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DC Mayor Muriel Bowser on President Trump's Federal Takeover
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Pamela Smith chat with Marissa Mitchell on President Trump's deployment of the National Guard in the Nation's capital. They discuss the partnerships they hold with Federal law enforcement and their continued commitment towards keeping DC safe.
WASHINGTON - The first night of the federal surge reportedly saw 43 arrests in Washington, D.C. as federal officers took to the streets with the Metropolitan Police Department, a move that city leaders say could end up having a "positive" impact.
More officers needed
What they're saying:
During an exclusive interview with FOX 5 DC, D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said that President Donald Trump's federal takeover of the MPD could be a "great opportunity" to keep driving down crime, which has decreased by 26 percent this year.
Smith went on to highlight the District's need for law enforcement officers, saying that the federal surge would see an additional 500 officers across the District.
"We've talked about the fact that we're down in numbers with our police officers. And so this enhanced presence is clearly going to impact us in a positive way," the police chief said.
National Guard, federal officers on the ground in DC as Trump’s takeover continues
National Guard troops have been deployed across the District as President Donald Trump ramps up his federal crackdown on crime.
Mayor Muriel echoed that need, stating that a major focus of the District over the past several years has been hiring more MPD officers.
"We're at just over 3,100 officers. We like to be at 3,800 officers. So, to the extent that you see the federal surge creating more arrests, taking more guns, MPD, with MPD officers would do the same thing," the mayor said.
Measure of success
Dig deeper:
Although both Mayor Muriel and Chief Smith believe the increased law enforcement presence could help continue to combat violent crime in the District, the mayor says the Trump administration has not given any "hard measure" of success for the federal takeover.
"We certainly wanna know what we're being measured against. And I think they want, they regard it as a success, to have more presence and to take more guns off the street, and we do too. That's what MPD works on every single day is taking guns off the street, but they also say that this is a surge. And that we are looking to evaluate it in the 30 days that the order lays out."
Trump federalizes DC police despite drop in crime rates
After months of warnings, President Donald Trump has invoked the D.C. Home Rule Act to place the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control, citing the need to combat violent crime in the nation’s capital.
Trump's federal takeover
The backstory:
National Guard troops were deployed across the District on Tuesday after President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he was placing the city’s police department under federal control in an effort to boost public safety in the nation’s capital.
Trump formally declared a public safety emergency, invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.
Arrests totaled 43 during the first night of the federal surge, according to a report by FOX News.
DC security cuts
By the numbers:
The federal takeover comes as the Trump administration plans to cut millions in security for Washington D.C.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said that D.C.'s urban security fund would receive $25.2 million, a 44% year-over-year reduction, according to FOX News.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from an exclusive FOX 5 DC interview with Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Pamela Smith, previous reporting by FOX 5 DC and FOX News.