Join me, Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau, and Moms Demand Action for a moderated panel discussion on public safety. 

Creating a safer place for all of our residents requires coordinated efforts between the Council, the Mayor, and all of our agencies with a presence in the community as well as advocacy groups working to make the city safe. Over the past several years there has been a great deal of activism and conversation about the most effective ways to address public safety in our community. Our government has augmented traditional approaches to addressing public safety with an evidence-based public health approach. 

When: Monday, January 13, 2020, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Where: Anthony Bowen YMCA, 2^nd Floor (1325 W St NW)

Panel (in formation) to include:

• Penelope Griffith, Collaborative Solutions for Communities
• Commander Randy Griffin, Metropolitan Police Department Fourth District
• Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
• Office of the DC Attorney General

New Funding for Public Safety in Ward 1

Included in our latest budget are historic investments and targeted safety measures for the most affected parts of Ward 1:

• In the fiscal year 2020 budget, the DC Council has tripled the amount of the investment in violence prevention and intervention programming, bringing it to more than $10 million. 

• Ward 1 will receive double the funding it has in the past, bringing it up to about $1.4 million. Collaborative Solutions for Communities will be the community partner for this grant, with an intensive focus on neighborhoods most affected. 

• Council action will allow seasoned detectives and sergeants to remain with MPD with special retention incentives.

• MPD will receive a budget increase of $6 million and will be able to properly sustain its workforce.

• The incredibly successful Pathways program will grow by one third. Pathways identifies young men at risk of violence and puts them through an intensive violence prevention program that ends with employment.

• The Council increased funding for returning citizens and reentry services by $1 million to prevent recidivism and improve public safety.

• The Council also recently passed my Extreme Risk Civil Protection Act, our new “red flag” law which reduces gun violence by restricting access to guns by those who are known to be a risk to themselves or others.

These investments complement the immediate response to shootings by MPD and violence interrupters in our community. After shootings, MPD adjusts deployments, which includes a marked and unmarked presence and an emphasis on removing illegal guns from the streets. The Narcotics and Special Investigations Division (NSID) and Gun Recovery Unit continue to be present gathering intelligence and making arrests. Violence interrupters leverage their relationships in the community to reach the root of the issues that lead to violence and provide wrap-around services and support to reduce and eliminate violence. 

I know this is an issue that has affected many people closely – most of all the victims of violence. More work remains to be done, and I am fully committed to doing everything I can as a legislator to help keep Ward 1’s communities and families safe.

I hope you’ll join us on Monday, January 13.