President Donald Trump took steps to curb crime in Washington D.C. This initiative is part of his plan to tackle the crime problem in Washington, which involves taking control of the city’s police department and deploying National Guard troops.
Following Trump’s announcement to bring the Washington police under federal control, all 800 National Guard soldiers sent to Washington D.C. have now been fully deployed, the Pentagon confirmed on Thursday. These guards are working to curb crime.
Why were the National Guard deployed?
On August 11th, President Donald Trump declared a crime emergency in the nation’s capital and vowed to make its streets safe again. To restore safety, Trump deployed the National Guard. The National Guard is now playing a major role, working with federal and local law enforcement to enforce existing laws and remove violent criminals from the streets.
Trump stated, “I believe there is no more important job for this department than to ensure the safety of our nation’s capital, working alongside federal law enforcement partners and local police.”
How long will the guards be deployed?
Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said, all 800 Army and Air Force Guards are deployed as part of Joint Task Force DC and are now present in our capital. Wilson said the National Guard will “assist the DC Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement colleagues in securing monuments, community safety patrols, federal facilities and officers,” and at traffic control checkpoints. Wilson stated that the guards would remain deployed until law and order are restored in the district, as determined by the President.
How many people were subject to action?
President Trump announced the deployment of the National Guard on Monday. While this move has garnered support from some conservatives, critics cite the DC Metropolitan Police data, which shows a significant decline in violent crimes in 2024 – including murder and assault.
It is the first time since 1965 that a President has deployed the National Guard against the wishes of the state governor. Most National Guard forces are accountable to state governors and must be “federalized” to be brought under presidential control, but in Washington, these soldiers already report only to the US President. The White House said 45 arrests were made in Washington last night, of which 29 were of people illegally residing in the country, and more than 1,650 people are now involved in the law enforcement operation.
Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said on Thursday that the National Guard, while assisting law enforcement, will be able to temporarily detain people but will not have the power to arrest them.
