Kathy Hochul told President Donald Trump there was no need to deploy the National Guard to New York City, citing falling crime rates and strengthened state laws. Crime statistics are reported to be decreasing in the city. The state amended criminal justice statutes to give judges more discretion on bail in violent felony cases and changed pretrial evidence-sharing requirements to reduce dismissed cases. Hochul described the phone call as cordial and indicated she would request National Guard assistance if necessary. Trump recently deployed the Guard in Washington, D.C., and issued an executive order creating a special unit for civil disturbances.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she told President Donald Trump there was no need for him to deploy the National Guard to New York City. Hochul, a Democrat, told reporters Tuesday that crime rates are falling and she's amended criminal justice laws the Republican president has attacked. Hochul conveyed the message in a phone call with Trump on Saturday, a state official said.
Trump this month deployed the National Guard to the streets of Washington, D.C., in response to what he says are elevated crime rates. Federal statistics show crime is at a 30-year low in the area. The president signed an executive order Monday to create a special unit of the guard that could be potentially deployed around the United States to assist local law enforcement "in quelling civil disturbances and ensuring the public safety and order whenever the circumstances necessitate."
Hochul said she was "very gracious" in her conversation with Trump. "I just said, 'I'll tell you what, Mr. President: If I think I need help from the National Guard beyond what I'm already doing, I know where to find you.'"
Collection
[
|
...
]