ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp has announced that more than 300 Georgia National Guard soldiers are being sent to Washington, D.C.
Kemp says 300 soldiers and 16 support staff will help “restore public safety” after President Donald Trump issued an executive order last month declaring a crime emergency in the District of Columbia.
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The support staff went to Joint Base Anacostia-Boiling in Washington, D.C. earlier this week. The soldiers are scheduled to mobilize in mid-September.
“Georgia is proud to stand with the Trump administration in its mission to ensure the security and beauty of our nation’s capital,” said Kemp. “As they have demonstrated again and again, our Georgia Guard is well equipped to fulfill both this mission and its obligations to the people of our state.”
Channel 2’s Richard Elliot spoke with Democratic leaders who don’t support the governor’s decision.
“Their training is not for crowd control or domestic law enforcement,” State Rep. Derrick Jackson (D-Tyrone) said. “Placing them into that position will betray their trust and put both them and our communities at risk.”
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Last month, President Trump said crime in the nation’s capital had gotten out of hand. He said that his administration would be removing homeless encampments.
“We’re going to take our capital back,” Trump declared, adding he’d also be “getting rid of the slums.”
Last week, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the presence of federal law enforcement partners has brought crime down in the city, including an 87% drop in carjackings.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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