President Donald Trump has declared a “public safety emergency” in Washington, D.C., which has caused a lot of controversy. He also said that Attorney General Pam Bondi will now be in charge of the Metropolitan Police Department. The announcement comes even though a report from the Justice Department says that violent crime in Washington, D.C. hit a 30-year low in 2024 and the local police department says it has dropped another 26% this year.
The President gave a press conference about eradicating crime and homelessness in D.C. He said that the city is “overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs, and homeless people.” He didn’t believe the official numbers and said that Washington’s crime rate is worse than that of some of the world’s most dangerous cities.
The President called D.C.’s no-cash bail program “a disaster,” and it was one of the main things he criticized. He promised to work with Republicans in the House and Senate to amend the law and get rid of the program. He said, “Cashless bail, watch what we do with that.” Trump also said that he would send the military to Washington “if needed” to fight crime and homelessness.
After the President spoke, Attorney General Pam Bondi took the stage and made her new objective clear: “Crime in D.C. is ending today.” She promised to utilize “every power we have to fight criminals.” Bondi identified a few important people who will help her, such as FBI Director Kash Patel, whom she termed “great,” and Jeanine Pirro, the new D.C. Attorney General and a former Fox News anchor, whom Bondi dubbed “our secret weapon.”
The nominations of Kash Patel and Jeanine Pirro mean that the federal government is taking over law enforcement in the capital. Local D.C. leaders are expected to fight this move in court and in politics. The federal government’s involvement after the declaration of a public safety emergency has raised doubts about the District of Columbia’s independence and the separation of powers.