If implemented over an extended period, this modification would greatly alter the collaboration between National Guard troops and law enforcement in the District since their deployment.
In response to the attack on Wednesday that resulted in one troop’s death and another’s critical injury, National Guard troops stationed in D.C. will temporarily work alongside local law enforcement personnel, as indicated in an email acquired by The Washington Post and confirmed by two D.C. police officials who requested anonymity due to the ongoing planning.
“Officers will engage in high-visibility patrols with the National Guard and offer assistance as required,” stated the email sent to D.C. police leadership on Wednesday evening. The correspondence noted that the situation was “fluid,” and modifications to the staffing strategy could occur in the upcoming days.
If this change is sustained long-term, it would significantly transform the manner in which National Guard troops have interacted with local and federal law enforcement in the District since their arrival in August. Officials from the Trump administration have acknowledged the troops’ role in crime reduction within the city, suggesting that their presence at Metro stations and on National Park Service properties allows law enforcement to focus on other areas. Conversely, reallocating local police to accompany Guard members would effectively counteract this by removing them from other responsibilities in D.C. neighborhoods.
The email indicated that the new collaboration would commence on Thursday and Friday. A D.C. police official mentioned that some officers had been temporarily assigned to support the troops, and discussions regarding a more permanent policy change were underway.
The official emphasized that the discussions remain in the preliminary stages, stating that D.C. police, Metro Transit Police, U.S. Park Police, and various other law enforcement agencies are engaging in talks with the National Guard task force in D.C. regarding the potential pairing of troops with police officers while they patrol the city streets. According to the official, since their deployment to D.C., groups of National Guard troops have primarily operated without police accompaniment.
This policy modification would enhance the protection for the approximately 2,000 National Guard members stationed in the District as part of President Donald Trump’s “Safe and Beautiful Task Force,” who are not mandated to possess the same law enforcement training as city police officers.
A spokesperson for D.C. police did not verify the policy change but stated in a release that “law enforcement agencies throughout Washington, DC, including the Metropolitan Police Department, are collaborating closely with the National Guard to ensure the safety of our community.”
The ongoing presence of the Guard in the city is currently under legal scrutiny. D.C. Attorney Brian Schwalb (D) filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in September, seeking the withdrawal of the troops from the city and characterizing their presence as an unlawful “military occupation” that heightens the risk of fatal confrontations between residents and troops. Lawyers for the Trump administration argued in court that the likelihood of a fatal encounter was “entirely speculative.”
“In fact, there have been fewer fatal encounters due to the presence of the National Guard, which has facilitated an influx of resources,” stated Eric Hamilton, an attorney representing the Trump administration, during an October hearing.
Earlier this month, a judge ruled that the deployment was unlawful and mandated its cessation while the lawsuit proceeds in court. However, the judge has suspended the enforcement of her order until December 11 to allow the administration time to file an appeal. The administration has subsequently requested that an appeals court permit the continuation of the D.C. mission, seeking an emergency ruling by December 4 and condemning the judge’s order as a “completely unwarranted intrusion into the jurisdiction of both the President and Congress.”
Nevertheless, in internal communications, officials have recognized the dangers linked to the deployment since it began.
“The Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Mission offers an opportunity for criminals, violent extremists, issue-driven groups, and solitary actors to pursue their agendas,” states an internal document from the D.C. National Guard leadership that was made public through Schwalb’s lawsuit. This document, which detailed the objectives of the deployment, was dated August 12, the day following the president’s declaration of a crime emergency in the city.
A subsequent memo, dated August 28, cautioned service members that “individuals inspired by foreign terrorist organizations” might perceive the mission as a target. On the same day, a member of the D.C. National Guard requested D.C. police to enhance patrols in areas where troops are stationed.
“Service members are facing harassment at these hotels,” he noted in an email reviewed by The Washington Post. Court documents indicated that local law enforcement consented to increase patrols, and troops were advised to adopt measures for their protection, including consistently utilizing the “buddy system” and changing into civilian attire when off duty.
In the wake of this week’s deadly attack, officials from the Trump administration have reaffirmed the necessity of having troops in the city. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated shortly after the shooting that Trump had instructed him to deploy an additional 500 troops to the D.C. mission, emphasizing that the incident had “strengthened our determination to ensure the safety of Washington, D.C.”