President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is federalizing the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department to address a “public safety emergency,” a move that will give him complete law enforcement control over the district.

The White House and D.C. leadership each try to assert that they are in control of the force, even as they emphasize cooperation and shared priorities.

Policing experts told NBC News they were perplexed by President Trump’s decision to take over law enforcement in Washington, D.C., and deploy the National Guard.