WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday signed the City Council’s crime bill on Monday. The legislation aims to curtain retail theft rings, carjackings and other violent crime that has plagued the District.
The mayor was joined by several members of council including Brooke Pinto, who sponsored the Secure D.C. Omnibus Amendment Act, and Police Chief Pamela Smith.
The bill was a direct result of the significant crime spike in years as the District dealt with a 39% spike in violent crime and a 35% hike in homicides – the most murders in 20 years with 274.
“Only the people who should be concerned about Secure DC are people who are using guns in our city,” the mayor said. “We want the message to be very clear: If you are participating in those activities, we will hold you accountable.”
According to data from the Metropolitan Police Department, for the first few months of 2024, crime has been falling. Homicides are down 33% and violent crime is down 14% – what city officials claim is the result of emergency crime-fighting legislation passed last summer.
Critics have said that the bill is too harsh and that it doesn’t address the root causes of crime because it will bring back mass incarceration of Black people and juveniles. But Bowser said the public deserves a city that is safe from random acts of violence.
“People are tired of crime and violence and they want accountability,” the mayor said. “Secure DC will help our law enforcement partners deliver that accountability.”
The mayor said that even though the crime numbers are going in the right direction, more needs to be done to get the District where it needs to be.
“We are a community that understands the importance of opportunity,” she said. “We believe in second chances but we also believe if you’re making our city less safe, there will be consequences.”
Pinto worked on the bill for a year and held a 3-day community forum on gun violence as the head of the public safety and judiciary committee. She said the bill will make D.C. safer, stronger and more secure.
“The bill that we are signing today is strong and will make meaningful, sustainable change across the District and most importantly, can be implemented right away,” Pinto said. “No matter what neighborhood you live in in the District, you deserve to be safe and the government should and will support your safety and well being.”
