Evidence Shows Military Shouldn't Police U.S. Cities: Demand it Stop

I urge you to take immediate action against President Trump's escalating deployment of federal forces for civilian law enforcement, including the current federalization of DC police, Guard troops, and today's announcement of potential deployment to Chicago. National Guard personnel receive combat training fundamentally incompatible with civilian policing—they average just 4 months of training versus police officers' 833 hours, with no instruction in Fourth and Fifth Amendment protections essential to lawful policing (Center for Strategic and International Studies, August 2025). Mark Cancian, retired Marine Corps Colonel, warns troops "don't get the extensive training and nuances that police get... That would make me extremely nervous" (CSIS, August 2025). History proves this danger: at Kent State in 1970, untrained Ohio Guard soldiers killed 4 students because they had "no training in de-escalating tension or minimizing the use of force" (Presidential Commission Report, 1970). Military and law enforcement leaders oppose these deployments. Retired four-star generals warn: "U.S. military personnel are not extensively trained for domestic law enforcement... Ordering troops to act against fellow Americans places them in an operationally difficult position, potentially leading to irreparable harm" (California v. Trump amicus brief, 2025). Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell told CBS: "We don't need the National Guard... I worry for our own people" (CBS Mornings, August 2025). Princeton research shows militarized approaches "fail to enhance police safety or reduce crime but may harm police reputation" by destroying community trust (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2018). Military deployment contradicts current crime data. FBI statistics show violent crime decreased 4.5% in 2024, with murder down 14.9% (FBI, 2024). The Council on Criminal Justice reports homicides down 16% in 2024, representing 631 fewer deaths nationwide (Mid-Year 2025 Update). Crime's core drivers are socioeconomic—poverty, inequality, housing instability—requiring community investment, not military force. Camden, New Jersey achieved a 63% decrease in murders through community policing reforms (Camden Police, 2020). The Brennan Center warns current law has "dangerous gaps" allowing presidents to circumvent the Posse Comitatus Act (August 2025). I urge you to co-sponsor legislation strengthening Posse Comitatus Act protections, demand immediate withdrawal of military forces from civilian law enforcement, and support evidence-based community safety investments. Military deployment threatens constitutional democracy and public safety. Please act now to protect our communities from this dangerous militarization.