U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has made waves with a decisive order aimed at the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. On Thursday, she asserted federal control over local law enforcement by appointing Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terrence Cole as the emergency police commissioner. Bondi’s order seeks to dismantle the sanctuary city protections that D.C. previously enacted.
However, this move has ignited a fierce response from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. In a statement shared on social media, she referred to a letter from District Attorney General Brian Schwalb, who claimed that Bondi’s directive is “unlawful.” “There is no statute that conveys the District’s personnel authority to a federal official,” Bowser declared. This conflict highlights the tensions between local and federal authority, a theme that has become increasingly prominent in law enforcement discussions.
In her directive, Bondi mandated that any MPD directive must now receive prior approval from Commissioner Cole. She further suspended certain orders from the police chief and instructed the MPD to strictly enforce regulations related to the unlawful occupation of public spaces. These actions underscore her commitment to a tougher approach on crime, resonating with the administration’s broader public safety agenda.
Mayor Bowser, backed by Attorney General Schwalb, insists that Bondi’s order exceeds federal authority, specifically citing Section 740 of the Home Rule Act. Schwalb emphasized that this section does not empower the President or his designees to alter the command structure of the MPD or to dictate local enforcement priorities. “The Bondi Order is, therefore, ultra vires,” he stated, asserting a strong legal stance against federal overreach.
This power struggle unfolds amid ongoing concerns about crime in the nation’s capital and comes on the heels of President Trump’s own initiatives aimed at reinvigorating law enforcement efforts. As tensions escalate, both sides of this debate are determined to uphold their interpretations of legal authority and jurisdiction. Bondi’s bold moves signal a shift in the landscape of law enforcement in Washington, D.C., indicating a complicated battle over the future of policing in the capital.
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