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Trump's 'takeover' of Washington DC police to be 'scaled back' after agreement with White House
Troops load boxes of rifle ammunition at the District of Columbia National Guard Headquarters as President Donald Trump implements his order to use federal law enforcement and the National Guard to expel homeless people and rid the nation's capital of violent crime, in Washington, on Tuesday. AP
The federal takeover of Washington DC's police department will be scaled back after White House officials and the city's attorneys reached an agreement, following almost a week of the National Guard taking control over the capital.
Under the agreement, Washington DC's Metropolitan Police will go back under the chairmanship of Pamela Smith, effectively removing Terry Cole, the top administrator for the Drug and Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Earlier this week, US National Guard troops began arriving at Washington DC to report for duty after President Donald Trump ordered their presence to address a surge in crime in the national capital.
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DC sues govt
The US capital city's attorney general, Brian Schwalb, has sued the federal government over the 'illegal' takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and accused the Trump administration of 'abusing its temporary, limited authority under the law.'
Meanwhile, Washington DC sought an emergency restraining order on Friday to block what it called a 'hostile takeover' of its police department by Donald Trump.
According to The Washington Post, US District Judge Ana C. Reyes indicated she would issue a temporary restraining order to scale back the Trump administration's control over the Metropolitan Police unless the White House modified the arrangement by Friday evening.
Special status
Unlike the 50 states, Washington operates under a unique relationship with the federal government that limits its autonomy and grants Congress extraordinary control over local matters.
Since the mid-1970s, the Home Rule Act has allowed residents to elect a mayor and a city council, although Congress still controls the city's budget.
The overwhelmingly Democratic city faces allegations from Republican politicians that it is overrun by crime, plagued by homelessness and financially mismanaged.
But data from Washington police show significant drops in violent crime between 2023 and 2024, although that was coming off the back of a post-pandemic surge.
With inputs from agencies
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