In the United States, plans are underway to mobilize National Guard soldiers in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C., in response to President Trump’s intended drive against urban crime rates. As of the start of the week, no firm orders for deployment had been received from the president, although this is expected to change soon.
The president is believed to be on the brink of launching a press convention at the White House, where he will officially declare that several hundred D.C. National Guardsmen have been assigned to supplement the local law enforcement bodies in the district. As of the start of the week, however, no additional specifics were available regarding the operation.
Despite a quantifiable decrease in Washington D.C crime rates recently, President Trump has voiced concerns that the current situation is ‘completely unmanageable’ and has proposed the possibility of national control. The reassignment of the National Guard, reported by Reuters prior to its approval, isn’t expected to come with arrest powers attached.
Rather than making arrests, these troops would assist the law enforcement officers in their duties, providing them with the extra support needed for their various roles. This would then free up the law enforcement force, allowing them to focus more on their patrol assignments.
President Trump’s administration also has plans to momentarily reposition 120 Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) agents in Washington to undertake night patrol duties. The move is part of President Trump’s broader plan to crack down on local crimes plaguing the capital city.
The majority of these agents will likely be drawn from their usual responsibilities at the Washington field office of the F.B.I. The activation of troops in the capital follows another large scale activation earlier on during the summer.
Subsequent to that activation, close to 5,000 National Guard soldiers were directed towards Los Angeles in order to assist in controlling protests that had broken out as a result of immigration raids. In addition, these soldiers also had the mandate to safeguard the federal agents who were in charge of implementing these raids.
Of those dispatched to Los Angeles, all except around 250 National Guard soldiers have been called back from their duties. President Trump has a record of deploying National Guard soldiers and federal law enforcement officers for various sensitive tasks.
During his first term, amid the Black Lives Matter protests that followed the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police in 2020, the President mobilized the National Guard and federal law enforcement personnel to disperse peaceful protestors effectively.
The District of Columbia is unique in that, unlike other states, it does not have administrative control over its own National Guard. This provides the president with considerable latitude to deploy these soldiers as he deems fit.
These latest moves by the Trump administration indicate a continued faith in the National Guard’s ability to bolster local law enforcement efforts in key areas, despite the controversy that has occasionally surrounded their deployment in the past.
The ultimate impact of these National Guard deployments on the level of crime in Washington D.C. deals will likely become clearer once the plan has been fully implemented and any initial obstacles have been navigated.
The precise role of the National Guard, their cooperation with local law enforcement, and potential impact on the city’s crime rate will all be areas of keen interest as this situation evolves over time.
Of note is the impact this new deployment will have on the regular duties doled out to the F.B.I. agents, particularly in light of their shift to the comparatively distinct task of night patrols.
The actions of the Trump administration clearly emphasize his approach towards tackling crime rates — utilizing federal resources to provide a robust response to state and local challenges.
The post Trump to Deploy National Guard in Washington D.C. as Crime Rates Spike appeared first on Real News Now.
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