In August 2025, there was a public disagreement surrounding the level of crime in Washington D.C. and the justification for deploying the National Guard . ..

 A.I. overview 

In August 2025, there was a public disagreement surrounding the level of crime in Washington D.C. and the justification for deploying the National Guard

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President Donald Trump characterized the crime situation as "out of control" and ordered the deployment of 800 National Guard troops, along with the federalization of the city's police force. He cited statistics and painted a picture of a city overrun by violent criminals and gangs. The White House released a fact sheet highlighting concerning crime rates, including a homicide rate of 27.3 per 100,000 residents in 2024 and significant increases in carjackings over the past few years. They also pointed to a high number of reported violent and total crimes in 2025 so far. 

However, Mayor Muriel Bowser and other local officials, as well as several media outlets and crime analysts, stated that crime in D.C. had been declining for the past two years, reaching a 30-year low in violent crime in 2024. They argued that the deployment of the National Guard was an unnecessary and unprecedented overreach of power, a "political theater" rather than a response to a genuine public safety crisis. The New York Times reported that while the homicide rate in 2023 was high (39.4 per 100,000), it declined to 27.3 in 2024 and has continued to decrease in 2025. Experts also highlighted that comparing D.C.'s homicide rate to other large cities or even other countries can be misleading due to factors like population density and data accuracy. 

The deployed National Guard troops are not performing law enforcement tasks or making arrests, but are instead supporting D.C. and federal law enforcement by securing monuments and federal buildings, conducting community safety patrols, and providing logistical and communications support. While some view their presence as a deterrent, others believe it is a show of force and an encroachment on the city's autonomy. 

In conclusion, there is a divergence of opinions regarding the severity of crime in Washington D.C. and whether it justifies the deployment of the National Guard. While the Trump administration emphasizes high crime rates and the need for federal intervention, D.C. officials and some analysts point to recent declines in crime and view the deployment as an unwarranted move. 

What is the president authorized to do with control of the D.C. police?

The Home Rule Act of 1973 created D.C.'s elected government and framework for its interaction with the federal government. 

Section 740 of the law says "whenever the president of the United States determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist which require the use of the Metropolitan Police force for federal purposes, he may direct the mayor to provide him, and the mayor shall provide, such services of the Metropolitan Police force as the president may deem necessary and appropriate."

Under the president's order, Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole is in charge of the daily D.C. Police operations, under the oversight of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Mr. Trump, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Cole has also been directed to work with D.C. police chief Pamela Smith. 

The law gives the president 48 hours to notify congressional leaders about his action, which Mr. Trump did on Monday. The president may remain in control of the D.C. police for up to 30 days, unless the House and Senate enact a joint resolution authorizing an extension. 

Leavitt said the deployment would be reassessed at the end of the 30-day period. 

The D.C. Police Department, which includes roughly 3,100 officers, has over 800 vacancies, according to the D.C. Police Union. The union, which is highly critical of D.C.'s mayor and city council, supports the federal takeover of the force. 

Who are the other federal law enforcement officials deployed to the streets of D.C.? 

Overnight Monday, about 850 officers and federal agents sent across the city made 23 arrests and seized six illegal handguns off the streets, Leavitt said Tuesday. The suspected offenses included homicide, firearms offenses, reckless driving, and driving under the influence, she said. 

"This is only the beginning," Leavitt said.

Participating members of what the White House is calling the Task Force's Law Enforcement Working Group throughout the operation include the U.S. Capitol Police, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Protective Service, the DEA, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The White House generally isn't specifying which law enforcement entities are performing what responsibilities. 

Homeless people being relocated

Leavitt said that the U.S. Park Police would continue to move homeless people off D.C. streets and suggested homeless shelters and mental health and addiction treatment centers are places they can go — or jail if they refuse. 

Before Mr. Trump's announcement Monday, the White House was already deploying federal law enforcement officers onto D.C. streets as a part of an effort to make the city cleaner and safer.

How D.C. officials are responding to the federal takeover 

Attorney General Pam Bondi met Tuesday with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, along with the FBI director, head of the U.S. Marshals Service, the DEA's Cole and D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. The attorney general characterized the meeting as "productive." 

But Bowser has called the president's takeover of the D.C. police "unsettling and unprecedented," although her criticism of the Trump administration's move has been largely muted. 

The White House and Bowser appear to have conflicting ideas about the chain of command for the D.C. police. Bowser on Tuesday said the president has the authority to request services of the police, but "our organizational chart, how we do business, how we fund the police, how we make changes, none of that has changed." That view conflicts with Leavitt's statement that  Cole would be in charge of the police force, and would be overseen by the president and attorney general.

D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said the D.C. Police already work daily with federal law enforcement, and said she thinks an enhanced presence from the federal government may help.

"We know that we have to get illegal guns off of our street. And if we have this influx or enhanced presence, it's going to make our city even better," Smith said. 

"I won't go into the details of our operational plan at this point, but you will see the Metropolitan Police Department working side by side with our federal partners in order to enforce the efforts that we need around the city," Smith said. 

James LaPorta and Jacob Rosen contributed to this report.