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How will DC鈥檚 law enforcement surge be remembered?

How will DC's law enforcement surge be remembered?

This story is part of 91欧美激情鈥檚 seri别蝉听鈥淔ive stories that defined the DC-area in 2025.鈥聽You can hear it on air all this week and read it online.

During a news conference on Aug. 11, President Donald Trump vowed to address crime in D.C. He promised to get rid of what he described as the city鈥檚 “slums,” activated hundreds of National Guard members to patrol D.C. streets and told Attorney General Pam Bondi she had control of the city’s police force.

Trump similarly described his aim to address vandalism, potholes and medians on city streets and homeless encampments.

In doing so, Trump invoked Section 740 of D.C.鈥檚 Home Rule Act.

In the months that followed, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser had to walk a tightrope to navigate the federal intervention. She pushed back on the assertion that it was a federal takeover, instead calling it a “surge” of law enforcement in the nation鈥檚 capital.

Before the crime emergency was announced, city leaders maintained that violent crime had already been falling. The city鈥檚 crime data, though, has been the subject of congressional and Department of Justice investigations.

The White House, meanwhile, is commending the surge for making D.C. safer. During the emergency, it released crime data from the day prior daily.

鈥淚f you were to talk to any police chief in the country, they’re always going to want more resources,鈥 said Patrick Eddington, a senior fellow at Cato Institute. 鈥淚 don’t think that there’s any of them that would turn down additional money, especially money to hire additional officers.鈥

But, Eddington said, there are federal grant programs in place for that.

鈥淭he National Guard is not one of those resources that should be used,鈥 he said.

National Guard descends on DC

Trump District of Columbia
Protesters, police, and National Guard troops congregate at the entrance to Union Station in D.C., where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance visited Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

In the days after the crime emergency was declared, hundreds of National Guard members arrived on city streets. They worked near Metro stations and parks. Some helped collect garbage and assist with maintenance work.

Federal law enforcement worked with D.C. government agencies to coordinate the clearing of homeless encampments across the city.

At the same time, some residents reported a rise in masked federal officers working in their communities.

During appearances in late August, Bowser stressed the city didn鈥檛 ask for the federal assistance. But she said the federal help meant more resources, resulting in more traffic stops and more illegal gun seizures.

Bowser criticized agents wearing masks and 鈥淚CE terrorizing communities.鈥 She described having National Guard troops, especially those from other states, in the city as something 鈥渘ot working.鈥

Asked for comment about the law enforcement surge鈥檚 impact, a spokesperson from Bowser’s office referred 91欧美激情 to those prior remarks.

Meanwhile, Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman, said Trump transformed D.C. 鈥渇rom a crime-ridden mess into a beautiful, clean, safe city. Federal law enforcement officers, in close coordination with local partners, have removed countless dangerous criminals and illegal drugs from the streets, arrested MS-13 and Tren de Aragua gang members, and rescued missing children.鈥

Federal government declines extension of declaration

Congress declined to extend the president鈥檚 crime emergency, which expired in September.

Bowser issued a mayor鈥檚 order, outlining how D.C. would continue to collaborate with the federal government after the 30-day declaration. It created a 鈥淪afe and Beautiful Emergency Operations Center,鈥 responsible for managing the city鈥檚 response to Trump鈥檚 Safe and Beautiful Task Force.

The order outlined the agencies D.C. would continue to collaborate with. It didn鈥檛 mention U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the National Guard.

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, hoping to end the National Guard鈥檚 deployment, in early September. The legal battle, though, is ongoing.

As of Dec. 14, a spokesman for D.C.鈥檚 Joint Task Force said there were 2,606 troops deployed to the city. Pending court rulings, troops could remain in D.C. through February.

Trump called for hundreds more troops in the city after two were shot near Farragut Square during the week of Thanksgiving. Twenty-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom died, and Sgt. Andrew Wolfe is still recovering.

For a short time after the November shooting, D.C. police worked overtime patrolling city streets alongside the National Guard. That was no longer the case as of mid-December, a D.C. police spokesman told 91欧美激情.

Surge still lingers in DC

Members of the National Guard patrol at Gallery Place Metro Station on Dec. 3, 2025 in D.C. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

With signs of the surge still evident across the city, residents have conflicting feelings about its legacy.

Taylor Helle moved to D.C. this summer for an internship, and enjoyed the city so much she stayed. She said it felt like 鈥渢he safest city I鈥檝e ever been in.鈥

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 really been that necessary, and I haven鈥檛 felt a lot safer because of it,鈥 Helle said. 鈥淚t just feels like there鈥檚 better things they can be doing with their time.鈥

Dylan Vanek, meanwhile, said troops on D.C. streets crossed a line, 鈥渂ecause what separates us from Russia or China or Iran is civil liberties. How can we claim to be better if we have troops on our streets policing civilians?鈥

A federal government employee, who asked not to be named because she鈥檚 not authorized to speak publicly, said the surge and Guard presence 鈥済ave me a sense of calm.鈥

鈥淚 just get a sense (that) people are a little calmer now,鈥 the woman said. 鈥淭o me, you don鈥檛 see a lot of foolishness going on. Even homeless people 鈥 it鈥檚 just a calm. I don鈥檛 understand it, but it鈥檚 a nice calm.鈥

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Scott Gelman

Scott Gelman is a digital editor and writer for 91欧美激情. A South Florida native, Scott graduated from the University of Maryland in 2019. During his time in College Park, he worked for The Diamondback, the school鈥檚 student newspaper.

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