Thereare two kinds of people in Washington, D.C. the ones who commute in from Virginia or Maryland,and the ones whoactually live here. Im in the latter group,alongside generations of "original Washingtonians" whose familieshavecalled this city home foralifetime.Now, Ihavent lived herealifetime, but Imalmostatadecadeand I consider this city my home.So its hardtotake seriously that President Donald Trump has suddenly decidedD.C.crime isanational crisis.The two high-profile incidents involving young White men, one killedand one beaten nearlytodeath,are realand heartbreaking tragedies But the people who live herehavebeentalkingabout crime for years: in neighborhood meetings, onD.C.Reddit threads, in the comments on Instagramand X (s/o Washingtonian ProblemsandAlan Henney).And inD.C., the most troubling trend lately is youth crime. Unsurprising inacity where truancy ratesareamong the highest in the nation.IT'S NOT JUST DEMOCRATS. SOCIALIST MAMDANI'S PLANS SHOULD WORRY REPUBLICANS NATIONWIDEAnd the kids whoarent in classarent just sittingat home either. Theyre raiding CVS, carjacking people running errands, tearing through grocery storesand roaming the streetsat midnight. Entire curfewshavebeenimposed on parts of the city justtoget them inside.You can feel the change in daily life.At some grocery stores, you nowhavetoscanareceipttobe let out through locked gates.At drug stores, youhavetopushabuttonand wait foran employeetounlock basictoiletries. Thats not justan inconvenience; itsasign that businesses no longer feel they can operate normally.This is where Democrats starttosquirm. Wevebeentrainedtotalkabout crime only in the context of prison reformand mandatory minimums, because bad-faithactorshaveweaponized itasaracist dog whistle.I understand that history. But crime isntarace issue, itsaproximity issue. People commit crimesagainst the people who live near them. Thats true inD.C.,and its trueanywhere.TRUMP SENDS MILITARY AFTER THE CARTELS AND ITS LONG OVERDUERefusingtoaddress crime doesnt protect communities of color; it leaves them more vulnerable. The kids causing chaosarent the only ones who live in these neighborhoods. Thereare other young people who wanttolearn, wanttogrowandare watching bad behavior go unchecked.And when you ignore crime, you let it fester until it becomes the excuse for federal overreachand Ihaveno doubt this president would exploitD.C.s home rule if given the chance.Lets be clear, this is notacall for mass incarceration. Throwing minors into prisonand forgetting them is notasolution.Accountability hastocome withachanceat redemption. That starts with holding parents responsible, strengthening K12 educationand tackling truancy before it turns into something worse.We need D.C.s city counciltodeepen theircommitmenttoeducation,after-school programs, mentorship opportunitiesand mental health support thataddresses problems before they escalate. More police can only slow the bleeding. The deeper wound startsat home.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONWealso needtochange the culturearound thisconversation. Democrats often fear that talkingabout crime will make us sound punitive or "tough on crime" inaway thatalienates progressive voters. Butavoiding the issue only makes the communities we claimtorepresent feelabandoned.Aparty that cant talk honestlyabout public safety isaparty that risks losing public trust.All children enter the world with equal worth; who they become depends on the opportunities, boundariesand expectations set by theadultsaround them. That means parents, teachers, mentors,and yes, policymakers.If we wantasafer city, wehavetoinvest, interveneand refusetoexcuse harmful behavior simply because thealternative makes us uncomfortable.D.C. is worth fighting for. But if we keep dodging thisconversation, someone else willhaveit for usand we may not like their solution.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM YEMISI EGBEWOLE