The surge in federal law enforcement in Washington, DC, has “enhanced” the capacity of local police officers and led to fewer crimes, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said this week while adding that it had also contributed to a “break in trust” between police and residents.
The mayor’s comments – which come nearly three weeks after President Donald Trump announced a federal takeover of the capital city’s police department – were criticized by local politicians, and the mayor added a day later that her “north star” is protecting the city’s autonomy.
“Since the beginning of this federal surge of officers, it has always been my focus on – we didn’t ask for any federal officers, we’re driving crime down – but while they’re here, how can we most strategically use them to accelerate the work that MPD has done?” Bowser said.
Earlier, Bowser highlighted that the increase in federal law enforcement contributed to “an extreme reduction in carjackings” and a decrease in gun crimes and homicides.
“We think that there’s more accountability in the system, or at least perceived accountability in the system, that is driving down illegal behavior,” Bowser said at a press conference Wednesday.
She continued, however, to criticize certain aspects of the administration’s law enforcement surge and police takeover, saying that it led to a “break in trust” between police and the community. Bowser added that states sending their National Guard members to DC – like six Republican-led states have done so far – has “not been an efficient use of those resources.”
Experts have estimated, as CNN reported, that the ongoing National Guard deployment is costing roughly $1 million per day.
Bowser also criticized the presence of masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the district and noted the need for more police officers, prosecutors and judges as well as boosted investments in violence intervention programs, homeless services programs, mental health services and a “new residential youth treatment center.”
According to the city’s official database, there has been a 44% decrease in violent crime during the three weeks since the federal surge compared to the same three-week period last year, and a 28% decrease compared to July 17 through August 6 of this year – the three-week period before the surge started. That includes a 44% decline in homicides compared the same time period last year and a 38% decrease relative to July 17 through August 6 of this year.
CNN reported last week that in the first week of the White House’s federal takeover of DC, the city saw a moderate drop in reported crime and a larger surge in the arrests of immigrants.
The mayor’s positive review of the surge in law enforcement Wednesday came under fire by local politicians, with one DC councilmember, Zachary Parker, for instance, saying in a social media post on X that city leaders should be “unequivocal” that the federal surge and National Guard deployment are wrong.
Bowser added Thursday, “Our north star is protecting Home Rule and the district’s autonomy, in all things, especially during this last eight months where it has been clear our autonomy has kind of been in the crosshairs.”
The DC mayor has often tried to communicate multiple messages at a time. Her initial reaction to Trump’s executive order was to blast it as “unsettling and unprecedented,” while adding that the increase in law enforcement “may be positive.”
Meanwhile, polling has shown that DC residents feel less safe after the federal takeover. A Washington Post-Scar School poll released last week found that 79% of DC residents opposed Trump’s actions, with 65% saying that they don’t think the moves will reduce the amount of violent crime in the city.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday also found that just 36% of Americans support “federal officials bringing the Washington, DC local police under federal control citing a public safety emergency,” and only 38% of Americans support “deploying National Guard troops from other states to Washington, DC, for law enforcement efforts.”
