DC attorney general: Police union chief's 'facts are wrong' on city crime

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb on Tuesday pushed back on claims by the city’s police union head, saying his “facts are wrong” when it comes to crime in the nation’s capital.

“Crime in the District is out of control, and something needs to be done about it. This concept that crime is down is really an old trope,” Gregg Pemberton, chair of the DC Police Union, said in a Tuesday appearance of Fox Business Network’s “Varney & Co.”

“Our rank-and-file officers know that we're going [from] call to call to call for armed carjacking, stabbings, robberies, shootings, homicides, and the crime isn't going anywhere. And so, we welcome the assistance, and whether that's federal agents or the National Guard, we’ll use it,” he added later.

In response to Pemberton’s comments, Schwalb told CNN’s Kasie Hunt on her show “The Arena” that “with due respect to Mr. Pemberton, I think his facts are wrong.”

“I think his talking points are wrong. We know what's happening in our city. We have more work to do. We need to all work together to reduce crime to a zero number, but we are going in the right direction under local control, local policies and local leadership. And we need to stay the course,” Schwalb added.

Trump announced Monday he was taking federal control of D.C.’s police department and deploying the National Guard in the city in an attempt to fight crime.

“Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people, and we’re not going to let it happen anymore. We’re not going to take it,” the president said.

Trump took over the Metropolitan Police Department via the District of Columbia’s Home Rule Act’s Section 740. Congress passed the act in the 1970s to give D.C. control over its local affairs.

The Hill has reached out to the DC Police Union for comment.