Dozens testify on new ‘Peace DC' public safety legislation
WASHINGTON () — Dozens of people testified during a marathon public hearing on D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto's new Peace DC public safety and crime legislation package Wednesday.
The omnibus legislation is made up of more than 10 bills, along with funding for multiple safety programs. Public hearings for those bills went on for several hours on Wednesday.
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The legislation is a follow-up to Secure DC, which the Council That package focused on driving down violence.
Expanded and extended pre-trial detention is part of the Peace DC package of bills. It was one of the more controversial and contested bills discussed during Wednesday's hearing. Over a dozen people testified against that particular bill.
'There is not short- or long-term gain. It only makes a select group of people feel better at the expense of justice,' said Scott Goldstein of Power Ed, as he testified Wednesday.
Peace DC would also consolidate violence intervention programs under the Mayor's (ONSE). Currently, is operated through the Office of the Attorney General.
The plan includes a three-year advisory team that will manage the transition. It would also set up consistent training for violence interrupters and establish more oversight and transparency around violence interruption contracts.
'This change is actually pretty narrow, but it empowers judges to weigh all of those equities and make a decision that's fair for the defendant, fair for the victim, and fair for our community at large,' Pinto said.
This comes after the indictment and expulsion of former Councilmember Trayon White, who is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for his influence on violence intervention contracts.
Others at the pubic hearing staunchly criticized the Peace DC plan's approach to combating juvenile crime.
'If I asked ChatGPT to write a bill by a politician pretending to give a … about our children, this is the bill I would get,' Theodore Nastase said.
Pinto said she's hoping the new omnibus legislation can help kids already moving through the justice system and prevent others from ending up in trouble to begin with.
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It creates a pilot program for justice-involved youth who are given deferred disposition or deferred prosecution agreements, where certain conditions must be met. Under the pilot, those youths would be paired with a trusted adult who ensures they comply with their requirements.
'We have to recognize that our young people, at an early age, need access to these supports of economic mobility and opportunity, and we shouldn't be waiting until the end to intervene,' said Pinto.
Peace DC also creates new retention measures for police and firefighters.
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