Federal agents assigned to patrol Washington as part of the federal takeover of the U.S. capital are taking on duties that fall outside their usual jobs, provoking consternation that they’ve been diverted from work they were trained for to tasks they’ve never done.

Some federal officials said agents have been pulled from specialized assignments and placed into unfamiliar field roles, with little clarity on who is directing operations or what the metrics for success will be. Others said they worried about the lack of defined rules, coordination, and clear exit timelines.

“The FBI is an intelligence agency,” said Michael King, a retired New York Police Department inspector and cyber investigator with the FBI. “They are not trained to handle everyday law enforcement activities such as car s

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