Contact: Communications Director, Samantha Graubard
PRESS RELEASE: COUNCILMEMBER BROOKE PINTO SENDS LETTER TO METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE CLARITY ON FEDERAL COORDINATION AND CRIME DATA COLLECTION
Washington DC — Today, Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety Brooke Pinto sent a letter to Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith to provide clarity on MPD’s coordination with federal law enforcement and its crime data collection process. This comes after Chairwoman Pinto held a nearly 12-hour long public safety hearing on December 4th, when many residents testified and shared stories and experiences with federal immigration authorities in their communities. Additionally, a draft report from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the report by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform allege misclassifications of crimes at MPD.
"After hearing from more than 130 public witnesses during my December 4th public safety hearing, it is clear the federal immigration policies and actions by some federal agencies are leading to real traumatization, harm, and separation of families in our immigrant communities,” said Chairwoman Pinto.“Additionally, accuracy in reporting crime statistics is critically important for public trust and for assessing the effectiveness of our public safety interventions. The Committee and the public needs answers to these questions to better understand the current state of affairs with the federal intervention in our safety ecosystem and to inform where we go from here to ensure the safety of all residents and visitors.”
The letter includes questions about the joint patrols between MPD and federal agencies, the status of Executive Order 25-005, the powers and authorities of federal agencies in DC, specific incidents raised by DC residents, MPD policies, and MPD crime data classification and reporting. Every member of the DC Council co-signed the letter including Chairman Phil Mendelson, Councilmembers Kenyan McDuffie, Anita Bonds, Robert White, Christina Henderson, Brianne Nadeau, Matthew Frumin, Janeese Lewis George, Zachary Parker, Charles Allen, Wendell Felder, and Trayon White.
Chairwoman Pinto conducts oversight of all public safety agencies in the District of Columbia. She will hold a public performance oversight hearing for MPD in February.
You can read the full letter here.