DC Police Chief Praises Trump's Federal Assistance

“Remember, you’re talking about 500 additional personnel in the District of Columbia,” Smith told WTTG-TV. “As you know, we’ve talked about the fact that we’re down in numbers with our police officers, and so this enhanced presence clearly is going to impact us in a positive way.”

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has been critical of the federal takeover, also said the assistance is welcomed while they try to recruit more officers. Bowser said she is hoping to employ a total of 3,800 officers to cover the district.

“To the extent that you see the federal surge getting more arrests, taking more guns, MPD officers would do the same thing,” Bowser said. “We need to be very, very focused on how we recruit, retain officers. How we make sure our policy environment promotes accountability for people who use guns in our city, and those things combined will make our city safe.”

MPD union Chairman Gregg Pemberton endorsed Trump's federalization of the district's police force on Monday, admitting crime in the city is "out of control."

“We stand with the President in recognizing that Washington, D.C., cannot continue on this trajectory. Crime is out of control, and our officers are stretched beyond their limits," he said. "The federal intervention is a critical stopgap, but the MPD needs proper staffing and support to thrive."