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The New DC Crime Bill
By: Kristal Knight
‘Secure DC’ is the new public safety bill the DC Council is set to vote on by March 5th. The bill comes after a sharp increase in crime during 2023 and after previous crime bills have stalled for amendments.
Over the past few months residents have complained about the crime and have even launched recall efforts in Ward 6 against Councilmember Charles Allen and in Ward 1 against Councilmember Brianne Nadeau. Residents have said these recall campaigns arose because they feel councilmembers are out of touch with what is happening, but the new public safety bill could be viewed as a direct response to the outcry.
The bill is lengthy with nearly 100 provisions and has already caused an uproar in some social media circles.
HERE ARE A FEW KEY COMPONENTS OF THE BILL
• It seeks to address firearms
• Broadens the definition of carjackings to include cases where a person might be further away from a person’s car
• Raises the age of child victims for which people convicted of sexual abuse face additional criminal penalties
• Increases the potential penalties for theft of $500 worth of property or more
• Prohibits the wearing of masks under certain circumstances (like for the purpose of concealing one’s identity while committing a crime or intimidating someone)
• Creates new ‘organized retail theft’ offense for planning and or directing theft from stores
• Mandates that both law enforcement and the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice hold meetings to review recents shooting
• Creates a Director of Emerging Adult Services to focus on improving city services for justice involved youth between 18-24
• Allows the police chief to designate certain areas “drug free zones”
• Creates a felony charge for strangulation
• Expands a rebate program for residents who purchase private security cameras for their homes
These are just a few key takeaways from the bill. Councilmember Brooke Pinto is the chair of the council’s judiciary committee and she introduced the bill and believes the bill will reduce crime if it passes. She also said this is a direct piece of legislation proposed in response to residents’ complaints about the crime in the city. However, groups like the ACLU DC chapter have said this bill will make crime worse and lead to over incarceration.
Some controversy about the bill includes police vehicle pursuits and neck restraints. Police officers believe the current law on officers’ ability to chase or use force is too strict, but criminal justice reform advocates see this provision as a way to give police more leniency in attacking residents. A big change comes in the way police officers can view footage of their body worn cameras. In this new bill police officers can review their own footage before writing a report unless they have used excessive force or killed someone. Criminal justice reform advocates see this as a loophole in accountability which the body cameras have been able to provide.
The bill will also allow the DC Police Chief to designate areas “drug free zones” for a period of 15 days to address some of the city’s open air drug markets.
