President Donald Trump continues to indicate he's sending National Guard troops to several U.S. cities, including Portland, Chicago and Memphis.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine opted to send Ohio National Guard troops to D.C. following Trump's decision to deploy federal troops there in August. The governor extended that deployment last month.
Could Ohio also send its guard members to the other cities Trump is eyeing for National Guard deployment?
"No, I don't think so," DeWine said Friday during a visit to Cincinnati Children's Hospital's College Hill campus Friday. "We've committed the 150 men and women to Washington, D.C. That commitment continues. We're certainly doing our part."
Trump deployed about 800 National Guard troops to the nation's capital. Troops from other states, like South Carolina, joined the 150 Ohio National Guard members in DC. Trump also federalized the district's police force.
Those actions followed the deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June in response to anti-ICE protests.
The president recently said he's sent or will send more federal troops to about half a dozen other cities.
Trump says the deployments are meant to fight crime, though Democratic leaders in D.C., Chicago and Portland say they're already seeing lower crime than in recent years and that federal troops will only inflame tensions in their cities. Many have expressed unease at Trump's statements suggesting using the cities as "training grounds for our military."
DeWine says he's more focused on state partnerships with urban police departments in cities like Dayton, Cleveland and Columbus to improve public safety.
DeWine joined Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval and federal law enforcement officials at Cincinnati City Hall last month to announce a similar partnership between Cincinnati Police and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Under the agreement, a handful of OSHP troopers will participate in two targeted enforcement efforts a month, as well as provide aerial law enforcement resources to CPD. DeWine says that's already showing results and could be expanded. WVXU reached out to CPD for more information about a potential change in its partnership with the highway patrol.
"The program that we've started with the mayor, we're in a couple days a month," DeWine said. "There's an indication we got the other day from the chief that they might want us for more than that. They like what they've seen so far."
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