Photo by Brandon Anderson.
Last week, Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie held a public hearing to discuss the recent spike in violent crime in D.C. and ways to help alleviate it. Following the feedback from the hearing, which went until 3 a.m., and time during the recess to conduct research, McDuffie introduced legislation yesterday to combat violent crime in the District.
Though Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier implemented their own agenda for fighting D.C.’s violence through an increase of police presence, McDuffie’s omnibus bill, The Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Act of 2015, instead focuses on community engagement and more accountability for police.
A big part of the bill is the creation of an Office of Neighborhood Engagement and Safety, whose role would be “to identify our teenagers and young adults most at risk to engage in crime.” From their, the office would create—and support existing—programs to “incentivize its participants to create and execute a successful life-plan.”
Additionally, the bill would give the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice grant-making authority to support established grassroots neighborhood groups and organizations working to intervene and prevent violence in their communities.
At Mayor Bowser’s police agenda press conference last month, she was harshly and vocally criticized by activists identifying with the Black Lives Matter movement for giving increased power to police. Many Ward 8 residents feel as though MPD officers unjustly target their community and expressed frustration with the tactics officers frequently use.
McDuffie’s bill addresses these concerns, with a provision requiring MPD to collect data on stop-and-frisk and use of force, “in an effort to promote transparency and improved relations between the police and the community.” The bill would also require MPD officers to participate in training on community engagement, policing, and “biased-based profiling.”
The bill also includes provisions to establish programs within several D.C. government agencies to help address coordination between MPD and the District’s health and human services.
