WASHINGTON — On Aug. 11, President Donald J. Trump declared a crime emergency in the nation's capital and vowed to make streets there safe again.
Within 24 hours, National Guardsmen were assisting law enforcement in Washington, said Army Lt. Col. John E. Landry of the Army outreach office in the Pentagon.
Their initial mission is to provide a visible presence in key public areas, serving as a crime deterrent. They will not arrest, search or direct law enforcement. While they will not conduct arrests, guardsmen have the authority to temporarily detain individuals to prevent imminent harm, ensuring that custody is promptly transferred to law enforcement authorities, he said.
They are equipped with personal protective equipment, including body armor; weapons are available if needed but will remain in the armory. The first teams on the ground are using primarily multipurpose wheeled vehicles. Future requirements will be determined based on the evolving needs of the supported law enforcement agencies, Landry said.
As of this morning, there were approximately 680 District of Columbia National Guard soldiers and 130 D.C. Air National Guard members in Washington, according to an official from Joint Task Force District of Columbia, the unit tasked with leading them.
As of now, West Virginia is the only state that has authorized National Guard troops to be mobilized. The governors of Mississippi, South Carolina and Ohio have made announcements that they will ultimately support the task force, the official said, adding they haven't received word on the number of West Virginia guardsmen who will be mobilized.
The National Guardsmen are assisting the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement partners with monument security, community safety patrols, protecting federal facilities and offices, traffic control posts and area beautification, said Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson during a meeting last week with the Pentagon press corps.
The guard's support of local law enforcement is already making an impact in the district.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Amaya, a security forces officer assigned to the 113th Squadron, 113th Wing of the D.C. Air National Guard, was patrolling the National Mall with fellow airmen when he witnessed a National Park Service police officer being assaulted while directing traffic Aug. 16.
"The park police officer asked for our help, and I was the first one to catch up and was able to detain [the suspect] to the park police and turn him over," Amaya said. "I have grown up and lived my entire life in the [D.C., Maryland and Virginia area]. I remember coming here when I was in fifth grade for field trips, and all the way now into my 20s, I'm still coming to D.C. So, I care a lot about this city."
The guard's presence at the National Mall has drawn positive attention from civilians. Service members engage with tourists and residents, taking pictures and providing support to metropolitan police and other security personnel to keep the city safe, Amaya said.
"That's our purpose for being out here," he said. "I would have done that for anybody. I wouldn't [have] just [seen] somebody get attacked and stood by. I would've acted and helped them."
Amaya emphasized the importance of personal interaction, especially in relation to how the National Guard's presence is portrayed in the media, saying, "I want people to see that we're human beings, we're their neighbors, we're their friends and we're just here to help."
Army Spc. Sherald McAulay, 715th Public Affairs Detachment, contributed to this report.
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