WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Washington, D.C. city councilmember Trayon White is calling for the deployment of the National Guard to the city following recent violence in the nation’s capital.

“Crime is out of control and getting worse by the day,” said White. “We must declare an emergency regarding the crime and violence in our neighborhoods and act urgently. It may be time to call on the National Guard to protect the children and innocent people that are losing their lives to this senselessness.”

Violent crime is rising sharply, fueled by more homicides and carjackings. The District of Columbia’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, and the D.C. Council have, at times, been at odds about crime legislation. On Capitol Hill, the Republican-led House has begun citing the city’s crime statistics while aggressively reviewing local public safety laws.

Law enforcement and government officials repeatedly point out that overall crime numbers in DC have stayed relatively stable. But the crimes that have increased the most — murders and carjackings — are the ones most likely to damage public confidence.

Although the local murder rate is well below the levels in the 1980s and early 1990s, when DC regularly led the nation in murders per capita, it has climbed steadily in recent years. In 2022, there was a roughly 10% drop in homicides, but now, homicides are up 15% compared with this time a year ago and the city is on pace to surpass 200 for the third year in a row. Police also reported 140 carjacking incidents in the month of June — the highest monthly total in more than five years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.