Good morning, D.C. In today’s newsletter: A drop in Metro crime, $1.4 billion for the National Guard and a confusing Nats trade deadline.
THE LATEST
Crime on Metro has hit a “new historic low.”
New crime data released by WMATA shows that Part I crimes — more serious offenses like assaults, robberies and thefts — are down 12% since last year and 61% since 2023.
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The consistent decreases in crime come from cops, cameras and compassion, says WMATA general manager Randy Clarke. There are more police officers and security guards patrolling stations and buses; 30,000 cameras are monitoring the system; and low-income riders are offered discounts to help prevent fare evasion.
Clarke said Tuesday the drop in crime and increase in ridership have created something of a virtuous cycle for Metro, with safer trains and buses encouraging ridership, and more riders putting more eyes to work. “Not only is [Metro] much safer, it’s much safer for a lot more people,” he said. (Even still, ridership numbers remain below where they were pre-pandemic.)
Fare evasion enforcement has been a particular focus for Metro in recent years. Clarke said enforcement on trains increased 485% from 2023 to 2026. Ramped-up enforcement on buses that was launched this year has led to a 1,371% spike in citations.
Clarke himself has even gotten in on enforcing the rules. He said he recently stopped an older man who tried to get into a Metro station using one of the Kids Ride Free cards that are handed out to schoolchildren in the city. (Note to self: Don’t use your kids’ cards.)
Still, there have been snags. NOTUS’ Martin Austermuhle recently reported that a bureaucratic snafu has led to most fare-evasion citations issued in D.C. being dismissed. Clarke says he wants a regional solution to ensure that fare evasion is prosecuted consistently across the Metro system.
President Donald Trump plans to spend $1.4 billion in taxpayer funds keeping the National Guard in D.C. until January 2029, NOTUS’ Angie Orellana Hernandez reports.
The eye-popping estimate, provided to Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s office and shared with NOTUS, includes a recently announced $292 million contract to keep troops housed through the end of Trump’s term.
For context: The D.C. police department’s annual budget for its 3,100 officers is roughly $600 million.
FROM THE DISTRICT
The left-leaning Free D.C. Slate swept up 75% of the seats up for grabs on the D.C. Democratic State Committee, ousting the committee’s more moderate members, The Washington Post reports.
JBG Smith — a real estate investment trust with a massive footprint in the DMV — delayed its earnings report after a D.C. Superior Court judge ordered last week that the company pay $356 million to a condo association, the Washington Business Journal reports. The condo owners sued in 2020, alleging defects in their building’s elevators, roof, HVAC system, electrical system, exterior walls, parking garage elevators and foundation.
JBG Smith has about $2.6 billion in debt and has reported 12 straight quarterly losses. NOTUS previously reported on abysmal conditions at another property it co-owns: The Gale Eckington.
FROM MARYLAND
Montgomery County’s gun laws are in the Trump administration’s crosshairs. This week, the Justice Department sued the county over a law it says makes it “practically impossible for individuals in the county to go about their daily business while lawfully carrying a firearm.” Late last year, the DOJ similarly filed suit against D.C. over the city’s ban on AR-15 assault rifles.
FROM VIRGINIA
Virginia’s health department is investigating the state’s first documented case of locally acquired dengue virus. The disease is spread through infected mosquitoes, but officials said the public’s risk of acquiring it is low.
PLAN YOUR WEEKEND
For Mac, Charlie, Frank, Dennis and Dee: “SUNNY RAVE” at Howard Theatre, Friday.
For the crafter:Crochet Community Social at Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, Saturday.
For the sneakerhead: SneakerCon at the Washington Convention Center, Saturday and Sunday.
For more info on this weekend’s events, read our weekly culture calendar here.
SPORTS
Training camp update: NOTUS’ Martenzie Johnson breaks down the Commanders’ options at center, as a group of converted guards aims to fill one of the offense’s most important positions.
The Nationals took a hybrid approach to the trade deadline, which meant selling key players to add a bunch of new pitchers — a few of whom could help the team this season. But since there was still more selling for the future than buying for the present, the deadline felt familiar to fans who are tired of rooting for a team that keeps trading away some of its best talent every summer, NOTUS’ Jesse Dougherty writes.
The Freedom 250 IndyCar race taking place in the District this month will be longer than anticipated: Officials announced this week that the race will be extended from 122 laps to 147 so it can hit the 250-mile mark.
What to Watch Today
MLB: Nationals at Phillies, 6:40 p.m. (MLB.TV)
WNBA: Mystics vs. Wings, 7:30 p.m. (Monumental)
Thank you for reading! If you liked this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at metro@notus.com.
The newsletter was produced by Jaden Amos, Michael Errigo and Nikie Johnson. Photo by Samuel Corum/Sipa USA. One last thing: That $800,000 home we showed you yesterday is located in D.C.
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