In an NBC10 exclusive interview, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner addressed the possibility that President Donald Trump will send the National Guard to the city, saying he expects everyone to uphold the law and Constitution.

“We are going to make sure this goes the right way, and if it doesn’t, there’s going to be consequences,” Krasner said to NBC10’s Brian Sheehan. “If the National Guard comes here, we will do what we always do, which is uphold the Constitution and enforce the laws of the United States.”

“What does that mean? That means I don’t bother people just because I disagree with what they are doing. I bother people because they commit crimes,” Krasner added.

The possibility of the National Guard being deployed to Philly comes as Trump has already deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and is talking about sending troops to other cities such as New York City, Chicago and Baltimore in what the president says is in an effort to control crime.

Trump was able to deploy the National Guard to D.C. because it is under federal control, but control of the National Guard outside of D.C. falls on the state governments.

“The public safety problem is Donald Trump,” Krasner said. “The public safety problem is not these cities, which are enjoying historic lows in the number of homicides and shootings.”

According to the Philadelphia Police Department, the city is experiencing around 16.76% less homicides this year compared to the same time last year, with 154 compared to 184 in 2024, as well as a 4.71% decline in violent crime, with 8,833 compared to 9,270 in 2024.

Additionally, in 2024, the Philadelphia Police Department ended the year with 1,500 fewer officers than it was budgeted to have.

But Krasner said Trump deploying the National Guard is not the solution to the shortage of officers.

“Well, then bring people who actually know what they’re doing, and is consistent with the law,” Krasner said. “The National Guard is not trained for civilian law enforcement, they’re trained to kill the enemy. We are not the enemy.”

As part of his preparation for the possible deployment, Krasner’s team is hosting several town halls across the city to hear from people and share insights into what to do if it does occur.

“”We are going to do it not just to talk, but we’re going to do it to listen,” Krasner said of the events. “Because we know that probably most of the best ideas that have been carried out by this office have come from the community.”

One of the things Krasner said he will recommend to people is to record interactions on their phones.

“We will have that record, and we will be able to prove in a way that is conclusive, what actually happened. We will actually be able to identify who did what, and we will be able to hold them accountable if they have violated the criminal or civil laws of the United States or Pennsylvania. That’s the key thing here.”

The first three town halls will be held this week. Here are their dates, times and locations:

  • Tuesday, Sept. 16, at Salt & Light Church on 5736 Chester Avenue, Philadelphia. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the event begins at 6 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Sept 17, at Masjidullah, the Center for Human Excellence, on 7401 Limekiln Pike. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the event begins at 6 p.m.
  • Thursday, Sept. 18, at Mother Bethel African Methodist Church on 419 South 6th Street, Philadelphia. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the event begins at 6 p.m.