For years before the federal takeover, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), responsible for safety on the streets of the nation's capital, has for years faced a chronic shortage of officers. Departures are rapidly growing to far exceed recruitment and leaving the force as many as 800 officers short of what's needed.
The severe shortage of new officers in the MPD has left the department stretched thin while the city faces a public safety crisis, including violent crime rates that outpace many of America’s largest cities. The District has the fourth-highest homicide rate in the nation, "nearly six times higher than New York City and also higher than Atlanta, Chicago, and Compton," according to statistics released by the White House.
Surge of federal resources
Since President Donald Trump announced he would order a federal takeover of the MPD earlier this month, the administration has surged federal resources to the city, including using agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Park Police, Secret Service and National Guard troops to support law enforcement efforts in the capital.
