“Washington, DC is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens. Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.”

The deployment follows President Trump’s effort to portray the nation’s capital as rife with violent crime, despite data showing crime rates dropping significantly.

The White House announced on Thursday that a planned increase in federal law enforcement in Washington, D.C., would focus on areas with heavy tourist traffic and other hot spots around the city beginning at midnight.