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Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser initially expressed fear of President Donald Trump’s plan to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital, but its clear success made her change her mind.
After Trump announced his plans to deploy National Guard troops and assume oversight of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to tackle rising crime in Washington, D.C., Bowser warned such a crackdown would be “unsettling and unprecedented.”
However, the mayor admitted at a press conference on Wednesday that the federal surge has made a noticeable impact on one of America’s most famously dangerous cities.
At the briefing, Bowser displayed a chart crediting the influx of FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Park Police and Capitol Police with bolstering MPD’s efforts and declared, “We greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance what MPD has been able to do in this city.”
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She pointed to one dramatic example, saying, “For carjackings, the difference between this period, this 20-day period of this federal surge and last year represents an 87% reduction in carjackings in Washington, D.C. We know that when carjackings go down, when use of gun goes down, when homicide or robbery go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer. So, this surge has been important to us for that reason.”
Bowser offered further examples of Trump’s new surge driving results.
“This is what we think in just a couple of weeks of experience has worked,” she said. “Having more federal law enforcement officers on the street — we think having more stops that got to illegal guns has helped. We think that there is more accountability in the system, or at least perceived accountability in the system, that is driving down illegal behavior. We know that we have had fewer gun crimes, fewer homicides, and we have experienced an extreme reduction in carjackings.”
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Bowser also cautioned that not every tactic has been successful, citing “a break in trust between police and community, especially with new federal partners in our community.”
She criticized the use of masked ICE agents in neighborhoods and said relying on out-of-state National Guard troops was inefficient. The mayor added the city still needs more local police officers, prosecutors, judges and prevention programs while maintaining local control.
When later prompted by a reporter, Bowser argued that Trump seizing greater control of Union Station would be a “good thing.”
“The Union Station is owned by the Department of Transportation and it will be a good thing because that station has suffered from needing, some say $12 billion, but let’s call it at least $8 billion worth of investment in the renovation. And that is not something that the district will be able to support,” she said. “It is an important regional asset, it is an important asset for the Eastern Seaboard. It’s an important asset for the nation. So, it is appropriate, in my view, for the federal government to make the necessary investments in the transformation of Union Station.”
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