WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior senior commander in Washington, DC confirmed Tuesday that the ongoing surge in federal law enforcement in the country’s capital will alienate populations and undermine community relations that need to be repaired in the future.
“What relationships should I fix when this surge is over? I’m ready to do it. I’m ready to have those long, tough conversations. But I know it’s difficult,” said Jaron Hickman, District 6 Commander. “We bring violent people from the streets, but how much does it cost in the long run?”
Other parts of the city, students I began to settle at the beginning of my new school year.it was hidden by the increased anxiety Immigration enforcement. Several neighborhood volunteers helped bring their children to school as social media was bustling with reports of federal officials’ sightings.
Hickman and District 7 Commander James Boteller spoke to about 50 citizens at an Anacostia Community Council meeting on Tuesday. The exterior was planned quite a while ago President Donald Trump He took over the metropolitan police station and killed the capital by federal law enforcement and National Guard forces.
DC police station faces complex situations
The ongoing results of Trump’s surge dominated the commander’s 45-minute Q&A session. Both commanders postponed some of the more pointed questions asked by the audience. But both provided that it uncovered the complexity of the situation facing police departments.
“I have my own feelings, but I am not a partisan either. I have to come to work every day, regardless of who is sitting at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,” Boteller said. “know Chief Pamelas Miss And her entire executive staff is very aware of what people feel in their community. Because we talk about it every day. ”
Hickman said when Trump first launched the acquisition of his division earlier this month, he wrote a ton of emails to the 302 executives under his command. His message: “You have morality. We have policies. If you see something that you don’t feel right, you should speak.”
However, Hickman said he was disappointed to see some checkpoints and arrests he felt unnecessary.
“That’s disappointing as a district commander. I can’t get out of the car and say, ‘Man, you guys don’t need here,'” he said. “I don’t know if it will provide you with comfort. I’m being honest with you.”
Visitors’ reactions to the presence of guards are mixed
A few miles away nearby Washington Monumentvisitors had mixed reactions to the National Guard forces, which became regular presence around the national mall. Some units I’m carrying a firearm now Follow the instructions from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses.
Maine resident Patricia Sylvester held a sign that read, “What do you represent?” When the National Guard milled nearby.
“My feelings are that it’s a profession, not about crime,” Sylvester said. “I think it’s a move of force. I told them, because I spoke to the National Guard and said, ‘This doesn’t make me feel safer.’ ”
Dan Gehrke, who visited from Wisconsin with his wife and children, said the military was a welcome presence.
“You can see different cities across the United States that are having problems,” Gehrke said. “And I think anything we can do to make American cities safer.”
Some of the district’s schools appeared to be trying to make it as normal as possible on the second day of class. Outside one primary school, staff welcomed the children with bright music and escorted the building from the school bus. At other schools, neighbors organized demonstrations to show support for immigrant families.
It was too early to know if the surge in law enforcement had led to a significant drop in attendance, as some people feared. The district did not provide attendance data, but said it shared safety guidance for students “when commuting with school campuses from this week onwards.”
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Associated Press journalist Mike Pesori contributed the report.
