Bodies are still dropping in various parts of the nation’s capital. My last column mentioned a retired cop who got shot up last Saturday as he exchanged gunfire with three men who made off with his Lexus. Same day a guy got shot dead. Monday a stabbing turned into a homicide, Tuesday gunfire killed another, Wednesday three men got shot near Howard University.
Summertime in this city.
In that Tuesday column I suggested questions for politicians running for office who have a say in criminal law and enforcement. Some bristled at the queries and challenged the facts behind them. Ironically, the fallout from the ensuing conversations might wind up helping to change the law in ways that could reduce crime.
Phil Mendelson called to question my question. The chairman of the city council’s judiciary committee said I had asked why he had not held hearings on a crime bill; he said he had indeed held hearings on April 19. Therefore, I must correct.
Bravo, I say, for a politician to man up rather than whine in private.
Mendelson said the council, under his direction, had strengthened penalties for possession of PCP, had mandated that community impact statements be considered at sentencing of criminals, and that the presence of unregistered firearms should be factored in when declaring a property is a nuisance.
All good. But must I correct the record? And are these changes enough to burnish Mendelson’s credentials as a crime fighter?
As for the correction, the answer is no. I specifically asked why Mendelson has refused to hold hearings on a crime bill that would “permit the city to bring civil injunctions against suspected crime members.” I checked with his council colleagues and the attorney general. He has held no such hearings.
Jack Evans, who sits on the judiciary committee, introduced a civil injunction measure in January. It was retooled from the one he had proposed last year; that one was shot down by the council. Mendelson declined to hold hearings on the new bill. “I don’t think it’s the best tool,” he says.
In my view, Mendelson is trying to stiffen some laws and change the council’s reputation for coddling criminals. Others are not so sure.
Says Attorney General Peter Nickles: “I don’t think the council member has been helpful in fighting crime.”
Says police union chief Kris Baumann: “Phil Mendelson has been and will continue to be a disaster for law enforcement in this city.”
But in asking more questions, I discovered common ground. All three support changes to the law that would make public juvenile criminal records that are now protected by privacy laws.
“My view is that without transparency, you have no accountability,” says Nickles, who says he’s about to propose changes to the law.
Says Mendelson: “The kids hide behind confidentiality. The government agencies that oversee kids hide behind it, too.”
Mendelson says he’s ready to hold hearings and propose changes.
Let’s hold him to his word — no questions asked.
Harry Jaffe’s column appears on Tuesday and Friday. He can be contacted at [email protected].
