In the wake of Trump's federal DC takeover, are you worried about crime? Tell us.
Washington, DC, is awash in "crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse," our nation's president told us Aug. 11.
To save it, President Donald Trump said he is taking over the city's police department, sending in 800 National Guard troops and removing homeless people. The extreme executive actions came a week after a 19-year-old former staffer of the Department of Government Efficiency was assaulted in DC during an attempted carjacking, after which Trump threatened to federalize the city.
The thing is, despite the high-profile assault, DC crime at a 30-year low.
Opinion: I'm glad Trump is focused on nonexistent DC crime wave, not his campaign promises
Trump is not alone in his disconnect. In nearly three decades of polls, most of us continued to say crime was increasing in the United States. But it hasn't. Violent crime has dropped by nearly half since 1993, while property crime has fallen even more, according to the FBI.
Are you concerned about crime where you live?
While we are safer overall, that's not to say there aren't outliers – cities or neighborhoods where crime is worse. The situation can be very localized. It can also be very personal, sometimes tragically so for victims. That's why we're turning to you, our readers. We're asking you to answer this poll about your perceptions and experiences regarding crime. What is your understanding of safety in your community and the country?
Fill out our form below or send us an email to forum@usatoday.com with the subject line "Forum Crime." We'll pick a collection of responses to share in a follow-up post.
To help you respond, here are some questions you can answer:
Joel Burgess is a Voices editor for the USA TODAY Network.
Do you want to take part in our next Forum? Join the conversation by emailing forum@usatoday.com.
You can also follow us on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and sign up for our Opinion newsletter to stay updated on future Forum posts.
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