In early August 2025, Donald Trump declared a “crime emergency” in Washington, D.C. and invoked his authority under Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act to federalize the city’s police force. He ordered federal agencies and the National Guard to assume control of the Metropolitan Police Department, arguing that escalating violence was threatening the nation’s capital.

The move has encountered strong push‑back from local officials and critics. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Brian Schwalb of D.C. contend that crime is already at a 30‑year low, and describe the intervention as an overreach of federal power and a blow to D.C.’s self‑governance.

Despite the statistics showing a reduction in violent crime, the federal takeover has fueled debate about policing, local autonomy, and public perception of safety. For many residents and workers—such as the example of Kyra Phillips, who shared her own experience of being attacked near her D.C. studio—the fear of urban violence remains vivid even amid declining crime numbers.