President Donald Trump's decision to focus on crime and quality of life in the District of Columbia, where the federal government plays a large role, could be beneficial even though city leaders didn't ask for any help. But there's a long road from a news conference calling the nation's capital city a "cesspool of crime" to achieving meaningful change for the area's residents.

Trump, wielding his favorite new power, commanding the National Guard, has deployed soldiers and armored vehicles to Washington tourist spots, known as "presence patrols." The Guard will supplement the well-trained Metropolitan Police Department, which retains the legal authority to make arrests. The FBI has ordered its local D.C. field office to hit the streets. These moves come despite an overall decline in violen

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