Congress Moves to End D.C. 'Crime Emergency,' Challenging Federal Control Over Local Police

This joint resolution is Congress’s way of hitting the 'stop' button on a specific emergency declaration made by the President back in August 2025 concerning crime in the District of Columbia. Essentially, it terminates that specific "crime emergency" declaration, arguing that the President overstepped their authority. For busy people, this is a clear-cut governance issue: who gets to call the shots on local law enforcement, the city or the federal government?

The Fine Print: Who Actually Controls the MPD?

This resolution zeroes in on a key legal detail, arguing that the President misread the D.C. Home Rule Act. Under Section 740 of that Act, the President can ask the D.C. Mayor to lend Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) staff to help with federal duties. What the resolution emphasizes is that this section does not allow the President to take operational control of the MPD or declare a federal emergency to justify such a takeover. This isn't just bureaucratic nitpicking; it’s about maintaining the separation between local police services—which handle your neighborhood concerns—and federal security operations. By terminating the emergency, Congress is aiming to restore clear local control over the D.C. police force.

Crime Rates and the $1 Billion Question

One of the most interesting parts of this resolution is the fact check it provides on the supposed emergency. Congress notes that violent crime in D.C. has actually been trending downward for the last two years and is currently at a thirty-year low. This directly undercuts the premise of the President’s emergency declaration. Furthermore, the resolution highlights a major financial headache for D.C. residents: the federal government is preventing the District from spending $1 billion of its own local tax money. That money was specifically earmarked for essential local safety services, including police, fire, and schools. Imagine your city being told it can't spend the tax revenue you paid for local services—that's the real-world impact here. Restoring D.C.'s ability to spend its own money on its own safety priorities is a massive win for local governance and taxpayers.

The Takeaway for Local Control

If this resolution stands, the immediate impact is a clarification of authority: the D.C. government retains control over the MPD, and the Executive Branch is reminded that its power over local policing is limited to requesting assistance, not taking charge. For residents, this means that their local representatives, not federal appointees, will be setting policing priorities. It also draws necessary attention to the significant issue of the federal government withholding local D.C. funds, a move that directly impacts the city’s ability to fund the very services that keep people safe. This whole episode is a textbook example of the constant tension between federal oversight and local self-governance, and in this case, Congress is siding firmly with the local government.