The D.C. City Council condemned President Trump’s federalization of the city’s police force and plans to deploy the National Guard to fight crime in the city.
“This is a manufactured intrusion on local authority. Violent crime in the District is at the lowest rates we’ve seen in 30 years. Federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department is unwarranted because there is no Federal emergency,” the council said in a statement.
“Further, the National Guard has no public safety training or knowledge of local laws. The Guard’s role does not include investigating or solving crimes in the District. Calling out the National Guard is an unnecessary deployment with no real mission.”
Under the Home Rule Act, Trump can temporarily take control of the District’s police department if he determines “special conditions of an emergency nature exist.” The president announced Monday he was declaring a public safety emergency in the District.
“It’s becoming a situation of complete and total lawlessness,” Trump said at a Monday morning press conference.
But that claim does not align with crime rates in the city.
According to the council, violent crime in the city has decreased by almost 50 percent over the last two years, a dynamic they credit to staying “laser focused on driving down crime” to some of the lowest figures in decades.
“The President was unable to cite any evidence that our MPD is not able to do the job. Let’s stay focused,” the council wrote.
“Taking over our police department and deploying hundreds of National Guard members is not the hard work of public safety — it is a show of force without impact.”
Source: The Hill - News
