DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Councilmember Pinto push passage of public safety emergency bill before summer recess

WASHINGTON — Time is ticking to pass emergency legislation that lawmakers say will drive down crime in D.C.

Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Chair for the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety Councilmember Brooke Pinto will be addressing public safety on Monday, as they continue pushing for the council to approve the emergency bill before the summer recess.  

The body's final legislative meeting before their break is Tuesday, July 11.

Pinto is relying on emergency legislation because her bill can become law faster than Bowser's public safety bill. During a joint news conference with the mayor, the Ward 2 councilmember said her bill focuses on immediate concerns. "What will help us address the crime crisis today that cannot wait until the fall," Pinto said. 

The emergency legislation maintains some of the proposals introduced by Bowser in May. 

"I think that this emergency, represents the heart of what we introduced and I think that it will make us safer," Mayor Bowser said during the press conference. 

Homicides are on the rise and almost 2,000 more cars have been stolen this year, compared to the same time last year. 

Similar to Bowser's Bill, the emergency legislation would tilt the law in favor of pretrial detention for minors and adults accused of violent crimes. Pinto says this component is key considering issues with people committing violent crimes while they awaited trial. "The first three months of 2023 we had over 100 cases where people were on pretrial release for violent crimes, and they recommitted another violent crime," Pinto said. 

The bill would also make firing a gun in public a felony. It also proposes that the court system expedite criminal cases where a child is a victim. The legislation would also allow the use of GPS data from ankle monitors to be used in court to prove people are guilty of a crime.