Plans for the United States military to ready National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C. are underway. This is viewed as a reaction to the heightened attention President Trump is giving to the city’s street crime. Despite no definitive orders for deployment being sanctioned by Mr. Trump early Monday, the number of security personnel brought in could reach the hundreds. What’s certain is that the security detail will comprise of National Guard members from the District of Columbia pledged to aid local law enforcement in maintaining peace in the capital.
The exact specifics and particulars concerning the initiative were still unclear early Monday. This approach by the current regime aims to counteract the recent trend in Washington, D.C. where the crime rates have seen a welcome decline. However, in Mr. Trump’s assessment, the current situation is ‘totally out of control’, leading him to hint at the possibility of the federal government stepping in.
It’s important to note that the potential dispatch of National Guard units to Washington is not a conjecture; this information was earlier confirmed by sources including Reuters. It is foreseen that these troops, upon their activation, will play a primarily supportive role. They are unlikely to hold any arresting power but will instead provide backing to on-ground law enforcement teams, boosting their capacity to carry out patrol assignments.
As a part of this larger strategy employed by the Trump administration, 120 agents from the F.B.I. are due to be reassigned to overnight patrol activities in Washington in the short term. Primarily, these agents will be extracted from their regular engagements at the F.B.I.’s field office in Washington, specifically set aside for the task.
This move comes in the wake of earlier events where 5,000 National Guard personnel were strategically positioned in Los Angeles amidst summer protests. Their role was to manage any unease sparked in the wake of immigration-related operations and to shield the federal agents involved in conducting them. Presently, only 250 remain with the majority being dissolved back to their regular operations.
During his first phase as President, Mr. Trump made appeals to federal law enforcement and National Guard troops for assistance to manage protests. These were peaceful demonstrations prompted by the Black Lives Matter movement after George Floyd’s unfortunate death at the hands of police officers in 2020.
Notably, the District of Columbia lacks authority over its National Guard unlike other states which enjoy more control through their respective governors. This condition grants the U.S. president an extensive degree of freedom in the scope and manner of troop deployment in the District.
The post National Guard Readied in DC Amid Rising Street Crime appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
