D.C. Police Union endorses Trump’s federal takeover of Metropolitan Police Department
- D.C. Police Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton publicly backed President Donald Trump’s federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), calling it a necessary response to “out of control” crime and officer understaffing.
- On Aug. 11, Trump signed an executive order invoking emergency powers under the Home Rule Act, placing the MPD under direct federal control and bypassing D.C.’s mayor and police chief.
- The order installs Attorney General Pam Bondi as the head of MPD operations, with local leadership sidelined for at least 30 days unless Congress approves an extension.
- Trump announced the deployment of 800 National Guard troops and over 500 federal agents from multiple agencies to patrol D.C., framing the action as a “rescue” from violence and lawlessness.
- Pemberton cited the 2020 Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act as a major cause of MPD’s personnel crisis, arguing it undermined morale, drove away veteran officers and made recruitment difficult.
D.C. Police Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton has backed President Donald Trump’s temporary federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and deployment of National Guard troops to address “out of control” crime in the capital.
The move, which Trump called “Liberation Day in D.C.,” has gained support from Pemberton, a vocal critic of the D.C. City Council’s criminal justice reforms.
“We stand with the President in recognizing that Washington, D.C., cannot continue on this trajectory,” Pemberton said. “Crime is out of control, and our officers are stretched beyond their limits. The federal intervention is a critical stopgap, but the MPD needs proper staffing and support to thrive. This can only happen by repealing the disastrous policies that have driven out our best officers and hindered recruitment.”
Pemberton pointed specifically to the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act of 2020 as a key factor in the ongoing personnel crisis at MPD. Passed in the wake of nationwide protests over police violence, the law introduced broad accountability measures and limits on certain police practices. Pemberton also accused Council members of driving away veteran officers and discouraging new recruits. (Related: Rioters in Washington, D.C. defaced a monument honoring the victims of communism.)
Trump declares “crime emergency” in D.C.
Pemberton’s statement came shortly after Trump signed an executive order placing the MPD under federal control due to a surge in violent crime and chronic understaffing.
“I’m officially invoking section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, you know what that is, and placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control,” Trump said on Aug. 11. This sidestepped D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, the police chief and other local authorities to place Attorney General Pam Bondi in command of the department effective immediately.
The order declares a “crime emergency” in Washington, citing threats to federal employees, tourists and the functioning of the federal government. The White House contends that D.C.’s elected leadership has failed to maintain “public order and safety,” justifying an extraordinary intervention. Under the order, D.C.’s MPD now answers directly to the federal executive branch.
“As President, I have a solemn duty to take care that our laws are faithfully executed, and a sacred responsibility to protect the safety and security of United States citizens who live in and visit our Nation’s capital, including Federal workers who live or commute into the District of Columbia. These conditions cannot persist. We will make the District of Columbia one of the safest cities in the world, not the most dangerous,” Trump wrote in the order.
Trump also announced that he will deploy at least 800 National Guard troops and more than 500 federal law enforcement officers from federal agencies to Washington, D.C., to “rescue” the city from rampant crime and chaos. He claimed the capital has been “overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals” and warned that military intervention could follow if necessary.
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