Premium

Forensic scientists work in Washington, D.C.'s crime lab in a file photo from April 2019. (Bill O'Leary - The Washington Post / Getty Images)

Fact Check: Yes, DC Police Crime Lab Lost Its Certifications in 2021 and Still Doesn't Have Them All Back - While Prosecutions Plummeted

By C. Douglas Golden August 23, 2025 at 8:42am

When President Donald Trump announced a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., allowing him to federalize the police department and deploy federal law enforcement and the National Guard, critics said that violent crime in the city was falling and local authorities had it under control.

Well, it turns out that violent crime statistics had been falling from pandemic highs, although there were reasons for this, including how the city tracks violent crime (counting fewer crimes as violent than other cities do) and “cooking the books” to lower the statistics.

But then there was the curious case of Washington’s crime lab, and the fact that it lost its certifications in 2022 and still doesn’t have them all back. At the same time, prosecutions plummeted, with some ascribing the problems to the dysfunctional crime lab situation.

Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization

Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.

Read the Rest — Subscribe Now

You've reached the end of the free preview.
Join thousands who rely on us for trusted news.

Already a subscriber? Sign in

Submit a Correction →

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

C. Douglas Golden

Contributor, Commentary

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

@CillianZeal

Facebook

C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he's written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014. Aside from politics, he enjoys spending time with his wife, literature (especially British comic novels and modern Japanese lit), indie rock, coffee, Formula One and football (of both American and world varieties).

Birthplace

Morristown, New Jersey

Education

Catholic University of America

Languages Spoken

English, Spanish

Topics of Expertise

American Politics, World Politics, Culture