Thousands of National Guard troops are deployed in Washington, D.C. under the president’s crime emergency declaration. Now, there is a plan to add assets: Boats, 60 marked police cars and military vehicles, including humvees and light towers.
“The administration is going the opposite direction that we need to be going,” D.C. Council Public Safety Committee Chair Brooke Pinto said during a hearing Friday.
D.C.’s Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said he was unaware of the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to ramp up military assets in the District.
“I too read about it in a news article on my phone, so it’s the first I’ve heard of it. I don’t know what that means for MPD, or any impact, I haven’t heard anything about that, nor am I familiar with any boat operations in Anacostia with drug dealers,” Chief Carroll said.
Much of the added resources would focus on gang and drug enforcement, according to the plan outlined by Hegseth.
The development comes as the midterm elections swept in Democratic governors in states that are currently led by Republicans. Councilmember Pinto called on five newly elected democratic governors to pull their National Guard troops out of the District once they take office.
Currently, there are about 31,00 guard troops deployed in D.C. Georgia has 514, Iowa has 110, Ohio has 2, Nevada has 1, and Texas has 1. They make up about 20% of the total deployment.
“It’s a really meaningful way that they can help stand up for our city and our autonomy, and also for their own troops and their own states who should have their own National Guard at home,” Councilmember Pinto said.
The councilmember also called on Democrats in Congress to conduct more rigorous oversight of the increased federal police presence once they take over the majority in January.
The timing of the added military is concerning considering Tuesday’s “blue wave,” according to UDC professor Emily Cassometus.
“You see the guard out when you’re taking Metro, you see people with their rifles, and it’s not something that’s normal, and this is not something that’s normal,” the professor said. “There shouldn’t be war equipment on the streets of the District or any place in the United States of America,” she added.
Secretary Hegseth gave no indication of when the military ramp up would begin.
