In August, Gov. Tate Reeves deployed 200 troops from the Mississippi National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 204th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, to Washington, D.C. They were sent, Reeves said, in support of President Donald Trump’s push to “return law and order to our nation’s capital.”
“Crime is out of control there, and it’s clear something must be done to combat it,” Reeves added. According to former senior members of the Mississippi National Guard, these troops have had no relevant training to prepare for such a mission. Rather, their training has focused on combat missions in support of active duty units. At most, they received a half day of riot control training and may have participated in security support following major disasters. The use of National Guard troops by presidents in support of law enforcement has been rare and occurred primarily in response to civil unrest or disorder. The 1878 Posse Comitatus Act prohibits the military from enforcing domestic law. When the president “nationalizes” National Guard troops, they fall under the act. “Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have stated they intend to deploy National Guard troops to other cities across the country, raising concerns they’re ‘creating a national police force with the president as its chief,’” the Associated Press reported last week. A California judge has already ruled that Trump violated Posse Comitatus by sending National Guard troops into Los Angeles. Sen. Roger Wicker seems to think such usage of the National Guard is a good thing. “If I were one of those mayors, I’d be glad to have the help,” the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee told the AP. Help to do what?
Stationing troops throughout cities can hinder crime, but only so long as the troops remain. Is the president’s plan to permanently deploy troops in cities with high crime? That would be an entirely new mission for the National Guard. And armed soldiers cruising neighborhoods in military transport would surely look like a national police force. Troops untrained in law enforcement, deployed on temporary duty, may look and sound good to the president and politicians, but are not a practical solution to inner city crime. If the president wants to permanently hinder crime, he should look at what Gov. Reeves and the legislature have done in our capital city. The Capitol Police, funded and operated by the state, are having notable, lasting impacts on crime in Jackson. These are not temporary troops, but well-paid, well-trained law enforcement officers. Perhaps the governor should be sending that message to Washington, not troops. “The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps” – Proverbs 14:15. Crawford is the author of A Republican’s Lament: Mississippi Needs Good Government Conservatives.
7 comments:
From what I’ve seen lately, current law enforcement isn’t trained in law enforcement.
National Guard doesn’t need to have law enforcement training. They just need to be present with live ammo and ready to engage and return fire with automatic weapons when the violent thugs open fire.
The key is to examine those that are at least trying to do something versus those that want the ever decaying status quo to continue at the expense of the citizens. At this point, cities like Memphis and Jackson are in a full out “code blue” with nearly all systems in failure. The cities/patients must be stabilized first and foremost if, and that’s a big if, they can be rehabilitated.
As it stands now, the cities have hemorrhaged just about everyone that could afford and still had the personal agency to get out evacuating. The unfortunate remaining are basically in a queue waiting to be victims of out of control criminals. All the while, the business infrastructure is collapsing and disappearing around them. Good people and families are not only worried about walking down to the corner store, they are worried about stray bullets tearing through their house or all out violence in a restaurant due trivial things like the wrong sauce with their wings. Every attempt to do something, anything,
Is thwarted by the funding grifters and race baiters. Most people do not like the idea or optics of bringing in national guard members to stabilize the cities, no more than families like see their loved ones having their hearts shocked or chest cracked open. Traumatic situations aren’t pretty by definition. Sometimes it is the only way to save someone, some city, that you know is worth saving. Is there another plan? Can it be put into effect immediately? When can citizens realize positive results of a plan? Look at how they attacked the capitol police plan. Families need actions and results now - Jackson barely has a pulse and Memphis is just slightly better off, as at least it has an economic base. I’m all ears if someone has a plan, particularly a plan that immediately offers results.
New headline...."Democrat Elected Officials Not Trained in Common Sense"
if mr crawford is worried about untrained people posing as law enforcement he doesn't have to go any further than right out to the reservoir patrol.
dont take my word for it.
ask anyone with rankin county sheriffs dept.
Why not send military police units rather than an infantry unit. Don’t military police officers have some training in being the police?
It's symbolic. Political theater. It makes the statement that these cities are out of control. It's not a solution and should not be understood that way. It serves it's purpose.
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