500 federal officers, 100 FBI agents: How Trump plans to crackdown on crime and homelessness in Washington

US President Donald Trump is set to unveil new actions aimed at addressing crime and homelessness in Washington, D.C., at a 10 a.m. ET news conference on Monday (August 11). This follows his recent directive to bolster the federal law enforcement presence in the nation’s capital.

Trump declared on Truth Social on Monday that the US capital would be “liberated” from crime, homelessness, and what he described as “filth” and “scum”.

“Washington, D.C. will be LIBERATED today! Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum will DISAPPEAR. I will MAKE OUR CAPITAL GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote in a post. “The days of ruthlessly killing, or hurting, innocent people, are OVER! I quickly fixed the Border (ZERO ILLEGALS in last 3 months!), D.C. is next!!!”

A person familiar with the plan told The Associated Press that about 500 federal law enforcement officers will be assigned to patrols in Washington. The deployment includes more than 100 FBI agents and around 40 agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the US Marshals Service.

The Justice Department has not yet commented on the initiative.

Trump’s social media message

On Sunday, Trump posted on social media: “The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong.”

He also pledged to make Washington “safer and more beautiful than it ever was before.”

Crime trends in Washington

While Trump has described Washington as “one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World,” police data indicates that violent crime is down 26% compared with the same period in 2024. Homicides, robberies, and burglaries have all declined since last year, though violent crime levels remain higher than pre-2023 figures, AP reported.

Potential federal takeover of the capital

Last week, Trump suggested the federal government could seize control of Washington, calling crime levels “ridiculous” and the city “unsafe” after the recent assault of a Department of Government Efficiency member. Authorities have said the attack was unrelated to the victim’s government work.