WASHINGTON, D.C. – Speaking on CNN International’s Amanpour Wednesday, D.C. Councilwoman Brooke Pinto (D) argued that Washington, D.C., needs hundreds of additional Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers to address crime effectively — and that deploying the National Guard is not the right solution.
Push for Locally Trained Officers
While acknowledging recent progress on crime reduction, Pinto stressed that the city still faces serious public safety challenges requiring equally serious, long-term solutions.
She rejected the idea that MPD already has enough personnel, saying:
“I fundamentally disagree… I think we need hundreds of more officers, but that are through our Metropolitan Police Department — meaning they get trained through our police academy, the best in the country, know our local D.C. laws, understand the unique interplay with the federal government, wear body-worn cameras, and are accountable to the people of D.C.”
Criticism of National Guard Deployment
Pinto expressed skepticism about the recent decision to bring in hundreds of National Guardsmen to patrol the streets, warning that they are not trained for local policing and that their presence may not be the best use of taxpayer dollars.
“To me, it sounds like an easy fix that’s not actually going to solve the serious problems that we have,” she said, noting that without clear direction, such deployments risk being ineffective.
Accountability and Community Trust
The councilwoman emphasized that officers trained within MPD are more likely to understand the local legal landscape, be familiar with neighborhood dynamics, and be held to established accountability standards — key factors she believes are essential for building trust between law enforcement and residents.
Pinto’s remarks come amid an ongoing debate over federal intervention in D.C.’s crime response and the balance between immediate enforcement measures and long-term, community-focused policing strategies.
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