Earlier this month, President Donald Trump took control of the police in Washington, D.C.
On August 11, Trump declared a "crime emergency" in D.C., ordering "operational control of the Metropolitan Police Department" (MPD) to be "delegated to the Attorney General." He also authorized the deployment of National Guard troops and other federal law enforcement officers throughout the district. Ever since, federal authorities have been out in force, rounding up suspected criminals as well as motorbikes.
The takeover was nominally meant to protect D.C. residents from violent criminals run amok. But is that actually happening? Or are authorities just rounding people up for possessing drugs and handguns without the government's permission?
