The Trump administration is using hundreds of federal police officers to target crime in Washington, D.C., as part of President Donald Trump's public safety push in the nation’s capital.
The White House said 450 officers from multiple federal agencies were deployed in high-traffic D.C. areas and other hotspots on Aug. 9 and 10. The officers are from 18 agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Secret Service.
Trump ordered an increased law enforcement presence in D.C. on Aug. 8 after complaining about crime in the city, even as violent crime trended down. Violent crime declined by 35% in D.C. in 2024, according to data compiled by the D.C. Metropolitan Police.
The 2024 numbers marked the lowest level of violent crime in "over 30 years," the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said in a news release.
The Trump administration is temporarily reassigning 120 FBI agents to patrol D.C. streets at night, the Washington Post and New York Times reported. Asked about the reports, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told USA TODAY that there has been an "increase in federal law enforcement officers in DC in response to violent crime. This includes the FBI."
