As the Jan. 6 riot was unfolding, city leaders made frantic calls to Army leaders, asking them to send Guard troops to the Capitol where police and security were being overrun.
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is developing plans to restructure the National Guard in Washington, D.C., in a move to address problems highlighted by theand safety breaches during the 2020 protests over the murder of George Floyd, The Associated Press has learned.
A key sticking point is who would be in control of the D.C. Guard — a politically divisive question that gets to the heart of what has been an ongoing, turbulent issue. Across the country, governors control their National Guard units and can make decisions on deploying them to local disasters and other needs. But D.C. is not a state, so the president is in charge but gives that authority to the defense secretary, who generally delegates it to the Army secretary.
FILE - A member of the District of Columbia National Guard looks out from a vehicle driving on West Executive Avenue at the White House, Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington, as demonstrators protest over the death of George Floyd nearby. U.S. officials say the Pentagon is developing plans to restructure the National Guard in Washington, D.C. The goal is to address problems highlighted by the chaotic response to the Jan.
As the Jan. 6 riot was unfolding, city leaders were making frantic calls to Army leaders, asking them to send Guard troops to the Capitol where police and security were being overrun. City leaders complained heatedly about delays in the response as the Pentagon considered Bowser’s National Guard request. City police ended up reinforcing the Capitol Police.
Within the Pentagon, however, there are broader concerns that D.C. is too quick to seek National Guard troops to augment law enforcement shortfalls in the city that should be handled by police. In recent days, a city council member suggested the D.C. Guard might be needed to help battle spiking local crime.
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