The White House promised to ramp up the number of National Guard troops and federal agents patrolling the streets of the nation’s capital. Starting Wednesday, they’ll be patrolling around the clock. This comes days after President Donald Trump announced that his administration would take over Washington, D.C.’s police department for at least a month.
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Trump Might Seek To Take Over For More Than 30 Days
The city’s Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser, walked a political tightrope. At one point, she referred to the takeover as an “authoritarian push.” Later, she framed the infusion of officers as a boost to public safety, though one with few specific goals for success. President Trump has said crime in the city was at emergency levels that only such federal intervention could fix.
Meanwhile, District of Columbia leaders pointed to statistics showing violent crime at a 30-year low after a sharp rise two years ago. Still, for two days, small groups of federal officers have been visible in scattered city areas. The administration says that’s about to change.
According to the White House, a “significantly higher” number of guard members will be out on Wednesday night. Additionally, federal agents will be out during the day and at night.
Unlike in other U.S. states and cities, the law allows Trump to take over Washington’s police for up to 30 days. Extending his power over the city for longer would require Congress’ approval, which could be tough in the face of Democratic resistance.
President Trump suggested Wednesday that he could seek a more extended period of control or decide to call on Congress to exercise authority over city laws his administration sees as lax on crime.
“We’re gonna do this very quickly. But we’re gonna want extensions. I don’t want to call a national emergency. If I have to, I will,” he said.
What’s Going On In Washington D.C.’s Streets?
Hundreds of federal and city police officers patrolled the streets Tuesday night, making 43 arrests, compared with about two dozen the night before. However, D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson downplayed the arrest reports as “a bunch of traffic stops.” Henderson said the administration was seeking to disguise how unnecessary this federal intervention is.
“I’m looking at this list of arrests and they sound like a normal Saturday night in any big city,” said Henderson.
In one neighborhood, officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the FBI, along with the U.S. Park Police, searched the car of a motorist parked just outside a legal parking area to eat takeout and drop off a friend. Two blocks away, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers gathered in a parking lot before driving off on patrol.
Federal agents were harder to find in other parts of the city, including those with popular nightlife hot spots. At the National Mall, there was little law enforcement activity aside from Park Police cruisers pulling over a taxi driver near the Washington Monument.
White House Stands By Its Federal Agents’ Takeover
The White House said 1,450 federal and local officers made arrests across the city. They included suspicion of driving under the influence and unlawful entry, as well as a warrant for assault with a deadly weapon. Cops seized seven illegal firearms.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said there have been more than 100 arrests since Trump began beefing up the federal law enforcement presence in Washington last week.
“President Trump is delivering on his campaign promise to clean up this city and restore American Greatness to our cherished capital,” she said.
The president has full command of the National Guard, but as of Tuesday evening, guard members had yet to be assigned a specific mission. An official provided that information to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. As many as 800 troops were expected to be mobilized to support law enforcement, but it’s unclear how.
Trump’s federal takeover also includes clearing out encampments for homeless people, he said. Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said U.S. Park Police have removed dozens of tents since March and plan to remove two more this week. She said they will be offering opportunities to go to shelters and addiction treatments if needed, but refusal to cooperate could lead to being fined or jailed. City officials said they are making more shelter space available and increasing their outreach.
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Associated Press writers Lindsay Whitehurst, Ashraf Khalil, Konstantin Toropin and Will Weissert, photographer Jacquelyn Martin and video journalist River Zhang contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
