White House Aide Claims D.C. Crime Plunges, Alleges Police Data Cover-Up

Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller on Monday portrayed President Donald Trump’s anti-crime initiative in Washington, D.C., as a sweeping success, saying the capital is now safe enough for residents to walk at night, use public parks and openly wear jewelry. Miller credited what he called the administration’s crackdown on violent offenders for improving public safety and asserted that “700,000 people in this city” had been liberated from the control of “criminals and thugs.” Miller also alleged that a “major scandal” has been uncovered within the city’s police department, claiming officers had deliberately misclassified homicides as accidents and concealed other crime statistics. He further linked urban violence to foreign drug cartels but did not provide evidence for the accusation. District officials and the Metropolitan Police Department have not yet responded publicly to Miller’s assertions.