Dear Neighbor,
A lot has happened over the last week, and I want to give you a brief update on our continuing efforts to keep District residents safe and maintain local control of our police department and our Home Rule form of government.
Our Attorney General’s Lawsuit:
On Friday, our DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb fought on behalf of our local autonomy in court and secured a win for the 700k residents who call DC home to maintain local control of our Metropolitan Police Department. This was in response to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issuing an order Thursday evening that declared the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as the head of our local police department – a move that violates Home Rule and one she did not have the legal authority to do. Attorney General Schwalb successfully fought against this in court and the judge required the administration to rewrite the order and also clarified that Chief Pamela Smith continues to be in charge of our local police department who reports to Mayor Bowser.
Home Rule Act:
The successful actions in court are a step forward on behalf of Home Rule; however, the work is not over. The District government is unique as is our place as the nation’s capital. In 1973, Congress empowered the District to have limited self governance by enacting the Home Rule Act which established our local form of government. In Section 740 of the Home Rule Act, Congress gave the President of the United States limited, temporary authority to request and receive services of MPD under special emergency circumstances and solely for federal purposes.
The Home Rule Act keeps operational control of MPD under the mayor and Chief of Police, and it only permits the president to make requests of MPD through the mayor. In the District’s 52 years of Home Rule, no president has ever previously attempted to exercise this authority.
This week:
I recognize many District residents have concerns about the increased federal law enforcement presence in our city — and I continue to believe that the needed solutions to address safety challenges in our city are not through militarization of our streets. I do want to be clear though: DC continues to operate our local government.
This week, 1,000 National Guard troops began to arrive to arrive from West Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Mississippi. Some are expected to be armed. These guardsmen report to their state governors and do not have arrest authority. The federal government also continues to surge additional federal law enforcement agency personnel into our communities who do have arrest authority. While our local Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers continue to abide by our local laws, report to our Chief, and are accountable to our residents, the federal agents are reporting to the federal government.
Standing strong together:
There are still many concerns that remain for District residents worried about the federal interference in our city. Last week, I worked with DC government agencies and service providers to help people experiencing homelessness move safely to shelters as the federal government prepared to clear encampments. Kids go back to school next week. Restaurant week is now underway. The lives of DC's 700k residents are continuing on and across DC government, we are committed to fighting for and keeping our city safe.
I have your back and am working every day to support our city, improve safety, protect our democracy, and ensure our schools are ready to welcome our students back to school next week. It’s important that we come together as a city in this moment and remember that we are stronger when we act with kindness, with empathy, and with real solutions to address real challenges.
We stand strong together, DC.
Yours in service,
Brooke
In the News
WATCH MSNBC: “DC Councilmember: Sending in the National Guard to patrol our streets is not the answer”
D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) joined The Weeknight to discuss President Trump’s move to federalize the city’s police department and bring in the National Guard. Pinto said sending in the guard to patrol D.C.’s streets is “not the answer to our crime challenges.”
READ THE NEW YORK TIMES: “Trump Rails about Youth Crime, a Focus of D.C. Leaders for Decades”
Brooke Pinto, a member of the District of Columbia Council, has pushed some of the toughest juvenile justice bills in the council. She said she was pleased with the efforts the city had made on crime and that the deployment of the National Guard was not going to help. But she said serious crimes involving young people remained especially troubling, even as the data showed progress. “Any time I hear a case of a 12-year-old picking up a gun and shooting someone else, something has gone seriously wrong with our city and our country,” she said in an interview.
WATCH ABC NEWS: “Local police ‘know how to fight crime in our neighborhood: DC councilmember”
Washington, D.C., councilmember Brooke Pinto reacts to the federal takeover and National Guard deployment to the city by President Trump.
WATCH PBS: “D.C. Councilmember on Trump’s Crackdown: ‘Not the Appropriate Response’”
National Guard troops have been deployed to Washington, D.C. to curb what Pres. Trump says is “out of control” crime. However, official statistics show crime numbers in the District are falling. While some support the deployment, others question its legality. City Councilmember Brooke Pinto is the youngest member in D.C. Council’s history. Pinto joins the show to respond to the move.
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