Residents in D.C.’s high-crime neighborhoods back federal takeover of city police
Robbie Woodland was skeptical of President Trump’s takeover of the District of Columbia until she spotted a patrol firsthand in Southeast.
The lifelong Washingtonian watched as federal agents drove by without performing any jump-outs or other strong-arm police tactics of the sort she feared would target her predominantly Black neighbors living across the Anacostia River, a part of the nation’s capital long associated with high crime.
When she took her focus off the patrol and looked at her surroundings, she noticed that the troublemakers who had become fixtures of her community were nowhere to be found.
The D.C. Police Union, an avid supporter of the president’s move, shared data showing major drops in carjackings (down 83%), robberies (down 46%) and overall violent crime (down 22%) during the first week of the federal takeover.
Social media videos have shown FBI agents conducting patrols along 14th Street Northwest in Columbia Heights, which has one of the biggest increases in violent crime in the District year-over-year.
Martin Mancia, who has lived in Columbia Heights for 32 years, said he supports the takeover and has seen federal authorities interact cordially with residents as they walk around the neighborhood.
“The government has to apply the law,” he said. “You’re talking about illegal guns, drugs, this and that. I see no problem with it.”
the District has the fourth-highest homicide rate in the country, outpacing New York City and Chicago, and has one of the highest car theft rates in the nation.
I'm all for having an orderly capitol city, and the residents being able to enjoy peaceful lives. To the extent local governance wasn't working, something had to be done to fix it.
On the other hand, when Biden was President, a lot of folks on my side of the political spectrum raised concerns that the "Defund the Police" movement would lead to violence and chaos in the cities, and that this would eventually be used as justification for a federalized police force. And isn't that precisely what we're seeing now?
We've seen what a politicized FBI looks like: Senior citizens arrested for praying outside an abortion clinic; parents put on watchlists for expressing anger at a trans "girl" raping a girl in a public school bathroom and so on.
Now we see federal agents serving as a local police force. It's just temporary, we're told. Is it really? I don't know. A federalized police force under a President Newsom or Harris or Ocasio-Cortez is a pretty chilling prospect.
I dont see why you are "torn", but you are entitled to your feelings.
Defund the police is not practical. Criminals will continue to be criminals, esp when there are no consequences. One day you will experience their efforts.
The judicial and court process has become untenable for law abiding citizens. Bad guys continually get a free pass, while law abiding citizens are screwed.
As you examples above describe, I NEVER saw Trump v 1.0 nor v2.0 go after "law abiding citizens". Yes, he and his DOJ are now investigating all the politicization that was done under Obama and Biden, and hopefully bring some exposure/humiliation and perhaps jail time to those offenders, as well as undue the injustices that were committed by those two presidents.
Whatever folks think of Trump, he has been railroaded and persecuted for 10 years now, IMO, and I am fully informed.
Having a police presence whether in dc or other crime infested cities works wonders. Law breakers see them and scatter like rats, and many get caught. Lets hope the justice system works as it was intended on those rats. Law abiding citizens can go about their day, in relative peace and comfort, knowing that law enforcement is on the job.
I never had a problem with seeing police, or military personnel on the streets. Made me a bit more relaxed and safer.
Like you, I could not imagine any of the dems you listed being in charge of national law enforcement (think what Commie-la did to the southern border as Czar). We would all be lined up, provided a mask, and given a shot to stop v 12.0 of "covid", or we would not be allowed to walk in public. A bit extreme but we were very close to that back in 2021 etc.
ABSOLUTELY! Any of those Dems he mentioned being in control of anything more than what they are already (& F***** up) is the truly truly troubling and very very scary part. OY!!!
A federal police force under any president, including Trump, is a chilling prospect. Law enforcement must be conducted by the state, not the feds.
That said, if this experiment dramatically reduces violent crime, then we have a possible solution for the capital city: the federal government gives D.C. enough money to duplicate this experiment permanently. (Note: the D.C. budget is federally funded, which is why the feds have to pay.)
That means hundreds of millions of dollars a year to pay for hundreds of officers whose sole duty is walking neighborhoods in combat gear and rifles. They will interact with residents in four-officer fire teams, but not have to respond to the everyday 911 calls that "regular" cops must.
If the federal government is not willing to ante up to permanently reduce violent crime in D.C., then this military show of force was only a stunt. And it cannot be duplicated in any other city because no other city can afford those hundreds of millions of dollars for roving fire teams.
It is very notable that the police union supports Trump's effort and contradicts city leaders on the extent of the crime problem. Unions usually aren't enthusiastic about intrusions on "bargaining unit work."
It's usually a terrible idea to get the military involved in law enforcement. The military is trained to destroy enemies with the maximum force they can muster. Law enforcement is supposed to be trained to use the minimum force possible to defuse volatile situations and take people into custody when needed. That's why "martial law" is a scary term and should be.
But in this case, the broader purpose justifies the risk. Trump is exposing that cities can be made safe, clean, and pleasant. The only reason they're not is that city leaders across the country are refusing to do their jobs. If Trump succeeds and forces some city leaders to do their jobs better, many children in cities will grow up in a much safer and better environment, and some will live who would have otherwise died.
Those are the stakes. You don't have to like the Orange Man or trust his motives to see the value in this.
There is also the demonstration that basic conservative principles provide better governance and function, and a more civil society. One of the manifest contradictions of current Liberalism is that it ended up making the argument that you should be punished for not wearing a paper mask, but that it was OK to shoplift in broad daylight (with a threat of force in many cases) and take things out of peoples' hands if you were the right "identity".
A simple demonstration of competence is a strong political argument.
But, you are right, there are many who can't see past who's doing it. If Godzilla started destroying San Francisco, and the Trump administration started defending it, we would see The Omnicause turn out with pro-giant-lizard messaging.
Democrats find themselves in the awkward position of having to explain why they oppose a reduction in violent crime in Dem run cities. It’s not a good look.
As an old fart, I remember a tale told by Ivanovich Belenko who in 1976 defected to the west by flying a fully operational Mig-25 'Foxbat' to Japan. He said that his squadron was shown a propaganda film showing the Watts riots as an example of the downfall of the west. He said that what actually shocked him and his fellow pilots was how many cars lined the streets in the background, showing that even the poorest U.S. citizens could afford new or late-model cars, completely backfiring on the intent of the propaganda film. Relating that to the above report about D.C. and all the protests, what struck me was that the protesters were almost uniformly white and female in a town that is majority black. In all the footage I saw only one dark-skinned male, and even he looked like someone from out of town. I would bet $1000 that not one of those protesters could be persuaded to walk alone and unarmed down a D.C. street of my choice at 1:00 am
One of my acquaintances (I would have called her a friend until she spent 2021-2022 agreeing that I should lose my job for not wanting to take part in a sketchy medical experiment) has been screeching non-stop for a week about how low crime really is in DC. She lives in fucking Kensington. It's 85% white and the median household income is $150K.
The murder record in D.C. declined to 29 per 100,000 residents from 40/100,000. That’s why they say crime is “down 30%”. But the D.C. murder rate is still four times the U.S. average of about 7/100,000 and well above most “third world” levels. In Europe, the same rate is 1-2/100,000. So yes, D.C. has a serious crime problem. Last I looked, 9 of the 10 highest crime cities were controlled by Democrats. Probably just a coincidence.
When you’re comparing yourself to yourself WATCH OUT
Its like the 29 year old who couldn’t read at the third grade level last year and now he can read at the fifth grade level and he feels he should be CEO because he basically skipped a grade because of his proficiency.
There's definitely a perspective here. But interesting footage.
Where were these screechy cosplayers ("the resistance" = Boomer + Millenial cosplayers, AFAICT) during the lockdowns? When peaceful abortion protesters were dealt actual SWAT teams, not just "scary looking police" committing the sin of being around suppressing the usual street crime.
It's funny that the left is fine with armed military police walking around European cities, but are sure it's "fascism" in the US.
There seemed also to be an Omnicause vibe going on, with all the transvestites showing up and making it about them.
I couldn't watch that much of it as it was obviously led by professional agitators. The chant leader had the intelligence of a fox terrier. Which species that insults is anyone's guess.
The last time I left someone's home in Georgetown I was advised, seriously, to "serpentine," as in the In -laws movie, " Serpentine, Shel, serpentine."
A woman had been shot nearby the week before. That same visit, my wallet was stolen in Union station. While we were having coffee. A coworker who lived in Kalorama said he hears gunshots most nights.
The people who openly oppose law enforcement of any kind are sanguine about crime and chaos. No protest, ever, when people get shot and teenage thugs carjack. They're pretty dangerous.
99 44/100% of these rude and stupid protesters are white and I would bet dollars to donuts that not a one of them actually live in DC, and most of them are recently unemployed federal deadwood, I mean ‘workers’. (Thank you DOGE).
I’d like to see the before and after crime statistics.
This 99.9% white group doesn’t appear to have any support from the black community who suffer the most from crime. Just what black people need — a group of whites to do their thinking and protesting for them.
Unfortunately, for too long, too many black people have allowed do-gooder whites to do their thinking and protesting for them. The results have been speaking loudly for a very long time, but the ignorance was near absolute with Democrats counting on a 90% vote share from the black community.
There are signs of an awakening here, but it's still very low level and it will take a couple decades at the current pace to seriously matter.
when I watch all the videos of the store breakins and looting, street riots and smashed windows and cars, in whatever city is on the news, it appears to me that 95% + of the participants are black (or POC). Despite the myriad masks and hoodies they wear, you can easily see they are blacks, and likely from their own, or nearby neighborhoods. Simply put these folks are hurting themselves and their neighbors, which is sad to see. More of their community need to stand up and call it out, and call on law enforcement to put a stop to it, with our court system support of sentencing offenders. Consequences (negative) is what people understand, and behavior is modified from that.
"More of their community need to stand up and call it out, and call on law enforcement to put a stop to it,"
Sorry, that would be racist. They would be supporting the Man against the brothers.
Right on cue:
"I'm concerned about the way he is rolling that out in Washington, DC," Bass said, "which is essentially calling, essentially going after young black and brown youth . . ."
Two things… First, my kudos to the troops and officers who showed up to help. I would have lost my shit within an hour of having to listen to the “Bullhorn Harpies” screeching nonstop at me. Second, I didn’t see anyone protesting who appeared to be “DC native”. This underscores the thought that these protests are astroturfing at its finest.
Some of them are TurboKarens who probably Uber'ed in from Great Falls and Chevy Chase at the prompting of the "Community Call for Action" that substitutes for an actual homily at whatever Unitarian gobbledygook church they socialize at on Sunday mornings before the organic farmers market opens. The vast majority are rent-a-mobs.
it will certainly kill the "shop-lifting economy", which is just fine with me! I keep thinking how fun it would be to stand in a CVS and wait for a lifter to start exiting the store, and just plow his/her ass over, then pummel them with the stuff they stole, while the cops are on the way to respond to my 911 phone call....
"I’m confident you’ll find this to be another excellent installment of Racket’s “Activism, Uncensored” which even includes a parrot as part of the action."
So the crowd isn’t the only cosplay here — that ‘parrot’ is actually a cockatoo.
Residents in D.C.’s high-crime neighborhoods back federal takeover of city police
Robbie Woodland was skeptical of President Trump’s takeover of the District of Columbia until she spotted a patrol firsthand in Southeast.
The lifelong Washingtonian watched as federal agents drove by without performing any jump-outs or other strong-arm police tactics of the sort she feared would target her predominantly Black neighbors living across the Anacostia River, a part of the nation’s capital long associated with high crime.
When she took her focus off the patrol and looked at her surroundings, she noticed that the troublemakers who had become fixtures of her community were nowhere to be found.
The D.C. Police Union, an avid supporter of the president’s move, shared data showing major drops in carjackings (down 83%), robberies (down 46%) and overall violent crime (down 22%) during the first week of the federal takeover.
Social media videos have shown FBI agents conducting patrols along 14th Street Northwest in Columbia Heights, which has one of the biggest increases in violent crime in the District year-over-year.
Martin Mancia, who has lived in Columbia Heights for 32 years, said he supports the takeover and has seen federal authorities interact cordially with residents as they walk around the neighborhood.
“The government has to apply the law,” he said. “You’re talking about illegal guns, drugs, this and that. I see no problem with it.”
the District has the fourth-highest homicide rate in the country, outpacing New York City and Chicago, and has one of the highest car theft rates in the nation.
I'm torn.
I'm all for having an orderly capitol city, and the residents being able to enjoy peaceful lives. To the extent local governance wasn't working, something had to be done to fix it.
On the other hand, when Biden was President, a lot of folks on my side of the political spectrum raised concerns that the "Defund the Police" movement would lead to violence and chaos in the cities, and that this would eventually be used as justification for a federalized police force. And isn't that precisely what we're seeing now?
We've seen what a politicized FBI looks like: Senior citizens arrested for praying outside an abortion clinic; parents put on watchlists for expressing anger at a trans "girl" raping a girl in a public school bathroom and so on.
Now we see federal agents serving as a local police force. It's just temporary, we're told. Is it really? I don't know. A federalized police force under a President Newsom or Harris or Ocasio-Cortez is a pretty chilling prospect.
Johnathan,
I dont see why you are "torn", but you are entitled to your feelings.
Defund the police is not practical. Criminals will continue to be criminals, esp when there are no consequences. One day you will experience their efforts.
The judicial and court process has become untenable for law abiding citizens. Bad guys continually get a free pass, while law abiding citizens are screwed.
As you examples above describe, I NEVER saw Trump v 1.0 nor v2.0 go after "law abiding citizens". Yes, he and his DOJ are now investigating all the politicization that was done under Obama and Biden, and hopefully bring some exposure/humiliation and perhaps jail time to those offenders, as well as undue the injustices that were committed by those two presidents.
Whatever folks think of Trump, he has been railroaded and persecuted for 10 years now, IMO, and I am fully informed.
Having a police presence whether in dc or other crime infested cities works wonders. Law breakers see them and scatter like rats, and many get caught. Lets hope the justice system works as it was intended on those rats. Law abiding citizens can go about their day, in relative peace and comfort, knowing that law enforcement is on the job.
I never had a problem with seeing police, or military personnel on the streets. Made me a bit more relaxed and safer.
Like you, I could not imagine any of the dems you listed being in charge of national law enforcement (think what Commie-la did to the southern border as Czar). We would all be lined up, provided a mask, and given a shot to stop v 12.0 of "covid", or we would not be allowed to walk in public. A bit extreme but we were very close to that back in 2021 etc.
ABSOLUTELY! Any of those Dems he mentioned being in control of anything more than what they are already (& F***** up) is the truly truly troubling and very very scary part. OY!!!
A federal police force under any president, including Trump, is a chilling prospect. Law enforcement must be conducted by the state, not the feds.
That said, if this experiment dramatically reduces violent crime, then we have a possible solution for the capital city: the federal government gives D.C. enough money to duplicate this experiment permanently. (Note: the D.C. budget is federally funded, which is why the feds have to pay.)
That means hundreds of millions of dollars a year to pay for hundreds of officers whose sole duty is walking neighborhoods in combat gear and rifles. They will interact with residents in four-officer fire teams, but not have to respond to the everyday 911 calls that "regular" cops must.
If the federal government is not willing to ante up to permanently reduce violent crime in D.C., then this military show of force was only a stunt. And it cannot be duplicated in any other city because no other city can afford those hundreds of millions of dollars for roving fire teams.
It is very notable that the police union supports Trump's effort and contradicts city leaders on the extent of the crime problem. Unions usually aren't enthusiastic about intrusions on "bargaining unit work."
It's usually a terrible idea to get the military involved in law enforcement. The military is trained to destroy enemies with the maximum force they can muster. Law enforcement is supposed to be trained to use the minimum force possible to defuse volatile situations and take people into custody when needed. That's why "martial law" is a scary term and should be.
But in this case, the broader purpose justifies the risk. Trump is exposing that cities can be made safe, clean, and pleasant. The only reason they're not is that city leaders across the country are refusing to do their jobs. If Trump succeeds and forces some city leaders to do their jobs better, many children in cities will grow up in a much safer and better environment, and some will live who would have otherwise died.
Those are the stakes. You don't have to like the Orange Man or trust his motives to see the value in this.
There is also the demonstration that basic conservative principles provide better governance and function, and a more civil society. One of the manifest contradictions of current Liberalism is that it ended up making the argument that you should be punished for not wearing a paper mask, but that it was OK to shoplift in broad daylight (with a threat of force in many cases) and take things out of peoples' hands if you were the right "identity".
A simple demonstration of competence is a strong political argument.
But, you are right, there are many who can't see past who's doing it. If Godzilla started destroying San Francisco, and the Trump administration started defending it, we would see The Omnicause turn out with pro-giant-lizard messaging.
Democrats find themselves in the awkward position of having to explain why they oppose a reduction in violent crime in Dem run cities. It’s not a good look.
maybe the Dems should sport blue caps reading KDCD (i.e. Keep DC dangerous)
Right? Talk about painting yourself into a corner...
"History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of man"
Godzilla.
Funny. Sad and true, but funny.
🎯🎯
As an old fart, I remember a tale told by Ivanovich Belenko who in 1976 defected to the west by flying a fully operational Mig-25 'Foxbat' to Japan. He said that his squadron was shown a propaganda film showing the Watts riots as an example of the downfall of the west. He said that what actually shocked him and his fellow pilots was how many cars lined the streets in the background, showing that even the poorest U.S. citizens could afford new or late-model cars, completely backfiring on the intent of the propaganda film. Relating that to the above report about D.C. and all the protests, what struck me was that the protesters were almost uniformly white and female in a town that is majority black. In all the footage I saw only one dark-skinned male, and even he looked like someone from out of town. I would bet $1000 that not one of those protesters could be persuaded to walk alone and unarmed down a D.C. street of my choice at 1:00 am
One of my acquaintances (I would have called her a friend until she spent 2021-2022 agreeing that I should lose my job for not wanting to take part in a sketchy medical experiment) has been screeching non-stop for a week about how low crime really is in DC. She lives in fucking Kensington. It's 85% white and the median household income is $150K.
The murder record in D.C. declined to 29 per 100,000 residents from 40/100,000. That’s why they say crime is “down 30%”. But the D.C. murder rate is still four times the U.S. average of about 7/100,000 and well above most “third world” levels. In Europe, the same rate is 1-2/100,000. So yes, D.C. has a serious crime problem. Last I looked, 9 of the 10 highest crime cities were controlled by Democrats. Probably just a coincidence.
When percentage is used WATCH OUT
When you’re comparing yourself to yourself WATCH OUT
Its like the 29 year old who couldn’t read at the third grade level last year and now he can read at the fifth grade level and he feels he should be CEO because he basically skipped a grade because of his proficiency.
The murder rate declined... Yeah, right --- and my 2011 F-150 can go to the moon and back on one tank of gas.
Maybe it could with a solar charger. :)
There are no such things as coincidences.
Most of them likely work for "Crowds on Demand" or similar.
There's definitely a perspective here. But interesting footage.
Where were these screechy cosplayers ("the resistance" = Boomer + Millenial cosplayers, AFAICT) during the lockdowns? When peaceful abortion protesters were dealt actual SWAT teams, not just "scary looking police" committing the sin of being around suppressing the usual street crime.
It's funny that the left is fine with armed military police walking around European cities, but are sure it's "fascism" in the US.
There seemed also to be an Omnicause vibe going on, with all the transvestites showing up and making it about them.
I couldn't watch that much of it as it was obviously led by professional agitators. The chant leader had the intelligence of a fox terrier. Which species that insults is anyone's guess.
The last time I left someone's home in Georgetown I was advised, seriously, to "serpentine," as in the In -laws movie, " Serpentine, Shel, serpentine."
https://youtu.be/W9MU2oXzSL4?feature=shared
A woman had been shot nearby the week before. That same visit, my wallet was stolen in Union station. While we were having coffee. A coworker who lived in Kalorama said he hears gunshots most nights.
The people who openly oppose law enforcement of any kind are sanguine about crime and chaos. No protest, ever, when people get shot and teenage thugs carjack. They're pretty dangerous.
Agua fria…..that’s cold water, Shel
Anyone else wondering how many of these protesters are government employees?
Or ex government employees.
I........throw a sandwich in your general direction!!!!!
😂😂
government employees tossing around the F(ascist) word, of course.
Yes, I did.
99 44/100% of these rude and stupid protesters are white and I would bet dollars to donuts that not a one of them actually live in DC, and most of them are recently unemployed federal deadwood, I mean ‘workers’. (Thank you DOGE).
I’d like to see the before and after crime statistics.
Agree. Now, Matt and crew do an interview with D.C. residents.
YES!
This 99.9% white group doesn’t appear to have any support from the black community who suffer the most from crime. Just what black people need — a group of whites to do their thinking and protesting for them.
Unfortunately, for too long, too many black people have allowed do-gooder whites to do their thinking and protesting for them. The results have been speaking loudly for a very long time, but the ignorance was near absolute with Democrats counting on a 90% vote share from the black community.
There are signs of an awakening here, but it's still very low level and it will take a couple decades at the current pace to seriously matter.
? I had,
when I watch all the videos of the store breakins and looting, street riots and smashed windows and cars, in whatever city is on the news, it appears to me that 95% + of the participants are black (or POC). Despite the myriad masks and hoodies they wear, you can easily see they are blacks, and likely from their own, or nearby neighborhoods. Simply put these folks are hurting themselves and their neighbors, which is sad to see. More of their community need to stand up and call it out, and call on law enforcement to put a stop to it, with our court system support of sentencing offenders. Consequences (negative) is what people understand, and behavior is modified from that.
"More of their community need to stand up and call it out, and call on law enforcement to put a stop to it,"
Sorry, that would be racist. They would be supporting the Man against the brothers.
Right on cue:
"I'm concerned about the way he is rolling that out in Washington, DC," Bass said, "which is essentially calling, essentially going after young black and brown youth . . ."
https://thepostmillennial.com/karen-bass-claims-fighting-crime-in-dc-is-racist
Any satirists out there? Anybody writing about this?
Not sure you can satirize a roving foul mouthed band of self satirizers. Feel free to give it a shot. If it doesn't work, someone can satirize you.
Ah, good point. They're doing it themselves very brilliantly. I'll stay away from them. Including the parrot.
I could see protesters being met by unsympathetic residents who are welcoming the return of law & order.
---------------
Major Strasser: Are you one of those people who cannot imagine the Germans in their beloved Paris?
Rick: It's not particularly my beloved Paris.
Major Strasser: How about New York?
Rick: Well there are certain sections of New York, Major, that I wouldn't advise you to try to invade.
---------------------
Two things… First, my kudos to the troops and officers who showed up to help. I would have lost my shit within an hour of having to listen to the “Bullhorn Harpies” screeching nonstop at me. Second, I didn’t see anyone protesting who appeared to be “DC native”. This underscores the thought that these protests are astroturfing at its finest.
Some of them are TurboKarens who probably Uber'ed in from Great Falls and Chevy Chase at the prompting of the "Community Call for Action" that substitutes for an actual homily at whatever Unitarian gobbledygook church they socialize at on Sunday mornings before the organic farmers market opens. The vast majority are rent-a-mobs.
Cracking down on crime will kill the local economy!
it will certainly kill the "shop-lifting economy", which is just fine with me! I keep thinking how fun it would be to stand in a CVS and wait for a lifter to start exiting the store, and just plow his/her ass over, then pummel them with the stuff they stole, while the cops are on the way to respond to my 911 phone call....
Cringebait. ; )
Disappointed, the video was lopsided in its coverage of the most annoying, entitled protestors ever.
"I’m confident you’ll find this to be another excellent installment of Racket’s “Activism, Uncensored” which even includes a parrot as part of the action."
So the crowd isn’t the only cosplay here — that ‘parrot’ is actually a cockatoo.
A cockatoo is just a snooty parrot
I take some small measure of comfort knowing that these is likely paid actors. The everyday person does not want crime and squalor.
Apparently there a lot of unemployed theater majors out there in DC.