D.C. Police Union absolutely torched what it called the "reform" agenda by the anti-police Democratic leaders of the D.C. Council, putting the blame for President Donald Trump's move to crack down on crime in the nation's capital at their feet.
In a scathing Op-Ed in the Washington Post on Friday, Gregg Pemberton, chairman of the D.C. Police Union, wrote that council members put "wrongheaded ideology" over the safety of those living, working, and visiting D.C.
— Chuck Thies (@ChuckThies) August 22, 2025
"Thank the D.C. Council for Trump's takeover of policing in the city: The federal intervention was a needed step. The question is what comes next," the headline read, making it clear it was a necessary step, but in no way will it be enough to turn things around.
"Unlike most of the country, the D.C. Council still embraces reactionary anti-police thinking. Council members have passed a slew of bills that prioritized wrongheaded ideology over safety, both yours and that of officers whose duty it is to protect you." pic.twitter.com/tLqnsY5w8x
— Chuck Thies (@ChuckThies) August 22, 2025
"In my role representing more than 3,000 officers, detectives, and sergeants, I support the federal intervention as a critical stopgap," Pemberton wrote. "Already, we're seeing positive results. Crime is down a tick. But let's be clear: Federal control is not a long-term solution. Moreover, it would not have been needed but for the misguided 'reform' agenda of the D.C. Council.”
"Personnel numbers alone tell a harrowing story," he added. "Since 2020, the Metropolitan Police Department has suffered a net loss of more than 600 officers, resulting in the lowest staffing levels in half a century. The department's authorized strength is 4,000 sworn members, but there are currently just 3,181."
"Worse, personnel who remain on the job are treated like pariahs, not public servants," the union chairman continued, pointing out that "recruitment has cratered, and resignations are increasingly common," leaving officers burned out "from unsustainable workloads."
The stats the union head provided painted an even more dismal picture.
In fiscal 2024, D.C. police logged 1.8 million overtime hours, which cost taxpayers nearly $134 million. That's more than four times the average before myriad "police reform" policies advanced by the council took effect. Not only do officers work grueling shifts, but their leave can be canceled, too. A once-proud profession has become a daily grind."
SEE: Fed-Up Trump Drops Ultimate Threat on D.C. Mayor Bowser Over' Inaccurate Crime Figures'
He also addressed the claim some Democrats have made that crime is down and said it's just not true.
In recent years, homicide totals have been double what they were a decade ago. From 2021 to 2024, the District averaged more than 200 homicides per year. A decade ago, from 2011 to 2014, the average was about 100. Equally noteworthy, the Justice Department has launched a criminal probe into whether crime statistics have been manipulated by D.C. police officials.
"Unlike most of the country, the D.C. Council still embraces reactionary anti-police thinking," Pemberton wrote. "Council members have passed a slew of bills that prioritize wrongheaded ideology over safety, both yours and that of officers whose duty it is to protect you. Chief among those was the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act, which Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) vetoed and Congress, including a Senate controlled by Democrats, sought to repeal."
"The Policing and Justice Reform Act includes many harmful measures," he added. "It stripped officers of collective bargaining rights, eviscerated due process protections, and replaced the ‘objective reasonableness’ standard for the use of force with a hindsight-driven ‘totality of the circumstances’ review. That creates a recipe for disaster: hesitation in life-and-death situations."
He closed out the editorial by pointing out that the D.C. police can't do their jobs under the current conditions and called on the council members to immediately "Repeal the Policing and Justice Reform Act, invest in our force, and let us do our jobs. Anything less betrays the public trust and invites more crises and broader federal interventions."
And Trump has made it clear that his 30-day federalization of the law enforcement in D.C. will not end unless Mayor Bowser, he said, immediately stops "giving false and highly inaccurate crime figures," as my RedState colleague Mike Miller reported.
Editor's Note: The days of lawlessness in Washington, D.C. are over. Thanks to President Trump, our nation's capital will be SAFE once again.
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