Washington, D.C., Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser announced her new plan to combat crime in the nation’s capital Friday and addressed concerns about a possible “Freedom Convoy” heading to the city.
“When I talk to residents about what we need, they respond accordingly,” Bowser said. “One such thing that I’ve talked about for the last two years is that we need the [Metropolitan Police Department] at a full deployment level, and, right now, we’re at the lowest level we’ve been in a long time in 20 years.”
Her office will work to put the staff of the MPD back to around 4,000 officers, according to Bowser.
WATCH: ENGLAND ROCKED BY STRONGEST WINDS ON RECORD, IRISH MAN DEAD
“We started last summer. We took a package to the Council that would help us get started,” she said. “We didn’t get it all, but we’re gonna come back for more until we can put our police force on a solid path to 4,000 officers.”
When asked if the city had responded to reports of a Freedom Trucker convoy heading to the capital by preparing roughly 500 officers daily as civil disturbance units, Bowser turned to Police Chief Robert Contee.
“As for all of our First Amendment demonstrations that happen here in the city, we have to be in a posture of preparedness for the information that we know,” Contee said.
“Obviously, we follow the trends around the country,” he continued. “When we see trends that may impact us here in Washington, D.C., we prepare for them. I want to make sure that the resources that we have right now are prepared or anything that may come here to the District of Columbia.”
Contee also said the lessons of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot will be considered when assessing possible disturbances.
“We’d be foolish not to,” he said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
However, the city is not giving any specific instructions to residents at the moment as the threat of a trucker convoy is uncertain, Bowser said.
