Since President Donald Trump federalized Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and deployed the National Guard one week ago, overall crime has decreased by 8%, according to the D.C. Police Union. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced federal agents and MPD officers have made nearly 400 arrests since the operation began and seized dozens of firearms.
The union released more detailed statistics, which show robbery is down 46%, carjackings dropped 21% and violent crime decreased 22%.
But does Washington feel any safer? Straight Arrow News spoke with locals about what the last week has been like.
This story focuses on two lifelong DC residents –– one who opposes the federalization and says he was handcuffed for no reason during a random stop, and another who said her 3-year-old family member was murdered just last month and she supports more law enforcement.
Terrence King, opposes the federalization:
SAN: Have you noticed a difference in safety in the city over the last week?
King: “People like me, who work a regular nine-to-five, I can’t even come outside without being scared that I’m gonna be pressed out.”
King then held up his wrist, revealing a wound.
“Yesterday, on my way home, look at this s–t, I got grabbed, thrown against my wall for no f–king reason. This is handcuffs. Random f–king police officer that said he can grab me because he had probable cause. It made no sense to me. They cleared me within 10 minutes. They just wanted to intimidate me.”
SAN: What is the root cause of violence in D.C. in your mind?
King: “It’s not where you live, it’s how you live. In D.C., just everything is so enclosed and convenient. So streets are convenient, drugs are convenient, alcohol is convenient. Everybody is just fighting for their little piece of convenience.”
SAN: How do you think these officers, or the city in general, could address safety in D.C.?
King: “When you have officers that are from the community, or even just share, like, an empathetic –– like a relationship with people in the community, it’ll help them. It’ll help them socialize with people in the community. Better approach them.
“If you just talk to people with a clear mind, clear head, then maybe they’ll feel safer about talking to the police.”
Aisha, supports the federalization:
Aisha, like King, is a lifelong resident of Washington, D.C. She said a family member’s 3-year-old daughter was killed just last month and wants the violence to end.
She said the violence in the city since the Fourth of July has been “crazy.”
Aisha: “It’s shaking some people up, because some stuff that people was doing, they scared. You know, just hopefully the crime will go away. That’s all I want, I want the shooting to stop. These innocent children are dying for nothing, and it’s sad. I want these innocent children to stop dying. I want them to have a chance. That’s our future, that’s our legacy.”
While she supports the added law enforcement, Aisha also said the idea of the federalization lasting longer than 30 days made her nervous.
Aisha: “I heard it was an incident down at Gallery Place where they had jumped on the lady and beat her up. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but that was enough, that just made me nervous.”
SAN: When you see these National Guardsmen, do you see this as political in any way?
Aisha: “To a certain extent?”
SAN: When you look at them, do you see National Guardsmen, or do you see Donald Trump?
Aisha: “I see National Guardsmen. I don’t see Donald Trump. I just feel like they’re here. They had no choice. They had to come.”
The scene at Union Station
The D.C. National Guardsmen at Union Station were very relaxed. People walked up to them and asked for pictures and directions. The Guardsmen were even handing out water to people who asked.
Union Station is a main transport hub that sits across the street from the Capitol building. There was no sign of tension.
The scene in Chinatown
SAN watched FBI agents and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents looking over the shoulders of Metro Police Department officers as they wrote tickets for passengers fare-hopping the bus. The agents stood on the sidewalk next to a bus stop alongside MPD officers who wrote all the tickets and did pretty much all of the talking.
SAN watched officers write two people a ticket and asked a Washington resident who witnessed the interaction for their reaction
“We already have resources like that in place. We already have Metro cops who wait in certain areas. It’s weird that we’re having federal agents being brought in here, have this kind of presence all for those kind of minor things,” Ed, who has lived in the district for a year, said. “I think if you want to have a conversation about more police in D.C., I’m really up for that, right? I think we kind of lack a little bit of policing here.
“But to bring in HSI agents, FBI to do these random kind of tasks is just –– it’s strange,” Ed said.
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Author: Cole Lauterbach
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