Trump administration seeks more federal police officers in Washington, DC

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By Courtney Rozen

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has launched a website to recruit more law enforcement officers to police Washington, D.C., as it seeks to expand its control over the nation’s capital.

The website advertises openings at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Park Police. Hires will be stationed in Washington, D.C., for up to one year, according to the website.

The Trump administration launched the site to recruit “highly qualified and specifically trained individuals,” said White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers.

Since June, the administration has deployed National Guard troops to various Democratic-led jurisdictions, including Los Angeles and Memphis as well as Washington, in an extraordinary expansion of the use of the military for domestic purposes. The deployments aimed to quell what Trump said were high levels of crime.

Trump this month declared victory over what he called a “crisis” of crime in Washington. A Reuters review of public safety records suggested that it was too early, however, to draw any sweeping conclusions about the effects of the deployments.

The new website links to the federal government’s jobs board, which includes an advertisement for police officers to join the U.S. Park Police, the law enforcement arm of the National Park Service. Applications opened on September 29, according to the ad.

The Trump administration is looking for police officers to guard “National Park Service icons and symbols of democracy,” the posting said, adding that officers will be required to maintain firearms proficiency. New hires may be eligible for a bonus of up to $70,000 over four years.

(Reporting by Courtney Rozen; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Edmund Klamann)