Another Democratic councilor, Brianne Nadeau, from Ward 1, published in X that “DC is under siege” of the federal government, with “armed military patrolling our streets and masked agents collecting the neighbors and carrying them.”
“Our residents are afraid, they hesitate to leave and work, angry because our limited autonomy is eroding. There is nothing welcome in this,” he said.
When asked on Thursday about the criticisms of the council, Bowser said he had spoken for a long time on Wednesday “and I am starting to think that something I said was lost in my comments.”
“Our North Star is protecting the home rule and district autonomy in all things, especially during these last eight months, where it has been clear that our autonomy has been in the sight. That is our northern star since the beginning of this federal increase in officers,” he said.
“We do not ask for any federal officer. We are driving the crime down, but while they are here, how can we strategically use them to accelerate the work that MPD has done? That is our point,” he added, referring to the DC Metropolitan Police Department.
In his comments on Wednesday, Bowser said that since the federal acquisition, there has been a 87% drop in car theft compared to the same period last year. The aforementioned data also showed a 45% drop in violent crimes and a 12% reduction in property -related crimes, for an average decrease of 15% in crimes in general in the district since the same period last year.
“We know that when car thefts fall, when weapons use falls, when homicide or theft falls, neighborhoods feel safer and safer, so this increase has been important for us,” he said.
Bowser also expressed some of the same concerns as the members of the Council. “We know that having masked ice agents in the community has not worked, and the national guards of other states have not been an efficient use of those resources,” he said.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement on Wednesday that “crime is not a partisan problem.”
“The Americans hope that the elected officials prioritize their security over politics. The bold action and the association of President Trump with the application of the local law have quickly minimized violent crime and eliminated more than a thousand criminals from the streets of the capital of our nation,” he said. “Other Democratic leaders who criticize President Trump for cleaning DC should take notes about the tremendous success that Washington, DC, has already experienced under the leadership of President Trump.”
