On Friday, the Trump administration revised its decision and agreed to allow Washington, DC Police Chief Pamela Smith to remain in charge of the Metropolitan Police Department. This decision came after officials in DC took legal action to prevent President Donald Trump from taking control of the city’s police force.
US District Judge Ana Reyes stated that the Trump administration is unable to legally take control of the city police, although the law likely grants the president more power than the city would prefer. Reyes interpreted the law as allowing the president to request information, requiring the mayor to provide it, but not giving the president control over the police.
This development is the latest in a series of tense interactions between Trump and DC. Earlier in the week, Trump deployed hundreds of National Guard troops to the city as part of a crime crackdown, characterizing the event as “Liberation Day” and claiming that the city needed to be saved from “crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor.”
In the days leading up to the court order, Trump expanded the scope of his control over law enforcement agencies in DC, placing the police department under federal jurisdiction. DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit against this move, seeking a court order to block Trump’s takeover as unlawful.
Following hours of deliberation in court, Judge Reyes urged both sides to reach a compromise, ultimately leading to the decision to let Police Chief Smith remain in command. This incident is the latest example of Trump’s ongoing efforts to test the boundaries of his legal authorities.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/us-trump-administration-to-keep-dc-police-chief-in-charge/a-73664419?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
