Latest news with #federal takeover
France 24
6 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Washingtonians tired of crime but skeptical of Trump takeover
The shooting broke out just a few hours after President Donald Trump announced a federal takeover of the US capital, which Trump described as overrun by crime -- though official data shows that violence has recently decreased. "It's sickening," Tony told AFP early Tuesday. "It's not safe anymore." "You do need change, you do need help," Mike said. But Mike added that the city does not need the help Trump is sending in -- "not National Guards." The day after Trump's press conference, residents of the area near the city center told stories of drug sales on the street, but were skeptical that federal intervention would make a difference. Tony has always lived in the area and, like the other residents interviewed, did not want to give his last name. He described a local street corner as an "open air market" with "all the drugs that you want." Anne, who was holding pruning shears as she weeded, said needles are often discovered in the flowerbed of the church on the corner. It was near this spot that Tymark Wells, 33, was shot around 7:00 pm Monday before later dying in hospital, according to a police report that did not mention a motive or suspect. 'Stunt' The area is the "wild wild West and it's always been like that," said Lauren, who lives in a building nearby. "We're so desensitized," the 42-year-old added. When Trump announced his DC plan, he said it was "becoming a situation of complete and total lawlessness." However the Department of Justice said in January that violent crime in Washington recently hit its lowest level in 30 years. Because of easy access to guns in the United States, the crime number still "may look differently in America than it does in other parts of the world," Brianne Nadeau, a member of DC's overwhelmingly Democratic city council, told AFP. "But we have made substantial strides here," she said, calling Trump's federal takeover a "political stunt." The annual number of homicides in the city peaked at 274 in 2023, before falling to 187 last year. That is still one of the highest per capita homicide rates in the country. Trump also justified the takeover by citing the number of homeless people in the city. Ace, a 16-year-old walking her dog, said the presence of the homeless contributed to the feeling of insecurity. Sometimes unhoused people would get on top of her parents' car, she said. "You don't know if they are going to break in." 'Only the beginning' While waiting for the National Guard, around 850 federal agents were deployed to Washington on Monday, making 23 arrests, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. "This is only the beginning," she said. Terry Cole, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration tasked with leading the federal takeover of the city's police, said patrolling would be ramped up. Federal agents and police will work "hand in hand" during these patrols, Cole added. The city's Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has been forced to accommodate the takeover, said this approach is "the wrong way to do it." Federal agents do not go out on patrol, she said. "That's not what they're trained to do." Tom, who lives near the scene of Monday's shooting, told AFP there were not enough police patrols in the area. But he also criticized Trump's "draconian approach," saying it was unlikely to "yield any good results." Across the street, a small memorial stood in tribute to a different shooting victim. A picture of a young Black man has been wrapped around a tree, with flowers arrayed at its base. Turell Delonte, 30, was shot dead by police at the spot in 2023, after he was suspected of drug trafficking.
New York Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
For Trump, Cities Like Washington Are Real Estate in Need of Fixing Up
To hear President Trump tell it, the nation's capital is something akin to a blighted property in need of repair. Washington, he says, is 'unsafe' and 'dirty' and 'disgusting.' It is menaced by 'bloodthirsty criminals' and marred by homelessness. It needs to be cleaned up and made 'beautiful again.' Mr. Trump's bleak description of Washington is consistent with his view of American cities as dangerous and violent, dating to his time in New York City in the 1970s and '80s during a period of rampant crime. On Monday, as he announced a temporary federal takeover of Washington's police, Mr. Trump suggested that his background as a New York real estate developer made him more suited than the local authorities to blot out crime and homelessness in the nation's capital. 'It's a natural instinct as a real estate person,' Mr. Trump told reporters as he compared his envisioned makeover of Washington to his recent gold-trimmed makeover of the White House. 'I was very good at that, and I was very good at fixing things up. I like fixing things up.' He promised to rid Washington of trash, graffiti, potholes, homeless people and more, even as he ignored the fact that violent crime has fallen recently to a 30-year low. While Washington has struggled with youth crime, particularly robberies and carjackings, overall crime has fallen sharply in recent years. In 2024, Washington had a violent crime rate of about 1,005 per 100,000 residents, according to data reported to the F.B.I. That is far less than cities with similar population sizes like Memphis and Detroit but also more than cities like Denver, Seattle and Louisville, Ky. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CTV News
11-08-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
‘No one expected a federal takeover': Ham on Trump's policing announcement in D.C.
'No one expected a federal takeover': Ham on Trump's policing announcement in D.C. U.S. Political Analyst Eric Ham on U.S. President Trump's plan to place D.C. police under federal control and the upcoming meeting with Putin.
