safer (D.C. CRIMES) Act, a legislative effort to crack down on rising crime in Washington, D.C. The move aligns with President Donald Trump’s recent declaration of a public safety emergency in the nation’s capital and his broader plan to restore order in major U.S. cities.
In a press release, Donalds’ office laid out the core provisions of the bill, which takes direct aim at what he describes as “soft-on-crime” policies implemented by local D.C. leadership. Among its reforms:
- Redefining a “youth” in the D.C. criminal code as someone under 18, lowering it from the current threshold of 24, ensuring adult prosecution for individuals aged 18 and older.
- Eliminating judicial discretion that allows offenders under 24 to receive sentences below mandatory minimums.
- Prohibiting the D.C. Council from weakening existing mandatory minimums or sentencing guidelines.
Donalds, who is currently running for governor of Florida, emphasized the urgent need for federal intervention in D.C., insisting that Congress has a constitutional responsibility to oversee the District when local officials fail to maintain law and order.
“The nation’s capital has been plagued by an epidemic of violence due to the soft-on-crime policies of far-left, local leaders,” Donalds said. “Weak leadership by anti-cop radicals gives rise to chaos and the reign of terror unleashed on innocent residents and visitors of our nation’s capital must end now.”
He continued, “The American people deserve better, and I will not stand idly by while our capital city devolves into chaos. My DC CRIMES Act will restore law and order to the District.”
The legislation comes at a time when violent crime, including carjackings, assaults, and robberies, continues to draw national headlines and cause concern among residents, business owners, and tourists alike.
On Monday, President Donald Trump addressed the issue in a press conference, calling the situation a “tragic emergency” and “an embarrassment” for the country.
“This is an emergency. This is a tragic emergency, and it’s embarrassing for me to be up here,” Trump said. “You know, I’m going to see Putin. I’m going to Russia on Friday. I don’t like being up here talking about how unsafe and how dirty and disgusting this once beautiful capital was with graffiti all over the walls.”
Trump described the streets of D.C. as being “overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs, and homeless people.” In response, he announced the federal government is taking direct control of public safety in the District.
“We’re not going to let it happen anymore,” Trump said.
As part of the emergency response, Trump invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control, and activated the D.C. National Guard to assist in stabilizing the city.
The push from both Trump and Donalds highlights a growing federal effort to reclaim security in the nation’s capital—a city many now see as a cautionary tale for what happens when public safety takes a back seat to political ideology.
The D.C. CRIMES Act is expected to gain support among Republicans in Congress who have long called for restoring federal oversight in the face of what they view as failed local governance.
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