[Lincolnparkdc] Fwd: Invitation: Mayor Bowser Public Safety Press Conference

Sun Oct 22 18:12:24 EDT 2023

 I hosted a meeting with Allen and representatives from MPD, the DC Attorney General, the ANC, and others several months ago at Mott's Market.  
This is not a political statement or intended to start a political war of words: we have to acknowledge that Allen lead the charge to change DC's policing laws three years ago, and that those law changes - well-intended as they may be - may be directly responsible for at least part of the problem.  
The DC Fraternal Order of Police has been very clear that Allen's legislation is responsible for the obscene rise in crime.  For example, the union says that since Allen and the Council passed the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act of 2020, 1300 officers have left the force, and only about 600 have been hired.  (You can read more from the union, and see a rather inflammatory video, here.  I do not endorse this page; I am only including it to prove my claim that the police union is frustrated with Allen.)

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When crime happens and we contact Allen's office, he often says he will request a greater police presence in the area.  The truth is, there aren't enough police officers to cover the entire city, and everyone knows it.  Allen himself has said that there is a huge financial bonus (I think $25,000) for joining the force, but DC still can't hire anywhere near enough officers.  (His other solution is to do "crime walks" to determine where we can get better lighting, trim trees, etc.  This, in my view, provides only marginal improvements.)
I think it is not enough to tell Allen that we are angry.  I had about 60 residents packed into Mott's telling him the same thing over the summer, and the problem has only gotten worse.  It is time to ask some hard questions about why no one wants to be a police officer in DC anymore, and to figure out what policy changes we can advocate for to change that.  
I want to be clear about this: part of Allen's intent was, surely, to stop police officers from unjustly targeting young black men.  He is right to hold police officers accountable for unjust actions, and whatever changes the Council makes should keep this objective.  It is also true that there must be a better solution than the one he and the Council passed three years ago.  
      --Noah

    On Sunday, October 22, 2023, 03:56:41 PM EDT, Austin Durrer <austin.durrer at gmail.com> wrote:  

 Yes to this. We need to hear from our council member and MPD leadership specifics on why the dangerous uptick is occurring, what is being done, what can be done, what we can do to help, and neighbors need a venue to voice their concerns and suggestions. Bonus if the Mayor joins.

On Oct 22, 2023, at 3:47 PM, Stefanie Kendall <stefkendall at gmail.com> wrote:

Here’s one place to advocate if anyone wants to. Maybe she’ll get to Ward 6, too. 
More than a safety walk, I’d like a town hall in person with Allen, perhaps one of the churches would be so kind as to lend a hall one evening, or Maury. Not a photo opp., but a Q&A where we can find out if there’s a response from our councilman, what that response is (and by that, I mean action not rhetoric), and how the council is working with MPD to add numbers to the force. I get his newsletter, but there’s no dent in crime despite all those words. 
With bullets flying east of the river and elsewhere and Do Not Chase rules hobbling police, what’s visibly being done to minimize crime? It was clear 911 was a mess during multiple crime reports over the last 18 months. Wrong address, delays, etc. That wasn’t a massive epiphany on Allen’s part. But if we don’t have enough officers and FEMS is slowed, we can’t expect rapid response. And we can’t pin all the blame on 911, the council forgot the critical priority for safety that should have been collateral and never secondary to anything else. Yet here we are. 
Our neighbors are losing their lives and potentially we our lifetime investments. 

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Rubio, Vanessa (SMD 4E01) <4E01 at anc.dc.gov>
Date: Sun, Oct 22, 2023 at 2:33 PM
Subject: [CrestwoodWDC] Fwd: Invitation: Mayor Bowser Public Safety Press Conference
To: Rubio, Vanessa (SMD 4E01) <4E01 at anc.dc.gov>

FYI 

Vanessa Rubio
ANC Commissioner, 4E01
4E01 at anc.dc.gov
202-492-5051
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:

From: "Johnson, Derek (EOM)" <derek.johnson at dc.gov>
Date: October 22, 2023 at 1:15:35 PM EDT
To: "Johnson, Derek (EOM)" <derek.johnson at dc.gov>
Subject: Invitation: Mayor Bowser Public Safety Press Conference

Dear Ward 4 Commissioners,

I’m writing to sharean invitation from Mayor Bowser (please see below).

On Monday, October 23, Mayor Bowser, Deputy Mayor Appiah, and Acting Chief Smith, will hold a press conference concerning public safety. Mayor Bowser and her public safety team plan to announce a new legislative opportunity to further combat crime across Washington, DC. Please feel free to join the press conference to learn more.

WHEN:          Monday, October 23, 2023 

TIME:            11:00 am   

WHO:             Mayor Bowser 

      Deputy Mayor Appiah, DMPSJ

      Acting Chief Smith, MPD  

      MPD Officials  

WHERE:       4th District MPD Headquarters 

       6001 Georgia Avenue, NW

       Washington, DC 20011

You may also join virtually https://mayor.dc.gov/multimedia/mayor-bowsers-live-event.

Kind Regards,

Derek

Derek Johnson | Ward 4 Liaison

Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services (MOCRS)

Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 332

Washington, DC 20004

O: (202) 442-8150| M: (202) 603-7182

P  Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

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