A new study concluded that the National Guard’s deployment in Washington, D.C. has done nothing to bring down violent crime in the city — and the federal government is about to send more troops anyway.
The Guard has been stationed in the capital since last August as part of a federal task force targeting crime. Their numbers are expected to double in the coming weeks, according to NPR, which reported the study’s findings Wednesday, June 4.
What the study found
Researchers found no measurable effect on violent crime tied to the military presence. The deployment has now stretched roughly ten months, giving analysts enough of a window to assess whether the strategy was working. It wasn’t, the study found.
The findings put the expansion in an awkward position. Doubling a force that hasn’t moved the needle on violence is a significant commitment — and the study doesn’t indicate what, if anything, would change with a larger footprint.
The Guard’s role under the federal task force has been supplemental, working alongside local and federal law enforcement. That arrangement hasn’t translated into fewer shootings or assaults, at least not by the study’s measure.
Whether the administration will respond to the research before the troop increase goes forward isn’t clear. No official comment addressing the study’s conclusions had been reported as of Wednesday.
Originally reported by NPR. Read the original report.
