Black mayors of cities Trump decries as ‘lawless’ tout significant declines in violent crimes

August 18, 2025

Multiple Black mayors across the United States are pushing back against President Trump's characterization of their cities as crime-ridden, pointing to significant decreases in violent crime in their jurisdictions. Following Trump's deployment of 800 National Guard members to Washington D.C. and threats to intervene in other Black-led cities like Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Oakland, the African American Mayors Association is highlighting their successful crime reduction strategies. These mayors attribute their safety improvements to community partnerships, youth engagement programs, and public health approaches to violence prevention, directly contradicting Trump's narrative about urban crime.

Who is affected

Black mayors and their cities (Washington D.C., Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, Oakland, Savannah)
Residents of these cities, particularly communities of color and young people
Community organizations working on violence prevention
The African American Mayors Association and its members
Federal agencies and National Guard members deployed to Washington D.C.

What action is being taken

Mayors are actively highlighting their crime reduction accomplishments to counter Trump's narrative
Community organizations are continuing their violence prevention work through leadership training and victim assistance
Federal agencies and National Guard are currently patrolling Washington D.C. streets and conducting "beautification efforts"
Washington D.C. officials have filed a lawsuit to block the federal takeover
Cities are maintaining their community-based violence prevention programs despite threatened federal intervention

Why it matters

The federal takeover in Washington D.C. represents an unprecedented intervention in local governance
Crime statistics contradict the president's characterization of these cities, with significant decreases in violent crime (Chicago homicides down 30%, shootings down 40%; Los Angeles homicides down 14%; Baltimore carjackings down 20%; Oakland homicides down 21%, violent crime down 29%)
Community-based approaches to violence prevention could be undermined by militarized interventions
The targeting appears to focus specifically on Black-led cities, raising concerns about racial motivations
Military-style interventions and potential youth curfews could disproportionately impact young people of color

What's next

The mayors are closely watching how Mayor Bowser in Washington D.C. navigates the federal intervention
The outcome of Washington D.C.'s lawsuit against the federal takeover will be significant
Mayors pledge to continue their crime reduction strategies regardless of federal obstacles

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint