CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR TOP PRIORITY FOR THE UPCOMING DC BUDGET
Dear Neighbor,
We must have transparency around the federal agencies operating in DC. When there is a serious use of force incident involving federal agents in our city – the public and the families affected deserve access to information. Today, the DC Council unanimously approved my important emergency bill to (1) require the public release of MPD body-worn camera recordings when there is a use of force by a federal agency and an MPD officer is present and (2) track the names of all officers involved in these incidents to deliver much needed transparency.
This comes after last week, as Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, I held a performance oversight hearing with several public safety agencies including the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). I want to thank the more than 100 public witnesses who testified for nearly 12 hours about their experiences over the last seven months with the increase in federal law enforcement and immigration related activities in the District. MPD Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll’s testimony provided a clearer sense of how the federal surge of officers is managed overall; however, many questions still remain regarding the ongoing investigations into the three federal agency involved shootings and how and where deployment decisions are being made and which agencies are handling arrests.
The public understandably has frustration and demands to have access to more information and I share those concerns. In December, I held a nearly 12-hour long public safety hearing when more than 130 residents testified and shared stories and experiences with federal immigration authorities in their communities. I then sent a letter to MPD that was signed by every member of the DC Council seeking clarity on MPD’s cooperation with ICE and on its crime data collection process. Unfortunately, MPD’s response to our letter only provided a general state of affairs, and I pressed MPD on these critically important questions during my performance oversight hearing. My oversight work continues and I will be following up for updates on the federal agent involved use of force investigations.
Finally, following the Congressional disapproval of our tax laws, I recognize there is a great deal of uncertainty about this tax season for DC residents. We are working together as a government to ensure that District residents can file their taxes and have clear guidance on how to do that. I will provide an update as soon as it becomes available, which I expect will happen within the next week.
Yours in service,
Brooke
Legislative Updates
FEDERAL AGENCY TRANSPARENCY BILL
On Tuesday, March 3rd, the DC Council unanimously approved Councilmember Pinto’s emergency bill called the Body-Worn Camera Transparency for Use of Force Emergency Amendment Act. The bill will require the public release of MPD body-worn camera recordings when an MPD officer is present during a federal agency involved use of force and the tracking of the names of all officers involved in these incidents to deliver much needed transparency.
PERFORMANCE OVERSIGHT
Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants (OVSJG)
On Monday, March 2nd, the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety held a performance oversight hearing for the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants (OVSJG). OVSJG is an agency that plays a critical role in our efforts to support our District residents and communities. OVSJG’s mission is to develop, fund, and coordinate programs that improve public safety; enhance the administration of justice; and create systems of care for crime victims, youth, and their families in the District. Chairwoman Pinto’s questioning highlighted the critical work of the DC Bar Foundation to administer the Access to Justice (ATJ) program, which provides legal representation to low-income DC residents, and she pressed the agency to think more strategically about grantmaking to ensure the District is responding to residents' needs and dynamic crime trends.
Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), Office of Police Complaints (OPC), and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)
On Wednesday, February 25th, the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety held a performance oversight hearing for the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), the Office of Police Complaints (OPC), and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
CJCC is an independent agency that serves as a forum for identifying challenges and generating solutions to enhance public safety and the fair administration of justice for District residents, visitors, victims, and justice-involved individuals. Chairwoman Pinto’s questioning underscored the need to improve data collection agreements with the courts to improve CJCC’s ability to comply with her Secure DC requirements, and to ensure that JUSTIS improvements are made to modernize our data dashboards.
OPC was created to offer an independent system of review of citizens’ complaints against police officers in the District. The Office investigates, mediates, and adjudicates complaints against MPD officers, as well as the DC Housing Authority Police Department. Chairwoman Pinto pushed for more data on the total number of complaints that involve the federal task force and will follow up once a report is release in the spring about their recommendations about MPD’s collaboration with federal agencies.
MPD is the primary law enforcement agency in the District and provides crime prevention and investigation services, as well as emergency response services. MPD continues to play a critical role in preventing and addressing violent crime. Chairwoman Pinto pressed Interim MPD Chief Jeffery Carroll about the department’s coordination with federal agencies and how deployment decisions and incidents involving federal agents are tracked.
Fire and Emergency Management Services Department & Office of Neighborhood Safety Engagement
On Thursday, February 19th, the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety held a performance oversight hearing with the Fire and Emergency Management Services Department (Fire & EMS) and the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE).
The mission of Fire and EMS is to preserve life and promote health and safety through excellent pre-hospital treatment and transportation, fire prevention, fire suppression and rescue activities, and homeland security awareness. In addition, the Department also oversees the Nurse Triage Line facilitates connections with urgent care providers, and provides CPR and AED training to the public. Chairwoman Pinto’s questioning highlighted the need for the Nurse Triage Line (NTL) and other diversion methods to be used more and better communicated to the public so that our emergency rooms are not overburdened, and that the budget must prioritize maintaining critical infrastructure and tools like our 24/7 firehouses and the replacement of the fire boat.
ONSE was launched in 2017 to create a public health-based, community-oriented model of violence prevention and public safety. ONSE was created based on the premise that the overwhelming majority of serious violent crime is committed by a relatively small group of people, and that by identifying and engaging more robustly these individuals, we can drastically reduce violent crime in our city. Chairwoman Pinto questioned the ONSE Executive Director about prioritization for grant funding and training methods to ensure our violence interruption programs are effective, efficient, and transparent.
In the Community
Over the last two weeks, Councilmember Pinto and Team Pinto have met with residents, advocacy groups, and local and federal partners across the District, including:
- Joining a resolution to recognize the advocacy work by members of Recess at the Capitol, which has worked to ensure our children and schools are protected and supported
- Speaking to American University students about the role of women in local government
- Meeting with Empower Ed to discuss what they want to see prioritized in the upcoming budget to uplift our students and educators
- Holding community office hours with Councilmember Pinto’s constituent services team at Coffee Republic Downtown
Announcements
FREE TAX SERVICES
Catholic Charities is offering free tax services for DC individuals or families with income of $70,000 or less through April 15th at 924 G Street NW. This is part of the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. They provide services in English and Spanish.
BUDGET PRIORITIES
Councilmember Pinto wants to hear from you about your top budget priority for the upcoming DC budget. Click here to submit your answer.