DC Council reviews Bowser's plan to address crime in the District

DC Council hearing on crime reduction plan

As violent crime is up in D.C. compared to this time last year, the D.C. Council is currently reviewing Mayor Muriel Bowser's proposed solution to address the pressing issue.

WASHINGTON - As violent crime is up in D.C. compared to this time last year, the D.C. Council is currently reviewing Mayor Muriel Bowser's proposed solution to address the pressing issue.

Bowser's crime reduction proposal, titled the Safer Stronger Amendment Act of 2023, was the focus of a hearing Tuesday. This initiative serves as a direct response to the council's previous unsuccessful attempt to overhaul the District's 100-year-old criminal code.

Victims of gun violence and local businesses expressed their support for the amendment during the hearing.

"If we do not pay attention to the trends that we are experiencing and we do not recognize that something dramatic has to happen, we could possibly lose 20 to 30 years of economic growth and also lose jobs, opportunities, and quality of life for our citizens," said Richard Lake, Chair of the Developer Roundtable.

Lake says he has spent over 30 years attracting retailers to the District, and testified that operational concerns related to crime remain the biggest obstacle for businesses to thrive and remain open.

Bowser's proposal would also make it easier to detain juveniles before adjudication. However, criminal justice experts strongly oppose increasing juvenile detention, saying that it fails to address the root causes of the problem.

"It is difficult for us to imagine a set of circumstances in which incarceration is in a child's best interest. We worry this creates a slippery slope where judges are required to order pretrial detention even when the child poses no risk to the community," said Danielle Robinette from the Children's Law Center.

The bill also aims to increase penalties for illegal gun possession and violent crimes committed against D.C.'s most vulnerable populations, including Metro transit workers and rideshare drivers. Tuesday's hearing served as an opportunity for public comments, and no final decisions regarding the proposal will be made at this stage.