National Guard asks DC leaders for 'beautification' projects as Trump says crime is gone

WASHINGTON – Matthew Cohen couldn't believe the DC National Guard was offering up its soldiers to help with a neighborhood clean-up.

“To have the National Guard come to our neighborhood to help pick up litter is absurd,” said Cohen, an advisory neighborhood commissioner, one of Washington's hyper-local elected officials in the city's low crime Northwest.

But he could use the help.

So long as thousands of soldiers had standing orders from President Donald Trump to remain on duty in the capital, Cohen wondered, what was the harm if his community took them up on the offer? 

Troops that deployed to the city in August were meant to combat what Trump called a crime emergency. Groups of camouflage-clad soldiers have since become a familiar presence, pacing the underground platforms of Metro stations in the city's downtown, along the marble halls of Union Station and at the National Mall, home to the Washington's popular monuments. 

Soldiers have also been spotted in parks carrying out tasks typically assigned to gardeners and landscapers – shoveling mulch, blowing leaves and scooping up trash.

Now, the DC National Guard is asking city leaders if they might help with local "beautification" projects. This tender offer comes amid protests against Trump's takeover of the city under the banner of "Free DC" and the Guard's own assessments that its deployment prompted "alarm and indignation" among residents.

The Guard may have worn out its welcome, but soldiers were still assigned to the region.

Trump's emergency declaration allowing him to seize control of police expired Sept. 10, but the National Guard deployment won't wrap up until Nov. 30, and it could be extended further.

The takeover remains widely unpopular among Washington residents – some 80% oppose it, according to a Washington Post poll.

DC Guard accepting pitches for 'beautification' projects

What else could the soldiers do?

In a letter sent to local leaders Sept. 8, Marcus Hunt, the director of the DC National Guard, asked for "help in identifying projects or initiatives" where guardsmen can pitch in on "neighborhood beautification efforts."

"While our ability to support painting is limited, our teams are well positioned to contribute manpower for clean-up and improvement projects," Hunt wrote, according to a copy obtained by USA TODAY.

"Most importantly, we want to do this together with the community – building relationships and strengthening the bond between the guard and the community we proudly serve."

Hunt told USA TODAY the response to the email had been "positive."

However, local leaders in Washington said they felt torn between their constituents' opposition to the deployment and the opportunity to recruit military help with sometimes long-neglected community projects.

Cohen, who represents a neighborhoods near American University, decided it would be OK to engage with the soldiers: "If the National Guard wants to clean graffiti or beautify federal parks in our neighborhood, I don’t think anybody is going to oppose that, even if we think it’s a silly way to get that job done and an unwise use of taxpayer dollars."