east washington life
Social Distancing Strategy Gets Mixed Reviews
No Arrests Made for Violating the Mayor’s July Order
R
iding down Valley Avenue, which runs perpendicular to Oxon Run Park, ANC 8C03 Commissioner Robbie Woodland saw a “massive crowd.” Woodland, who represents the Saint Elizabeths area, had previously contacted DC officials about large gatherings taking place without permits and in violation of the Mayor’s gathering limits. Concert attendees had begun gathering in Oxon Run
by Gavrielle Jacobovitz
around late afternoon on July 25 and ANC 8E05 Commissioner Christopher Hawthorne, whose district covers a large portion of the park, had been fielding calls from his residents about it. Woodland and Hawthorne met up
it,” Woodland said. “They told us they were only there to monitor it.” Together, Hawthorne and Woodland walked through the park—Hawthorne filmed the crowd, for evidence of what was going on. Woodland said she had three masks on and was so afraid she “started shaking.” Hawthorne posted the video to social media. This large gathering made local news, as some others have. In weeks following, when 22 people were shot at a gathering in Southeast, Hawthorne said that officials had been warned. But beyond events that make headlines, local officials and residents in Wards 7 and 8 said they’re seeing large gatherings and lack of mask-wearing in violation of the Mayor’s public health emergency orders— but no one is enforcing them. The Mayor gave the MPD the authority to issue the potential penalties listed in her public health emergency orders in July. But the MPD has avoided punitive enforcement measures. An MPD spokesperson wrote in a statement that the MPD “has not made any arrests or issued fines for violations” of the Mayor’s July mask order. Residents and local officials shared mixed reviews of the MPD’s enforcement strategy with East of the River. Most weren’t looking for officers to“lock people up, suggesting other means of enforcing and encouraging social distancing, spanning from dispersal of crowds to preventative strategies.
The City’s Approach to Enforcement
Police were present at the scene but did not attempt to disperse the crowd, according to Hawthorne and ANC 8C03 Commissioner Robbie Woodland.
at the park which by then had a crowd of over 400 people, they estimated. “Metropolitan Police Department] officers were there and they would not break it up. They would not enforce 36
E a s t o f t h e R i v er D C N e w s . c o m
In late June, when the city entered Phase 2 of its response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, gatherings of more than 50 people were prohibited. On July 22, Bowser extended the public health emergency and issued a mask order. Violations could bring penalties: charges could lead to prosecution, and fines could reach up to $1,000. The MPD was authorized to enforce the order for those over 18. At a press conference on July 29, when a reporter asked the Mayor about large retailers declining to enforce the order, fearing for employees’ safety, Bowser resolutely said they should “call the police.” But a new question emerged: what would they do? The MPD’s strategy for enforcement has been oriented around “voluntary compliance.”At the start of DC’s
