Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : Reno Downplays Use of Troops as Police

Atty. Gen. Janet Reno suggested that the Clinton Administration is cool to the idea of deploying National Guard troops in the nation’s capital. Reno said federal officials were reviewing Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly’s request that Guard members be allowed to serve in police duties in the city, but she stressed the importance of building relationships between local police forces and communities. “Community policing is working throughout the nation, and I think by providing strong law enforcement support with trained police officers, that’s the ultimate issue,” Reno said on NBC-TV’s “Meet the Press.” Contrary to reports that Kelly was seeking to mobilize up to 3,000 troops, City Administrator Robert Mallett said the district would need to deploy only 100 to 200 members of the Guard “to make a dent” in its anti-crime efforts.