NATION IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : Mayor Seeks Troops for Street Patrol

The mayor has requested National Guard troops patrol the streets amid a crime wave that makes the capital one of America’s most violent cities. Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly said she formally asked President Clinton for authority to call out the Guard, whose crime-fighting role would be threefold. The troops would be used first for four months with the possibility of staying as long as is needed, she said. A few dozen Guard troops have already been on Washington streets since 1989, working with police to fight illegal drug activity. Clinton said he would review the request but had not made up his mind.