Therapy Isn't Neutral. Neither Am I: What DC Police Federal Control Reveals About Safety and Power

Crime is down in Washington, DC. So why is the Metropolitan Police Department now under federal control?

The President just declared a public state of emergency, announced that DC police can “do whatever the hell they want,” and invoked Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act — a rarely used provision that transfers command of the city’s police from local leadership to the White House.

For up to 30 days (or longer if Congress approves), the nation’s capital will have law enforcement operating without the usual local oversight.

Some will call this a “safety issue.” But safety without accountability isn’t safety, it’s control. And if we don’t name the difference, we risk losing both safety and our rights.

As a therapist, I can’t pretend this doesn’t matter. Mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. We can’t talk about trust, security, or well-being without talking about the systems that shape them.

---

Why DC Police Federal Control Matters Beyond Politics

Some will frame this as a "liberal issue" or a "conservative issue." I won't.

This is not left vs. right it's freedom vs. unchecked power.

Public safety is not just the absence of crime; it's the presence of trust, transparency, and oversight. When law enforcement power expands without clear oversight, that's not just a policy shift it's a mental health issue for communities who have to live with the consequences.

---

What History Tells Us About Safety and Oversight

Cities with strong police oversight often see both lower crime rates and higher public trust. The data is clear: accountability strengthens public safety.

History also tells us that when "public safety" is used to justify removing oversight, it rarely makes communities safer in the long run. Instead it often leads to reduced civil rights, increased community mistrust, and policies that are harder to reverse.

And let's be honest. Living in an overpoliced, under-accountable system isn't just a policy problems. It's a trauma problem, People in these environments often experience chronic stress, hypervigilance, and deep distrust of institutions meant to protect them.

---

The Escalation: Section 740, State of Emergency, and National Guard Deployment

The President invoked Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act — an extraordinary, rarely used provision that allows the White House to override local leadership and directly control the Metropolitan Police Department whenever “special conditions” are declared.

Under federal command, police power in DC is now operating without the usual local oversight for up to 30 days, or longer if Congress approves.

Pair that with the President’s statement that DC police can “do whatever the hell they want,” the declaration of a public state of emergency, and the deployment of 800 National Guard troops, and the security presence in the capital has sharply intensified. While larger troop levels were seen during the 2020 protests and the 2021 presidential inauguration, this combination of National Guard activation, direct federal police control, and emergency powers is both rare and consequential.

For communities already carrying the weight of systemic mistrust, this isn’t just a policy shift, it’s a psychological one. Safety isn’t just about the absence of crime; it’s also about knowing that those with authority over your life are accountable to the people they serve. Removing that oversight doesn’t erase fear it multiplies it.

---

The Therapist's Perspective on Safety and Accountability

Therapy isn't neutral because life isn't neutral.

Our mental health is shaped by the world we live in. From public policy to policing strategies, when "safety" is redefined to mean "freedom from oversight," the psychological impact is profound.

True safety is knowing that those with power are transparent, accountable, and acting in the interest of the entire community.

Advocating for oversight and accountability isn’t a political bias. It’s a mental health stance. Because we know that power without accountability breeds fear, instability, and disconnection.

---

Reflection & Action

Ask yourself:

• Who defines safety in your community?

• What's the cost when power grows without oversight?

• How do you balance your desire for safety with the need for freedom?

---

Closing:

DC has gone from falling crime rates to federal control, a public state of emergency, and a presidential declaration that police can "do whatever they hell they want."

These are not neutral developments. They shap not only public safety, but also community trust, civil rights, and mental health.

Therapy isn't neutral, neither am I. Because real safety isn't born from fear or unchecked power. It's built on transparency, accountability, and equal protection under the law.

Lose that, and we lose the foundation of safety itself.

-Reia

Therapist, writer, and creator of "Therapy Isn't Neutral, Neither Am I." I write about the intersections of mental health, social justice, and community safety at reiachapman.com.