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In an effort to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital, President Donald Trump is ramping up federal enforcement in Washington, D.C., and deploying additional federal law enforcement agents this week.
Backed by a March executive order, the White House, respective federal agencies and local officials will work together to drive down D.C. crime.
D.C. residents can expect an increase in federal enforcement starting as early as Friday, officials said.
“Washington, D.C., is an amazing city, but it has sadly been plagued by petty and violent crime for far too long,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. “President Trump is committed to making our nation’s capital safer and even more beautiful for its residents, lawmakers, and visitors from all around the world.”
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Trump on Monday threatened to federalize Washington, D.C., calling for local minors and gang members over the age of 14 to be prosecuted as adults after a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee reported being violently beaten in the city by two juveniles.
A White House official told Fox News Digital the effort to revitalize the capital has been an ongoing priority for the president, who established the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force through the “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful” executive order.
Federal officials will monitor D.C.’s sanctuary city status to ensure compliance with federal immigration law and support the full accreditation of the district’s forensic crime laboratory to aid local investigations.
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The task force is also providing assistance to the city’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to boost recruitment, retain officers and facilitate work with federal personnel to reduce crime.
Other areas of focus include expediting the concealed carry permitting process in D.C., ending fare evasion and other crimes within the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority system and reviewing prosecutorial policies on pretrial detention to ensure suspects who pose a genuine threat to public safety are detained.
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One of the most visible changes will be a heightened federal law enforcement presence in and around key locations in the city.
Officials said deployments will include areas including the National Mall, Lafayette Park, Union Station, Rock Creek Park and major parkways.
The task force has already made progress, using federal enforcement and the National Park Services to increase enforcement, arrest illegal immigrants and remove homeless encampments from parks and public spaces.
Operational details had not been finalized as of Thursday afternoon.
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