Washington, DC — Today, the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety passed Chairwoman Brooke Pinto’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget recommendations for agencies under the committee’s purview. The report was developed after months of hearings, testimony, meetings, and other forms of public engagement. It reflects the Committee’s continued commitment to safety, justice, and sustainable peace throughout all District communities.
It includes an amendment regarding the future of violence interruption work in our city. Together with the mayor, the Committee is committed to merging the District’s violence interruption program under the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE). Chairwoman Pinto secured an agreement with the Executive that includes a requirement for ONSE to adopt and implement an evidence-informed violence prevention model, training requirements, community engagement, data collection and reporting, and service coordination.
“I maintain my position that the District’s violence intervention programs should be merged into one program to achieve greater success in driving down crime and supporting individuals at highest risk of gun violence swiftly, efficiently, and effectively,” said Chairwoman Pinto. “This agreement from the Executive gives me and the Committee confidence in the Executive’s commitment to the successful implementation of violence interruption and complementary programming at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.”
The Committee’s recommendations for the proposed FY 2026 budget include:
Interrupt Cycles of Violence and Support Underserved Residents by:
- Merging the District’s violence intervention program, now, under the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement to improve efficiency and efficacy of our VI programs with an investment of $11.1 million in violence interruption in FY 2026.
- Investing $4.9 million in FY 2026 and more than $18 million across the financial plan in the Pathways Program to provide better support and follow-through for job training and permanent job placement for individuals at risk of participating in or being a victim of gun violence.
- Supporting $12.3 million for Access to Justice to provide civil legal support to disadvantaged and vulnerable residents.
- Supporting a $3.9 million enhancement across the financial plan for OAG’s litigation support fund to ensure OAG can protect District interests and residents.
- Supporting $52.7 million for Victim Services grants at the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants (OVSJG) to support victims, survivors, and service providers.
- Funding the Unified Juvenile Justice System plan as required by the Recidivism Reduction, Oversight, and Accountability for DYRS, or “ROAD”, Act of 2024 which will require the Executive to create a plan for a unified juvenile justice system.
- Investing $19.8 million in Justice Grants at OVSJG to provide support to returning citizens and those at risk of becoming justice-system involved.
- Supporting MPD capacity to implement the Second Chance Amendment Act, which allows for criminal record sealing to provide a clean slate and fair shot at employment, housing, and opportunities to contribute to their communities.
Meet Urgent Public Safety Needs and Supports our Public Safety Workforce by:
- Funding the total amount of funds requested by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) while identifying operating savings and enhancing the capital budget by $2.5 million which includes funding for improvements at the training academy facility to support recruitment and hiring efforts.
- Supporting $2.4 million, including a one-time enhancement of $1 million, for the Police and Fire Clinic to provide occupational and preventative medical servicesto the District’s more than 6,000 police officers, firefighters, US Park Police officers, and U.S. Secret Service Agents. This investment will also allow the clinic to begin toprovide cancer and cardiac screenings.
- Approving $2.3 million for pay raises and bonuses for 911 and 311 call-taker, dispatcher, and staff pay raises in order to remain competitive with the region and compensate for the difficulty of the work performed by these first responders.
- Approving $90.4 million for Fire & EMS facilities, equipment including a new fireboat, vehicle replacement, firefighting safety gear, generator replacement, and station relocation.
- Approving $13.7 million in OUC hardware and software IT improvements in order to ensure the District’s emergency response and communications center maintains state-of-the-art and best-in-class mobile data computer upgrades, 911 call processing, and electrical configurations to ensure accurate, fast, and reliable emergency first response, and
- Supporting former government employees and current public safety agencies, by allowing retired MPD officers and firefighters to get rehired full-time or part-time at OUC or the Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) without jeopardizing their retirement benefits.
Bolster Foundational Needs to Provide for Safe and Thriving Communities by:
- Funding $9.1 million for the Safe Passage program and funding the Safe Passage Training and School Engagement Amendment Act of 2025 to improve training and engagement among ambassadors and schools.
- Increasing the amount of child support that the District passes through to families from $150 to $200 for families currently receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits.
- Allocating $2.03 million for Safe Commercial Corridor grants to provide resources for neighborhood-specific safety interventions and promote public safety along commercial corridors in all eight wards.
- Providing $1 million in Safe and Secure DC Nonprofit grants to provide resources to respond to safety concerns at District non-profit institutions at higher risk of violence or attacks including hate crimes, and
- Supporting access to public restrooms by transferring $200,000 in FY 2026 and $800,000 across the financial plan to the Committee on Public Works and Operations to support public restrooms in Dupont Circle and near Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.
The Committee is confident that the recommendations herein will continue the important progress the District has made to drive down crime and make our communities safer, more peaceful, and more just.