The Washington, D.C., Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety unanimously voted to pass a sweeping, comprehensive crime bill on Wednesday despite several of the members voicing concerns over some of the provisions allocated to the police.
The Secure DC Omnibus bill, which was introduced by Councilwoman Brooke Pinto last week, strengthens carjacking laws, mandates shooting reviews, and expands private security for small businesses. Other provisions include increasing maximum sentences for gun-related crimes from one to five years and increasing juvenile pretrial detentions for certain violent crimes, all types of crimes that have increased substantially in the district in recent years.
Councilman Charles Allen, who is facing a recall effort for his perceived lack of dedication to curb crime in Washington, said no one will be 100% happy with all of the bill’s provisions, particularly those involving police.
“I’ll note specifically, I am concerned about the proposed rollback on some of the transparency and accountability for police misconduct against the public, and I hope that I continue working with you on those provisions as this moves forward to a full vote on the council,” he said during the hearing, via DC News Now.
The omnibus bill combined several proposals and bills targeting public safety in the district. Most of the provisions in the omnibus have been previously reported on or discussed publicly, such as allowing the Metropolitan Police Department to establish up to 120 hours of “drug-free zones” in certain areas with high drug activity.
Councilwoman Christina Henderson took issue with the drug-free zones despite offering her overall support for the bill, which she thinks makes necessary changes to district laws.
“As chair of the Committee on Health, I am concerned how drug-free zones may criminalize individuals who are suffering from substance abuse disorder,” she said.
“Let me be clear: Yes, we need to disrupt the sale of illegal drugs and shut our open-air drug markets, but we can do that while supporting those who are suffering from addiction and ensuring they don’t end up in jail, which is not going to lead to further treatment,” she continued. “I’m not yet sure that we struck that balance here, so I want to continue working with you over that.”
Pinto said last week announcing the bill that she is “confident” that this is the right crime bill “for this time now.”
“Every day, I hear from residents, businesses, and visitors about their serious concerns on the state of public safety and violence in the district,” Pinto said, pointing to the “devastating” statistics released for 2023 that show total crime increased 26% and violent crime increased 39%.
The biggest uptick in crime levels came from carjackings at 82%. Robberies increased 67%, and homicides increased 35% since 2022.
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“Residents are in fear of carjackings, thefts, and falling victim to crime across the district,” Pinto said. “This is unacceptable.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser has said she supports the bill and will sign it if passed by the D.C. Council. The bill will go before all members on Jan. 23.