A few years ago, I called a company to solve a persistent leak in the basement.  An estimator came out, took some measurements, and recommended building a low flume-like structure in the family room to catch stormwater and direct it through a new pipe around the bathroom to the drain in the laundry room.  Our daughter, listening to the conversation, later asked “Mom, isn’t the whole idea to keep the water out of the basement in the first place?”  She was right, so we caulked some cracks, repositioned the downspouts and splash blocks and saved ourselves $8000 and untold disruption.

I thought about that vignette when Donald Trump announced that crime in the Nation’s Capital was “out of control” and announced he was placing the District of Columbia police department under federal control. His new U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro piled on by announcing her intent to charge teenagers, some as young as 14, as adults in the justice system.  Shouldn’t the idea be to keep teens out of jail to begin with, rather than associating them with adult prisoners?  Crime data indicates that juvenile arrests have declined in the District this year and teens are subject to curfews in some neighborhoods this summer.  Facts have not deterred Mr. Trump, for whom fear and division are standard tools. His press conference about crime in D.C. devolved into a screed against Democrats, Joe Biden, and men playing in women’s sports. 

It’s no secret that teens can get into some sort of trouble as they grow up. Youth is a  vulnerable time; egos are fragile as teens navigate a hectic and often unforgiving world. They need parents who are strong role models and provide love as well as discipline. They also need something to do, especially during the summer when school is not in session. Rather than threatening federal intervention against teens, a strategy that provides prevention and education can have far greater benefits to the individual and the community.  It’s more than ironic that Mr. Trump is preaching non-violence in D.C. today when he was the one who instigated the violent assault on the Capitol, Congress, and police on January 6, 2021, and later pardoned about 1600 of those rioters on the day he took office earlier this year.   

No estimate of the cost of federalizing the D.C. police force has been announced, but if the Trump administration truly is interested in safety beyond a lengthy press conference and headlines, it would work to reduce the number of guns available, not just in D.C. but across the country.  It also would work to provide more prevention and education opportunities for youth.  Learning to make good decisions can be difficult, but it’s a necessary part of growing up and some children (remember that a young teen still is a child) need additional help to set and achieve positive goals.  Such programs traditionally are the responsibility of the local jurisdiction, now hamstrung by the chaotic underfunding in Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.     

Mr. Trump was in his element, performing for the reporters and the cameras about crime, real or perceived.  Is this a shiny object launched to deflect attention from the Epstein criminal scandal, or a true commitment to support safer communities?  If the latter, communities need to be involved in building support programs that work, not occupied by federal troops on a president’s whim.