ST. LOUIS • National Guard troops will be stationed throughout the city of St. Louis in a secondary role to civilian police, Mayor Francis Slay said on Monday.

Slay held a press conference minutes after Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard in anticipation of a grand jury decision in the Darren Wilson case.

"We do not want people to feel like they have to panic or be afraid," Slay said, saying residents should go about their daily business.

Slay said the troops will serve as a backup role to the city's civilian police. They will not interact with protesters unless an emergency requires it, he said. Slay said the civilian troops live in St. Louis and know the community better, therefore his preference for them to be on the front lines.

As of Monday afternoon, Slay said he didn't know how many troops would be in the city. He did say that they will be stationed throughout the city at shopping centers and business districts.

Nixon activated the National Guard in August to help quell days of unrest in Ferguson. The troops mainly protected a police staging area at a nearby Target shopping center. In that instance, they didn't enter the city of St. Louis.

Slay said he was unaware of any economic toll the unrest has taken on the city. For weeks, businesses and hotels have braced for the grand jury decision, and now they operate under the umbrella of the governor's state of emergency order.

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