DC to put national guard on joint patrols with local police after shootings | Washington DC
National Guard troops will be paired with local law enforcement on patrols in Washington, D.C., according to the report. Washington Post Friday, 48 hours after two guards were shot.
“Officers will conduct high visibility patrols alongside the national guard and provide assistance as needed,” according to an email sent to district leadership. Obtained by Post.
The email added that the situation was “fluid” and changes to the plan could still be made.
If enacted, the changes would represent a shift in the way security guards have been deployed in the nation’s capital since their appointment in August.
The Trump administration has stated that the presence of national guard troops has resulted in a significant reduction in street crimes, including murder and assault, because it allows law enforcement in the area to focus on other areas. Shifting them to accompany national guard troops could undermine the reason the troops were sent to the city in the first place.
“Law enforcement agencies in Washington, D.C., including the Metropolitan Police Department, are working in close coordination with the National Guard to keep our community safe,” an MPD spokesperson said, without confirming any changes were yet in effect.
Nearly 2,000 members of the national guard are deployed to Washington, D.C., as part of Trump’s “Safe and Beautiful Task Force.” But they do not have the same training as city police officers.
On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said: He said 500 additional national guard troops would be deployed to the US capital.
The changes come as the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting faces upgraded charges to first-degree murder after Army specialist Sarah Beckstrom died from her injuries in the attack. Rahmanullah Lakanwal is also accused of shooting Andrew Wolfe, a member of the West Virginia national guard.
