National Guard troops have started to appear on the streets of Washington DC, just one day after President Donald Trump dispatched them to the area and assumed control of its police as he claimed that violent crime had spiraled out of hand.
Armoured vehicles were seen at urban centers and tourist attractions throughout the US capital on Tuesday evening.
Officials have stated that a total of 800 National Guard troops are anticipated to be deployed, along with 500 federal law enforcement officers.
Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, who has argued that crime is not out of control in her city, characterized the troop deployment as an "authoritarian push."
Trump, representing the Republican Party, has also warned of possible similar actions against New York and Chicago, two cities managed by Democrats.
Since Trump's declaration on Monday, the camouflaged troops have slowly started arriving in the nation’s capital.
They have been spotted setting up barricades in front of various government buildings and posing for pictures with visitors.
According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, federal agents arrested twenty-three individuals on Monday evening. These agents are collaborating with local law enforcement.
Leavitt stated that the arrests were related to homicide, firearms violations, drug trafficking, indecent acts, stalking, reckless driving, and other offenses.
"This is just the beginning," Leavitt emphasized.
"Throughout the next month, the Trump administration will tirelessly seek out and apprehend every violent offender in the District who violates the law, threatens public safety, and puts law-abiding citizens at risk."
FBI Director Kash Patel later indicated that approximately half of the arrests involved FBI agents.
Both the mayor of Washington and the city's police chief stated earlier that they shared the same objectives as the federal agents.
"My focus is on the federal surge and how to maximize the efforts of the federal officers we have," Bowser remarked after meeting with US Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday.
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith expressed, "We understand the necessity of removing illegal firearms from our streets, and with this increase in personnel, we believe it will enhance our city further."
However, at a town hall meeting on Tuesday night, the mayor intensified her criticism of Trump.
Bowser urged community members to "safeguard our city, defend our autonomy, uphold our home rule, and ensure we move past this individual by voting for a Democratic House to provide a counter to this authoritarian movement," as reported by the New York Times.
A manhunt has been initiated for an armed suspect who shot and killed a man on Monday night in Logan Circle, one of the trendy neighborhoods in Washington DC, located just a mile from the White House.
This incident marks the 100th homicide in Washington DC for the year, as reported by local media.
According to police, the suspect was last spotted wearing a black shirt and carrying a rifle.
The shooting led the US Secret Service to increase security measures outside the president's residence as a precaution.
As per crime statistics released by Washington DC's Metropolitan Police, violent crimes reached a peak in 2023 but dropped by 35% last year, marking the lowest rate in thirty years.
However, DC Police Union chairman Gregg Pemberton has challenged these statistics, previously accusing the city’s police department of "intentionally distorting crime data and creating a misleading narrative of reduced crime while communities are suffering."
FBI statistics have also shown a decrease in crime in Washington DC last year, though it was a more modest decline of 9%.
Research indicates that the homicide rate in the capital is above average compared to other major cities in the United States.
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