"The presence of the National Guard continues in the District. The question here is, what are they doing, necessarily. They just stand around and chitchat with each other. Troops are instructed to quote, prepare for a long-term, persistent presence. They seem bored to me. We're going to make it safe. The crime numbers are way down. D.C. leaders contend there is no crisis pointing to crime rates now at a 30-year low."
"Troops are mostly absent from neighborhoods with the highest rates of crime, in Southeast and Northeast D.C. We haven't seen any of that over here in Southeast D.C. This is not the answer, bringing the National Guard. They're still patrolling areas like Metro stations and the National Mall. These are National Guardsmen who are standing around tourist sites. What I've seen them doing is standing around underneath the Washington Monument for photo ops."
"D.C. National Guardspeople are cleaning up the parks. Picking up trash and pulling weeds. Collected more than 500 bags of trash and gotten rid of three truckloads of plant waste. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that. The results have come out And morale is falling fast. Most of them that I've talked to don't really want to be here either."
The National Guard maintains a continued presence in the District of Columbia. Troops are instructed to prepare for a long-term, persistent presence and have been visible at tourist sites, Metro stations, and the National Mall. Guardspeople have conducted park cleanup, collecting over 500 bags of trash and removing three truckloads of plant waste. Troops are largely absent from high-crime neighborhoods in Southeast and Northeast D.C., where leaders note crime rates are at a 30-year low. Many Guardspeople report low morale and reluctance to be deployed in the city, while officials describe the situation as improved and safe.
Read at www.nytimes.com
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