Washington [US], August 24: US President Donald Trump appears to be taking the federal government's crackdown on crime to a new level in Washington DC.
Add city "to your sights"
The Trump administration has recently taken steps to increase the National Guard's authority in protecting Washington, DC from a crime situation that he believes is out of control. Not stopping there, the White House owner also expressed his intention to expand the federal campaign to other cities.
ABC News reported on August 23 that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had signed an order allowing about 2,000 National Guardsmen in Washington DC to carry self-defense weapons, believed to be SIG Sauer M17 pistols, contrary to the Pentagon's statement last week. Since Mr. Trump signed the order to send the Guard to the capital on August 11, this force has focused on supporting law enforcement agencies to maintain order and is unarmed.
In addition, President Trump on August 22 raised the possibility of wanting the federal government to take full control of the capital, instead of just controlling the police force as it is now. He also suggested expanding federal intervention to suppress crime in other cities including Chicago (Illinois) and New York (New York), or previously San Francisco (California) - all cities governed by the Democratic Party. "Chicago is a mess. And we'll probably deal with that next. Then we'll go help New York," Mr. Trump told reporters on August 22.
The Trump administration has recently taken steps to increase the National Guard's authority in protecting Washington, DC from a crime situation that he believes is out of control. Not stopping there, the White House owner also expressed his intention to expand the federal campaign to other cities.
ABC News reported on August 23 that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had signed an order allowing about 2,000 National Guardsmen in Washington DC to carry self-defense weapons, believed to be SIG Sauer M17 pistols, contrary to the Pentagon's statement last week. Since Mr. Trump signed the order to send the Guard to the capital on August 11, this force has focused on supporting law enforcement agencies to maintain order and is unarmed.
In addition, President Trump on August 22 raised the possibility of wanting the federal government to take full control of the capital, instead of just controlling the police force as it is now. He also suggested expanding federal intervention to suppress crime in other cities including Chicago (Illinois) and New York (New York), or previously San Francisco (California) - all cities governed by the Democratic Party. "Chicago is a mess. And we'll probably deal with that next. Then we'll go help New York," Mr. Trump told reporters on August 22.
The cities have reported low crime rates, but the figures have been disputed by the White House, Reuters reported. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has said Trump's approach of sending in the military is uncoordinated, unnecessary and inappropriate.
The White House chief said the crackdown on crime in Washington DC would be a model for other cities. However, implementation would be difficult because the federal government has limited authority in cities and states outside the capital.
How effective?
The US government announced on August 22 that it had arrested more than 700 people in Washington DC during nearly two weeks of the government's crackdown on crime in the capital. A White House official said about 40% of the arrests were related to immigration issues. According to the AP news agency, authorities have set up checkpoints around the capital, patrolling and screening people for immigration status.
Observers say this represents a new step from the White House in its strict immigration management policy. Last week, US Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to more than 30 Democratic leaders at the city and state levels, warning that their areas could lose federal funding or face prosecution if they do not repeal policies protecting illegal immigrants. The Washington Post reported on August 23 that Democratic officials strongly objected, saying that Bondi's move was unprecedented and divisive.
Given the current situation in Washington DC, NPR quoted experts yesterday saying that deploying large numbers of military and law enforcement units, with patrols on many street corners, can prevent crime, but the effect is often short-lived. In addition, the more police there are, the more likely there are cases of police confronting citizens, and there are cases of priority arrests to meet the quota.
The media also has little information about the more than 700 people arrested, including the reasons for the arrests or whether personal rights were violated. "A person can be arrested for assault just for getting too close to the police," said Tahir Duckett, director of the Center for Innovation in Public Safety at Georgetown Law School (USA).
As a result, according to criminal justice experts, arrest data so far makes it difficult to draw any conclusions about the public safety situation in Washington DC.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper