Mayor Bowser credits Trump’s police boost for lowering crime rates in DC

WASHINGTON, DC: DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat who’s sparred with Donald Trump in the past, gave the president an unexpected pat on the back on Wednesday, August 27, crediting his federal crime crackdown with actually making the nation’s capital safer.

"We greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance what MPD has been able to do in this city," Bowser told reporters, pointing to Trump’s August 7 decision to federalize law enforcement in DC as a turning point.

The numbers speak for themselves. Carjackings, the “most troubling” crime that haunted the city in 2023, are down a jaw-dropping 87% in the 20 days since the feds rolled in compared to the same time last year. Crime overall is down 15% during that same period, she said.

"We know that when carjackings go down, when use of guns goes down, when homicide or robbery go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer, so this surge has been important to us," Bowser said. She added she’s been in the trenches with Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles on the effort.

Democrats cry 'under siege' after Trump federalizes DC police

While Bowser was praising the partnership, her fellow Democrats on the DC Council were fuming.

At-large council member Robert White Jr pushed back on her comments in a video posted to X.

"We should not, as the District of Columbia, be giving people the impression that this is a good thing, that we are OK with it, that it is helping the city. It is not doing any of those things," he snapped. "I am not OK with this. The average resident is not OK with this. D.C. residents, D.C. voters, are not OK with this."

Ward 1’s Brianne Nadeau declared that the city is "under siege."

"Our residents are afraid, hesitant to go out & to work, angry that our limited autonomy is being eroded. There is nothing welcome about this," Nadeau posted on X.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser's call with Trump and a 30-day deadline

Bowser revealed she spoke directly with Trump on Wednesday, but played coy about what was said.

"I was reminded of our first meeting after his re-election, where we discussed shared priorities for the district," she said. "There, I was reminded that the president's interest in cities predates his time in office, and his knowledge of DC had significantly increased from the first time he was in the White House."

Asked if Trump gave her any guarantee he won’t extend the 30-day surge, Bowser shrugged it off. "That was not something that I discussed with the president," she said.

Still, she hinted that the city might not need the federal muscle once the deadline is up. "What we want is local control of our public safety ecosystem," she said. "That includes deployment of officers, and we want federal officers that work in coordination with us — DEA, ATF, FBI — who, as the chief just mentioned, work with us on major crime issues all the time."

"After 30 days, I think we're going to have officers, and we want officers. We want to enhance our officer presence," Bowser added.

More cops, more guns off the streets

The mayor also used the presser to repeat her long-running call for the Metropolitan Police Department to bulk up, at least to the tune of 500 more officers in the coming years.

Police Chief Pamela Smith backed her up, saying the federal task force created under the surge has been a huge asset. Smith even suggested it could be a long-term solution “when we do see surges and spikes in crime.”

Since the federal surge, Bowser said there have been more stops leading to illegal gun seizures and more "accountability in the system" that "is driving down illegal behavior."

"We know that we have had fewer gun crimes, fewer homicides, and we have experienced an extreme reduction in carjackings," she said.

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