Dear Neighbor,

The District has faced a lot of challenges together over the last month and I am tremendously proud of my fellow Washingtonians who have made their voices heard.The presidentially declared emergency in our city is over and the District is no longer compelled to direct our local police officers to provide services at the request of the President. I am inspired every day by neighbors who continue to fight for our city and for each other.

Last week, the House Oversight Committee in Congress marked up 13 bills that will negatively impact the District’s autonomy, public safety, and criminal justice system. I joined my Council colleagues in urging lawmakers to vote against these measures, and I am continuing to meet with members of Congress to educate them about how DC operates and urge them not to support these dangerous proposals. The best way to support our residents is to have our local legislature -- accountable to our neighbors -- pass laws on their behalf. See a recap of the four bills up for a vote this week here.

The DC Council will hold our first legislative meeting of the fall session this Wednesday, September 17. I am introducing several pieces of emergency legislation to continue to enhance public safety in the District. Fully staffing our public safety agencies is critical to ensuring the safety and security of our communities. The First Responder Retention Efforts Amendment Act of 2025 and the First Responder Retention Efforts Emergency Declaration of 2025 will add to the District’s efforts to continue to recruit and retain police officers and firefighters, namely through an expansion of the MPD Senior Officer Program to MPD Lieutenants and removal of the MPD and Fire & EMS mandatory retirement age.  

Ensuring our kids are engaged in positive activities is important for their development and for public safety and the recent curfew emergency legislation passed by the Council has proven to be effective in reducing juvenile crime without increasing any arrests. This is why I am introducing the Juvenile Curfew Second Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025 and the Juvenile Curfew Second Emergency Amendment Act of 2025 to extend the juvenile curfew for three more months.  

The Council will also hold a final vote on a groundbreaking deal to bring the Commanders home and transform the RFK campus. This deal will deliver many community benefits that I helped secure including new affordable housing, recreation space, job opportunities for returning citizens, new businesses, and more.

Yours in service,

Brooke

In the Community

Over the last several weeks, Councilmember Pinto and Team Pinto have met with residents, advocacy groups, and local and federal partners across the District, including:

• Honoring the lives lost and sacrifices of our first responders on September 11,2001 at Engine 16 in Ward 2 as we marked 24 years since the terror attacks

• Joining Art All Night to celebrate our local artists, arts community, and businesses

• Securing a new MPD camera at the intersection of 12th Street and M Street NWwhere there have been public safety concerns with drug activity and gun violence

• Joining DC Nightlife Council and Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington to discuss shared goals of supporting our restaurants and nightlife establishments

Announcements

Final Town Hall for Ward 2 & Ward 3 Senior Wellness Center Feasibility Study

The Department of Aging & Community Living is holding the final town hall for the Ward 2 and Ward 3 Senior Wellness Center Feasibility Study.

Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025 Time: 4:30 PM Location: New Bethel Baptist Church

During this session, DACL will share the findings of the study and discuss the three recommended sites for each ward. Click here to register.

Sun Day in DC

Are you Solar Curious? Get Solar Serious! Save the date and join the fun at our District-wide celebration of clean energy, coming up on September 21st from 1pm-5pm.

You are invited to visit sites across the District to learn about all the ways you can power your life with solar, batteries, and EVs. Residents at solar sites and vetted installers and experts at eight information hubs across the city will be there to answer your questions. Host a site, volunteer, sponsor, and register to attend now!

DC Falls Prevention Awareness Week September 22-26

DC’s Department of Aging and Community Living, AARP DC, Home Care Partners, Trinity Washington University, Howard University, The George Washington University, University of the District of Columbia and many more are collaborating to launch DC’s Falls Prevention Awareness Week the week of September 22-26, 2025.

Monday September 22: 9am-1pm at Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sports located at 125 Michigan Ave NE (Cuvilly entrance)

Tuesday September 23: 11am-3pm at GWU University Student Center located at 800 21stStreet NW

Wednesday September 24: 10am-2pm at UDC Student Center located at 4200 Connecticut Ave NW  

Thursday September 25: 10am-2pm at Howard University Louis Stokes Library located at 501 W Street NW  

‍