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Timothy Frudd
\nAmerican Military News<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Monday that orders Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to increase the provision of \u201cmilitary and national security assets\u201d to local law enforcement officials and \u201cdetermine how military and national security assets\u201d could \u201cmost effectively be utilized to prevent crime.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Trump\u2019s executive order, titled \u201cStrengthening and Unleashing America\u2019s Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Civilians,\u201d the president emphasized that his administration is \u201csteadfastly committed to empowering State and local law enforcement to firmly police dangerous criminal behavior and protect innocent citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part of Trump\u2019s executive order directed Bondi and Hegseth to consult with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and other agency leaders to \u201cincrease the provision of excess military and national security assets in local jurisdictions to assist State and local law enforcement\u201d within 90 days.<\/p>\n
Trump added, \u201cWithin 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall determine how military and national security assets, training, non-lethal capabilities, and personnel can most effectively be utilized to prevent crime.\u201d<\/p>\n
READ MORE: US military can now detain illegal immigrants along southern border strip<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The Independent reported<\/a> that some opponents of the president\u2019s executive order warned that the order could result in a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act 1878<\/a>, which was instituted to prevent military forces from engaging in local law enforcement matters.<\/p>\n The Posse Comitatus Act states, \u201cWhoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.\u201d<\/p>\n According to The Independent, the Posse Comitatus Act\u2019s restrictions were later extended to both the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy.<\/p>\n In Monday\u2019s executive order, Trump stressed the importance of equipping local law enforcement agencies with the resources necessary to protect American citizens. Trump wrote, \u201cSafe communities rely on the backbone and heroism of a tough and well-equipped police force.\u201d<\/p>\n In his executive order, Trump ordered Bondi and other administration officials to\u00a0\u201cprovide new best practices to State and local law enforcement to aggressively police communities against all crimes,\u201d to expand and improve training opportunities for law enforcement officials, to increase pay and benefits for law enforcement officials, and to increase legal protections for law enforcement officials.<\/p>\n