WASHINGTON, Aug 12: President Donald Trump has taken control of the District of Columbia’s law enforcement and ordered National Guard troops to deploy, claiming the actions are in response to an urgent public safety crisis.
The president’s rhetoric echoes that used by conservative politicians who have denounced American cities, especially those with majority non-white populations or led by progressive politicians, as lawless or crime-ridden and in need of outside intervention. The prospect of federal troops surging into the district’s neighborhoods represents an alarming violation of local agency.
The administration believes the highly visible presence of law enforcement will deter violent crime. However, it is unclear how the administration defines providing a safe environment for law enforcement to conduct arrests.
Civil rights advocates see the president’s rhetoric as part of a broader political strategy, as he paints a picture that crime is out of control, then blames the policies of Democratic lawmakers that are reform- and public safety-minded, and then claims that you have to step in and violate people’s rights or demand that reforms be reversed. (AP)
