Amid growing concerns about public safety in D.C., the mayor unveiled legislation on Monday aimed at reducing crime.
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Addressing Crime Trends (ACT) Now Act of 2023 would redefine what constitutes a chokehold by police, allow some vehicle pursuits by police and create new penalties for organized retail theft.
District residents want changes now, the mayor said.
“People want great businesses in their neighborhoods, they want to go to stores and restaurants, and they don’t want to have to worry about those businesses being robbed repeatedly and brazenly," Bowser said.
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Here's what's in the new DC crime bill
Bowser said the legislation will help reduce the crime in the city. Among the proposed changes, the legislation would:
- Redefine excessive use of force pertaining to chokeholds by police
- Allow police to engage in limited vehicular pursuits
- Create new criminal penalties for organized retail theft
- Reinstate drug-free zones
- Renew mask restrictions
- Allow police to review body-worn camera video before filing a report
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The District's top prosecutor has said that allowing officers to review body-worn cameras before filing reports will increase the chances that people arrested will actually be charged.
The mask restrictions had been on the books but were lifted for the pandemic. The restriction does not apply to surgical masks but is aimed at people using other types of masks while committing crimes.
The legislation also would lessen the restrictions on chokeholds, while still banning any contact with the throat. Officers would be allowed to make contact with a person's neck.
Acting Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith demonstrated what is and is not allowed during a closed-door briefing for reporters but refused when asked to demonstrate for the public.
The legislation would also give officers the ability to engage in a car chase in some circumstances. Last week, police did not pursue a suspect who struck a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
Here's what reactions the new DC crime bill is getting
Bowser would need at least seven members of the D.C. Council to approve her legislation for it to take effect. Three members on hand for her announcement Monday declined to say if they fully support it yet.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of the District issued a statement expressing concerns with Bowser's legislation, writing, "It appears to be more focused on protecting police officers when they break the law than on improving public safety — a move that does little to foster public trust. The Act Now bill is likely a backward step towards a comprehensive system of public safety."
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The chair of the council, Phil Mendelson, blasted Bowser's proposals.
"I am disappointed in the mayor’s proposal and the hype she's created around it," he said in a statement. "Residents are concerned about gun violence, robberies, and carjackings. This proposal does not address gun violence, robberies, and carjackings. Instead, it trots out 'solutions' like recreating drug free zones. And while I support the idea of drug free zones, they are unconstitutional (and the mayor voted to repeal when she was a councilmember). The mayor needs to focus on deterrence and the biggest deterrent of violent crime is closing cases, locking up repeat offenders and prosecuting aggressively."
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
