Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser cast doubt on assertions made on Monday that the arrival of federal officers has improved the city’s safety, following the attorney general’s announcement of arrest figures from the previous weekend.
[D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department] removes weapons from the streets daily and weekly, and whenever there’s an increase in officers, I anticipate some positive outcomes,” Bowser stated. “I keep emphasizing that we need 500 additional officers. With 500 more officers in D.C., we should see 500 more results. However, what isn’t needed is this kind of control or attempted control over the force itself, along with additional tasks that aren’t connected to violence.
When questioned, Bowser stated that National Guard members “can’t perform law enforcement duties, as far as I know,” and noted, “Unless their directives have somehow been altered, I’m not aware that they are permitted to make arrests.”
MORE: Additional National Guard forces anticipated in Washington, D.C.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, who spent part of the weekend at U.S. Park Police headquarters providing food to federal agents stationed in D.C., stated that the operation has resulted in 400 arrests to date.
Washington, DC is becoming safer each night because of our law enforcement collaborators,” she tweeted on X. “Over the weekend, 137 people were arrested and 21 illegal guns were taken. Overall, almost 400 arrests have been made — and we’re not stopping anytime soon!
The DC Police Union has highlighted a drop in criminal activity since the federal government increased police presence in the District, noting that robberies have fallen by 46%, violent crime has decreased by 22%, and total crimes have gone down by 8%.
Crime in the nation’s capital had already shown a decline compared to the previous year, as indicated by data released by the MPD, yet it did not provide a response when questioned about the influence of federal agencies’ presence.
The District of Columbia’s budget encountered a $1 billion gap when, in an attempt to prevent a government shutdown earlier this year, legislators included provisions in a large government funding bill that would limit the District’s spending to 2024 levels.
Soon after the bill was approved, House Speaker Mike Johnson stated he would guide the House in enacting separate legislation to address the D.C. budget. The Senate unanimously approved a measure to resolve the issue in mid-March, but the House did not consider the Senate’s bill and has not yet taken any action on this matter.
During the weekend, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Park Police, and members of the National Guard were all spotted in Washington, D.C.
FBI agents who are walking the streets of cities — not just in Washington, but across the nation — will soon have access to tasers, as reported by a source knowledgeable about the procedures, as part of an initiative to provide a non-deadly alternative for agents working on the front lines.
Additional states are deploying National Guard personnel to Washington, D.C.
Members of the West Virginia National Guard have started to arrive, with 877 personnel already activated. This figure is anticipated to increase to over 1,500 in the near future as additional soldiers come from West Virginia, Ohio, and South Carolina.
The MPD is now providing some help with U.S.Immigrationand Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Over the weekend, a video showing what seemed to be ICE officers detaining a delivery worker became popular on social media. The officers, who are seen with masks on, do not reveal their identities. The footage also captures a federal agent striking his head on the ground during the arrest.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that the individual in the video was in the country without proper authorization and had a finalized deportation order, which means he is eligible for removal from the United States.
Cristian Enrique Carias Torres is a Venezuelan national who entered the United States illegally during the Biden administration in 2023,” a statement from the Department of Homeland Security on social media states. “He has been issued a final removal order by an immigration judge from the same year. Carias Torres has accumulated numerous traffic violations, and there are currently active warrants for his arrest.
Bowser mentioned that she would speak with D.C. Police Chief Pam Smith regarding agents wearing masks.
I requested the Chief to engage in additional discussions regarding these masks,” she stated. “There is no justification for a law enforcement officer to be concealed.
The agency has stated that agents are wearing masks because of the dangers directed at federal officers.
Supporters, including the ACLU of D.C., expressed strong disapproval of the National Guard and federal officers being stationed in the city.
“The sending of out-of-state National Guard members and additional federal agents to the streets of D.C. represents a blatant misuse of authority designed to frighten and intimidate people in the nation’s capital. This is an unwarranted interference to control D.C. under a false emergency, resulting in actual damage to locals and tourists — all for the purpose of supporting the Trump administration’s political goals,” stated Monica Hopkins, executive director of the ACLU of D.C.
“The ACLU-D.C. remains committed to overseeing the actions of D.C. police and federal law enforcement to safeguard the constitutional rights of our community,” she stated.
ABC News’ Allison Pecorin contributed to this report.
