WASHINGTON – A decisive majority of Washington, D.C., residents feel their personal safety has declined and strongly oppose the White House's move to place the city's police department under federal control, according to a new Washington Post-Schar School poll released this week. The findings quantify a deep chasm between the Trump administration's public safety strategy for the nation's capital and the sentiment of the people who live there.

The poll, conducted by The Washington Post and George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, found that roughly eight in ten residents—over 80%—are against President Donald Trump's order for the federal government to assume command of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Similar levels of opposition were recorded regarding the administration's heavy deployment of National Guard troops and FBI agents for routine patrols on city streets.

This significant federal intervention was initiated by the administration earlier this summer, citing a surge in violent crime and criticizing the city's local leadership for failing to maintain order. The White House has consistently argued that its actions were necessary to restore law and order in the capital. However, the poll suggests this approach has backfired with the local populace, fostering an environment of increased anxiety rather than security.

A City on Edge

According to the survey's detailed results, a significant portion of residents reported feeling less safe since the federal presence was visibly increased. The sentiment crosses demographic lines, though it is particularly pronounced in the city's predominantly Black neighborhoods, where relationships with law enforcement have historically been fraught with tension.

"The presence of soldiers and federal agents on our corners doesn't feel like protection; it feels like an occupation," one long-time Anacostia resident told reporters on the condition of anonymity. "We know our local officers. We don't know these troops. It's unnerving."

The poll reflects a direct challenge to the administration's narrative that a stronger, federally-led force is the solution to the city's public safety concerns. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has been a vocal critic of the federal intervention, arguing it undermines the principles of home rule and disrupts community-based policing efforts developed by the MPD over decades.

The Home Rule Debate Intensified

The federal takeover has reignited the long-standing and contentious debate over Washington, D.C.'s political autonomy. As a federal district, the U.S. Congress retains ultimate authority over the city's laws and budget, a constitutional arrangement that advocates for D.C. statehood have long sought to change.

Legal experts note that while the federal government has jurisdiction within the District, the direct command of a local municipal police force by a presidential order is an aggressive and largely unprecedented maneuver. It bypasses the city's elected officials and raises critical questions about the balance of power between the federal government and the nearly 700,000 U.S. citizens who reside in the capital.

The poll indicates that the recent federal actions may be galvanizing support for D.C. statehood, with many residents viewing the police takeover as the most potent argument yet for full self-governance. As the federal presence continues and local opposition solidifies, the clash over control of Washington's streets has become a defining issue for both the city's future and the administration's law-and-order platform.