WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Monday he will take over Washington's police department and activate 800 members of the National Guard across the city to reduce crime, even as city officials stressed that 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 formally declared a public safety emergency and his administration would remove homeless encampments.

"We're going to take our capital back," Trump declared, adding he also is "getting rid of the slums."

For Trump, the effort to take over public safety in Washington reflects an escalation of his aggressive approach to law enforcement. The District of Columbia's status as a congressionally established federal district gives him a

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