Police, National Guard Presence Still Seen Throughout City
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The police presence is still strong throughout the city. There's no timeline for when that will change.
Alex DeMetrick has a closer look at the National Guard troops deployed in Baltimore.
We're now up to 2,000 members of Maryland's National Guard deployed and standing by.
It's a scene that is being repeated at Maryland National Guard armories across the state as Guard members leave civilian life to report with their units for deployment as backup for police.
"We're really helping them man some of the critical infrastructure. We're protecting those locations," said Maryland National Guard Col. Charles Kohler.
And those locations are more than street coordinates on a map for some. The state of emergency that brought the Guard to Baltimore was a short trip for those who call the city home.
"It's a little heartbreaking because that's my community but I know I have a duty to do so I plan on doing my duty," said Maryland National Guard Pfc. Dana Williams.
The first night of curfew saw Guard units on the move---not heading for trouble but driving to head trouble off.
"We're also doing presence patrol. We're actually driving with Baltimore police officers in our Humvees through the streets of Baltimore, just letting the people know that the city is safe," said Kohler.
And for everyone, this deployment is a new experience.
"Nothing like this at all," said Maryland National Guard Pfc. Rosa Andino. "Nothing like this at all."
But members say they have trained for it.
"We expect it. We don't hope to encounter something like this but when we do, we know how to go about it," said Andino.
While training for this kind of deployment happens annually, no one goes on the street without last minute reminders.
"I don't want to hear any negative terms. These are civilians, American people, so I don't want to hear anything like `enemy,' because they're not. We're here to support and protect them," said one officer.
The last time the National Guard deployed to the streets of Baltimore was in 1968, following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King.