Across the country, leaders in many cities are facing challenges with public safety. Because of this, they have decided to ask the national government for help. They believe that with more resources, they can make their communities safer.
City mayors and police chiefs say they would welcome federal agents to assist their local officers. They are looking for a partnership, a form of cooperation where both local and national officers work together on solving crimes.
However, these city leaders are making one thing very clear. While they appreciate the idea of working together, they are against bringing in the National Guard or other military forces. They see this as a step too far.
The main concern is that having soldiers on patrol would feel less like a friendly partnership and more like a military takeover. This is not the kind of support they believe is helpful for their communities and could make citizens afraid.
So, the message from the cities is specific: they are open to cooperation with federal law enforcement, but they firmly reject anything that looks or feels like an 'occupation'.