President Donald Trump said Monday he’s taking over Washington’s police department and activating 800 members of the National Guard in the hopes of reducing crime, even as city officials stressed crime is already falling in the nation’s capital.

The president, flanked by his attorney general, his defense secretary and the FBI director, said he was declaring a public safety emergency and his administration would be removing homeless encampments.

“We’re going to take our capital back,” Trump declared, adding he’d also be “getting rid of the slums.”

The Associated Press spoke with Washington residents and commuters about their experiences with the city’s safety and their reactions to Trump’s plan to remove homeless people.

Nicholas Demetri Ifill, who was born and raised in D.C., said the city’s safety has gotten worse.

“When I was a kid it was dangerous, but it was a little bit more balanced,” Ifill said. “It’s always been a crime-ridden city, but right now I think it’s a lot.”

Katie Rasmussen, who recently relocated to D.C., offered a different opinion.

“I’ve never really felt unsafe walking around,” Rasmussen said.

Melissa Velasquez, who commutes to D.C. for work, said removing homeless people does not address the underlying problem.

“It’s like a bandage on a gunshot wound, if that makes sense,” Velasquez said. “It’s not providing an actual solution to the problem, which is the high cost of living and not enough mental health resources.”