Customs and border guard units will be sent to the city.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to send additional federal forces to Seattle (Washington) to fight crime. The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing its sources in the country’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) units, specially trained to disperse riots, will be sent to the city. Usually these units are used when protesters gather at international border crossings.
Sources do not know exactly how many officers will arrive in Seattle. However, the decision to send them, the newspaper stresses, is not a reaction to new demonstrations in the city. It is possible that the units will be kept in case the situation gets out of control. On July 19, at least 12 policemen were injured in Seattle as a result of clashes between protesters in the Black Lives Matter movement and law enforcement officials.
Seattle authorities have already been criticized by the federal government for failing to manage the riots. In June, protesters took several weeks in one of the city’s districts, effectively restricting emergency access. It was not until July 1 that city authorities regained control of the area.
Trump said Wednesday he’s deploying additional federal forces to deal with rampant crime in U.S. cities.
Mass protests and riots swept through U.S. cities in late May and early June after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Police used a suffocating seizure to arrest him. All four police officers involved in the operation were dismissed and charged. The US National Guard joined local law enforcement agencies, and curfews were imposed in about 40 cities, including Washington and New York.