The Caller reports that some local departments will not be assisting the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in order to secure the area and that "the decision by these departments could leave MPD with hundreds fewer officers than they would typically be able to rely on for an event of this magnitude.”
MPD has said that thousands of officers will be helping provide security for the event, however, when the outlet reached out to multiple local stations in the DC area, over than a half dozen of them said they would not be helping.
One department cited a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the local police stations and MPD. A spokesman for the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland said in a statement, “I was just told that based on the current MOU, we will not be assisting Metro PD."
Other departments said they also would not be helping out with security at the event. The Howard and Queen Anne’s County police departments both said that they would not be helping the MDP at the inauguration, with Queen Anne's saying that officers would not be going due to "technical difficulties."
Maryland State Police and the police departments in Prince George’s and Anne Arundel County said that while they would be helping the Capitol Police, they would not be communicating with MPD for the events.
The departments that are sending some officers include Frederick City, MD police as well as Loudoun County in Virginia. The outlet reported that sources familiar with the situation said that the issue may have arisen from the MOU that addresses MPD's use-of-force policy.
"The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is working closely with our local, state, and federal partners as we prepare for the 60th Presidential Inauguration,” the MPD said. “As with any other events in the District, it is our priority to ensure the safety and security of District residents and visitors."
The MPD provided a link to its use-of-force policy, and did not respond further when pressed on the possibility of supplemental guidance for riots and protests.
“We recognize the importance of upholding the First Amendment rights of individuals to peacefully express their views, and we are committed to facilitating lawful demonstrations while maintaining public order,” MPD said.MPD has faced scrutiny over how it has handled past protests, and the public use-of-force policy says that “deadly force” can only be used when a perpetrator "poses an imminent danger." The document splits threats from assailants into four categories: "passive resister, active resister, threatening assailant, and active assailant," the Caller reported.
