Police statistics show steep declines in violent crime even as Trump invoked emergency powers over the department

On Saturday, Trump said the nation’s capital has become “one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World.” Last week he threatened to deploy the National Guard to D.C. and, as he has on several occasions since he was inaugurated in January, suggested that there should be a federal takeover.

President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is federalizing the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department to address a “public safety emergency,” a move that will give him complete law enforcement control over the district.