President Donald Trump has mobilized 800 National Guard members to Washington, D.C., and placed the city’s Metropolitan Police Department under federal control, citing what he called an “out-of-control” crime wave. The Pentagon confirmed that all troops are now on duty in the capital, marking a rare use of presidential authority to direct local policing in the federal district. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said the soldiers are unarmed military police assigned to support federal and local law-enforcement agencies through traffic control, security patrols and protection of federal facilities. The Guard will operate around the clock and remain in the city “until the president determines that law and order is restored.” A visible contingent of roughly 25 to 30 troops, backed by seven Humvees, has taken up positions outside Union Station, while others are patrolling the National Mall, Metro stations and selected neighborhoods. The Guard is working alongside the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection and other agencies. District officials dispute the need for the deployment. Mayor Muriel Bowser noted that violent crime has fallen to a three-decade low and called the takeover inconsistent with the data. Small protests have formed near federal checkpoints, and civil-liberties groups warn that the unprecedented federalization of the police force could erode local autonomy.