A D.C. Council committee is expected to vote on the first overhaul of the District鈥檚 criminal code in more than a century by the end of the month. There鈥檚 broad agreement that it鈥檚 necessary, but disagreements become apparent when delving into details of the rewrite.
During a press conference touting the opening of the District鈥檚 new police Cadet Corps Training Center, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Robert Contee weighed in on the direction they are going.
鈥淲e know that the criminal code certainly needs to be contemporized,鈥� said Bowser. 鈥淏ut we want to make sure that doing so we are making the District safer.鈥�
鈥淭his is a massive rewrite of the code, and rightly so,鈥� said Contee. 鈥淚t needs to be updated.
鈥淚n my position as the chief of police, I鈥檓 looking through the lens of, ‘Does this change ensure or does this change enhance public safety for the residents [and] the businesses of the District of Columbia?鈥� said Contee. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 necessarily say that鈥檚 the lens for the rewrite of the code.鈥�
The mayor repeatedly expressed concern that some of the changes would 鈥渞emove tools from the tool belt鈥� used by police to provide public safety. When asked for an example, she cited proposed changes to what could be described as “quality-of-life crimes.”
鈥淯rination and defecation, for example, in public. Nobody wants that to happen, right?鈥� asked the mayor. 鈥淲e want to be sure that even quality-of-life issues are addressed.”
鈥淣ot many people are going to be arrested for it, but the police have an ability to gain compliance because of what鈥檚 in the law,鈥� she added.
There have also been concerns about a recommendation from the commission behind the rewrite that would have folded carjackings 鈥� which are way up in the District 鈥� into the 鈥渞obbery鈥� offense, potentially weakening the sentences of those found guilty.
That recommendation has since been taken out of the latest proposal, and it’s on track to remain as a stand-alone offense. It鈥檚 another proposal that both the mayor and police chief said they had been concerned with, though.
鈥淭here鈥檚 some things that need to be done … to make sure that we get it right,鈥� said Contee. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 more important that we get it right than just get it done. Get it right is what鈥檚 important here.鈥�
While the D.C. Council鈥檚 public safety committee could vote on the rewrite as soon as Friday (it鈥檚 possible the vote gets pushed back to next week), the mayor said she would work with the council on 鈥渢hings that we think need more attention.鈥�
However, she still didn鈥檛 have an advanced copy of the most current proposal, which also hints as to how involved her office has been in this process.
鈥淲e know 鈥� that we鈥檙e going to need some time to look at it,鈥� said Bowser. 鈥淚’ll be making sure that I鈥檒l be in touch with the council members to get an advanced copy so that we can review extensively what might be included.鈥�
