Trump Task Force Says It Cleared 142 Homeless Encampments as D.C. Crime Metrics Declined

A year after the launch of a federal initiative to reduce crime and improve public spaces in the nation’s capital, internal data provided to the Daily Caller says the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force has cleared 142 homeless encampments across Washington, D.C., and overseen large-scale law enforcement activity citywide. The task force, announced March 28, 2025, mobilized more than 3,500 personnel, including about 800 federal law enforcement officers and roughly 1,800 National Guard troops, according to figures cited to the Caller by White House and task force officials.

Officials who spoke to the Caller said the effort prioritized both public-safety objectives and services for people experiencing homelessness. More than 350 individuals were connected to mental health services since the task force began its operations, the data show. The White House also reported that there are now no known encampments located within National Park Service units across D.C. area parks.

Law-enforcement activity tied to the task force has been substantial. As of March 26, the data provided to the Caller recorded 11,205 arrests linked to the initiative. Among those arrested were an estimated 62 individuals identified as gang members, 1,956 subjects for narcotics-related offenses, 1,036 people charged or listed for firearms offenses and 30 individuals tied to homicide investigations, the figures show.

The task force credited its operations with notable drops in several categories of violent and property crime. The internal numbers attribute a 61% decline in homicide, a 53% decrease in motor vehicle theft and a 45% fall in robbery since March 28, 2024. The White House also said the average wait time for concealed carry permit appointments in the District has been reduced substantially, from approximately four months to one day.

Beyond arrests and outreach, the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force has directed work toward maintenance and aesthetic improvements in public spaces. A White House official told the Caller that a George Washington Parkway maintenance crew has filled more than 240 potholes, new bike racks were installed at the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial, and 148 benches across the city have been repaired or replaced. Officials said there is currently no known graffiti spanning the National Mall or Memorial Parks and that cleanup efforts at Union Station and Columbus Circle are ongoing. The task force also reinstalled an Albert Pike monument that had been removed during protests in 2020.

The federal response in D.C. has included a period of heightened federal control and support: in August the administration federalized D.C. police and deployed the National Guard to assist with crime in the city, an earlier White House statement said. That deployment preceded several arrests, including one the White House cited as a member of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang who had prior arrests and multiple prior immigration encounters.

White House spokeswoman Taylor Rodgers provided a statement to the Caller summarizing the administration’s view of the past year. “For one year, President Trump’s Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force has been working in collaboration with federal and local partners to restore greatness to our nation’s capital,” she said. “The task force will continue its critical work to keep D.C. safe and beautiful,” she added.

Administration officials have also discussed exporting elements of the D.C. model to other cities. The president has cited Chicago as a possible candidate if invited by local authorities, and federal agencies including the FBI, ATF and DOJ were deployed to Memphis in September as part of a similar crackdown the administration described as aimed at reducing crime. Officials framed the D.C. operation as both a law-enforcement campaign and an effort to restore public amenities and order to high-profile federal spaces, while advocates and local stakeholders continue to debate the balance between enforcement and services for people experiencing homelessness.