Dear Neighbor,
Big news! Today, the Council unanimously passed my Peace DC Omnibus billand critical parts of my Peace DC plan in a second and final vote. Since I became the Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, I have been proud to lead significant improvements in public safety across the District. These Peace DC measures will help continue to drive down crime and promote sustainable peace throughout our city!
Peace DC takes critical steps to (1) empower youth and strengthen neighborhood harmony by setting up young people for success, strengthening the Safe Passage program, and promoting residential tranquility (2) prevent violence by extending the rebuttable presumption for pretrial detention for the most dangerous and violent crimes (3) support our public safety workforce by streamlining college credit requirements to improve recruitment for MPD and bolstering the force with additional officers; and supporting the families of our Fire & EMS workers who have died in the line of duty, and (4) reduce recidivism by closing a gap in our record sealing laws to better create pathways for formerly incarcerated people to reenter communities with stable housing and gainful employment.
All District residents deserve to live in safe communities and our city must continue to take actionable steps to build on the success of the last several years to promote safety and sustainable peace.
The Peace DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2025:
- continues the rebuttable presumption for pretrial detention when defendants are charged with certain dangerous crimes and crimes of violence through December 2026 and requires a report from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
- streamlines educational credit requirements for the Metropolitan Police Department to bolster recruiting and increase the number of officers on the force
- ensures that families of Fire & Emergency Medical Services personnel who die due to a performance-of-duty injury or illnesses are eligible for full survivor benefits; and
- closes a gap in the Second Chance Amendment Act of 2022 to ensure that individuals can seal their criminal records as the underlying legislation intended and truly get a second chance at housing, gainful employment, and other opportunities in our community.
Without the extension of rebuttable pretrial detention, violent crimes like first degree sexual abuse (rape), child sexual abuse, strangulation, aggravated assault, first degree child cruelty, kidnapping, manslaughter, and carjacking would have no longer had a rebuttable presumption to be held before trial. Judges will have the discretion to hold defendants facing the most violent charges pretrial; defendants can overcome this presumption by demonstrating they are not a danger to the community or a flight risk.
The Safe Passage Training and School Engagement Amendment Act of 2025 will improve communication and coordination between schools and Safe Passage Ambassadors by requiring bi-annual meetings between the Safe Passage Ambassadors and relevant schools. Additionally, the bill would improve the effectiveness of the Safe Passage program by enhancing, standardizing, and universalizing training for Safe Passage Ambassadors.
All of our students must be able to get to and from school safely throughout our city and this measure ensures our Safe Passage ambassadors receive the training they need to help keep our kids safe.
The Residential Tranquility Amendment Act of 2025 will prohibit using sound amplifying devices to target a residence for purposes of a demonstration in a residential zone between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.; prohibit using unattended sound amplifying devices while targeting a residence for purposes of a demonstration; and prohibit launching or throwing an object onto the residential property of another with the intent to cause fear, intimidate, or harass against any person living or working at that residence. The introduced bill is largely the same as the emergency and temporary legislation that was passed by the Council in the fall of 2024, with the addition that the introduced version includes provisions prohibiting the use of unattended amplified sound amplifying devices used to target a residence for purposes of a demonstration.
The persistent use of amplified devices in residential areas poses significant health risks to residents and major disruptions to entire neighborhoods. This legislation balances the rights of DC residents to lawfully protest, while also ensuring residences are not being targeted with amplified devices during overnight hours causing harm to those communities.
I want to thank the hundreds of residents and stakeholders who have been a part of this process -- through public hearings, community safety walks I held in all eight wards, to meetings and feedback we have received, I am proud of the package we have passed that I believe will lead to a more peaceful community.
The legislation now goes to Mayor Bowser’s desk to be signed.
Yours in Service,
Brooke