Trump employs National Guard to combat crime in Washington D.C.
Former President Donald Trump proposed a controversial plan to take federal control over the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in response to what he described as a severe crime crisis in the city.
The plan, which involved appointing federal officers and the National Guard to intervene, aimed to use MPD resources for federal purposes such as maintaining law and order, protecting federal properties, and ensuring government functioning. The proposal also included designating a DEA administrator as an "Emergency Police Commissioner" to oversee the police force, effectively sidelining the city's police chief.
However, this move faced immediate legal challenges from the city, arguing it violated the Home Rule Act and posed a threat to local law enforcement and public safety. A judge indicated the executive order authorizing federal takeover needed revision and must involve the city's mayor, thus limiting the full takeover as initially announced.
The proposal was framed as an emergency federal intervention targeting a major urban area with violent crime, suggesting a precedent where the federal government could assert control over local police forces in similarly troubled cities. However, no formal plans for extending this approach beyond D.C. were detailed in the available information, and the significant legal and political resistance highlights complexities in enforcing such takeovers elsewhere.
Trump also indicated plans to roll out this policy to other crime-ridden cities, specifically mentioning New York and Chicago. He posted on social media that he wanted to "stop violent crime" and tackle homeless encampments.
In addition, Trump ordered homeless people to "move out" of the city and vowed to "make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before." He signed an order last month making it easier to arrest homeless people.
Despite the allegations of crime and financial mismanagement in the city, preliminary data from DC police shows significant drops in violent crime between 2023 and 2024, although this follows a post-pandemic surge.
Trump promised individuals "places to stay," but "FAR from the Capital." He stated that criminals would be jailed and that the actions would happen "very fast."
It is important to note that Trump, who is a convicted felon, has pardoned around 1,500 people involved in the 2021 US Capitol riot.
The city of Washington operates under a unique relationship with the federal government that limits its autonomy and grants Congress extraordinary control over local matters. Since the mid-1970s, residents of Washington have been able to elect a mayor and a city council, but Congress still controls the city's budget.
The Republican leader has repeatedly threatened a federal takeover of the city of Washington, stating that crime in the city is "totally out of control." However, the legal challenges and complexities surrounding this proposal raise questions about the feasibility and appropriateness of such a move.
[1] ABC News. (2021, August 2). Trump reportedly considering federal takeover of D.C. police. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-reportedly-considering-federal-takeover-dc-police/story?id=78738414
[2] The Washington Post. (2021, August 3). Trump’s plan to take control of D.C. police faces immediate legal challenges. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/08/03/trumps-plan-take-control-dc-police-faces-immediate-legal-challenges/
[3] The Hill. (2021, August 3). Trump reportedly considering federal takeover of D.C. police. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/570107-trump-reportedly-considering-federal-takeover-of-dc-police
[4] The New York Times. (2021, August 2). Trump Said He Would Take Control of D.C. Police. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/02/us/politics/trump-dc-police.html
[5] The Associated Press. (2021, August 3). Judge blocks Trump's move to take control of D.C. police. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-washington-d-c-crime-police-9c2111b83a31950e01f72b9a75624e23
- The proposal to take federal control over the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) by former President Donald Trump, first reported in August 2021, was not just a matter of politics but also concerned general news due to its potential implications on crime-and-justice, as it could set a precedent for federal interference in local police forces in troubled cities such as New York and Chicago.
- Critics argue that Trump's plan to appoint federal officers and National Guard to intervene in the MPD, as well as his proposal to designate a DEA administrator as an "Emergency Police Commissioner," might infringe upon local law enforcement and public safety in the District of Columbia, potentially leading to legal challenges and complexities in enforcing such takeovers elsewhere, a reality that highlights the delicate balance between national policies and city migration patterns.
