On Monday, April 28, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order entitled, “Strengthening and Unleashing America’s Law Enforcement To Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens.” It is packaged as a means to help law enforcement which is today hamstrung in protecting the public by local officials who “make aggressively enforcing the law impossible...” by demonizing police officers. “My Administration will work to ensure that law enforcement officers across America focus on ending crime, not pursuing harmful, illegal race- and sex-based ‘equity’ policies,” Trump said.
The order, however, includes a provision furthering the militarization of civilian law enforcement. “Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the heads of agencies as appropriate, shall increase the provision of excess military and national security assets in local jurisdictions to assist State and local law enforcement,” it says. Furthermore, “the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall determine how military and national security assets, training, non-lethal capabilities, and personnel can most effectively be utilized to prevent crime.” This is also to be done within 90 days.
