On January 16, Councilmember Brooke Pinto and the rest of the DC Council received an open letter, urging lawmakers “to focus on evidence-based solutions that disrupt the root causes of violence” and avoid over-policing and other harms to communities of color. The correspondence outlined specific steps to “create safer communities,” such as passing legislation to dismantle the DC Gang Database and investing in violence interrupters and anti-poverty programs.

 

The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, Civil Rights Corps, and National Immigration Project are the signatories of this letter. It was sent in response to the crime bill, known as the Secure DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024.

 

Read the open letter to the DC Council here.

 

Read the report on the DC Gang Database here.