Federal agents will be out 24/7 on patrol in Washington, the White House says

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 populace safety though they declared there are limited hard measures for what a thriving end to the operation might look like The Republican president has commented crime in the city was at exigency levels that only such federal intervention could fix even as District of Columbia leaders pointed to statistics showing violent crime at a -year low after a sharp rise two years ago For two days small groups of federal officers have been visible in scattered areas of the city That is about to change the administration says A significantly higher presence of guard members was expected Wednesday night and federal agents will be out rather than largely at night according to the White House Hundreds of federal law enforcement and city police officers who patrolled the streets Tuesday night made arrests compared with about two dozen the night before In one neighborhood officers from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the FBI could be seen along with the U S Park Police searching the car of a motorist parked just outside a legal parking area to eat takeout and drop off a friend Two blocks away U S Customs and Perimeter Protection officers gathered in a parking lot before driving off on patrol In other parts of the city including those with popular nightlife hot spots federal patrols were harder to find At the National Mall there was little law enforcement activity aside from Park Police cruisers pulling over a taxi driver near the Washington Monument Unlike in other U S states and cities the law gives Trump the power to take over Washington s police for up to days Extending his power over the city for longer would require approval from Congress and that could be tough in the face of Democratic resistance A variety of infractions are targeted The arrests made by federal and local officers across the city included those for suspicion of driving under the influence unlawful entry as well as a warrant for assault with a deadly weapon according to the White House Seven illegal firearms were seized Unlike in other U S states and cities the law gives Trump the power to take over Washington s police for up to a month Extending Trump s power over the city for longer would require approval from Congress and that could be tough in the face of Democratic resistance The president has full command of the National Guard but as of Tuesday evening guard members had yet to be assigned a specific mission according to an official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity As multiple as troops were expected to be mobilized in a assistance role to law enforcement though exactly what form remains to be determined The push also includes clearing out encampments for people who are homeless Trump has noted U S Park Police have removed dozens of tents since March and plan to take out two more this week White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has mentioned People are offered the chance to go to shelters and get addiction therapy if needed but those who refuse could be fined or jailed she declared City officers reported they are making more shelter space available and increasing their outreach Violent crime has dropped in the district The federal effort comes even after a drop in violent crime in the nation s capital a trend that experts have seen in cities across the U S since an increase during the coronavirus pandemic On average the level of violence Washington remains mostly higher than averages in three dozen cities analyzed by the nonprofit Council on Criminal Justice announced the group s president and CEO Adam Gelb Police Chief Pamela Smith revealed during an interview with the local Fox affiliate that the city s Metro Police Department has been down nearly officers She noted the increased number of federal agents on the streets would help fill that gap at least for now Mayor Muriel Bowser stated city representatives did not get any specific goals for the surge during a meeting with Trump s attorney general Pam Bondi and other top federal law enforcement administrators Tuesday But she stated I think they regard it as a success to have more presence and take more guns off the street and we do too She had previously called Trump s moves unsettling and unprecedented while pointing out he was within a president s legal rights regarding the district which is the seat of American establishment but is not a state For several residents the increased presence of law enforcement and National Guard troops is nerve-wracking I ve seen them right here at the subway they had my street where I live at blocked off the day before today in fact Washington native Sheina Taylor explained It s more fearful now because even though you re a law-abiding citizen here in D C you don t know especially because I m African American