US President Donald Trump on Thursday said Washington residents "feel so safe already", after he ordered federal agents and members of the National Guard to patrol the streets in support of local law enforcement.
The White House has said the move was needed amid a surge in violent crime, although city officials say crime has been decreasing in recent years.
"I had calls from many, many friends, including Democrats, a lot of Democrat friends ... and they were thanking me so much for what I'm doing in DC," Mr Trump told reporters from the Oval Office.
"So we will have crime under control very shortly in DC."
Mr Trump said Washington officials and police had "fudged" the crime statistics to make it seem as if violent incidents were going down.
"We're going to be getting the criminals the hell out of here. People are so happy to see our military going into DC and getting these thugs out of there," he said.
The federal intervention is supposed to last 30 days but Mr Trump has said he will have Republicans in Congress push for extensions.
A significant rise in the number of troops and federal agents could be seen on the streets on Thursday after the White House said the day before that more would be on patrol.
It has said that more arrests are being made and homeless people are being forced to remove their tents from public spaces.
The Pentagon says the 800 National Guard members who have been activated will have missions that include monument security and community safety patrols. They will not be armed, according to the Pentagon, and the White House said they will help with crowd control but will not be making arrests.
National Guard Maj Micah Maxwell said troops will assist federal and local law enforcement in a variety of roles, including traffic and crowd control. The Guard members have been trained in de-escalation tactics as well as the proper use of crowd control equipment, Maj Maxwell said.
Mr Trump has described the residents of Washington as "happy" to see troops and agents on the streets, but a viral video shows a man confronting a law enforcement officer and hitting him with a sandwich.
The man was charged with a felony and fired from his job at the Justice Department.
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg
Roma 4
Milner (15' OG), Dzeko (52'), Nainggolan (86', 90 4')
Liverpool 2
Mane (9'), Wijnaldum (25')
Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
