Federal agents will be out 24/7 on patrol in Washington, the White House says
Agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as Metropolitan Police wait in a parking lot before driving along Kennedy Street NW in a caravan, in the early morning of Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, in northwest Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
WASHINGTON (AP) — As a wary Washington waited, the White House promised a ramp-up of National Guard troops and federal officers on the streets of the nation's capital around the clock starting Wednesday, days after President Donald Trump's unprecedented announcement that his administration would take over the city's police department for at least a month.
The city's Democratic mayor and police chief framed the influx as a plus for public safety, though they said there are few hard measures for what a successful end to the operation might look like. The Republican president has said crime in the city was at emergency levels that only such federal intervention could fix even as District of Columbia leaders pointed to statistics showing violent crime at a 30-year low after a sharp rise two years ago.
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