The D.C. Council passed legislation aimed at addressing the growing crime crisis on Tuesday after councilmembers unanimously passed the bill during a first vote in February.
The Secure D.C. Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024 was introduced last year by Public Safety Committee Chair Councilwoman Brooke Pinto. The crime legislation includes 12 bills crafted by Mayor Muriel Bowser and other local leaders to tackle the district’s surge in crime.
“Passing and implementing Secure DC is a critical step in the work to build a safer DC by rebalancing our public safety and justice ecosystem in favor of safety and accountability,” Bowser, a Democrat, said in a statement following the bill’s passage.
“We are a city that is committed to creating opportunity and that believes in second chances, but we will not tolerate violence and we will not tolerate criminal activity that disrupts our sense of safety and our ability to build thriving neighborhoods,” Bowser added. “The provisions that were passed on an emergency basis last summer have already had a positive impact on crime trends. Together, we can continue to drive down crime and build a safer, stronger DC.”
The council passed several emergency measures last summer as part of a raft of police reforms. Secure D.C. brings together several provisions and bills that have been floated or temporarily passed recently.
The legislation would give judges more discretion to hold people awaiting trial for a violent offense, pulling from language proposed by Bowser last year, which faced significant backlash. The council also voted to restore a provision that was removed through an amendment led by Councilman Kenyan R. McDuffie last month. Pinto restored the measure allowing for DNA collection upon certain felony arrests; McDuffie argued it was a violation of civil rights.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia applauded the council’s passage of the legislation, stating, “The provisions in this bill will provide crucial tools to police and to prosecutors as we collectively work together to hold those who commit crimes in our community accountable.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office requested the provision to allow for an earlier collection of DNA, adding a statement that it “will both help solve violent crimes and prevent future crimes by removing these dangerous people from our community.”
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The district ended 2023 with a 26% increase in overall crime compared to last year, according to Metropolitan Police Department data. That included a 39% increase in violent crime, and carjackings rose for a sixth year in a row, totaling 959 reported incidents. The district saw 274 homicides, the most in 26 years.
Two progressive council members, Charles Allen of Ward 6 and Brianne K. Nadeau of Ward 1, are facing recall efforts over the rise in crime, and both voted in favor of the legislation, according to the Washington Post.
