The White House has announced an increased federal law enforcement presence in Washington, D.C., for at least the next week to combat crime.

 

Associated Press reporter Meg Kinnard says this move follows President Donald Trump's suggestions that his administration could take over running the city.

 

“The president has already signed an executive order entitled Making D. C. Safe Again, and he's long talked about what he sees as crime and graffiti and other negative circumstances impacting the district,” Kinnard said.

 

This initiative will last for at least a week, but there will be the option to extend.

 

The decision comes after a recent assault on a government worker, and amid Trump's criticism of rising crime in the city. Local officials, however, can point to declines in carjackings and homicides since 2023. 

 

“We haven't seen a marked increase in the number of federal law enforcement officers on the streets in Washington. But recently, a former official with the Department of Government Efficiency was violently attacked. That's a circumstance that Trump has talked about lately and may have spurred on more of these conversations about more federal officers on the street,” Kinnard said.