- Trump’s 30-day control of DC police ends today.
- Over 2,300 arrests and 225 firearm seizures were made during the operation.
- Crime had already been falling before the intervention.
- Congress declined to extend the emergency powers.
- DC’s attorney general has sued the administration over the National Guard deployment.
- Lawmakers are reviewing major reforms to DC’s justice system.
- Trump may announce similar federal interventions in other cities.
President Donald Trump’s direct control over Washington DC’s police force officially ends today, thirty days after he declared a public safety emergency in the capital. The takeover, which began on August 11, saw the activation of the National Guard and deployment of federal officers in what the president described as a crackdown on crime.
While Trump hailed the operation as a success, claiming the city is now “virtually crime free,” critics argue the intervention was unnecessary. Crime had already been declining before the takeover, with violent offences reaching their lowest levels in three decades.
The District of Columbia Home Rule Act limits presidential control of the city’s police to 30 days unless extended by Congress. Lawmakers have declined to vote on an extension, citing cooperation from DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and a lack of urgency.
Despite the expiration of Trump’s emergency powers, hundreds of federal officers and National Guard troops are expected to remain in the city. The long-term impact of their presence remains unclear.
The operation resulted in over 2,300 arrests and the seizure of more than 200 illegal firearms. However, local officials have questioned whether the federal intervention was justified, especially given the downward trend in crime prior to the takeover.
The move has sparked legal challenges, including a lawsuit from DC’s attorney general, who called the deployment unconstitutional. Lawmakers are now considering sweeping reforms to the city’s criminal justice system, including proposals to lower the age for juvenile prosecution and replace the elected attorney general with a presidential appointee.
Trump has hinted at launching similar operations in other Democrat-led cities, though no details have been confirmed.
