The vast majority of America's law enforcement capability is at the city, county, and state levels. Governors can call out the National Guard to augment (as I was in 1992 in L.A.). When mayors and governors hesitate, giving space to burn, chaos ensues. /1

The President can invoke the Insurrection Act (10 USC §§ 331-335) where he may, without a governor's request, activate federal troops during emergencies (inc. Nat'l Guard), who may then perform law enforcement functions within a state. /2

The Insurrection Act authorizes the President to deploy federal troops if “insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy." This is a powerful tool. Yet, governors and mayors already have the means at their disposal to handle things. /3

In too many cases, they have lacked the will to do so. Lastly, to put things in to perspective, in the 1992 L.A. Riots, more than 16,000 people were arrested for looting and rioting. In this current round of street violence, have even 1,000 been arrested? /4

The low number of arrested suggest that local law enforcement isn't trying all that hard to quell the violence (or held back) and/or, compared to the L.A. Riots in 1992, this round of urban violence is scattered and well-documented with social media. /End.