1
00:00:11,624 --> 00:00:17,240
>> good morning, everyone. Thank you all for being here

2
00:00:18,831 --> 00:00:21,367
today. I would like to call to order

3
00:00:21,367 --> 00:00:24,437
this public hearing of the committee on the judiciary and

4
00:00:24,437 --> 00:00:27,240
public safety. I'm councilmember brooke pinto,

5
00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:31,177
representing ward 2, and the chairwoman of the committee.

6
00:00:31,177 --> 00:00:34,647
the time is 10:08 a.m. On wednesday, february 20 fifth.

7
00:00:34,647 --> 00:00:39,419
we are conducting this hearing in person today in room 123 of

8
00:00:39,419 --> 00:00:41,987
the john a. Wilson building. And virtually via zoom,

9
00:00:41,987 --> 00:00:47,260
streaming on the dc council website and youtube and x.

10
00:00:47,260 --> 00:00:50,730
the committee on the judiciary and public safety has oversight

11
00:00:50,730 --> 00:00:54,333
responsibility for matters affecting the judiciary and

12
00:00:54,333 --> 00:00:58,400
legal systems, criminal law, procedure, justice, juvenile

13
00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:01,604
justice, public safety, policing, violence prevention

14
00:01:02,700 --> 00:01:06,807
and intervention, access to justice, family law, probate,

15
00:01:07,613 --> 00:01:11,213
fire, emergency medical services, 911, three woman,

16
00:01:12,251 --> 00:01:15,822
homeland, forensic science, fatality review, medical

17
00:01:15,822 --> 00:01:19,826
examination, victim services, child support, and issues

18
00:01:19,826 --> 00:01:23,228
related to women. Today, we are conducting the

19
00:01:23,228 --> 00:01:27,166
performance oversights for three agencies, all of which are

20
00:01:27,166 --> 00:01:30,403
critical to our public safety ecosystem.

21
00:01:30,403 --> 00:01:32,171
first, the criminal justice coordinating council, the office

22
00:01:32,171 --> 00:01:35,843
of police complaints, and the metropolitan police department.

23
00:01:35,843 --> 00:01:39,846
we will first hear from the criminal justice coordinating

24
00:01:39,846 --> 00:01:45,118
council, or cjcc. They serve as a forum for

25
00:01:45,118 --> 00:01:47,186
identifying challenges and generating solutions to enhance

26
00:01:47,186 --> 00:01:52,586
public safety and the fair administration of justice for

27
00:01:52,991 --> 00:01:56,591
residents, visitors, and justice involved individuals.

28
00:01:59,599 --> 00:02:02,802
they conduct research and analysis and provide training

29
00:02:02,802 --> 00:02:05,672
and technical assistance on behalf of its district and

30
00:02:05,672 --> 00:02:09,609
federal member agencies. Cjcc's work is particularly

31
00:02:09,609 --> 00:02:13,646
critical as the district increasingly relies on

32
00:02:13,646 --> 00:02:16,816
systemwide data, interagency coronation, and evidence driven

33
00:02:16,816 --> 00:02:19,419
analysis to inform our public safety strategies.

34
00:02:19,419 --> 00:02:24,819
I am especially looking forward to discussing cjcc's data

35
00:02:25,625 --> 00:02:28,227
modernization work, its role supporting coordination across

36
00:02:28,227 --> 00:02:32,164
agencies, and reports and analyses cjcc produces to guide

37
00:02:32,164 --> 00:02:34,500
public safety policies and practices.

38
00:02:34,500 --> 00:02:38,370
these initiatives sit at the intersection of data, policy,

39
00:02:38,370 --> 00:02:41,974
and operational practice and are essential to ensuring that

40
00:02:41,974 --> 00:02:46,846
agencies and the council have reliable, timely, and usable

41
00:02:46,846 --> 00:02:48,614
information that guide decision-making.

42
00:02:48,614 --> 00:02:51,850
it will also be important today to get an update on where things

43
00:02:51,850 --> 00:02:55,421
stand with many of the requirements laid out for data

44
00:02:55,421 --> 00:02:59,592
sharing so that we can have access to the best information

45
00:02:59,592 --> 00:03:02,863
to guide our policies moving forward.

46
00:03:02,863 --> 00:03:07,200
many people don't know about cjcc, so I want to reiterate

47
00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:12,404
again how crucial this agency is in getting together all of the

48
00:03:12,404 --> 00:03:15,274
principles in our public safety ecosystem from both our local

49
00:03:15,274 --> 00:03:19,211
and federal system. As we know in d.c., we have a

50
00:03:19,211 --> 00:03:23,616
unique public safety system, so having cjcc be fully staffed,

51
00:03:23,616 --> 00:03:27,620
fully funded, and help serve as an arbiter between all of those

52
00:03:27,620 --> 00:03:31,820
agencies on information collection and driving toward

53
00:03:32,325 --> 00:03:37,663
solutions is really, really critical, and an agency that we

54
00:03:37,663 --> 00:03:41,234
need to support this year and support their funding for this

55
00:03:41,234 --> 00:03:44,169
data management. Our next agency in today's

56
00:03:44,169 --> 00:03:49,208
oversight hearing is the office of police complaints, or opc.

57
00:03:49,208 --> 00:03:53,579
opc was created to offer an independent system of review of

58
00:03:53,579 --> 00:03:55,449
citizens complaints against police officers in the district

59
00:03:55,449 --> 00:03:58,449
of columbia. The office investigates,

60
00:03:59,218 --> 00:04:01,988
mediates, and adjudicates complaints against officers, as

61
00:04:01,988 --> 00:04:06,920
well as ledisi housing authority police department.

62
00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:08,127
opc makes policy recommendations to the council, the mayor, and

63
00:04:08,127 --> 00:04:13,799
mpd and d c hpd to ensure officers are employing the best

64
00:04:13,799 --> 00:04:15,869
practices to enhance public safety and promote trust with

65
00:04:15,869 --> 00:04:19,138
the communities they serve. Today, I am looking forward to

66
00:04:19,138 --> 00:04:22,941
hearing from director cross about his past fiscal year's

67
00:04:22,941 --> 00:04:26,110
complaint trends, as well as reports and policy

68
00:04:26,110 --> 00:04:28,614
recommendations. I know that complaints are up

69
00:04:28,614 --> 00:04:32,151
significantly since this time last year, so I am eager to hear

70
00:04:32,151 --> 00:04:35,554
about trends in those complaints and how the agency is handling

71
00:04:35,554 --> 00:04:38,957
the larger caseloads. I am also interested

72
00:04:38,957 --> 00:04:41,760
in discussing more about staffing needs in the agency,

73
00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:44,290
especially given the increase in complaints.

74
00:04:44,290 --> 00:04:46,365
we know a trusted police department brings legitimacy to

75
00:04:46,365 --> 00:04:51,704
the department and all of our communities and ensures mpd is

76
00:04:51,704 --> 00:04:54,106
working on behalf of all of our residents every day.

77
00:04:54,106 --> 00:04:58,377
I look forward to the discussion with opc on how we can strive to

78
00:04:58,377 --> 00:05:03,777
do better and take the aggregate of their complaints.

79
00:05:06,384 --> 00:05:11,323
finally, we will hear from the metropolitan police department.

80
00:05:11,323 --> 00:05:13,191
mpd is the primary law enforcement agency in the

81
00:05:13,191 --> 00:05:16,128
district and provides crime prevention and investigation

82
00:05:16,128 --> 00:05:19,533
strategies services as well as emergency response services.

83
00:05:19,533 --> 00:05:22,536
mpd continues to play a critical role in promoting public safety

84
00:05:22,536 --> 00:05:27,607
in d.c. And we want to thank them for their huge efforts and

85
00:05:27,607 --> 00:05:31,544
success in driving down crime over the last several years.

86
00:05:31,544 --> 00:05:33,880
we have seen significant progress in overall reduction of

87
00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:37,884
crime in the district, including significant decreases in violent

88
00:05:37,884 --> 00:05:40,221
crime. 22 to five saw a 53% reduction

89
00:05:40,221 --> 00:05:44,421
in violent crime when compared to 2020 three.

90
00:05:45,224 --> 00:05:49,962
this past year alone saw an overall 29% decrease in violent

91
00:05:49,962 --> 00:05:53,700
crime, including a notable 32 percent decrease in homicide and

92
00:05:53,700 --> 00:05:57,900
37% decrease in robberies. This year's statistics are

93
00:05:59,305 --> 00:06:02,174
showing some roller trends already and I know the

94
00:06:02,174 --> 00:06:06,713
department and its officers work hard every day to ensure crime

95
00:06:06,713 --> 00:06:11,818
continues to go down so we can fulfill our basic responsibility

96
00:06:11,818 --> 00:06:16,618
as a government manager everyone can feel safe.

97
00:06:19,426 --> 00:06:23,620
there has been an unprecedented level of federal interference

98
00:06:23,620 --> 00:06:25,131
with our local law enforcement and in our city.

99
00:06:25,131 --> 00:06:29,669
for the first time in history, the president invoked section

100
00:06:29,669 --> 00:06:36,208
740 of the home rule act on august 11 that declared a public

101
00:06:36,208 --> 00:06:38,945
emergency and authorized the president to call on mpd for

102
00:06:38,945 --> 00:06:42,415
services for a period of 30 days.

103
00:06:42,415 --> 00:06:47,815
the federal emergency ended on september 9, but law enforcement

104
00:06:48,210 --> 00:06:51,391
has not looked the same in washington, d.c. Since before

105
00:06:51,391 --> 00:06:54,694
the emergency. Given mpd's unique role as the

106
00:06:54,694 --> 00:06:59,399
police department in d.c., and we know we are the nation's

107
00:06:59,399 --> 00:07:04,571
capital, our police force has always had increased interaction

108
00:07:04,571 --> 00:07:08,208
with federal law enforcement agencies who also operate here.

109
00:07:08,208 --> 00:07:12,120
additionally, in coordination with federal and local law

110
00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:15,120
enforcement, it is sometimes important.

111
00:07:15,248 --> 00:07:18,785
however, there are many concerns that have arisen out of the

112
00:07:18,785 --> 00:07:22,923
surge of federal law enforcement and engraved -- immigration

113
00:07:22,923 --> 00:07:25,591
enforcement activity in the district in the last six months.

114
00:07:25,591 --> 00:07:29,262
I have previously spoken to many of these concerns, including the

115
00:07:29,262 --> 00:07:33,466
unacceptable federal policy of having masked agents take people

116
00:07:33,466 --> 00:07:37,804
from our streets, federal hsi officers shooting at individuals

117
00:07:37,804 --> 00:07:42,742
during traffic stops, and my shared opposition with my

118
00:07:42,742 --> 00:07:47,547
council colleagues and the mayor to having federal agencies

119
00:07:47,547 --> 00:07:49,415
conducting immigration enforcement patrolling in our

120
00:07:49,415 --> 00:07:53,420
streets with our local police. One of the most fundamental

121
00:07:53,420 --> 00:07:56,289
needs we have to create safety in our communities is to have

122
00:07:56,289 --> 00:08:00,930
trust between our residents and law enforcement.

123
00:08:00,930 --> 00:08:04,296
we prevent and stop crimes when witnesses feel safe to call 911,

124
00:08:04,296 --> 00:08:08,768
and we solve crimes and prevent future crimes when witnesses

125
00:08:08,768 --> 00:08:11,237
feel comfortable coming forward and engaging with law

126
00:08:11,237 --> 00:08:17,237
enforcement and prosecutors. Today the last six months in our

127
00:08:18,577 --> 00:08:21,447
oversight. We asked mpd a series of

128
00:08:21,447 --> 00:08:23,182
questions. We held a public hearing in

129
00:08:23,182 --> 00:08:26,986
december where we heard from over 100 public witnesses.

130
00:08:26,986 --> 00:08:29,523
that hearing was over 12 hours long.

131
00:08:29,523 --> 00:08:32,792
and we got a lot of ideas from that hearing, so I want to thank

132
00:08:32,792 --> 00:08:36,996
many of you for being here today to share your perspective and

133
00:08:36,996 --> 00:08:40,533
ideas. That is how we can drive forward

134
00:08:40,533 --> 00:08:43,736
with improvements. I then sent a letter signed by

135
00:08:43,736 --> 00:08:48,408
all my council colleagues with a series of questions, much about

136
00:08:48,408 --> 00:08:50,876
the federal coordination, which federal agencies are here, how

137
00:08:50,876 --> 00:08:55,248
they are being deployed, and the answers we got were frankly

138
00:08:55,248 --> 00:08:58,848
unsatisfactory and did not provide clarity.

139
00:08:59,190 --> 00:09:03,890
we then sent follow-up questions through our performance

140
00:09:03,890 --> 00:09:07,289
oversight. We got responses again that when

141
00:09:08,940 --> 00:09:12,899
it came to federal agencies, we did not get the answers we

142
00:09:12,899 --> 00:09:14,367
needed. Yesterday, I introduced a bill

143
00:09:14,367 --> 00:09:20,973
that does a couple of things. It first says if there is a

144
00:09:20,973 --> 00:09:24,511
serious use of force by a federal agent and our mpd

145
00:09:24,511 --> 00:09:27,413
officers are there with their body worn camera footage, that

146
00:09:27,413 --> 00:09:31,451
body worn camera footage must be released to the public within

147
00:09:31,451 --> 00:09:34,200
five days. Second, it requires a public

148
00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,990
database of any serious use of force cases with federal agents

149
00:09:37,990 --> 00:09:40,626
that have happened in the last year.

150
00:09:40,626 --> 00:09:44,997
third, it requires mpd to maintain information on a

151
00:09:44,997 --> 00:09:46,732
roll calls, which agents are coming to the roll calls and

152
00:09:46,732 --> 00:09:51,532
where they are being deployed. These are commonsense

153
00:09:51,604 --> 00:09:54,207
transparency measures to understand the state of affairs

154
00:09:54,207 --> 00:09:57,610
in our city and make sure the public has insight into what is

155
00:09:57,610 --> 00:10:01,210
happening on our shared streets. Sure.

156
00:10:03,215 --> 00:10:08,150
thank you. To be clear, I strongly support

157
00:10:12,425 --> 00:10:14,825
-- much better? Ok.

158
00:10:15,128 --> 00:10:19,298
sorry. I guess I won't start over given

159
00:10:19,298 --> 00:10:24,237
we have a lot of witnesses. I strongly support our local

160
00:10:24,237 --> 00:10:27,239
police enforcement officers doing the work of public safety

161
00:10:27,239 --> 00:10:31,911
for our local city. The work of mpd that they do

162
00:10:31,911 --> 00:10:37,250
every day is vital to ensuring public safetyin d.c.

163
00:10:37,250 --> 00:10:39,919
officers put their lives on the line to keep all of us safe, and

164
00:10:39,919 --> 00:10:43,389
I want to talk today also with the chief about what has been

165
00:10:43,389 --> 00:10:47,126
leading to the lower crime rates we have seen, what initiatives

166
00:10:47,126 --> 00:10:50,730
mpd is doing to build trust within the community, and

167
00:10:50,730 --> 00:10:53,398
specifically what they are doing to build trust and positive

168
00:10:53,398 --> 00:10:55,268
interactions with our young people.

169
00:10:55,268 --> 00:10:58,404
I also want to thank the public witnesses who are here today.

170
00:10:58,404 --> 00:11:04,404
I know you all our -- you all are busy.

171
00:11:06,746 --> 00:11:10,946
it is fundamentally important to our process.

172
00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:18,958
I do see we have been joined by my at large colleague

173
00:11:18,958 --> 00:11:21,627
councilmember donnie crawford. I want to turn to you for your

174
00:11:21,627 --> 00:11:25,227
opening statements. >> thank you, chairperson pinto.

175
00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:30,456
good morning. I am at large councilmember

176
00:11:30,456 --> 00:11:33,593
crawford and I want to thank the public and government witnesses

177
00:11:33,593 --> 00:11:38,230
who are here today to testify, enter the perspectives and

178
00:11:38,230 --> 00:11:40,866
experiences. I also want to thank chairwoman

179
00:11:40,866 --> 00:11:44,200
pinto for convening today's oversight hearing and the

180
00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:46,672
committee staff for their hard work in preparing for today.

181
00:11:46,672 --> 00:11:52,545
public safety is foundational to the vitality of our city,

182
00:11:52,545 --> 00:11:55,247
shaping whether families feel comfortable walking in their

183
00:11:55,247 --> 00:11:58,217
neighborhoods, whether small businesses can thrive, whether

184
00:11:58,217 --> 00:12:00,286
young people feel supported rather than surveilled, and

185
00:12:00,286 --> 00:12:04,957
whether residents trust that the system works fairly for them.

186
00:12:04,957 --> 00:12:08,761
public safety must mean safety for everyone.

187
00:12:08,761 --> 00:12:11,297
including our immigrant families, black and brown

188
00:12:11,297 --> 00:12:15,340
communities, and longtime district residents who have not

189
00:12:15,340 --> 00:12:18,237
always experienced policing in the same way.

190
00:12:18,237 --> 00:12:21,640
a public safety strategy leave some communities fearful or

191
00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,610
uncertain is not serving our community.

192
00:12:24,610 --> 00:12:27,613
in my conversations with district residents over the past

193
00:12:27,613 --> 00:12:32,584
month, I have heard concerns and sensed the unease many residents

194
00:12:32,584 --> 00:12:36,121
feel about transparency, youth interactions, accountability,

195
00:12:36,121 --> 00:12:40,326
and the nature of mpd's collaboration with federal law

196
00:12:40,326 --> 00:12:43,261
enforcement partners. Today's hearing gives us the

197
00:12:43,261 --> 00:12:46,598
opportunity to ensure our public safety strategies are not only

198
00:12:46,598 --> 00:12:49,935
effective but transparent, consistent, and aligned with

199
00:12:49,935 --> 00:12:54,139
district law and values. My goal is to better understand

200
00:12:54,139 --> 00:12:57,143
where progress has been made, where gaps remain, and how we

201
00:12:57,143 --> 00:13:01,413
can ensure public safety strategies both reduce crime and

202
00:13:01,413 --> 00:13:03,215
strengthen trust with the communities mpd serves.

203
00:13:03,215 --> 00:13:06,486
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses, and I thank

204
00:13:06,486 --> 00:13:07,753
everyone again for being here today.

205
00:13:07,753 --> 00:13:11,353
>> thank you so much, councilmember crawford.

206
00:13:12,825 --> 00:13:16,940
I also want to note that councilmember crawford is now

207
00:13:16,940 --> 00:13:20,833
member of the judiciary committee, so we welcome you.

208
00:13:20,833 --> 00:13:25,570
ok, so, as always for today's hearing, we will hear from our

209
00:13:25,570 --> 00:13:29,308
public witnesses and the government witnesses, one agency

210
00:13:29,308 --> 00:13:32,678
at a time. We will first start with cjcc.

211
00:13:32,678 --> 00:13:38,678
for public witnesses, then for government witness, then opc and

212
00:13:39,500 --> 00:13:42,650
mpd. All public witnesses have three

213
00:13:42,922 --> 00:13:43,989
minutes to present your testimony today.

214
00:13:43,989 --> 00:13:48,528
I am going to ask you all, those who have testament -- testified

215
00:13:48,528 --> 00:13:50,796
with me before know that I feel bad cutting people off but we

216
00:13:50,796 --> 00:13:54,800
really want to make sure we hear from everybody, and I know

217
00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:57,602
everyone has different things and child care and issues they

218
00:13:57,602 --> 00:14:00,540
need to get to, so I ask for all of your help to keep yourself on

219
00:14:00,540 --> 00:14:02,742
track with three minutes. But you will hear the beep and

220
00:14:02,742 --> 00:14:05,444
we have to keep moving after that.

221
00:14:05,444 --> 00:14:09,415
I am going to invite or first panel of public cjcc witnesses

222
00:14:09,415 --> 00:14:14,815
for cjcc jawanna hardy, tracy velazquez, natalia otero, l.

223
00:14:15,210 --> 00:14:18,621
english. Online, tia bell and kylie

224
00:14:19,291 --> 00:14:22,891
hogan. L. English, are you here?

225
00:14:31,704 --> 00:14:34,704
ok. Is jawanna hardy here?

226
00:14:37,843 --> 00:14:40,843
ok. Welcome to you all.

227
00:14:41,781 --> 00:14:44,917
we can begin with tracy velazquez, policies director for

228
00:14:44,917 --> 00:14:47,917
the council for court excellence.

229
00:14:51,323 --> 00:14:57,323
>> thank you, chairperson pinto, members of the committee for the

230
00:14:57,630 --> 00:15:01,467
opportunity to testify. My name is tracy velazquez and I

231
00:15:01,467 --> 00:15:02,600
am the policy director for the council of court excellence.

232
00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:08,600
cjcc plays a critical role, as you said, and coordinating

233
00:15:08,974 --> 00:15:12,278
agency collaboration and data sharing and public reporting

234
00:15:12,278 --> 00:15:15,948
across d.c.'s justice agencies. I want to briefly highlight a

235
00:15:15,948 --> 00:15:19,217
few areas which are provided greater detail on in my written

236
00:15:19,217 --> 00:15:23,288
testimony. First, we commend cjcc for their

237
00:15:23,288 --> 00:15:26,920
statistical analysis tool which improves transparency by

238
00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:30,292
providing public dashboards odd crime, arrest, incarceration,

239
00:15:30,429 --> 00:15:33,632
supervision, and other topics. However, the functionality to

240
00:15:33,632 --> 00:15:36,632
download data limits its usefulness.

241
00:15:37,369 --> 00:15:39,838
even simple analyses require manual data transfer, which is

242
00:15:39,838 --> 00:15:43,243
inefficient and prone to error. If the current platform cannot

243
00:15:43,243 --> 00:15:47,779
support downloads, we hope cjcc will consider posting excel

244
00:15:47,779 --> 00:15:49,315
spreadsheets as many other jurisdictions do.

245
00:15:49,315 --> 00:15:54,715
next, cjcc provides strong reports and programs on issues

246
00:15:55,187 --> 00:15:59,425
of relevance and importance, including a report on youth and

247
00:15:59,425 --> 00:16:03,128
family perspectives on juvenile violence, and a panel of

248
00:16:03,128 --> 00:16:05,597
successful violence reduction efforts from around the country.

249
00:16:05,597 --> 00:16:09,601
I attended that excellent panel and would urge both the dc

250
00:16:09,601 --> 00:16:13,672
council and agencies decision-makers to inform these

251
00:16:13,672 --> 00:16:16,700
informative -- attend these informative events.

252
00:16:16,700 --> 00:16:19,145
we were disappointed the victimization survey mandated in

253
00:16:19,145 --> 00:16:21,545
2023 has not moved forward.

254
00:16:23,820 --> 00:16:26,752
this survey would provide more detailed data directly from

255
00:16:26,752 --> 00:16:29,287
crime victims without a law enforcement filter, and I would

256
00:16:29,287 --> 00:16:33,487
note it would include potentially victimization that

257
00:16:33,558 --> 00:16:36,762
is not reported to law enforcement to give people an

258
00:16:36,762 --> 00:16:40,632
understanding of whether there are issues around trust in law

259
00:16:40,632 --> 00:16:41,700
enforcement when there's victimization.

260
00:16:41,700 --> 00:16:46,238
we urge cjcc to begin planning the survey with existing

261
00:16:46,238 --> 00:16:48,840
resources and ask the council to appropriate dedicated funding

262
00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:52,444
for fiscal year 2027. We are also concerned that

263
00:16:52,444 --> 00:16:56,644
non-cjcc reports addressing issues of significant public

264
00:16:57,850 --> 00:16:59,818
interest have not been publicly released.

265
00:16:59,818 --> 00:17:03,456
for example, understanding why people are in the jail for over

266
00:17:03,456 --> 00:17:06,859
five years is particularly relevant, given that five years

267
00:17:06,859 --> 00:17:10,263
in jail costs the district half a million dollars.

268
00:17:10,263 --> 00:17:13,599
we ask them to make this work available to the public.

269
00:17:13,599 --> 00:17:17,502
finally, we appreciate cjcc's leadership on two interagency

270
00:17:17,502 --> 00:17:21,702
initiatives. Both of which move forward our

271
00:17:24,900 --> 00:17:29,409
recommendations from the past. Cce has been attending the

272
00:17:31,216 --> 00:17:34,216
meetings. We encourage expansion of

273
00:17:35,654 --> 00:17:39,158
nonpolice options, including peer support specialist,

274
00:17:39,158 --> 00:17:41,430
development of juvenile prearrest diversion, and

275
00:17:41,430 --> 00:17:43,846
additional police training. Thank you for your time and

276
00:17:43,846 --> 00:17:45,314
consideration, and happy to expand on any of these.

277
00:17:45,314 --> 00:17:49,514
>> thank you very much. Natalia otero, executive

278
00:17:50,988 --> 00:17:51,789
director and cofounder of d.c. Safe.

279
00:17:51,789 --> 00:17:56,592
>> thank you. My name is natalia otero and I'm

280
00:17:56,592 --> 00:18:01,664
here on behalf of d.c. Safe. I came today to discuss the

281
00:18:01,664 --> 00:18:05,864
important undertaking -- sorry. >> pull it closer.

282
00:18:07,137 --> 00:18:09,537
>> sorry. Is this better?

283
00:18:10,940 --> 00:18:14,877
I came today to discuss the important undertaking that the

284
00:18:14,877 --> 00:18:17,413
cjcc has accepted in convening a domestic violence task force.

285
00:18:17,413 --> 00:18:21,160
dv is complex and has a ripple effect that impacts a whole

286
00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:24,200
person, and there must be a recognition that a response

287
00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:27,690
across the public safety cluster , the supportive services

288
00:18:27,690 --> 00:18:30,826
cluster, and the public sector for this to be successful.

289
00:18:30,826 --> 00:18:34,564
we have been pleased to see a greater focus and a more active

290
00:18:34,564 --> 00:18:38,167
involvement from the public safety cluster in domestic

291
00:18:38,167 --> 00:18:39,768
violence and offender accountability in 2025.

292
00:18:39,768 --> 00:18:43,239
we have seen the positive impact that a focused attention of the

293
00:18:43,239 --> 00:18:45,875
city can make to drive down community violence.

294
00:18:45,875 --> 00:18:53,182
that said, we want to point out we have an outsized role, and in

295
00:18:53,182 --> 00:18:57,687
the network of victim service housing providers that impact

296
00:18:57,687 --> 00:19:00,890
both survivors and offenders. The criminal justice system no

297
00:19:00,890 --> 00:19:03,493
doubt has a vital role in offender accountability, but we

298
00:19:03,493 --> 00:19:06,663
know the system cannot stand alone.

299
00:19:06,663 --> 00:19:09,665
d.c. Safe will have served the district for 20 years in

300
00:19:09,665 --> 00:19:11,602
october. We have approximately 100,000

301
00:19:11,602 --> 00:19:15,270
clients in our database with a plethora of good data attached.

302
00:19:15,270 --> 00:19:19,342
we also know that on average are high-risk clients are already

303
00:19:19,342 --> 00:19:21,945
involved with five city agencies when we meet them.

304
00:19:21,945 --> 00:19:26,682
the consequences of the lack of a systemic approach is evident.

305
00:19:26,682 --> 00:19:30,530
in our testimony for the deputy mayor for public safety and

306
00:19:30,530 --> 00:19:33,288
justice, we drew attention to a 2025 db homicide that occurred

307
00:19:33,288 --> 00:19:36,892
within a week after a suspect was arrested and charged with a

308
00:19:36,892 --> 00:19:41,970
dv offense, which also unfortunately ended in a police

309
00:19:41,970 --> 00:19:45,568
shooting at another death. In 2026, we have already seen

310
00:19:45,568 --> 00:19:48,710
two intimate partner violence homicides.

311
00:19:48,710 --> 00:19:52,410
in one, the offender was under supervision for not one but two

312
00:19:52,410 --> 00:19:54,510
db offenses at the time of the murder.

313
00:19:54,510 --> 00:19:58,647
one for homicide of the victim and one for another domestic

314
00:19:58,647 --> 00:20:00,851
violence survivor. Further, one dv homicide

315
00:20:00,851 --> 00:20:04,653
resulted in the shooting of a child, a missing child, and one

316
00:20:04,653 --> 00:20:08,910
child who saw her mother died in front of their eyes.

317
00:20:08,910 --> 00:20:10,893
further, that suspect took his own life.

318
00:20:10,893 --> 00:20:13,530
those of the worst possible outcomes in a city that prides

319
00:20:13,530 --> 00:20:16,332
itself on hard work to address community violence.

320
00:20:16,332 --> 00:20:20,871
in the first decade we implemented our lethality

321
00:20:20,871 --> 00:20:24,730
assessment program, we only lost three clients to homicide.

322
00:20:24,730 --> 00:20:28,770
we know this approach can work, but we also know that no one

323
00:20:28,770 --> 00:20:29,812
agency can move the needle alone.

324
00:20:29,812 --> 00:20:32,815
our city has bright minds working across the district in

325
00:20:32,815 --> 00:20:34,683
many areas. When the right people are

326
00:20:34,683 --> 00:20:38,687
focused on a problem, I have every faith it can be innovated.

327
00:20:38,687 --> 00:20:41,490
we don't expect we will ever be completely free of the worst

328
00:20:41,490 --> 00:20:44,292
possible outcomes, but we can do better.

329
00:20:44,292 --> 00:20:47,297
the working group is a first step toward stronger

330
00:20:47,297 --> 00:20:51,634
coordination across the criminal justice system, but -- I'm

331
00:20:51,634 --> 00:20:55,504
sorry. There are many other areas where

332
00:20:55,504 --> 00:20:57,907
adding to supplementing and appropriately resourcing

333
00:20:57,907 --> 00:21:00,909
existing efforts can go a long way in creating substantive

334
00:21:00,909 --> 00:21:01,578
change. Thank you very much.

335
00:21:01,578 --> 00:21:05,778
>> great, thank you. Kylie hogan, director of

336
00:21:10,852 --> 00:21:15,520
victim's advocacy, d.c. Safe. >> thank you.

337
00:21:15,691 --> 00:21:18,461
my name is kylie hogan. I am the director of systems

338
00:21:18,461 --> 00:21:22,264
advocacy at d.c. Safe. We serve roughly 12,000

339
00:21:22,264 --> 00:21:26,202
residents a year through our unique coordinated crisis

340
00:21:26,202 --> 00:21:29,710
response model. Our services aimed to provide

341
00:21:29,710 --> 00:21:32,608
survivors with lifesaving safety planning information, advocacy,

342
00:21:32,608 --> 00:21:35,811
and resources, but also create essential doorways for our

343
00:21:35,811 --> 00:21:39,411
partners throughout the community to connect

344
00:21:39,748 --> 00:21:42,418
survivors with safety. The scopes of our partnerships

345
00:21:42,418 --> 00:21:46,288
are extensive, including many members of the criminal justice

346
00:21:46,288 --> 00:21:49,492
coordinating council, and we look to those partners not just

347
00:21:49,492 --> 00:21:52,940
to connect survivors to critical domestic violence services, but

348
00:21:52,940 --> 00:21:57,633
also to uplift and expedite the needs of survivors at the

349
00:21:57,633 --> 00:22:01,703
highest risk of re-assault. This is our first year

350
00:22:01,703 --> 00:22:06,709
testifying related to the cjcc , but we want to express our

351
00:22:06,709 --> 00:22:09,244
wholehearted approval that they will combat domestic violence in

352
00:22:09,244 --> 00:22:12,314
their new working group. D.c. Safe and advocates

353
00:22:12,314 --> 00:22:15,184
throughout the city are at their heart's creators of systems

354
00:22:15,184 --> 00:22:19,321
change and we cannot take the awesome responsibility we have

355
00:22:19,321 --> 00:22:21,590
of working with survivors of domestic violence in their

356
00:22:21,590 --> 00:22:26,390
journey to safety without recognizing and attempting to

357
00:22:26,595 --> 00:22:28,798
address we believe this is a much needed

358
00:22:28,798 --> 00:22:32,268
opportunity to consider how the city approaches domestic

359
00:22:32,268 --> 00:22:33,535
violence. We were pleased to be approached

360
00:22:33,535 --> 00:22:36,720
at the formation of this group to discuss what we were seeing

361
00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,542
every day on the groundworking with survivors.

362
00:22:39,542 --> 00:22:41,877
we shared vital information from our almost 20 years of service

363
00:22:41,877 --> 00:22:44,813
but also our experience with partners, including

364
00:22:44,813 --> 00:22:48,830
recommendations from the domestic violence system review

365
00:22:48,830 --> 00:22:51,153
and the working group and information learned from our

366
00:22:51,153 --> 00:22:54,957
domestic violence learned pilot with m.p.d. And more.

367
00:22:54,957 --> 00:22:57,827
information on these recommendations or pilots were

368
00:22:57,827 --> 00:22:59,896
previously shared with the committee in written testimony

369
00:22:59,896 --> 00:23:02,231
for the deputy mayor of public safety and justice.

370
00:23:02,231 --> 00:23:05,167
we're happy to share expertise and experience and hope the

371
00:23:05,167 --> 00:23:08,871
working group continues to recognize the critical role of

372
00:23:08,871 --> 00:23:11,842
community organizations and the network of agencies throughout

373
00:23:11,842 --> 00:23:15,450
the district that regularly interact with survivors.

374
00:23:15,450 --> 00:23:18,647
we want to particularly uplift the need for a more

375
00:23:18,647 --> 00:23:22,251
comprehensive focus on the most pervasive offenders.

376
00:23:22,251 --> 00:23:28,124
we've reached out to the past to the jccc with multiple partners

377
00:23:28,124 --> 00:23:30,592
throughout their lifetime and shared our thoughts on the

378
00:23:30,592 --> 00:23:34,192
district's current approach to defender accountability.

379
00:23:34,663 --> 00:23:38,135
while we updifferent the survivors and testimony across

380
00:23:38,135 --> 00:23:40,536
district agencies, we want to highlight here this is only one

381
00:23:40,536 --> 00:23:46,342
side of the coin and without an innovative approach to offender

382
00:23:46,342 --> 00:23:48,677
accountability and building resources and support for

383
00:23:48,677 --> 00:23:51,296
rehabilitation, we'll never consider our job complete.

384
00:23:51,296 --> 00:23:55,100
lastly, we want to uplift the need for sustainable change.

385
00:23:55,100 --> 00:24:00,839
in a meeting with cjcc and exploring the background for the

386
00:24:00,839 --> 00:24:03,641
working group beyond recommendation, we looked at the

387
00:24:03,641 --> 00:24:05,744
biggest deficit they face is a deficit in trust.

388
00:24:05,744 --> 00:24:10,448
all too much we hear survivors say why should they call police

389
00:24:10,448 --> 00:24:13,510
or file an order or move forward with charges because nothing

390
00:24:13,510 --> 00:24:15,120
will happen anyway. We do our best to advocate in

391
00:24:15,120 --> 00:24:18,189
those cases but a loss of faith in the criminal justice system

392
00:24:18,189 --> 00:24:21,593
is pervasive and difficult to shake.

393
00:24:21,593 --> 00:24:25,997
survivor collaboration is often essential to making criminal

394
00:24:25,997 --> 00:24:28,800
justice processes move forward and faith must be restored.

395
00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:32,937
as a group we take a look at the response over the next year, we

396
00:24:32,937 --> 00:24:36,474
know survivors and advocates will be watching and hope to see

397
00:24:36,474 --> 00:24:39,545
success. Thank you for the opportunity to

398
00:24:39,545 --> 00:24:43,414
testify and I look forward to any questions.

399
00:24:43,414 --> 00:24:47,140
chairman pinto: ok. Thank you, kiley.

400
00:24:50,755 --> 00:24:53,425
irene jacobs. You need to accept the

401
00:24:53,425 --> 00:24:56,161
invitation for join as a panelist and want to triple

402
00:24:56,161 --> 00:25:02,161
check we don't have jawanna hardy or l. English here?

403
00:25:05,770 --> 00:25:08,170
all right. Irene jacobs.

404
00:25:10,375 --> 00:25:12,577
ok. Well, thank you all very much.

405
00:25:12,577 --> 00:25:13,711
that concludes our public testimony.

406
00:25:13,711 --> 00:25:17,183
thank you for being here. Ok.

407
00:25:17,183 --> 00:25:22,988
I'm now going to call -- oh, just in the nick of time.

408
00:25:22,988 --> 00:25:26,124
irene jacobs, policy manager, black swan academy.

409
00:25:26,124 --> 00:25:30,324
please go ahead. Irene: good morning, council

410
00:25:32,130 --> 00:25:36,670
members, I'm irene jacobs of the black swan academy and the youth

411
00:25:36,670 --> 00:25:38,269
power and safety coalition. Over the past several years

412
00:25:38,269 --> 00:25:42,273
we've increased investment in enforcing and policing.

413
00:25:42,273 --> 00:25:44,209
at the same time, many youth programs, school supports, and

414
00:25:44,209 --> 00:25:48,279
community based services remain underfunded or unevenly

415
00:25:48,279 --> 00:25:50,614
distributed, particularly east of the river.

416
00:25:50,614 --> 00:25:54,351
when we continue to divest from these development and overinvest

417
00:25:54,351 --> 00:25:58,157
in punishment, we are responding to harm after it happens instead

418
00:25:58,157 --> 00:26:02,226
of preventing it in the first place.

419
00:26:02,226 --> 00:26:04,562
black swan academy cares deeply about our young people and we

420
00:26:04,562 --> 00:26:06,498
see their lived experience every day.

421
00:26:06,498 --> 00:26:11,235
we are here to ask that you all continue to support strategies

422
00:26:11,235 --> 00:26:15,440
that research shows really work to prevent violence and keep our

423
00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:19,400
communities safe. First, strong relationships save

424
00:26:19,843 --> 00:26:21,178
lives. Young people are safe we are

425
00:26:21,178 --> 00:26:24,450
they have trusted adults and positive peers, programs that

426
00:26:24,450 --> 00:26:27,518
match youth with trained mentor and teach conflict resolution

427
00:26:27,518 --> 00:26:29,653
skills have been proven to reduce fights and arrests.

428
00:26:29,653 --> 00:26:35,192
we are asking of the council invest in more mentoring and

429
00:26:35,192 --> 00:26:40,731
skill building and spaces where the youth can build healthy

430
00:26:40,731 --> 00:26:41,732
friendships. Basic needs matter for safety.

431
00:26:41,732 --> 00:26:45,470
when families struggle with housing, food, transportation or

432
00:26:45,470 --> 00:26:48,206
income, young people are feeling the stress of their families.

433
00:26:48,206 --> 00:26:51,543
we need to help families and young people meet their basic

434
00:26:51,543 --> 00:26:54,478
needs. Third, recreation is a violence

435
00:26:54,478 --> 00:26:56,815
prevention strategy. Research shows when youth have

436
00:26:56,815 --> 00:27:01,180
safe and fun places to go after school, such as rec centers,

437
00:27:01,180 --> 00:27:04,222
violence goes down. Most youth violence happens

438
00:27:04,222 --> 00:27:08,359
between 3:00 and 9:00 and know recreation gives young people a

439
00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:10,896
safe place to be. Fourth, services should meet

440
00:27:10,896 --> 00:27:13,431
youth where they are. Many young people don't have the

441
00:27:13,431 --> 00:27:17,568
resources to walk into a clinic on their own.

442
00:27:17,568 --> 00:27:20,839
placing counselors, social workers and violence interruptor

443
00:27:20,839 --> 00:27:25,576
teams in schools, libraries, and neighborhoods would make support

444
00:27:25,576 --> 00:27:27,311
easier. Finally, we must listen to youth

445
00:27:27,311 --> 00:27:30,915
and families. In an atmosphere full of curfew

446
00:27:30,915 --> 00:27:35,721
expansion and limited access to youth sports and current

447
00:27:35,721 --> 00:27:39,457
occupation in our city as well as laws aiming to make young

448
00:27:39,457 --> 00:27:42,793
people pay for crimes as adults, we have to recognize that our

449
00:27:42,793 --> 00:27:46,597
young people are being sent a very harmful message, that they

450
00:27:46,597 --> 00:27:49,400
are unworthy of trust, investment and belonging.

451
00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:53,137
in contrast, when we are able to enrich their lives and

452
00:27:53,137 --> 00:27:57,542
communities, we can build their confidence and self-esteem.

453
00:27:57,542 --> 00:28:02,146
we need to continue investing in quality programs, mentorship,

454
00:28:02,146 --> 00:28:03,748
creative arts and safe spaces for our young people.

455
00:28:03,748 --> 00:28:06,884
they are deserving of joy, growth, and belonging.

456
00:28:06,884 --> 00:28:09,287
young people know what is happening in their

457
00:28:09,287 --> 00:28:11,289
neighborhoods. They know what makes them feel

458
00:28:11,289 --> 00:28:14,889
safe. The city should support youth

459
00:28:15,126 --> 00:28:17,361
advisory councils, pay youth for their time and expertise and

460
00:28:17,361 --> 00:28:19,364
include families in real decisionmaking.

461
00:28:19,364 --> 00:28:21,766
safety is strongest when everyone has a voice.

462
00:28:21,766 --> 00:28:27,766
I urge the district to rebalance its approach by prioritizing

463
00:28:27,838 --> 00:28:31,175
youth development as a core violence prevention strategy and

464
00:28:31,175 --> 00:28:34,111
reducing reliance on punitive measures that do not address

465
00:28:34,111 --> 00:28:36,180
root causes. When we support our young people

466
00:28:36,180 --> 00:28:39,784
in these ways, we make our entire city safer.

467
00:28:39,784 --> 00:28:44,321
thank you for your time. Chairman pinto: thank you so

468
00:28:44,321 --> 00:28:49,927
much for your testimony. And as a reminder, I'll put in a

469
00:28:49,927 --> 00:28:54,132
little plug for folks to support and try to get across the finish

470
00:28:54,132 --> 00:28:57,668
line some bills waiting in the council, one of which is my bill

471
00:28:57,668 --> 00:29:04,268
to open up rec spaces on weekends, another to provide for

472
00:29:05,743 --> 00:29:08,212
custodian support for our open spaces so that more of our

473
00:29:08,212 --> 00:29:13,350
schools can open their spaces to kids and weekends.

474
00:29:13,350 --> 00:29:17,870
another serious of bills I introduced last year are all in

475
00:29:17,870 --> 00:29:20,625
other committees, one would create a teen center in every

476
00:29:20,625 --> 00:29:24,629
quadrant, another one creates an app to connect young people for

477
00:29:24,629 --> 00:29:29,166
paid job opportunities. I want to make sure that we all

478
00:29:29,166 --> 00:29:32,170
work together to support that advocacy for those other bills

479
00:29:32,170 --> 00:29:36,908
in other committees, recognizing how important it is to our

480
00:29:36,908 --> 00:29:39,377
broader public safety mission. Thank you for your testimony.

481
00:29:39,377 --> 00:29:42,380
and I thank all our public witnesses for your testimony.

482
00:29:42,380 --> 00:29:48,380
we are now going to turn to our government witness.

483
00:29:51,188 --> 00:29:55,388
director love. Check tim director of the

484
00:29:56,593 --> 00:29:58,993
coordinating council, christy love.

485
00:29:59,673 --> 00:30:02,810
director love, if you have folks joining from your team, if you

486
00:30:02,810 --> 00:30:05,120
could state your name and position for the record, please.

487
00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:10,840
we can start here. If you could put on your

488
00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:12,484
microphone. >> matthew bouchet, attorney

489
00:30:14,354 --> 00:30:19,154
adviser of the ccc. >> nelia taber, director of

490
00:30:21,629 --> 00:30:24,231
policy. >> director of research and

491
00:30:24,231 --> 00:30:27,231
policy, cjcc. Chairman pinto: wonderful.

492
00:30:29,237 --> 00:30:31,105
thank you. It's our tradition to swear in

493
00:30:31,105 --> 00:30:32,840
all government witnesses who appear before it.

494
00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:35,910
if I could ask you to keep your microphone on and raise your

495
00:30:35,910 --> 00:30:38,713
right hand. Do you swear or affirm under

496
00:30:38,713 --> 00:30:41,449
penalty of law the testimony you're about to provide before

497
00:30:41,449 --> 00:30:44,510
this committee and the council of the district of columbia is

498
00:30:44,510 --> 00:30:45,786
the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

499
00:30:45,786 --> 00:30:47,121
>> I do. >> I do.

500
00:30:47,121 --> 00:30:50,124
>> I do. Chairman pinto: director love,

501
00:30:50,124 --> 00:30:56,724
I'd like you to give any opening statement you may have.

502
00:30:56,998 --> 00:31:01,468
director love: good morning, chair member pinto and chair

503
00:31:01,468 --> 00:31:06,700
member crawford and those here today, I'm kristy love, criminal

504
00:31:06,700 --> 00:31:10,611
director of the coordinating council or the cjcc and joined

505
00:31:10,611 --> 00:31:16,484
by dr. Nelia taber, director research and policy and matthew

506
00:31:16,484 --> 00:31:19,153
bouchet who is our attorney adviser.

507
00:31:19,153 --> 00:31:22,757
I'm pleased to be before you today to provide a testimony of

508
00:31:22,757 --> 00:31:26,828
the performance of cjcc. It's an independent agency and

509
00:31:26,828 --> 00:31:30,898
serve as a forum for identifying challenges, generating solutions

510
00:31:30,898 --> 00:31:33,634
to enhance public safety and the fair administration of justice

511
00:31:33,634 --> 00:31:39,634
here in the district. Cjcc director of staff work with

512
00:31:43,911 --> 00:31:46,911
19 members who direct federal agencies.

513
00:31:48,115 --> 00:31:54,922
the mayor serves as the chair and chair pro tempore of the

514
00:31:54,922 --> 00:31:57,725
cjcc and attorney general brian schwab was recently directed to

515
00:31:57,725 --> 00:32:02,296
serve as the federal independent co-chair of the cjcc.

516
00:32:02,296 --> 00:32:05,132
we organize our work across five priority areas.

517
00:32:05,132 --> 00:32:09,932
they include violent crime, juvenile justice substance abuse

518
00:32:11,339 --> 00:32:15,744
and mental health, incarceration and corrections, and automated

519
00:32:15,744 --> 00:32:20,544
information sharing. The cjcc members preferred to as

520
00:32:21,682 --> 00:32:24,819
principals, identify initiatives for each priority area that

521
00:32:24,819 --> 00:32:28,622
serve as focus for our committees for fy-25 and fy-26.

522
00:32:28,622 --> 00:32:31,558
today I'd like to highlight both the accomplishments of the

523
00:32:31,558 --> 00:32:36,563
committees as well as those of the cjcc staff in support of our

524
00:32:36,563 --> 00:32:40,167
partner agencies. With respect to violent crime,

525
00:32:40,167 --> 00:32:45,105
the focus of the gun stat work room has been twofold, to

526
00:32:45,105 --> 00:32:48,242
monitor the continued justice center involvement of

527
00:32:48,242 --> 00:32:52,846
individuals at high risk of engaging in gun violence and to

528
00:32:52,846 --> 00:32:57,785
develop a method for routinely updating the list of high risk

529
00:32:57,785 --> 00:33:00,654
individuals it. To accomplish the latter, cjcc

530
00:33:00,654 --> 00:33:05,127
staff reviewed the approach previously used by the national

531
00:33:05,127 --> 00:33:06,193
institute of criminal justice reform.

532
00:33:06,193 --> 00:33:11,133
we conducted a lit review, we attended a convening of subject

533
00:33:11,133 --> 00:33:15,680
matter experts and consulted the members of the gun stat work

534
00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:18,272
group and helped us identify methodology for identifying

535
00:33:18,272 --> 00:33:21,743
individuals at high risk of gun violence.

536
00:33:21,743 --> 00:33:24,612
the methodology exists of quantitative criminal history

537
00:33:24,612 --> 00:33:31,812
data as well as qualitative data from mpd, csosa which is our

538
00:33:35,220 --> 00:33:38,559
agency as well as violence interruptors and they identify

539
00:33:38,559 --> 00:33:43,430
key factors associated with persons engaged in gun violence.

540
00:33:43,430 --> 00:33:46,433
we expect to finalize the new gun stat list by the end of

541
00:33:46,433 --> 00:33:49,690
april. Also related to violent crime as

542
00:33:49,690 --> 00:33:52,507
was previously stated, the principals elected to establish

543
00:33:52,507 --> 00:33:58,507
a domestic violence work group. They will identify to addressing

544
00:34:01,114 --> 00:34:04,251
challenges related to prosecuting d.v. Cases and

545
00:34:04,251 --> 00:34:09,651
holding them accountable and protecting and giving voice to

546
00:34:10,323 --> 00:34:14,395
d.v. Victims and survivors. Juvenile justice, we have a

547
00:34:14,395 --> 00:34:19,133
juvenile justice committee that engages in four priority efforts

548
00:34:19,133 --> 00:34:21,469
during fy-2025. Undergo the key drivers of youth

549
00:34:21,469 --> 00:34:24,739
violence, identifying and addressing reasons for long

550
00:34:24,739 --> 00:34:28,509
lengths of stay for committed youth at the youth services

551
00:34:28,509 --> 00:34:31,946
center, establishing a continuum of care for at risk system

552
00:34:31,946 --> 00:34:36,617
involved youth and enhancing efforts to identify and support

553
00:34:36,617 --> 00:34:40,217
crossover youth. We engaged the contractor

554
00:34:40,221 --> 00:34:42,623
opportunity consulting to conduct focus groups of youth,

555
00:34:42,623 --> 00:34:47,423
parents, community members, and youth serving organizations to

556
00:34:48,620 --> 00:34:51,980
understand why youth engage in violent crime and what could

557
00:34:51,980 --> 00:34:55,569
deter them from doing so, appropriate mechanisms of

558
00:34:55,569 --> 00:34:59,306
accountability and prospectives of available services and

559
00:34:59,306 --> 00:35:01,420
supports. Opportunity consulting released

560
00:35:01,420 --> 00:35:04,111
a report in september of 2025 with findings and

561
00:35:04,111 --> 00:35:07,480
recommendations, one of which was to develop targeted

562
00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:11,986
prevention efforts for high risk youth and high risk

563
00:35:11,986 --> 00:35:14,988
neighborhoods. As a follow on to this report,

564
00:35:14,988 --> 00:35:20,388
we convened a session with representatives from coca, inc.

565
00:35:21,395 --> 00:35:24,999
and youth advocate programs or yap and they described their

566
00:35:24,999 --> 00:35:28,268
models for successfully engaging high risk youth and reducing

567
00:35:28,268 --> 00:35:30,700
their involvement in violent crime.

568
00:35:30,700 --> 00:35:34,209
developing a mechanism to both identify and support high risk

569
00:35:34,209 --> 00:35:39,480
youth is a priority for the juvenile justice committee for

570
00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:42,350
fy-26. The j.j.c. Explored several

571
00:35:42,350 --> 00:35:45,821
reasons why committed youth awaiting placement have had long

572
00:35:45,821 --> 00:35:49,356
lengths of stay at y.s.c. Many of these issues stem from

573
00:35:49,356 --> 00:35:53,270
the lack of a psychiatric residential treatment facility

574
00:35:53,270 --> 00:35:59,627
here in the district, with input from jyc members, our staff

575
00:35:59,766 --> 00:36:03,437
released a report earlier this month examining the financial

576
00:36:03,437 --> 00:36:09,652
and social cost of placing youth in out of state rptf's and hope

577
00:36:09,652 --> 00:36:13,389
it can be used as a resource for executive and council when

578
00:36:13,389 --> 00:36:16,858
deciding to build rotpf in the district.

579
00:36:16,858 --> 00:36:20,129
for continuum of care and crossover youth initiatives, we

580
00:36:20,129 --> 00:36:24,650
expect both of these projects to be completed by the end of the

581
00:36:24,650 --> 00:36:27,603
fiscal year. Cjcc convened its first meeting

582
00:36:27,603 --> 00:36:31,272
of the prearrested conversion task force which is responsible

583
00:36:31,272 --> 00:36:35,144
for making recommendations to council regarding eligibility

584
00:36:35,144 --> 00:36:39,114
criteria and components of a prearrest diversion program and

585
00:36:39,114 --> 00:36:42,114
we've been meeting since june 2025.

586
00:36:42,217 --> 00:36:45,354
the task force is on pace for providing recommendations to

587
00:36:45,354 --> 00:36:49,910
council as required by the july 2026 deadline.

588
00:36:49,910 --> 00:36:52,694
we also convene a substance abuse treatment and mental

589
00:36:52,694 --> 00:36:58,168
health services integration task force, a mouthful, we refer to

590
00:36:58,168 --> 00:37:04,906
it as of samson and use it for those individuals who have

591
00:37:04,906 --> 00:37:07,308
substance abuse and mental health challenges.

592
00:37:07,308 --> 00:37:11,246
starting in 2025 and continuing into this fiscal year, they've

593
00:37:11,246 --> 00:37:14,783
been focused on collecting data on drug court and mental health

594
00:37:14,783 --> 00:37:18,920
court participation and outcomes, supporting d.b.h. And

595
00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:21,589
updating the criminal justice strategies in districts live

596
00:37:21,589 --> 00:37:26,128
long strategic plan and addressing gaps in the

597
00:37:26,128 --> 00:37:30,328
sequential intercept model. The priorities for our

598
00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:34,469
incarceration and community corrections committee were to

599
00:37:34,469 --> 00:37:38,669
seek options for moving individuals seeking post

600
00:37:39,674 --> 00:37:42,343
combination rips or seeking early release from the court

601
00:37:42,343 --> 00:37:45,547
from b.o.p. Facilities to local facilities.

602
00:37:45,547 --> 00:37:49,284
second, we focused on understanding and addressing

603
00:37:49,284 --> 00:37:52,553
long lengths of stay for pretrial defendants in secure

604
00:37:52,553 --> 00:37:54,422
facilities. The first issue, the marshall

605
00:37:54,422 --> 00:37:59,694
service, a member of the cjcc was able to reach an agreement

606
00:37:59,694 --> 00:38:01,496
with northern neck jail in virginia which is about a

607
00:38:01,496 --> 00:38:04,766
two-hour drive from the district to temporarily house persons

608
00:38:04,766 --> 00:38:11,366
convicted of d.c. Code offenses who are seeking post conviction

609
00:38:13,642 --> 00:38:15,110
rits under the cars race amendment act.

610
00:38:15,110 --> 00:38:19,114
this will enable these individuals to more readiliy

611
00:38:19,114 --> 00:38:23,185
engage in defense counsel and avoid challenges with attorney

612
00:38:23,185 --> 00:38:29,185
visits at the facilities. The iopc looked at cases with

613
00:38:31,460 --> 00:38:35,864
title 16 youths, who had long, lengthy stays as well as

614
00:38:35,864 --> 00:38:38,533
defendants with long lengths of stay at d.o.c.

615
00:38:38,533 --> 00:38:42,271
for the title 16 youth their length of stay was not out of

616
00:38:42,271 --> 00:38:46,607
the norm for the adult criminal justice system but much longer

617
00:38:46,607 --> 00:38:50,145
than pretrial lengths of stay for the juvenile justice system

618
00:38:50,145 --> 00:38:54,282
which is the population d.r.s. Typically manages.

619
00:38:54,282 --> 00:38:57,552
title 16 youth are reps transferred from d.o.s. To

620
00:38:57,552 --> 00:38:59,420
d.o.c. Custody when they turn 18.

621
00:38:59,420 --> 00:39:03,625
through the work of this commit, d.r.s. And d.o.c. Agree to

622
00:39:03,625 --> 00:39:09,297
establish a data sharing structure to help d.o.c.

623
00:39:09,297 --> 00:39:11,566
adequately prepare for safety and programming needs of the

624
00:39:11,566 --> 00:39:14,360
incoming youth. With respect to pretrial

625
00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:18,640
defendants in d.o.c., unlike the title 16 youth, the committee

626
00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:23,378
did find that they have unique issues associated with their

627
00:39:23,378 --> 00:39:26,378
cases. Case processing delays were

628
00:39:26,448 --> 00:39:31,248
related to discovery disputes, motions for forensic testing,

629
00:39:31,386 --> 00:39:35,257
changing their defense counsel frequently, motions to suppress,

630
00:39:35,257 --> 00:39:40,570
and having multiple open cases. Filling vacant judicial

631
00:39:40,610 --> 00:39:44,650
positions will help expedite case processing for these

632
00:39:44,650 --> 00:39:46,465
defendants. And finally, automated

633
00:39:47,268 --> 00:39:50,268
information sharing. Cjcc's information technology

634
00:39:50,938 --> 00:39:57,450
advisory committee or the itac serves as the body for justice,

635
00:39:57,450 --> 00:39:59,147
the integrated justice information system that

636
00:39:59,147 --> 00:40:02,830
facilitates near real time information sharing among public

637
00:40:02,830 --> 00:40:05,153
safety and criminal justice system stakeholders.

638
00:40:05,153 --> 00:40:11,260
during fy-25, the cjcc members elected to resemble to work

639
00:40:11,260 --> 00:40:17,626
groups under the itec umbrella, the kirk work group and sealing

640
00:40:17,632 --> 00:40:19,834
expungence and set aside work group.

641
00:40:19,834 --> 00:40:25,834
this past year the coop updated the juvenile justice systems

642
00:40:27,910 --> 00:40:32,113
which hadn't been updated since 2012 and it identifies each

643
00:40:32,113 --> 00:40:35,451
member's functions and the point of contact if a disaster were to

644
00:40:35,451 --> 00:40:40,251
occur. We also have the secs work group

645
00:40:41,556 --> 00:40:46,356
which identifies mechanisms to implement the expungent systems

646
00:40:46,394 --> 00:40:50,533
of the amendment act of 2022. The work group in consultation

647
00:40:50,533 --> 00:40:55,136
with code for america and the clean slate initiative

648
00:40:55,136 --> 00:41:00,750
determined that justice would serve as the best platform for

649
00:41:00,750 --> 00:41:03,478
identifying eligible records. However, to make it work, cjcc

650
00:41:03,478 --> 00:41:09,478
would need permission to store court data, corrections data and

651
00:41:10,619 --> 00:41:13,488
no paper data in justice indefinitely and to use those

652
00:41:13,488 --> 00:41:16,358
agency's data for those specific purpose.

653
00:41:16,358 --> 00:41:20,228
unfortunately most of the agencies whose data we would

654
00:41:20,228 --> 00:41:23,431
need to identify eligible records, most are federal, do

655
00:41:23,431 --> 00:41:27,635
not have the data in a format that can be shared with justice.

656
00:41:27,635 --> 00:41:31,840
they refuse to allow cjcc to store their data indefinitely or

657
00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:37,440
refuse to allow cjcc to use their data for this purpose.

658
00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:41,480
the s.c.s. Work group is working for a solution but without the

659
00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:43,985
participation of the relevant agencies and implementation of

660
00:41:43,985 --> 00:41:49,385
the automatic ceiling and expungement purposes of the act

661
00:41:49,458 --> 00:41:52,458
seem unlikely. Lastly, staff accomplishment

662
00:41:53,395 --> 00:41:56,198
also. Of course the work of the

663
00:41:56,198 --> 00:42:00,268
committee is successful due to the implementation of their

664
00:42:00,268 --> 00:42:04,340
staff and also successful due to the hard work and highly skilled

665
00:42:04,340 --> 00:42:07,275
staff who support the work of our members and stakeholders.

666
00:42:07,275 --> 00:42:10,946
we do that in four ways. We facilitate automated

667
00:42:10,946 --> 00:42:14,282
information sharing and conduct research and analysis.

668
00:42:14,282 --> 00:42:17,586
we facilitate interagency collaboration and provide

669
00:42:17,586 --> 00:42:19,986
training and technical assistance.

670
00:42:20,628 --> 00:42:25,833
with respect to justice where we facilitate automated information

671
00:42:25,833 --> 00:42:31,305
sharing and fy-2025 justice had a million records and 3700 users

672
00:42:31,305 --> 00:42:35,505
across 33 agencies. We averaged 760 log-ins per day

673
00:42:36,978 --> 00:42:42,378
and 4,200 searches per day. Cjcc continues to receive high

674
00:42:42,583 --> 00:42:48,456
marks on the annual justice user's survey and more than 90%

675
00:42:48,456 --> 00:42:51,920
of respondents reported justice was necessary for conducting

676
00:42:51,920 --> 00:42:55,863
their work and that they are satisfied with their justice

677
00:42:55,863 --> 00:42:59,533
experience. Our I.t. Team has not become

678
00:42:59,533 --> 00:43:03,370
complacent, however, because of the positive user feedback

679
00:43:03,370 --> 00:43:06,140
instead they continue to seek opportunities to enhance the

680
00:43:06,140 --> 00:43:09,176
system. We fine-tuned the quarry process

681
00:43:09,176 --> 00:43:13,614
and enhanced system security and enhanced information into the

682
00:43:13,614 --> 00:43:15,149
search function and generated new supports.

683
00:43:15,149 --> 00:43:19,152
of a particular note we continue to be on track to complete our

684
00:43:19,152 --> 00:43:21,552
justice modernization project in 2027.

685
00:43:24,159 --> 00:43:30,159
our statistical analysis center or the s.a.c. Generated 129

686
00:43:30,898 --> 00:43:33,901
research and analytical products including routine reports and

687
00:43:33,901 --> 00:43:35,969
one time analysis. Our primary focus has been to

688
00:43:35,969 --> 00:43:41,242
develop and maintain the 20-plus monthly and quarterly dashboards

689
00:43:41,242 --> 00:43:47,248
required by secure d.c. And to maintain jsat which is the

690
00:43:47,248 --> 00:43:52,480
platform the dashboards live. Since the dashboards were

691
00:43:52,252 --> 00:43:57,520
published a average visits increased by 355% since fy-23.

692
00:43:57,724 --> 00:44:01,595
for interagency collaboration, our bread and butter as a

693
00:44:01,595 --> 00:44:06,395
coordination council, in fy-25, we convened 101 meetings and

694
00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:10,600
served as project managers for 21 multiagency initiatives.

695
00:44:11,272 --> 00:44:14,542
making progress on our initiatives require frequent and

696
00:44:14,542 --> 00:44:18,946
consistent engagement with our partner agency and stakeholders

697
00:44:18,946 --> 00:44:22,483
and to do that we must have a fully staffed policy team.

698
00:44:22,483 --> 00:44:27,889
we're happy to say we're going to complete interviews for our

699
00:44:27,889 --> 00:44:30,157
final vacant policy position by the end of this month and hope

700
00:44:30,157 --> 00:44:34,228
to make a selection soon. And in training and technical

701
00:44:34,228 --> 00:44:36,290
assistance. We typically do this in the form

702
00:44:36,290 --> 00:44:39,232
of public meetings and webinars, information sessions.

703
00:44:39,232 --> 00:44:42,403
we had one public meeting this year that was focused on drug

704
00:44:42,403 --> 00:44:45,840
court and hosted four information sessions on topics

705
00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:50,400
ranging from risk assessments for adults, rehabilitative

706
00:44:50,444 --> 00:44:53,847
models for adult correctional facilities and addressing youth

707
00:44:53,847 --> 00:44:58,470
violence. And after a six-year hiatus, we

708
00:44:58,185 --> 00:45:00,921
reconvened our information sharing form and was an

709
00:45:00,921 --> 00:45:03,191
opportunity for users of our justice system to come together

710
00:45:03,191 --> 00:45:07,194
to share how the system supports their daily work and they

711
00:45:07,194 --> 00:45:11,932
identified information sharing gaps and itec we'll prioritize

712
00:45:11,932 --> 00:45:16,690
and determine how best to address those gaps in fy-2026.

713
00:45:16,690 --> 00:45:20,975
in kleeing, I want to publicly acknowledge the cjcc staff.

714
00:45:20,975 --> 00:45:26,213
they continue to be unwavering in their dedication to providing

715
00:45:26,213 --> 00:45:30,350
critical information and support to the district's justice system

716
00:45:30,350 --> 00:45:33,754
often behind the scenes. And I also want to acknowledge

717
00:45:33,754 --> 00:45:39,160
the members of the cjcc in spite of the current environment and

718
00:45:39,160 --> 00:45:43,296
changes over the past year, they continue to show up and find

719
00:45:43,296 --> 00:45:46,834
common ground and they've identified meaningful efforts

720
00:45:46,834 --> 00:45:49,302
that will enhance justice system functioning.

721
00:45:49,302 --> 00:45:51,906
I look forward to their continued collaboration in the

722
00:45:51,906 --> 00:45:54,441
year to come. And so that concludes my

723
00:45:54,441 --> 00:45:57,441
statement. I'm available for questions.

724
00:45:58,379 --> 00:46:00,581
chairman pinto: great. Thank you very much, director

725
00:46:00,581 --> 00:46:03,450
love. I'd like to add my gratitude to

726
00:46:03,450 --> 00:46:09,790
you and your entire team and all the members of the cjcc who at

727
00:46:09,790 --> 00:46:12,927
its core share a belief that everybody deserves to be safe

728
00:46:12,927 --> 00:46:17,398
and appreciate all of your efforts, to make that a reality.

729
00:46:17,398 --> 00:46:20,134
I want to ask you a little bit more about justice.

730
00:46:20,134 --> 00:46:23,471
you talked about some of the importance of the modernization

731
00:46:23,471 --> 00:46:28,876
project but can you zoom out and elaborate a little bit why it is

732
00:46:28,876 --> 00:46:35,282
so important to have a common language of data that we're

733
00:46:35,282 --> 00:46:39,860
using in analyzing what is coming in, whether it be from

734
00:46:39,860 --> 00:46:43,290
the attorney general's office or the courts or otherwise and how

735
00:46:43,290 --> 00:46:46,290
that informs your policy recommendations?

736
00:46:47,228 --> 00:46:51,432
director love: so justice is an operational system, so that

737
00:46:51,432 --> 00:46:55,236
means it's not used for research and analysis in general but used

738
00:46:55,236 --> 00:46:59,390
to really help the criminal justice system function.

739
00:46:59,390 --> 00:47:02,910
and justice is the system that the criminal justice

740
00:47:02,910 --> 00:47:05,513
stakeholders use to communicate to one another.

741
00:47:05,513 --> 00:47:09,984
so, for example, when m.p.d. Makes an arrest, the way they

742
00:47:09,984 --> 00:47:13,320
communicate they've made an arrest and refer to it to the

743
00:47:13,320 --> 00:47:16,724
prosecutors is through justice. There's information that flows

744
00:47:16,724 --> 00:47:20,928
through that system, o.a.j. And u.s.a. Are aware there's been

745
00:47:20,928 --> 00:47:22,196
arrests. When the prosecutors make a

746
00:47:22,196 --> 00:47:26,100
decision, are they going to pay for the case, meaning to charge

747
00:47:26,100 --> 00:47:30,871
the case in court or not? That decision is communicated to

748
00:47:30,871 --> 00:47:34,341
the m.p.d. As well as to the court and others.

749
00:47:34,341 --> 00:47:37,341
there's information on pretrial supervision.

750
00:47:37,544 --> 00:47:42,344
there's information on drug testing results for defendants.

751
00:47:46,420 --> 00:47:50,290
court case information is available on justice.

752
00:47:50,290 --> 00:47:54,494
and if someone violated their rules, that is made through

753
00:47:54,494 --> 00:47:56,698
justice as well as incarceration information.

754
00:47:56,698 --> 00:48:01,568
it really is a critical system and when we have the information

755
00:48:01,568 --> 00:48:05,305
sharing form, we have partners to say I can't imagine how I

756
00:48:05,305 --> 00:48:08,909
would do my job if this system did not exist.

757
00:48:08,909 --> 00:48:14,909
so that's the importance of it. We do appreciate council

758
00:48:15,383 --> 00:48:18,919
providing the capital funds last year to enable us to engage in

759
00:48:18,919 --> 00:48:21,455
the justice modernization project and the reason we're

760
00:48:21,455 --> 00:48:26,127
doing the project is because the software that really undergirds

761
00:48:26,127 --> 00:48:31,135
the function of justice is going to reach end of life in january

762
00:48:31,135 --> 00:48:34,472
of 2027 and so I've just described the importance of the

763
00:48:34,472 --> 00:48:36,807
system. It has to continue to function.

764
00:48:36,807 --> 00:48:40,778
so reusing those funds to rebuild justice on new

765
00:48:40,778 --> 00:48:43,281
technology, we're going to upgrade the interface.

766
00:48:43,281 --> 00:48:46,550
it hasn't been upgraded in about 20 years.

767
00:48:46,550 --> 00:48:52,556
then we're also going to shift the system to the cloud.

768
00:48:52,556 --> 00:48:54,226
chairman pinto: ok. You talked about some of the

769
00:48:54,226 --> 00:48:58,563
hurdles you're having in implementation of the second

770
00:48:58,563 --> 00:49:02,767
chance amendment act. What would the upgrades for

771
00:49:02,767 --> 00:49:07,238
software enable you to implement the second chance amendment act

772
00:49:07,238 --> 00:49:11,241
once all of that takes place on the crowd?

773
00:49:11,241 --> 00:49:13,644
director love: there will be complex coding because we have

774
00:49:13,644 --> 00:49:17,514
to match cases with specific charges with sentence completion

775
00:49:17,514 --> 00:49:21,714
dates. And so the new justice 2 point 0

776
00:49:24,789 --> 00:49:29,927
will allow for that but it's not a technology challenge but

777
00:49:29,927 --> 00:49:33,464
getting permits to use the data for this purpose and also

778
00:49:33,464 --> 00:49:37,201
getting them to agree to -- in order to match data in the

779
00:49:37,201 --> 00:49:42,600
system we have to store their data and right now we have a

780
00:49:42,600 --> 00:49:46,100
number of agencies that told us they won't permit us to store

781
00:49:46,100 --> 00:49:48,613
their data. Chairman pinto: which agencies

782
00:49:48,613 --> 00:49:52,650
are those? Director love: b.o.p. Said we

783
00:49:52,650 --> 00:49:54,753
cannot store their data in justice.

784
00:49:54,753 --> 00:50:00,491
b.o.p. Also has a restriction that -- for detailed sentence

785
00:50:00,491 --> 00:50:04,228
completion information, that they're not able to share that

786
00:50:04,228 --> 00:50:06,831
with nonlaw enforcement agencies, which would include

787
00:50:06,831 --> 00:50:10,168
the court because the court is the one that needs to be aware

788
00:50:10,168 --> 00:50:14,239
of the eligible cases because the court makes the notification

789
00:50:14,239 --> 00:50:21,439
to all the other partners they need to seal and expunges cases.

790
00:50:22,246 --> 00:50:25,315
sosa said yes and there may be some conditions but are willing

791
00:50:25,315 --> 00:50:27,852
to participate. D.c. Superior court, they've

792
00:50:27,852 --> 00:50:31,522
been a partner and really a champion in this.

793
00:50:31,522 --> 00:50:36,894
so the only thing is -- there are a number of scenarios how a

794
00:50:36,894 --> 00:50:41,399
sentence ends. We may all think of prison or

795
00:50:41,399 --> 00:50:48,272
jail but we have probation and parole with sosa and also have

796
00:50:48,272 --> 00:50:50,741
u.s. Probation is another agency that said no, we cannot use

797
00:50:50,741 --> 00:50:56,747
their data for this purpose. Then we have b.o.p., of course,

798
00:50:56,747 --> 00:50:58,616
and u.s. Parole commission is another agency.

799
00:50:58,616 --> 00:51:04,989
I think maybe they would be willing to share, they just

800
00:51:04,989 --> 00:51:07,225
don't store sentence completion that can be stored with justice.

801
00:51:07,225 --> 00:51:14,431
either the data is not in athatt in a shareable format with the

802
00:51:14,431 --> 00:51:15,967
agencies don't want us to use the data for this purpose.

803
00:51:15,967 --> 00:51:21,967
>> are all the agencies that have said no federal agencies?

804
00:51:22,974 --> 00:51:23,775
>> yes. We are still waiting to hear

805
00:51:23,775 --> 00:51:26,911
back from doc. They are the only agency we have

806
00:51:26,911 --> 00:51:32,311
not heard back from. I should add, the implementation

807
00:51:32,517 --> 00:51:35,486
of these automatic sealing and expungement provisions, we put

808
00:51:35,486 --> 00:51:39,570
them in three buckets. The bucket I have been mostly

809
00:51:39,570 --> 00:51:42,860
talking about are cases that are paper with a convention.

810
00:51:42,860 --> 00:51:46,330
the other is paper, no conviction.

811
00:51:46,330 --> 00:51:49,200
that is data we anticipate the court will say yes.

812
00:51:49,200 --> 00:51:55,720
then you have no paper cases. Again, I described justice has

813
00:51:55,720 --> 00:51:59,760
no paper information. Oag says, yes, you can use our

814
00:51:59,760 --> 00:52:02,480
no data paper for this purpose. The u.s. Attorney's office has

815
00:52:02,480 --> 00:52:06,350
said no. So, we are in count --

816
00:52:06,350 --> 00:52:11,150
consultation with m.v.p. -- with mpd.

817
00:52:18,463 --> 00:52:24,463
>> are there other members of cjcc from federal government who

818
00:52:27,439 --> 00:52:34,390
can be leaned on to ensure that the federal agencies participate

819
00:52:36,313 --> 00:52:41,713
in this law? >> most of them have said no.

820
00:52:43,321 --> 00:52:49,994
right now, the court is a local entity that is federally funded.

821
00:52:49,994 --> 00:52:54,932
I anticipate they will say yes. Sosa right now is the only

822
00:52:54,932 --> 00:52:59,300
federal agency that is relevant to this that have said yes.

823
00:52:59,300 --> 00:53:02,140
I have mentioned bop, they said no.

824
00:53:02,140 --> 00:53:05,677
parole commissions does not have the data in the format.

825
00:53:05,677 --> 00:53:13,418
u.s.a.o. Is a no. When you think of structure, the

826
00:53:13,418 --> 00:53:15,286
u.s. Attorney's office, but chief law enforcement officer

827
00:53:15,286 --> 00:53:18,490
and a leader in the federal government side, so I feel like

828
00:53:18,490 --> 00:53:23,227
if they have said no, it is a little difficult to compel

829
00:53:23,227 --> 00:53:27,965
others to say yes. X is the u.s. Attorney's

830
00:53:27,965 --> 00:53:32,370
objection substantive, that they don't agree with the policy

831
00:53:32,370 --> 00:53:34,372
versus not having the software or data functionality to

832
00:53:34,372 --> 00:53:38,572
implement it? >> we didn't get a detailed

833
00:53:39,243 --> 00:53:43,247
explanation for why they are not permitting us to use their data

834
00:53:43,247 --> 00:53:46,217
for this purpose. I do feel like the u.s.

835
00:53:46,217 --> 00:53:52,290
attorneys office has been very vocal to their opposition, so I

836
00:53:52,290 --> 00:53:54,726
imagine there could be a connection.

837
00:53:54,726 --> 00:53:58,926
>> let's continue our conversation about that and

838
00:54:03,670 --> 00:54:07,710
ensuring that the law that we pass can be implemented and that

839
00:54:07,710 --> 00:54:11,271
we can keep moving forward that way.

840
00:54:14,450 --> 00:54:17,130
can you talk about some of the other data barriers you have

841
00:54:17,130 --> 00:54:20,284
experienced over the last year, especially in amassing aggregate

842
00:54:20,284 --> 00:54:25,684
data, whether it is with pretrial detention reports or

843
00:54:29,826 --> 00:54:33,964
other areas where we need to collect data from the courts and

844
00:54:33,964 --> 00:54:36,701
oag and others and how that has looked over the last year?

845
00:54:36,701 --> 00:54:41,239
>> sure. I will turn it over to dr. Tabor

846
00:54:41,239 --> 00:54:47,839
to give a little more detail, but I mentioned justices and

847
00:54:47,980 --> 00:54:51,450
operational system, and we receive data separately to do

848
00:54:51,450 --> 00:54:54,453
data and analysis. But a data challenge we have had

849
00:54:54,453 --> 00:54:59,324
in common on the operational and research side has been limited

850
00:54:59,324 --> 00:55:03,328
access to juvenile justice data. I mentioned we had the

851
00:55:03,328 --> 00:55:09,000
information sharing form. The top issue of what are your

852
00:55:09,000 --> 00:55:14,206
information sharing challenges and gaps, the top issue is lack

853
00:55:14,206 --> 00:55:17,806
of juvenile justice information in justice.

854
00:55:17,876 --> 00:55:22,130
if you look at what flows through justice on the adult

855
00:55:22,130 --> 00:55:26,840
side, the court has a very substantive feet of case

856
00:55:26,840 --> 00:55:29,354
information flowing on the adult side, and that information is

857
00:55:29,354 --> 00:55:33,892
available to the prosecutors and public defenders and pretrial

858
00:55:33,892 --> 00:55:37,363
services, but there is no comparable court fee on the

859
00:55:37,363 --> 00:55:41,633
juvenile side, so there is no court data flowing from one

860
00:55:41,633 --> 00:55:44,436
agency to another. You can search it one by one but

861
00:55:44,436 --> 00:55:50,576
that is very time intensive for an agency partner to do.

862
00:55:50,576 --> 00:55:54,790
the second piece of information that is missing is juvenile

863
00:55:54,790 --> 00:55:57,490
arrest data. Arrest adult data flows through

864
00:55:57,490 --> 00:56:02,449
justice, readily accessible. There is no juvenile arrest data

865
00:56:03,255 --> 00:56:08,655
that is even searchable, let alone flowing through justice.

866
00:56:08,660 --> 00:56:11,864
those are the two big impediments.

867
00:56:11,864 --> 00:56:15,100
there are a few other data challenges related to justice

868
00:56:15,100 --> 00:56:18,270
that we are going to explore with our committee.

869
00:56:18,270 --> 00:56:21,940
I will turn it over to dr. Tabor, who can talk about some

870
00:56:21,940 --> 00:56:27,479
of the challenges we have had on the research and analysis side.

871
00:56:27,479 --> 00:56:32,279
>> I'll try to get close to the microphone.

872
00:56:33,818 --> 00:56:35,754
you mentioned the pretrial detention report.

873
00:56:35,754 --> 00:56:39,958
some of the issues we had with the pretrial detention report

874
00:56:39,958 --> 00:56:42,627
was attempting to identify exactly those individuals who

875
00:56:42,627 --> 00:56:45,964
were affected by the prioritizing public safety

876
00:56:45,964 --> 00:56:50,764
emergency amendment act and the pretrial detention provisions.

877
00:56:51,170 --> 00:56:55,307
those provisions affected people based on charges, criminal

878
00:56:55,307 --> 00:56:59,844
history, supervision history, and the legal standard that was

879
00:56:59,844 --> 00:57:04,182
found at arraignment. Unfortunately in data that was

880
00:57:04,182 --> 00:57:07,860
extractable from partner agencies, only charge

881
00:57:07,860 --> 00:57:10,550
information was available, so we were not able to exactly

882
00:57:10,550 --> 00:57:14,793
identify which people would have been detained or eligible for

883
00:57:14,793 --> 00:57:18,630
the rebuttable prevention of detention following those laws,

884
00:57:18,630 --> 00:57:21,866
but not before. So, that was a main challenge.

885
00:57:21,866 --> 00:57:25,337
another challenge was the availability of juvenile data as

886
00:57:25,337 --> 00:57:28,337
well, as director love mentioned.

887
00:57:30,843 --> 00:57:33,879
>> were those challenges overcome over the last year?

888
00:57:33,879 --> 00:57:38,416
or is that still a challenge? >> I think that is still a

889
00:57:38,416 --> 00:57:39,351
challenge. We are continuing to explore

890
00:57:39,351 --> 00:57:45,356
with some of our partners, whether we might be able to

891
00:57:45,356 --> 00:57:47,625
obtain additional detailed information.

892
00:57:47,625 --> 00:57:51,229
for the report coming up in september, we have several

893
00:57:51,229 --> 00:57:54,967
strategies we are exploring to try to obtain individual level

894
00:57:54,967 --> 00:57:59,237
data that is de-identified but record level to do our

895
00:57:59,237 --> 00:58:01,639
statistical analyses. We will still have some

896
00:58:01,639 --> 00:58:03,639
limitations. >> ok.

897
00:58:04,677 --> 00:58:08,981
what if you randomly selected 100 cases and looked at those as

898
00:58:08,981 --> 00:58:11,316
opposed to looking at every case over the last several years?

899
00:58:11,316 --> 00:58:16,716
>> are you suggesting a specific case review, for example?

900
00:58:17,890 --> 00:58:18,990
doing something that is more qualitative in nature?

901
00:58:18,990 --> 00:58:23,190
>> rights. I am just thinking out loud.

902
00:58:24,396 --> 00:58:29,802
a way to provide the analysis, but with these data limitations,

903
00:58:29,802 --> 00:58:33,472
maybe instead of looking at every case that went through,

904
00:58:33,472 --> 00:58:40,720
you take a randomized sampling, then consider the but for that

905
00:58:41,480 --> 00:58:42,348
intervention, what would happen in that case?

906
00:58:42,348 --> 00:58:47,148
>> it would create some context for qualitative analysis.

907
00:58:49,254 --> 00:58:53,225
thinking about that suggestion, I would you not to use a mixed

908
00:58:53,225 --> 00:58:56,762
methods approach to do both a series of case studies and to

909
00:58:56,762 --> 00:59:01,700
try to continue our quantitative analyses and take a statistical

910
00:59:01,700 --> 00:59:04,470
approach that lets us look at the entire sample of people

911
00:59:04,470 --> 00:59:09,441
affected by the laws. But I think a mixed

912
00:59:09,441 --> 00:59:12,310
method approach is appreciated. >> are you all on track to

913
00:59:12,310 --> 00:59:15,447
produce the report? >> I believe so at this time.

914
00:59:15,447 --> 00:59:19,317
>> ok. So, how are you going to

915
00:59:19,317 --> 00:59:23,321
overcome the data hurdles? >> I think we are having

916
00:59:23,321 --> 00:59:26,321
additional discussions with pretrial services.

917
00:59:26,593 --> 00:59:30,862
that is an agency we may be able to lean on to get some

918
00:59:30,862 --> 00:59:34,132
information, so we will have that conversation with them and

919
00:59:34,132 --> 00:59:38,690
get back to you to let you know if the ability to meet the

920
00:59:38,690 --> 00:59:39,272
deadline is going to be affected.

921
00:59:39,272 --> 00:59:46,278
>> I will just say, I don't think I could return to my

922
00:59:46,278 --> 00:59:49,878
colleagues and ask for another extension.

923
00:59:51,349 --> 00:59:53,217
>> understood. If they are able to accommodate

924
00:59:53,217 --> 00:59:56,421
and provide the data, we can meet the deadline.

925
00:59:56,421 --> 01:00:00,492
what will hurt us is if they are not able to provide the data do

926
01:00:00,492 --> 01:00:02,227
to maybe the privacy act. >> who is they?

927
01:00:02,227 --> 01:00:07,270
>> the pretrial services agencies that we think might

928
01:00:09,233 --> 01:00:14,172
have the data that can meet the needs of the report.

929
01:00:14,172 --> 01:00:16,875
again, our federal partners are under the privacy act.

930
01:00:16,875 --> 01:00:21,980
privacy act says you cannot share record level identifiable

931
01:00:21,980 --> 01:00:27,252
data with non-law enforcement entities, or for research and

932
01:00:27,252 --> 01:00:30,852
analytical purposes. There are some circumstances

933
01:00:31,123 --> 01:00:35,270
that they will share. For example, if we can present

934
01:00:35,270 --> 01:00:41,627
them with specific individuals and they give us input on those

935
01:00:42,267 --> 01:00:44,603
individuals, that is the circumstance that maybe they can

936
01:00:44,603 --> 01:00:47,472
share. But if we are going to them

937
01:00:47,472 --> 01:00:51,100
asking them to generate information on individuals from

938
01:00:51,100 --> 01:00:53,212
scratch, that is usually where they say we are not able to do

939
01:00:53,212 --> 01:00:56,349
that. >> all roads lead back to the

940
01:00:56,349 --> 01:00:58,751
privacy act. >> they lead to the privacy act.

941
01:00:58,751 --> 01:01:04,751
>> for the public, while we cannot change that law locally,

942
01:01:05,157 --> 01:01:11,964
it is something I do think we should seek to change fed overly

943
01:01:11,964 --> 01:01:15,300
-- federally so we can have research to understand these

944
01:01:15,300 --> 01:01:19,171
crime data trends so we can have the best policy moving forward.

945
01:01:19,171 --> 01:01:22,374
just put that out there. And something we need the

946
01:01:22,374 --> 01:01:29,574
federal government to act on. >> I just want to add a couple

947
01:01:30,115 --> 01:01:34,321
more data issues. On the juvenile side for some of

948
01:01:34,321 --> 01:01:40,259
our dashboards, we have not been able to produce a juvenile

949
01:01:40,259 --> 01:01:44,459
dispositions dashboard. The disposition, we were focused

950
01:01:47,266 --> 01:01:52,271
specifically on dispositions for gun possession and violent crime

951
01:01:52,271 --> 01:01:56,409
with gun cases. We have been working for the

952
01:01:56,409 --> 01:02:01,130
past year or more with both the court and oag, trying to figure

953
01:02:01,130 --> 01:02:03,482
out how best to get that information.

954
01:02:03,482 --> 01:02:10,156
some of it stems from what I just shared about justice, that

955
01:02:10,156 --> 01:02:13,626
the juvenile prosecutors are not getting information about

956
01:02:13,626 --> 01:02:15,561
juvenile case dispositions in their records management system,

957
01:02:15,561 --> 01:02:22,161
similar to how you soa have. These operational gaps are also

958
01:02:24,770 --> 01:02:29,570
affecting our ability to do research and analysis.

959
01:02:30,276 --> 01:02:35,247
we are in the process of engaging in data sharing

960
01:02:35,247 --> 01:02:38,851
agreements with a lot of our partners, and especially on the

961
01:02:38,851 --> 01:02:42,451
juvenile side. We understand that juvenile

962
01:02:43,255 --> 01:02:46,792
confidentiality is important, so we used to get some record level

963
01:02:46,792 --> 01:02:52,264
data from oag, but they paused on that and said, let's get that

964
01:02:52,264 --> 01:02:54,332
data sharing agreement in place so we have appropriate

965
01:02:54,332 --> 01:02:58,671
parameters for how cjcc is using that information.

966
01:02:58,671 --> 01:03:02,700
they have been giving us aggregate data, which has been

967
01:03:02,700 --> 01:03:04,309
helpful. However, the way we built the

968
01:03:04,309 --> 01:03:09,147
dashboards, they are supposed to be interactive and you can click

969
01:03:09,147 --> 01:03:13,850
on subcategories and all the data changes so you can peer

970
01:03:13,850 --> 01:03:15,488
into the subcategory. When we get aggregate data,

971
01:03:15,488 --> 01:03:19,291
while we appreciate it, it does not allow for that

972
01:03:19,291 --> 01:03:22,294
interactivity. It also does not allow us to do

973
01:03:22,294 --> 01:03:24,897
rearrest analysis, and I know that has been a question that

974
01:03:24,897 --> 01:03:30,297
has come up. People want to know how often

975
01:03:31,303 --> 01:03:34,306
they are rearrested. If we do not get record level

976
01:03:34,306 --> 01:03:39,311
identifiable data, cannot match against the mpd data, we cannot

977
01:03:39,311 --> 01:03:44,111
do rearrest analysis. >> are you confident that if

978
01:03:46,852 --> 01:03:51,791
that data at a record level was shared with cjcc staff, not

979
01:03:51,791 --> 01:03:56,862
members, not the public, that it could then be re-aggregated in

980
01:03:56,862 --> 01:03:58,731
order to protect the privacy of each young person?

981
01:03:58,731 --> 01:04:02,331
>> yes. And we have had similar

982
01:04:05,271 --> 01:04:07,540
arrangements with other agencies.

983
01:04:07,540 --> 01:04:12,770
for example, we've received information from osse in the

984
01:04:12,770 --> 01:04:17,149
past and dbh in the past, d chf, and the agreement has been yes

985
01:04:17,149 --> 01:04:20,190
you can get the data but you need to put it on a standalone

986
01:04:20,190 --> 01:04:24,957
computer that is not connected to network, then de-identify and

987
01:04:24,957 --> 01:04:28,360
do all the analysis and destroy the original data.

988
01:04:28,360 --> 01:04:31,664
so, we have had other agreements where we have done that.

989
01:04:31,664 --> 01:04:35,234
if that is what oag and others think is necessary to protect

990
01:04:35,234 --> 01:04:38,105
juvenile data, we are happy to do that as well.

991
01:04:38,105 --> 01:04:40,972
>> but to date, they won't share the data?

992
01:04:40,972 --> 01:04:47,246
>> not record level data, until we can get this data sharing

993
01:04:47,246 --> 01:04:51,450
agreement finalized. We sent that back to them may be

994
01:04:51,450 --> 01:04:55,870
a month ago, so hopefully we can move forward on that.

995
01:04:55,870 --> 01:04:58,870
>> ok. That would be great.

996
01:05:01,460 --> 01:05:05,197
it is something I spoke to the attorney general about at our

997
01:05:05,197 --> 01:05:09,735
oversight hearing a week or two ago because it is an important

998
01:05:09,735 --> 01:05:13,538
part of the operation, so hopefully we can have some

999
01:05:13,538 --> 01:05:19,100
progress there, and soon. Can you talk about the need to

1000
01:05:19,100 --> 01:05:24,350
obtain d.c. Superior court administrative orders in your

1001
01:05:24,350 --> 01:05:28,554
ability to access certain juvenile data, and how that is

1002
01:05:28,554 --> 01:05:31,356
impacting your ability to produce these reports on a

1003
01:05:31,356 --> 01:05:33,356
timely basis? >> yes.

1004
01:05:35,600 --> 01:05:39,297
going back to the juvenile confidentiality statute, and I

1005
01:05:39,297 --> 01:05:43,301
am main lean on that a little bit for detail, but you have

1006
01:05:43,301 --> 01:05:46,238
juvenile case records, juvenile law enforcement records, and

1007
01:05:46,238 --> 01:05:50,438
social records. For a specific provision for

1008
01:05:52,845 --> 01:05:57,249
each of those, there are certain types of agencies that can have

1009
01:05:57,249 --> 01:05:58,650
access to inspect or copy those records.

1010
01:05:58,650 --> 01:06:04,500
cjcc is not listed among any of those agencies.

1011
01:06:04,389 --> 01:06:08,526
it is typically the agencies that are supervising law

1012
01:06:08,526 --> 01:06:10,926
enforcement, the court, prosecutors.

1013
01:06:11,263 --> 01:06:15,660
the way we are able to get access to juvenile data under

1014
01:06:15,660 --> 01:06:21,666
those statutes is there is a provision that the court can

1015
01:06:22,340 --> 01:06:27,790
provide access, and maybe I will turn to you.

1016
01:06:27,790 --> 01:06:30,949
>> certainly. As director love said, there are

1017
01:06:30,949 --> 01:06:34,352
three separate statutes, each of which contains a provision that

1018
01:06:34,352 --> 01:06:39,291
says other persons -- the court may grant the authority to

1019
01:06:39,291 --> 01:06:42,940
inspect records to other persons having a professional interest

1020
01:06:42,940 --> 01:06:46,298
in the protection, welfare, treatment, and rehabilitation of

1021
01:06:46,298 --> 01:06:49,535
the respondent, if authorized by rule or special order of the

1022
01:06:49,535 --> 01:06:53,238
court. Because we are not the criminal

1023
01:06:53,238 --> 01:06:58,310
justice coordinating council, we are not listed on the

1024
01:06:58,310 --> 01:07:02,000
list of entities to inspect the records, that is limiting our

1025
01:07:02,000 --> 01:07:04,403
approval to get records that are otherwise protected by each of

1026
01:07:04,403 --> 01:07:09,203
those statutes. >> so, the process of getting an

1027
01:07:11,276 --> 01:07:15,140
administrative order, we submit it, but the court has a lot of

1028
01:07:15,140 --> 01:07:21,140
requests coming its way. I think we have at least 20

1029
01:07:22,353 --> 01:07:26,958
administrative orders, because every time we want to do a new

1030
01:07:26,958 --> 01:07:31,363
analysis that involves juvenile data, we have to get an

1031
01:07:31,363 --> 01:07:33,665
administrative order from the court.

1032
01:07:33,665 --> 01:07:36,902
that is our only way to get access.

1033
01:07:36,902 --> 01:07:41,840
sometimes we have gotten orders issued in a matter of months,

1034
01:07:41,840 --> 01:07:47,379
and then we have maybe a couple. It has been almost a year since

1035
01:07:47,379 --> 01:07:52,284
we made the initial ask for an administrative order.

1036
01:07:52,284 --> 01:07:56,654
so, it can be time-consuming, both for cjcc staff and the

1037
01:07:56,654 --> 01:08:00,258
court that has to write these orders and issue them.

1038
01:08:00,258 --> 01:08:03,462
it can also prevent us from generating juvenile analysis in

1039
01:08:03,462 --> 01:08:06,462
a timely manner. >> thank you.

1040
01:08:08,767 --> 01:08:14,500
well, I hope to address that very soon in a bill we are

1041
01:08:14,500 --> 01:08:17,475
considering to streamline that process for you all, so thank

1042
01:08:17,475 --> 01:08:24,750
you for raising that. Can you provide an update on the

1043
01:08:27,285 --> 01:08:30,955
domestic violence working group, how that is going and if there

1044
01:08:30,955 --> 01:08:35,293
are any trends that the group has identified, or policy

1045
01:08:35,293 --> 01:08:39,164
recommendations you are considering to address a very

1046
01:08:39,164 --> 01:08:43,169
concerning continuing trend around domestic violence we are

1047
01:08:43,169 --> 01:08:46,438
seeing in the district? >> we actually had our kickoff

1048
01:08:46,438 --> 01:08:51,343
meeting yesterday, and we have director jennifer porter from

1049
01:08:51,343 --> 01:08:55,247
the office of victim services and justice grants, and denise

1050
01:08:55,247 --> 01:09:01,247
beck tall cochairing the group. Yesterday, to help frame the

1051
01:09:01,988 --> 01:09:06,658
discussion, we shared some information and maybe it was

1052
01:09:06,658 --> 01:09:09,395
shared earlier that, yes, we are grateful we have seen the

1053
01:09:09,395 --> 01:09:14,533
decrease in homicides over the past couple of years, but the

1054
01:09:14,533 --> 01:09:16,401
domestic violence related homicides are not following that

1055
01:09:16,401 --> 01:09:21,801
downward trend. So, that is a bit alarming it

1056
01:09:23,608 --> 01:09:28,514
really is the impetus for the group to do this work.

1057
01:09:28,514 --> 01:09:32,284
in general, the group is looking at, how can we better hold

1058
01:09:32,284 --> 01:09:36,484
offenders accountable? How can we support prosecutions,

1059
01:09:36,722 --> 01:09:39,290
and how can we give victims voice and make sure they are

1060
01:09:39,290 --> 01:09:43,362
safe? The cochairs took us through a

1061
01:09:43,362 --> 01:09:47,562
helpful exercise yesterday where different agency representatives

1062
01:09:49,100 --> 01:09:51,504
identified what their challenges are.

1063
01:09:51,504 --> 01:09:55,400
some of those challenges are just process related.

1064
01:09:55,400 --> 01:10:01,580
and then the group, we have an online forum, and the process of

1065
01:10:01,580 --> 01:10:03,716
voting to process those challenges.

1066
01:10:03,716 --> 01:10:10,456
but some that have come to light and maybe rose to the top in

1067
01:10:10,456 --> 01:10:14,794
yesterday's discussion was a lack of detailed information

1068
01:10:14,794 --> 01:10:19,594
about stayaway orders. We do have stayaway order

1069
01:10:19,598 --> 01:10:24,398
information in justice. Justice 2.0 will be better, but

1070
01:10:25,604 --> 01:10:30,900
right now justice 1.0 is not super mobile accessible.

1071
01:10:30,900 --> 01:10:33,110
if you have officers in the field, they can pull it up but

1072
01:10:33,110 --> 01:10:36,615
it is not that accessible. I think there is a preference to

1073
01:10:36,615 --> 01:10:42,287
get that into mpd's system. That is a project that we will

1074
01:10:42,287 --> 01:10:46,158
likely take on so they can have information like is this the

1075
01:10:46,158 --> 01:10:49,427
right address associated with the stayaway order?

1076
01:10:49,427 --> 01:10:54,990
we do need to wait for the court to finish its project of

1077
01:10:54,990 --> 01:10:58,569
upgrading its case management system before we can then launch

1078
01:10:58,569 --> 01:11:03,308
into the project. One of the other issues is with

1079
01:11:03,308 --> 01:11:06,430
the issuance of protective orders, and whether or not they

1080
01:11:06,430 --> 01:11:12,430
are even being served, and may be lacking documentation of

1081
01:11:12,584 --> 01:11:15,253
serving those orders. I think those are issues that we

1082
01:11:15,253 --> 01:11:19,570
are going to explore and see what solutions we can come up

1083
01:11:19,570 --> 01:11:22,590
with. I think there is more with the

1084
01:11:22,590 --> 01:11:23,796
voting process that the group went through yesterday that will

1085
01:11:23,796 --> 01:11:27,800
come to the forefront. >> and how often is that group

1086
01:11:27,800 --> 01:11:31,400
set to meet? >> every other month.

1087
01:11:33,472 --> 01:11:37,675
>> every other month, ok. I would like to come to them

1088
01:11:37,675 --> 01:11:39,478
next meeting if I can invite myself.

1089
01:11:39,478 --> 01:11:42,680
>> sure. >> thank you for your focus

1090
01:11:42,680 --> 01:11:46,418
there because I agree those trends are alarming and we need

1091
01:11:46,418 --> 01:11:50,180
to be thinking about our interventions.

1092
01:11:50,288 --> 01:11:53,910
holistically and how to get to people earlier and ramping up

1093
01:11:53,910 --> 01:11:56,894
some of the education work that we heard from some of our public

1094
01:11:56,894 --> 01:12:01,233
witnesses with d.c. Safe. I think it will be important

1095
01:12:01,233 --> 01:12:03,633
there. Last september, cjcc

1096
01:12:04,235 --> 01:12:06,637
commissioned the opportunity consulting group to deepen the

1097
01:12:06,637 --> 01:12:09,574
district's understanding of youth involved violent crime.

1098
01:12:09,574 --> 01:12:14,312
the report lays out several actions for consideration,

1099
01:12:14,312 --> 01:12:17,820
including expanding meaningful career pathways and paid youth

1100
01:12:17,820 --> 01:12:20,285
employment and targeting prevention for high-risk youth

1101
01:12:20,285 --> 01:12:23,488
in neighborhoods. After you receive a report like

1102
01:12:23,488 --> 01:12:25,891
this with a series of recommendations, what are your

1103
01:12:25,891 --> 01:12:29,600
next steps in trying to get those recommendations into

1104
01:12:29,600 --> 01:12:32,660
action? >> this has definitely been a

1105
01:12:32,864 --> 01:12:35,535
focus of the juvenile justice committee, and that is led by

1106
01:12:35,535 --> 01:12:40,335
attorney general schwab and judge higashi, the presiding

1107
01:12:41,406 --> 01:12:46,478
judge at the family court. We have talked about these

1108
01:12:46,478 --> 01:12:49,881
recommendations. The composition of the juvenile

1109
01:12:49,881 --> 01:12:54,420
justice committee is juvenile justice agencies and other youth

1110
01:12:54,420 --> 01:12:59,291
serving agencies. But when it comes to things like

1111
01:12:59,291 --> 01:13:03,294
employment for youth, we realize we have some partners that are

1112
01:13:03,294 --> 01:13:07,299
not at the table. For example, the department of

1113
01:13:07,299 --> 01:13:10,168
employment services. I think for those types of

1114
01:13:10,168 --> 01:13:12,989
recommendations, the juvenile justice committee, we would

1115
01:13:12,989 --> 01:13:15,459
definitely be supporters and champions, but we probably are

1116
01:13:15,459 --> 01:13:19,328
not going to be the group that will be able to expand

1117
01:13:19,328 --> 01:13:22,699
employment opportunities. Our job would be to alert

1118
01:13:22,699 --> 01:13:24,201
relevant agencies to those recommendations.

1119
01:13:24,201 --> 01:13:27,536
I think the group is going to focus on the recommendations

1120
01:13:27,536 --> 01:13:31,136
that are within the justice system.

1121
01:13:31,508 --> 01:13:34,478
one of those is the recommendation to identify the

1122
01:13:34,478 --> 01:13:38,281
high risk youth and have targeted supports for them.

1123
01:13:38,281 --> 01:13:44,420
that is a focus area for the cjcc this fiscal year.

1124
01:13:44,420 --> 01:13:48,324
we had an initial conversation about it a couple weeks ago.

1125
01:13:48,324 --> 01:13:51,695
when you talk about high-risk and especially a concept of some

1126
01:13:51,695 --> 01:13:55,631
sort of list, people get skittish, understandably so,

1127
01:13:55,631 --> 01:13:59,302
because that information needs to be used responsibly.

1128
01:13:59,302 --> 01:14:03,907
so, we have the discussion of, do we flip the order?

1129
01:14:03,907 --> 01:14:07,110
do we first figure out, what are we going to do to support

1130
01:14:07,110 --> 01:14:09,879
high-risk youth, and what is the best way to do that?

1131
01:14:09,879 --> 01:14:12,916
that was one of the reasons we have the session where we

1132
01:14:12,916 --> 01:14:17,853
brought in rocha, we brought in yap, that argue about it --

1133
01:14:17,853 --> 01:14:21,691
evidence based solutions to help high-risk young people.

1134
01:14:21,691 --> 01:14:23,527
we did the continuing of care work.

1135
01:14:23,527 --> 01:14:28,865
we had a site visit to philadelphia and visited a group

1136
01:14:28,865 --> 01:14:34,400
that is working with high-risk young people in philly and has

1137
01:14:34,400 --> 01:14:36,106
had great success. We can look at some other

1138
01:14:36,106 --> 01:14:40,610
models, see what model might be best for the district, then that

1139
01:14:40,610 --> 01:14:45,515
can help inform how we go about responsibly and ethically

1140
01:14:45,515 --> 01:14:47,484
selecting who the high-risk youth are that we are going to

1141
01:14:47,484 --> 01:14:50,820
serve. >> when do you think you will

1142
01:14:50,820 --> 01:14:55,357
have that list? >> I think we are going to have

1143
01:14:55,357 --> 01:15:02,557
to agree on how to select. There is some analysis we have

1144
01:15:03,633 --> 01:15:07,233
done. That was the thing, especially

1145
01:15:09,305 --> 01:15:11,400
gun violence or violent crime in general.

1146
01:15:11,400 --> 01:15:16,450
it is a small number of people who may be perpetuating it.

1147
01:15:16,450 --> 01:15:17,913
we see that on the adult side and we see that on the youth

1148
01:15:17,913 --> 01:15:24,120
side too, that there are some youth we have seen be repeatedly

1149
01:15:24,120 --> 01:15:28,124
arrested for violent crimes in a short period of time.

1150
01:15:28,124 --> 01:15:31,294
perhaps that is one way to identify who we consider to be

1151
01:15:31,294 --> 01:15:33,662
high-risk. But it will have to be a

1152
01:15:33,662 --> 01:15:38,670
consultation with the group. We on our end, we can look at

1153
01:15:38,670 --> 01:15:41,871
what does the research and literature say about best

1154
01:15:41,871 --> 01:15:44,871
practices for identifying these populations.

1155
01:15:46,750 --> 01:15:48,770
I imagine that is something we can do during this fiscal year

1156
01:15:48,770 --> 01:15:52,820
for sure. >> and is there any coordination

1157
01:15:52,820 --> 01:15:57,200
with the dhs pilot to identify truant youth and the kids who

1158
01:15:57,200 --> 01:15:59,757
haven't been going to school for days, sometimes weeks and months

1159
01:15:59,757 --> 01:16:03,357
on end? >> dhs participates in the

1160
01:16:03,960 --> 01:16:09,360
juvenile justice committee, and we actually supported them in

1161
01:16:09,365 --> 01:16:12,901
their analysis of the truancy pilot.

1162
01:16:12,901 --> 01:16:15,171
that is another example of needing an administrative order.

1163
01:16:15,171 --> 01:16:18,875
we have not been able to release that analysis because we need an

1164
01:16:18,875 --> 01:16:21,577
administrative order from the court because it relies on

1165
01:16:21,577 --> 01:16:26,480
juvenile data. So, it has been sitting there

1166
01:16:26,480 --> 01:16:31,387
since last summer, but we need the ao to release it to counsel

1167
01:16:31,387 --> 01:16:34,590
and publicly. We have not yet looked at the

1168
01:16:34,590 --> 01:16:40,529
list of truant youth. My guess is that analysis did

1169
01:16:40,529 --> 01:16:44,400
look at their touches with the juvenile justice system, but we

1170
01:16:44,400 --> 01:16:48,937
are not able to talk about it publicly at this time because we

1171
01:16:48,937 --> 01:16:49,806
don't have the permission to do so.

1172
01:16:49,806 --> 01:16:57,146
>> I think that is a really good example of when a very specific

1173
01:16:57,146 --> 01:17:02,546
administrative rule is hindering access to public information and

1174
01:17:03,180 --> 01:17:04,488
progress. Because we need, especially as

1175
01:17:04,488 --> 01:17:09,492
we gear up on budget, we need access to that report for the

1176
01:17:09,492 --> 01:17:12,361
dhs truancy pilot to know what interventions are working.

1177
01:17:12,361 --> 01:17:17,100
our home visits a great tool? Should we be expanding those?

1178
01:17:17,100 --> 01:17:21,304
but without the report, we are flying blind as policymakers and

1179
01:17:21,304 --> 01:17:24,640
that is not good for anyone. Back to we will be moving's

1180
01:17:24,640 --> 01:17:28,240
shortly a legislation that addresses it.

1181
01:17:29,779 --> 01:17:33,182
then the psychiatric residential facility report is something you

1182
01:17:33,182 --> 01:17:37,320
all came out with that outlines both the financial and

1183
01:17:37,320 --> 01:17:40,690
nonfinancial trade-offs associated with the district's

1184
01:17:40,690 --> 01:17:44,527
reliance on out of state placements and a district based

1185
01:17:44,527 --> 01:17:45,861
facility. Can you briefly summarize some

1186
01:17:45,861 --> 01:17:52,902
of the findings of the report, how cjcc is thinking about that

1187
01:17:52,902 --> 01:17:54,690
analysis moving forward as we consider next steps?

1188
01:17:54,690 --> 01:18:00,209
>> I will just say, on the financial side, we did collect

1189
01:18:00,209 --> 01:18:03,713
some information but we leaned heavily on the work that was

1190
01:18:03,713 --> 01:18:07,784
already done by dbh and the mayor's office of budget and

1191
01:18:07,784 --> 01:18:11,287
performance management to estimate the financial cost.

1192
01:18:11,287 --> 01:18:15,190
dr. Tabor can dive into what are some of those social costs that

1193
01:18:15,190 --> 01:18:18,790
came out of that report. >> certainly.

1194
01:18:23,299 --> 01:18:26,635
one of the main findings we found from discussing with all

1195
01:18:26,635 --> 01:18:32,410
the partner agencies was that the long wait times to placement

1196
01:18:32,410 --> 01:18:34,577
themselves can have a significant mental health effect

1197
01:18:34,577 --> 01:18:36,779
on youth who are awaiting placement.

1198
01:18:36,779 --> 01:18:41,584
they understand they are not moving toward a resolution of

1199
01:18:41,584 --> 01:18:44,520
their case. They are not receiving the

1200
01:18:44,520 --> 01:18:47,757
intensity of mental health care services that they by definition

1201
01:18:47,757 --> 01:18:52,261
need from having been referred to ap atf, and they can

1202
01:18:52,261 --> 01:18:55,932
experience that wait time as rejection, which can exacerbate

1203
01:18:55,932 --> 01:18:58,935
underlying mental health issues. There are also organizational

1204
01:18:58,935 --> 01:19:02,138
challenges, making sure the right credits are in place,

1205
01:19:02,138 --> 01:19:05,708
making sure youth are able to transfer credits back and forth

1206
01:19:05,708 --> 01:19:09,308
between the educational provider and dcps.

1207
01:19:11,347 --> 01:19:15,350
they may come home in the middle of a semester and have trouble

1208
01:19:15,350 --> 01:19:19,322
re-accessing school. And the distance itself can be a

1209
01:19:19,322 --> 01:19:20,956
significant mental health challenge.

1210
01:19:20,956 --> 01:19:23,577
some of these are multiple states away, and it is very

1211
01:19:23,577 --> 01:19:28,313
difficult for youth to be so far away from family, from friends,

1212
01:19:28,313 --> 01:19:31,651
from their local environment, and it also presents challenges

1213
01:19:31,651 --> 01:19:37,560
to having in-person visits with family members, since only two

1214
01:19:37,560 --> 01:19:40,359
people may visit at a time. So, a parent and child may go.

1215
01:19:40,359 --> 01:19:43,596
if both parents go, someone has to take care of other children

1216
01:19:43,596 --> 01:19:47,399
in the home. Then there is the reliance on

1217
01:19:47,399 --> 01:19:52,799
out-of-state pr tf's which presents burdens on staff time

1218
01:19:54,700 --> 01:19:57,275
that many of the staff we talked to felt could be better served

1219
01:19:57,275 --> 01:20:01,414
by engaging with families, with youth, with case management,

1220
01:20:01,414 --> 01:20:07,190
doing the substantial work of trying to provide services and

1221
01:20:07,190 --> 01:20:09,688
support for children. When it comes to reentry, there

1222
01:20:09,688 --> 01:20:13,893
would be a much stronger step down process to enable children

1223
01:20:13,893 --> 01:20:16,696
to reenter back into their communities and families in a

1224
01:20:16,696 --> 01:20:19,565
way that is structured, thoughtful, and forward-looking.

1225
01:20:19,565 --> 01:20:24,965
>> thank you for that. That concludes my questions for

1226
01:20:26,104 --> 01:20:28,508
you all today. I want to always give you a

1227
01:20:28,508 --> 01:20:31,377
chance if you have any closing thoughts or you want to

1228
01:20:31,377 --> 01:20:33,445
highlight something that we didn't get the chance to talk

1229
01:20:33,445 --> 01:20:37,249
about today. >> I just want to publicly thank

1230
01:20:37,249 --> 01:20:43,249
the cjcc staff, the cjcc members for hanging in there.

1231
01:20:47,493 --> 01:20:51,530
it has been an interesting year. And I do appreciate people

1232
01:20:51,530 --> 01:20:57,530
showing up and still caring about public safety in the

1233
01:20:57,603 --> 01:21:00,600
district and investing their time and resources to make sure

1234
01:21:00,600 --> 01:21:04,811
we have a safe city, and to make sure our justice system is fair

1235
01:21:04,811 --> 01:21:10,883
for everyone, and we are trying to operate more efficiency and

1236
01:21:10,883 --> 01:21:15,155
use taxpayer dollars the best way we can.

1237
01:21:15,155 --> 01:21:18,900
so, just a sentiment of gratitude I want to leave with

1238
01:21:18,900 --> 01:21:19,892
today. So, thank you.

1239
01:21:19,892 --> 01:21:24,229
>> thank you very much. As a reminder, some of the

1240
01:21:24,229 --> 01:21:27,365
follow-ups we need to continue working on together to get the

1241
01:21:27,365 --> 01:21:31,837
juvenile data access for the secure d.c. Dashboards, the

1242
01:21:31,837 --> 01:21:34,573
pretrial detention revised report, and any other analysis

1243
01:21:34,573 --> 01:21:38,773
that is needed. The changes to the

1244
01:21:39,377 --> 01:21:43,381
administrative order to be able to release cjcc analysis on

1245
01:21:43,381 --> 01:21:46,381
truant youth, and other analyses.

1246
01:21:47,486 --> 01:21:52,258
continue to work together to identify additional data access

1247
01:21:52,258 --> 01:21:55,327
points to implement the second chance amendment act.

1248
01:21:55,327 --> 01:22:00,127
and then attendance at the next working group.

1249
01:22:00,499 --> 01:22:03,335
fantastic. Thank you and thank you to your

1250
01:22:03,335 --> 01:22:06,871
team for all you do every day. It is vitally important.

1251
01:22:06,871 --> 01:22:10,677
as I mentioned in the opening, I don't think it is something

1252
01:22:10,677 --> 01:22:13,412
everyone in the public knows about.

1253
01:22:13,412 --> 01:22:18,283
as we head into the budget, it is important for the functioning

1254
01:22:18,283 --> 01:22:22,521
and safety and justice of our entire system to make sure cjcc

1255
01:22:22,521 --> 01:22:25,324
is funded and well staffed and you all have the support you

1256
01:22:25,324 --> 01:22:27,425
need, so thank you for all you do.

1257
01:22:27,425 --> 01:22:32,698
appreciate it. We are going to move to the

1258
01:22:32,698 --> 01:22:34,700
office of police complaints. I want to triple check one more

1259
01:22:34,700 --> 01:22:38,900
time that l. English is not here.

1260
01:22:42,507 --> 01:22:44,507
ok. All right.

1261
01:22:44,843 --> 01:22:49,381
we will call director bert cross, the director of the

1262
01:22:49,381 --> 01:22:54,781
office of police complaints -- director marke cross, the

1263
01:22:54,920 --> 01:22:58,791
director of the office of police complaints.

1264
01:22:58,791 --> 01:22:59,725
welcome, director cross. Good morning.

1265
01:22:59,725 --> 01:23:03,195
as you know, it is our tradition to swear in government witnesses

1266
01:23:03,195 --> 01:23:07,199
who appear before it, so if I could ask you to turn on your

1267
01:23:07,199 --> 01:23:10,602
microphone, which is the red button, and raise your right

1268
01:23:10,602 --> 01:23:11,136
hand. >> is it on?

1269
01:23:11,136 --> 01:23:16,536
>> it is on. >> do you swear or affirm that

1270
01:23:17,943 --> 01:23:20,278
the testimony you are about to provide is the truth, the whole

1271
01:23:20,278 --> 01:23:20,946
truth, and nothing but the truth?

1272
01:23:20,946 --> 01:23:23,346
>> I do. >> thank you.

1273
01:23:24,817 --> 01:23:26,351
I know invite you to make any opening statement you have.

1274
01:23:26,351 --> 01:23:29,951
>> thank you. Good morning, chairperson pinto,

1275
01:23:30,889 --> 01:23:34,559
and members of the commission. I am marke cross, the executive

1276
01:23:34,559 --> 01:23:37,296
director of the office of police complaints.

1277
01:23:37,296 --> 01:23:39,365
thank you for the opportunity to testify about the performance of

1278
01:23:39,365 --> 01:23:43,435
the office of complete -- police complaints, and its governing

1279
01:23:43,435 --> 01:23:46,772
body. The mission of opc is to improve

1280
01:23:46,772 --> 01:23:50,708
community trust and the police departments through effective

1281
01:23:50,708 --> 01:23:54,113
civilian oversight. It is a common denominator among

1282
01:23:54,113 --> 01:23:56,515
cities that embrace forward thinking policing concepts.

1283
01:23:56,515 --> 01:23:59,318
in the district of columbia, the role of community participation

1284
01:23:59,318 --> 01:24:04,790
and police oversight is provided by opc and the pcb.

1285
01:24:04,790 --> 01:24:06,790
I'm sorry? Oh.

1286
01:24:09,194 --> 01:24:12,194
all right. How about now?

1287
01:24:12,297 --> 01:24:16,201
thank you. In fiscal year 2025, opc saw a

1288
01:24:16,201 --> 01:24:19,505
continuation of an unprecedented number of complaints filed that

1289
01:24:19,505 --> 01:24:23,341
began in fiscal year 2017, recording an all-time high of

1290
01:24:23,341 --> 01:24:26,278
1065 complaints, representing a 13% increase over the previous

1291
01:24:26,278 --> 01:24:29,278
year. In fiscal year 20 25, we

1292
01:24:30,810 --> 01:24:33,886
maintained an even better outcome and result from the work

1293
01:24:33,886 --> 01:24:36,689
put into our internal procedures in previous fiscal years, but

1294
01:24:36,689 --> 01:24:39,689
with greater accountability and transparency.

1295
01:24:40,625 --> 01:24:42,628
this was accomplished despite numerous challenges presented by

1296
01:24:42,628 --> 01:24:46,298
a record high number of complaints received during this

1297
01:24:46,298 --> 01:24:50,435
period and the unusual fiscal year 2025 budget constraints

1298
01:24:50,435 --> 01:24:55,107
that every agency experienced. In fiscal year 2025, the large

1299
01:24:55,107 --> 01:24:58,430
number of complaints opc received translated into opening

1300
01:24:58,430 --> 01:25:02,447
501 new investigations with 147 complaints already opened at the

1301
01:25:02,447 --> 01:25:06,585
beginning of fiscal year 2025 that carried over from fiscal

1302
01:25:06,585 --> 01:25:08,119
year 2024. Opc investigators conducted more

1303
01:25:08,119 --> 01:25:12,319
than 485 complaint related interviews during fiscal year

1304
01:25:14,590 --> 01:25:16,590
2025. These included 470 community

1305
01:25:16,595 --> 01:25:18,995
interviews and officer interviews.

1306
01:25:19,598 --> 01:25:23,402
one of our top priorities is to continue our efforts in

1307
01:25:23,402 --> 01:25:27,140
minimizing the time it takes to resolve a police

1308
01:25:27,140 --> 01:25:30,140
complaint. Overall in fiscal year 2020

1309
01:25:35,362 --> 01:25:38,364
five, opc resolved 90% of investigations within 100 80

1310
01:25:38,364 --> 01:25:41,964
days. Opc continues to manage its

1311
01:25:42,350 --> 01:25:44,703
investigative efficiency despite receiving a large number of

1312
01:25:44,703 --> 01:25:46,639
complaints. At the end of fiscal year 2025,

1313
01:25:46,639 --> 01:25:50,176
opc averaged 89 days between a case being opened and completed,

1314
01:25:50,176 --> 01:25:54,976
compared to 355 days 10 years ago in fiscal year 2015.

1315
01:25:56,490 --> 01:26:02,490
opc's fiscal year 2017 midyear report was the first glimpse of

1316
01:26:03,389 --> 01:26:08,394
body worn camera data, following the full deployment of

1317
01:26:08,394 --> 01:26:12,594
body worn cameras. Fiscal year 2017 annual report,

1318
01:26:14,000 --> 01:26:18,471
opc reported that on mpd's compliance with its own body

1319
01:26:18,471 --> 01:26:22,475
worn camera usage policies. In fiscal year 2025, 81% of opc

1320
01:26:22,475 --> 01:26:25,412
cases had some sort of body worn camera footage, which is an

1321
01:26:25,412 --> 01:26:28,214
increase from the 77% over the previous year.

1322
01:26:28,214 --> 01:26:32,840
a total of 70% of opc cases with body worn camera footage

1323
01:26:32,840 --> 01:26:34,787
included some kind of body worn camera noncompliance, compared

1324
01:26:34,787 --> 01:26:39,587
to 33% in fiscal year 2024. Nonetheless, body worn camera

1325
01:26:40,626 --> 01:26:43,329
footage exponentially contributes to more efficient

1326
01:26:43,329 --> 01:26:48,234
case processing by our agency. In addition to investigating a

1327
01:26:48,234 --> 01:26:52,434
result, we have the responsibility to identify

1328
01:26:54,641 --> 01:26:55,942
topics for policy recommendations made to the

1329
01:26:55,942 --> 01:27:00,460
mayor, the council, and the chiefs of police of mpd.

1330
01:27:00,460 --> 01:27:04,500
in fiscal year 20 25, pcb published three reports.

1331
01:27:04,500 --> 01:27:07,854
one was the implementation update on the commissions of the

1332
01:27:07,854 --> 01:27:12,540
board from 2023. The duties of firearm licensees

1333
01:27:13,659 --> 01:27:16,263
and stop and frisk data. Opc continuously strives to

1334
01:27:16,263 --> 01:27:20,660
increase the public's awareness of the agency's work and the

1335
01:27:20,660 --> 01:27:22,602
service it provides by participating in outreach to the

1336
01:27:22,602 --> 01:27:25,271
community. Opc has a social media presence

1337
01:27:25,271 --> 01:27:30,910
on its twitter account come on now known as x.

1338
01:27:30,910 --> 01:27:35,515
it's facebook page, linkedin page, and we use these to

1339
01:27:35,515 --> 01:27:38,818
communicate to the community regarding outreach activities,

1340
01:27:38,818 --> 01:27:42,321
policy recommendation reports, protest monitoring activities,

1341
01:27:42,321 --> 01:27:44,957
and operations. These platforms also allow the

1342
01:27:44,957 --> 01:27:47,527
communities communicate with us by bringing community events to

1343
01:27:47,527 --> 01:27:51,164
the agency's attention or contacting us with questions or

1344
01:27:51,164 --> 01:27:55,635
information they might have. In fiscal year 2025, opc

1345
01:27:55,635 --> 01:27:59,835
conducted 31 outreach events to local universities, schools,

1346
01:28:02,400 --> 01:28:03,844
academic or community affairs, neighborhood association

1347
01:28:03,844 --> 01:28:06,244
meetings, and neighborhood commissions.

1348
01:28:07,379 --> 01:28:11,517
opc also presented its interactive training programs at

1349
01:28:11,517 --> 01:28:14,517
various public and charter schools.

1350
01:28:15,120 --> 01:28:19,391
opc also continues its community partners program in fiscal year

1351
01:28:19,391 --> 01:28:21,791
2025 with 22 community partner organizations.

1352
01:28:22,396 --> 01:28:25,865
our agency is committed to enhancing the operations of the

1353
01:28:25,865 --> 01:28:28,735
community trust in the district police forces that serve the

1354
01:28:28,735 --> 01:28:32,105
nation's capital, and we will continue to work with the

1355
01:28:32,105 --> 01:28:36,905
community, district council, mpd, to improve upon the

1356
01:28:37,100 --> 01:28:39,780
current model of civilian oversight to ensure the

1357
01:28:39,780 --> 01:28:43,878
district's police forces are operating with best practices.

1358
01:28:45,684 --> 01:28:48,521
however, our mission effectiveness is dependent on

1359
01:28:48,521 --> 01:28:50,921
persistent collaboration with mpd.

1360
01:28:51,424 --> 01:28:55,828
this committee and the mayor. Statutory authority ends with

1361
01:28:55,828 --> 01:28:58,228
recommendations and fostered partnerships.

1362
01:28:58,831 --> 01:29:01,901
implementation of the pcb's recommendation is in the hands

1363
01:29:01,901 --> 01:29:07,306
of partners who have authority over mpd and not our agency

1364
01:29:07,306 --> 01:29:10,306
specifically. Opd has experienced an

1365
01:29:11,310 --> 01:29:13,513
unprecedented rising complaints compared to last year.

1366
01:29:13,513 --> 01:29:18,313
as of january 31, 20 26, the agency has received 390 seven

1367
01:29:19,519 --> 01:29:21,654
complaints, a 33 percent increase when compared to the

1368
01:29:21,654 --> 01:29:25,257
same time in fiscal year 2025. The average caseload for an

1369
01:29:25,257 --> 01:29:28,862
investigator sits at 19 cases, which is significantly higher

1370
01:29:28,862 --> 01:29:33,620
than the 10 to 12 cases recommend by best

1371
01:29:34,660 --> 01:29:35,135
practices. To address this increase in

1372
01:29:35,135 --> 01:29:39,405
complaints and avoid a potential backlog, opc has requested

1373
01:29:39,405 --> 01:29:45,770
approval to convert two vacant positions to increase with this

1374
01:29:45,770 --> 01:29:47,413
workflow. These positions were created and

1375
01:29:47,413 --> 01:29:49,683
funded to assist expanded jurisdiction after passage of

1376
01:29:49,683 --> 01:29:53,720
the conference of police and justice reform act.

1377
01:29:53,720 --> 01:29:55,754
although the positions themselves were funded, the

1378
01:29:55,754 --> 01:29:58,925
relevant sections of the statute were either not funded or not

1379
01:29:58,925 --> 01:30:03,930
included in the final version. Opc is comprised of a small

1380
01:30:03,930 --> 01:30:05,965
staff, dedicated district employees who are experienced

1381
01:30:05,965 --> 01:30:10,103
and well versed in police accountability and oversight,

1382
01:30:10,103 --> 01:30:11,971
and regularly exchange information with oversight

1383
01:30:11,971 --> 01:30:13,439
offices throughout the united states and abroad.

1384
01:30:13,439 --> 01:30:18,845
we would be happy to share with the committee any trends and we

1385
01:30:18,845 --> 01:30:21,648
look forward to continuing this discourse on how to improve

1386
01:30:21,648 --> 01:30:25,551
policing in the district. I would like to thank the

1387
01:30:25,551 --> 01:30:27,386
committee for its time and I'm happy to answer any

1388
01:30:27,386 --> 01:30:31,390
questions you might have. >> thank you so much, director

1389
01:30:31,390 --> 01:30:35,394
cross. And thank you and your team for

1390
01:30:35,394 --> 01:30:39,732
all you do every day. I know it is a small but mighty

1391
01:30:39,732 --> 01:30:43,336
team. As you noted, this year there

1392
01:30:43,336 --> 01:30:46,939
has been an uptick in complaints coming in.

1393
01:30:46,939 --> 01:30:52,211
the work that you do has always been, but especially this year,

1394
01:30:52,211 --> 01:30:55,348
and a vital opportunity for the public to make their voice heard

1395
01:30:55,348 --> 01:30:58,317
, to make sure everybody is held accountable.

1396
01:30:58,317 --> 01:31:03,288
we all have to follow the law, including those who enforce the

1397
01:31:03,288 --> 01:31:05,725
law. So, thank you for what you do.

1398
01:31:05,725 --> 01:31:10,429
I want to ask you if you could start with an understanding for

1399
01:31:10,429 --> 01:31:14,834
the public of what the process looks like if someone from the

1400
01:31:14,834 --> 01:31:16,902
public wants to file a complaint.

1401
01:31:16,902 --> 01:31:19,972
how does that work in practice and how can they follow up on

1402
01:31:19,972 --> 01:31:23,843
the status of their complaint? >> of course.

1403
01:31:23,843 --> 01:31:27,113
if anyone wants to file a complaint with our agency, they

1404
01:31:27,113 --> 01:31:29,916
can go online to our online complaint form.

1405
01:31:29,916 --> 01:31:32,918
or they can contact the agency directly via email or telephone

1406
01:31:32,918 --> 01:31:39,325
and we will make sure we send a complaint form to them, via

1407
01:31:39,325 --> 01:31:41,494
regular snail mail or email if they prefer.

1408
01:31:41,494 --> 01:31:46,111
once received, the complaint form has to be signed.

1409
01:31:46,111 --> 01:31:49,481
we begin the process of the investigation, so that begins

1410
01:31:49,481 --> 01:31:52,481
with interviewing the complaint ant.

1411
01:31:54,319 --> 01:32:00,692
then we make requests for body worn camera footage, and the

1412
01:32:00,692 --> 01:32:03,428
purpose is to gather enough information to be able to

1413
01:32:03,428 --> 01:32:07,332
resolve the complaint. Throughout the process, during

1414
01:32:07,332 --> 01:32:10,636
every critical stage of the complaint process, we provide

1415
01:32:10,636 --> 01:32:14,906
updates to the complainant. That's in the form of notices,

1416
01:32:14,906 --> 01:32:17,843
mailed notices or emailed notices.

1417
01:32:17,843 --> 01:32:20,513
however, a complainant is always free to contact our agency and

1418
01:32:20,513 --> 01:32:26,552
speak with a mage -- a manager or the actual investigator.

1419
01:32:26,552 --> 01:32:29,855
>> in a limited staff environment, which I know you

1420
01:32:29,855 --> 01:32:34,126
are in, how do you prioritize complaints coming in?

1421
01:32:34,126 --> 01:32:38,926
is it first-come, first-served? >> it is generally first-come

1422
01:32:39,397 --> 01:32:42,997
first serve. >> in your prehearing responses,

1423
01:32:46,710 --> 01:32:49,140
you referenced that mediation can help accelerate the timeline

1424
01:32:49,140 --> 01:32:51,610
for closing a case. What does mediation look like

1425
01:32:51,610 --> 01:32:55,546
and how has that looked over the past several months.

1426
01:32:55,546 --> 01:33:02,146
>> we found that mediation is a useful tool in resolving police

1427
01:33:02,621 --> 01:33:07,358
complaints and increasing community's trust with both the

1428
01:33:07,358 --> 01:33:10,228
officer and complainant meeting together with a professional

1429
01:33:10,228 --> 01:33:14,365
mediator and reach an understanding about what

1430
01:33:14,365 --> 01:33:15,367
happens. They can both listen to each

1431
01:33:15,367 --> 01:33:21,367
other's side of what occurred, and find some common ground.

1432
01:33:23,542 --> 01:33:28,213
we conduct surveys prior to and after each mediation session,

1433
01:33:28,213 --> 01:33:32,451
and the reviews we receive are overwhelmingly positive as far

1434
01:33:32,451 --> 01:33:36,454
as the process is concerned. The way the process actually

1435
01:33:36,454 --> 01:33:40,359
looks is once we receive the consent of the complainant an

1436
01:33:40,359 --> 01:33:43,462
agreement of the complainant to participate in mediation.

1437
01:33:43,462 --> 01:33:46,264
it is not mandatory for the complainant.

1438
01:33:46,264 --> 01:33:50,464
however, it is mandatory for the officer.

1439
01:33:51,370 --> 01:33:55,340
once the mediation session has taken place, if both the

1440
01:33:55,340 --> 01:34:00,740
complainant and officer agree to resolve the matter through

1441
01:34:03,348 --> 01:34:08,887
remediation, they sign a form and we end up closing the case.

1442
01:34:08,887 --> 01:34:12,487
>> great. In fiscal year 2025 and 2026 to

1443
01:34:15,594 --> 01:34:19,398
date, how many complaints have you received about mpd not

1444
01:34:19,398 --> 01:34:22,233
following the law are related to immigration enforcement?

1445
01:34:22,233 --> 01:34:27,633
>> I believe -- I can't answer that question exactly.

1446
01:34:30,976 --> 01:34:34,780
however, I do know we have received at least three.

1447
01:34:34,780 --> 01:34:37,381
>> why do you say you can answer that question exactly?

1448
01:34:37,381 --> 01:34:40,986
>> I'm sorry, I don't have an exact number.

1449
01:34:40,986 --> 01:34:44,589
I can answer the question but I don't have an exact number.

1450
01:34:44,589 --> 01:34:47,859
the three I am pointing to, they stem from the well-publicized

1451
01:34:47,859 --> 01:34:50,495
incident that occurred outside the bilingual public charter

1452
01:34:50,495 --> 01:34:51,730
school. >> all three of them do?

1453
01:34:51,730 --> 01:34:57,130
>> yes, three people filed a complaint who were there.

1454
01:34:58,700 --> 01:34:59,905
>> interesting. And what is the status of those

1455
01:34:59,905 --> 01:35:03,341
complaints? >> one of them was resolved

1456
01:35:03,341 --> 01:35:06,277
through mediation. The other was closed because the

1457
01:35:06,277 --> 01:35:08,146
complainant did not participate in the process.

1458
01:35:08,146 --> 01:35:13,485
the third one is open and we are conducting a full investigation.

1459
01:35:13,485 --> 01:35:18,885
>> ok, thank you. So, you know in your prehearing

1460
01:35:20,224 --> 01:35:25,240
responses there have been 609 complaints filed since august

1461
01:35:26,565 --> 01:35:30,569
11, 2020 five, which represents a 20% increase of complaints per

1462
01:35:30,569 --> 01:35:35,369
month and a 25% increase in complaints since august.

1463
01:35:38,777 --> 01:35:43,381
how are you and your staff managing the increase in

1464
01:35:43,381 --> 01:35:46,981
complaints and getting to the resolution?

1465
01:35:48,520 --> 01:35:51,256
and have those recommendations then translated into agency

1466
01:35:51,256 --> 01:35:57,728
action or change this year? >> what we have been doing is we

1467
01:35:57,728 --> 01:36:01,466
have a wonderful staff, very talented investigators, and they

1468
01:36:01,466 --> 01:36:04,402
are very good at managing their time and workload.

1469
01:36:04,402 --> 01:36:08,674
they are doing their best every day to accomplish at least

1470
01:36:08,674 --> 01:36:12,444
something and make some progress on their caseload.

1471
01:36:12,444 --> 01:36:16,381
we have always encouraged our investigators to use that

1472
01:36:16,381 --> 01:36:19,951
strategy as far as resolving complaints or concern.

1473
01:36:19,951 --> 01:36:24,122
my predecessor did and we continue to do it.

1474
01:36:24,122 --> 01:36:27,392
it hasn't quite become unmanageable yet, the caseloads,

1475
01:36:27,392 --> 01:36:31,950
but it is getting to that point at the moment.

1476
01:36:31,950 --> 01:36:36,134
it seems like right now what we are doing is -- it's not that it

1477
01:36:36,134 --> 01:36:39,972
seems, what we are doing is trying to resolve the cases that

1478
01:36:39,972 --> 01:36:44,420
are the low hanging fruit, for lack of a better phrase,

1479
01:36:44,420 --> 01:36:47,379
complaint that would be best resolved through mediation.

1480
01:36:47,379 --> 01:36:51,717
we are trying to make use of all the tools that are enabling

1481
01:36:51,717 --> 01:36:54,119
statute provides us to get to the complaints to resolve the

1482
01:36:54,119 --> 01:36:57,719
complaints. To easily resolve complaints as

1483
01:36:58,723 --> 01:37:02,127
quickly as possible. As you know, some of the cases,

1484
01:37:02,127 --> 01:37:07,398
they generally take more time. Those are now taking a bit

1485
01:37:07,398 --> 01:37:11,936
longer to resolve. For example, we usually have a

1486
01:37:11,936 --> 01:37:18,536
rate of about 10% to 15% as far as cases that aren't resolved

1487
01:37:19,277 --> 01:37:22,948
within 180 days, and I believe we are up to 20% right now.

1488
01:37:22,948 --> 01:37:28,553
and that number grows every day. >> in terms of the next steps

1489
01:37:28,553 --> 01:37:33,353
for action and policy recommendations, the office of

1490
01:37:33,758 --> 01:37:38,296
police complaints and the board came out with their 2020 five

1491
01:37:38,296 --> 01:37:42,834
annual report covering a variety of issues including mpd's

1492
01:37:42,834 --> 01:37:44,369
adherence to recommendations and trends.

1493
01:37:44,369 --> 01:37:50,369
the report noted, and I am quoting, the fy 202557 officers

1494
01:37:50,717 --> 01:37:54,540
received three complaints. 17 officers received four

1495
01:37:54,540 --> 01:37:55,523
complaints. Nine officers received five

1496
01:37:55,523 --> 01:37:57,560
complaints. 11 officers received six

1497
01:37:57,560 --> 01:38:00,560
complaints. Four officers received seven

1498
01:38:00,728 --> 01:38:03,728
complaints. Does opc have recommendations

1499
01:38:04,332 --> 01:38:07,601
for how discipline or retraining should evolve based on whether

1500
01:38:07,601 --> 01:38:10,872
the receiving officer has a continuing level of complaints

1501
01:38:10,872 --> 01:38:14,540
against him or her? >> at the moment, our agency

1502
01:38:14,540 --> 01:38:16,877
does not have the authority to make recommendations about

1503
01:38:16,877 --> 01:38:21,677
discipline. We believe that if we were given

1504
01:38:21,948 --> 01:38:28,756
that authority, we would be able to assist mpd in assessing the

1505
01:38:28,756 --> 01:38:30,689
kinds of discipline it imposes on its officers.

1506
01:38:30,689 --> 01:38:34,428
>> is that authority that just hasn't been given to you

1507
01:38:34,428 --> 01:38:38,280
legislatively? Or that has been determined

1508
01:38:38,131 --> 01:38:40,833
through some other body or arbitration with the union, that

1509
01:38:40,833 --> 01:38:42,636
you are not allowed to provide guidance?

1510
01:38:42,636 --> 01:38:47,436
>> that his authority we have it received statutorily.

1511
01:38:47,574 --> 01:38:49,176
>> ok. But it hasn't been adjudicated?

1512
01:38:49,176 --> 01:38:51,576
>> that is correct. >> interesting.

1513
01:38:55,448 --> 01:38:59,919
>> I believe the comprehensive policing and justice reform act

1514
01:38:59,919 --> 01:39:04,758
sought to provide us with that authority, and it was either not

1515
01:39:04,758 --> 01:39:07,461
funded or not included in the final version.

1516
01:39:07,461 --> 01:39:09,861
>> got it. Thank you.

1517
01:39:10,930 --> 01:39:15,134
does opc communicate whether the officer in question had prior

1518
01:39:15,134 --> 01:39:19,334
complaints against it in your next report?

1519
01:39:22,275 --> 01:39:27,146
if a new complaint comes in and you are reviewing that case, is

1520
01:39:27,146 --> 01:39:30,550
that past history included in your report, even if it is not

1521
01:39:30,550 --> 01:39:32,419
included in a discipline recommendation?

1522
01:39:32,419 --> 01:39:35,354
>> generally no. >> why is that?

1523
01:39:35,354 --> 01:39:41,354
>> we try to assess each incident on the current facts,

1524
01:39:41,361 --> 01:39:44,231
on a case-by-case basis. Because we have no say in

1525
01:39:44,231 --> 01:39:47,831
discipline, the officer's previous behavior generally

1526
01:39:48,535 --> 01:39:51,203
isn't relevant to the actual investigation.

1527
01:39:51,203 --> 01:39:54,106
we are concerning the current facts and circumstances that are

1528
01:39:54,106 --> 01:39:57,844
before us right now. If the officer did something

1529
01:39:57,844 --> 01:39:59,178
bad, it doesn't necessarily mean they did something bad this

1530
01:39:59,178 --> 01:40:01,178
time. >> hmm.

1531
01:40:08,121 --> 01:40:13,926
yeah, I guess I'm just thinking about, especially if it is a

1532
01:40:13,926 --> 01:40:18,531
similar type of complaint, and if it is not resulting in

1533
01:40:18,531 --> 01:40:22,569
discipline, that past context seems to be important in

1534
01:40:22,569 --> 01:40:25,271
analyzing how they are doing as an officer.

1535
01:40:25,271 --> 01:40:29,471
>> I agree 100%. However, because we don't have

1536
01:40:30,743 --> 01:40:33,279
the statutory authority to make those kinds of recommendations

1537
01:40:33,279 --> 01:40:36,116
come out we just don't -- that is what I'm trying to say.

1538
01:40:36,116 --> 01:40:39,219
I'm not saying it doesn't matter, because it does matter.

1539
01:40:39,219 --> 01:40:44,690
the way the system is currently set up, and the powers we have

1540
01:40:44,690 --> 01:40:47,961
been given under our statute, which we don't have the

1541
01:40:47,961 --> 01:40:49,296
authority to make those kinds of recommendations.

1542
01:40:49,296 --> 01:40:54,696
>> your report also concerning leigh noted that 65% of mpd

1543
01:40:56,302 --> 01:41:01,374
officers turned on their body worn cameras late when

1544
01:41:01,374 --> 01:41:03,910
interacting with a complaint. Does ocp have any

1545
01:41:03,910 --> 01:41:06,712
recommendations for how mpd should better train their

1546
01:41:06,712 --> 01:41:08,915
officers and ensure full compliance with their body worn

1547
01:41:08,915 --> 01:41:10,915
camera roles? >> yes.

1548
01:41:12,510 --> 01:41:17,451
they can train the officers -- potentially provide retraining

1549
01:41:19,259 --> 01:41:21,861
to officers. It has been nearly 10 years

1550
01:41:21,861 --> 01:41:24,264
since the initial full deployment of body worn cameras

1551
01:41:24,264 --> 01:41:29,936
by mpd, so perhaps it is time for refresher training.

1552
01:41:29,936 --> 01:41:32,605
however, there is another way as well they can prevent this, and

1553
01:41:32,605 --> 01:41:35,942
that would be by activating the buffer.

1554
01:41:35,942 --> 01:41:39,412
I don't know if you have ever watched body worn camera

1555
01:41:39,412 --> 01:41:40,447
footage. There is two minutes of silent

1556
01:41:40,447 --> 01:41:44,470
film. That is not a technological

1557
01:41:46,850 --> 01:41:48,689
limitation, that is actually choice.

1558
01:41:48,689 --> 01:41:52,692
mpd can enable sound during a buffer but they choose not to.

1559
01:41:52,692 --> 01:41:58,698
they usually point to officer privacy issues, when it comes to

1560
01:41:58,698 --> 01:42:02,350
that. But it has been well settled

1561
01:42:02,350 --> 01:42:04,237
that police officers have a diminished expectation of

1562
01:42:04,237 --> 01:42:06,906
privacy when they are on the job and acting with members of the

1563
01:42:06,906 --> 01:42:10,643
public. >> with you say privacy, is that

1564
01:42:10,643 --> 01:42:13,847
because they might be doing something personal?

1565
01:42:13,847 --> 01:42:16,382
or because they are arriving to the scene and could have a

1566
01:42:16,382 --> 01:42:20,320
privacy issue? >> it is usually because they

1567
01:42:20,320 --> 01:42:21,654
may be doing something personal. >> like getting dressed?

1568
01:42:21,654 --> 01:42:27,327
>> no, not like getting dressed. One of the examples we were

1569
01:42:27,327 --> 01:42:32,332
given is if an officer is talking about their spouse or

1570
01:42:32,332 --> 01:42:35,680
something like that, then something all of a sudden

1571
01:42:35,680 --> 01:42:36,469
happens, they don't want that getting out.

1572
01:42:36,469 --> 01:42:41,700
>> interesting. >> yes, which is kind of odd to

1573
01:42:41,700 --> 01:42:48,810
me too because mpd have access to the body camera when they

1574
01:42:48,810 --> 01:42:50,282
release it. I don't necessarily know if that

1575
01:42:50,282 --> 01:42:51,884
is a valid excuse. >> thank you.

1576
01:42:51,884 --> 01:42:55,154
I will ask the chief about that later today.

1577
01:42:55,154 --> 01:42:58,892
another policy recommendation made in 2023 is mpd has not

1578
01:42:58,892 --> 01:43:03,920
entirely complied with stop and frisk data.

1579
01:43:05,898 --> 01:43:11,298
the recommendation stated mpd should make the stop card

1580
01:43:12,439 --> 01:43:16,109
field in the system to ensure officers are documenting the

1581
01:43:16,109 --> 01:43:20,380
required data for each stop, and mpd should train its officers to

1582
01:43:20,380 --> 01:43:24,650
report the required information for each stop and train

1583
01:43:24,650 --> 01:43:28,250
supervisors to review and verify reports.

1584
01:43:28,321 --> 01:43:30,791
why has mpd not complied with those recommendations?

1585
01:43:30,791 --> 01:43:34,391
>> they have complied to an extent.

1586
01:43:34,761 --> 01:43:38,197
I can't really answer that question.

1587
01:43:38,197 --> 01:43:40,533
mpd would be in a better position to answer that

1588
01:43:40,533 --> 01:43:43,269
question. >> to better phrase it, how do

1589
01:43:43,269 --> 01:43:45,938
the current cards differ from the recommendation?

1590
01:43:45,938 --> 01:43:50,143
>> the current stock card, it is really good.

1591
01:43:50,143 --> 01:43:52,779
I believe it was designed by the aclu.

1592
01:43:52,779 --> 01:43:55,349
I have a version of it right here in front of me.

1593
01:43:55,349 --> 01:44:01,361
it lists all the information that one would want to document

1594
01:44:01,361 --> 01:44:06,332
a stop, the stop type, the reason for a stop, whether they

1595
01:44:06,332 --> 01:44:09,436
ran the person through the law-enforcement database,

1596
01:44:09,436 --> 01:44:12,839
whether there was a search or frisk conducted, the reason for

1597
01:44:12,839 --> 01:44:17,639
the search, was the search consent or nonconsensual?

1598
01:44:17,944 --> 01:44:21,448
but the best part is there is a section for what specific facts

1599
01:44:21,448 --> 01:44:24,452
gave rise to the reasonable suspicion regarding the

1600
01:44:24,452 --> 01:44:28,655
indicated crimes. What specific facts gave rise to

1601
01:44:28,655 --> 01:44:33,455
the original suspicion that the person was armed?

1602
01:44:33,927 --> 01:44:37,730
this section provides some very important information to

1603
01:44:37,730 --> 01:44:41,868
document the stop. Mpd, when we issued this policy

1604
01:44:41,868 --> 01:44:44,871
recommendation, they told us the information we were discussing

1605
01:44:44,871 --> 01:44:47,340
was also present just below the stop card.

1606
01:44:47,340 --> 01:44:50,276
however, if you look at the section just below the stop

1607
01:44:50,276 --> 01:44:54,881
card, what we are seeing and reports are, for example, what

1608
01:44:54,881 --> 01:44:59,681
was the reason for the stop? Individual's characteristics.

1609
01:45:00,860 --> 01:45:03,757
we believe the card provides a greater level of detail and

1610
01:45:03,757 --> 01:45:07,359
would greatly assist mpd in complying with the court order

1611
01:45:07,359 --> 01:45:09,829
in the statute. >> thank you, director.

1612
01:45:09,829 --> 01:45:14,901
that is helpful. We have been joined by my ward 5

1613
01:45:14,901 --> 01:45:16,936
colleague councilmember zachary parker.

1614
01:45:16,936 --> 01:45:20,440
I will turn to you now for a 10 minute round.

1615
01:45:20,440 --> 01:45:23,543
>> thank you, and it is good to see you, director.

1616
01:45:23,543 --> 01:45:27,447
during the jps performance hearing on february 11, the

1617
01:45:27,447 --> 01:45:32,852
deputy mayor noted there was a mediation between mpd and d.c.

1618
01:45:32,852 --> 01:45:35,155
bilingual, which you referenced as well.

1619
01:45:35,155 --> 01:45:36,257
I am assuming opc ran that mediation?

1620
01:45:36,257 --> 01:45:39,857
>> we did. We contract with third-party

1621
01:45:40,994 --> 01:45:43,130
mediators, so we facilitate that.

1622
01:45:43,130 --> 01:45:46,800
>> what was the outcome? >> it was resolved.

1623
01:45:46,800 --> 01:45:51,404
>> what does that mean? >> the complainant and subject

1624
01:45:51,404 --> 01:45:53,339
officer reached an agreement. They found a common

1625
01:45:53,339 --> 01:45:56,939
middleground. >> does that mean a handshake?

1626
01:45:57,744 --> 01:46:00,146
does that mean a monetary agreement?

1627
01:46:00,146 --> 01:46:02,949
what do you mean it was resolved, if you can elaborate?

1628
01:46:02,949 --> 01:46:07,687
>> what that usually entails is we contract with professional

1629
01:46:07,687 --> 01:46:09,723
mediators from outside the district.

1630
01:46:09,723 --> 01:46:13,260
we sit the complainant and subject officer in a room

1631
01:46:13,260 --> 01:46:15,361
together with a professional mediator and they have a

1632
01:46:15,361 --> 01:46:16,830
conversation about what happened.

1633
01:46:16,830 --> 01:46:21,768
what generally happens is they discuss both of their

1634
01:46:21,768 --> 01:46:23,437
perspectives, individual perspectives of what occurred,

1635
01:46:23,437 --> 01:46:28,441
then they will agree to either resolve the case after their

1636
01:46:28,441 --> 01:46:33,460
discussion or not resolve. >> was it determined during that

1637
01:46:33,460 --> 01:46:34,981
mediation that there was collaboration between mpd and

1638
01:46:34,981 --> 01:46:38,581
federal authorities? >> the mediation sessions are

1639
01:46:38,718 --> 01:46:40,921
confidential, so I don't even know the information about what

1640
01:46:40,921 --> 01:46:45,121
was discussed. >> based on the mediation, what

1641
01:46:45,525 --> 01:46:48,127
has opc learned about how to reestablish trust between mpd

1642
01:46:48,127 --> 01:46:54,127
and the community? >> what we found is it is good

1643
01:46:54,867 --> 01:46:57,271
to have individual discussions between members of the public

1644
01:46:57,271 --> 01:47:02,710
and mpd. However, what we have seen is

1645
01:47:04,477 --> 01:47:10,150
the presence of the federal task force has greatly eroded the

1646
01:47:10,150 --> 01:47:13,953
public trust in washington, d.c. >> as well as what appears to be

1647
01:47:13,953 --> 01:47:17,557
a level of gas lighting. I anticipate we are going to

1648
01:47:17,557 --> 01:47:22,496
hear today do breasts examples and incidences where there

1649
01:47:22,496 --> 01:47:27,767
appears to be collaboration. In that february 11 hearing with

1650
01:47:27,767 --> 01:47:31,438
the deputy mayor, she reiterated again, there is no collaboration

1651
01:47:31,438 --> 01:47:36,238
between mpd and ice, or other immigration enforcement

1652
01:47:39,245 --> 01:47:42,248
agencies. There is a direct conflict

1653
01:47:42,248 --> 01:47:48,248
there, and the consequence is diminishment of trust that our

1654
01:47:50,322 --> 01:47:52,792
government agencies are telling us the truth about

1655
01:47:52,792 --> 01:47:57,592
collaboration. One of the things that struck me

1656
01:47:58,531 --> 01:48:03,402
is the deputy mayor said, if neighbors have instances where

1657
01:48:03,402 --> 01:48:06,539
they are seeing collaboration, they can file a

1658
01:48:06,539 --> 01:48:09,343
complaint to opc. She referenced, we just don't

1659
01:48:09,343 --> 01:48:12,746
know the examples that neighbors are referencing.

1660
01:48:12,746 --> 01:48:16,750
even today, you're saying you have only received three

1661
01:48:16,750 --> 01:48:21,488
complaints, all of which seem to center on the d.c. Bilingual

1662
01:48:21,488 --> 01:48:22,220
incident. Is that right?

1663
01:48:22,220 --> 01:48:27,422
>> that is correct. We have not seen many examples

1664
01:48:27,426 --> 01:48:28,561
of collaboration between mpd and --

1665
01:48:28,561 --> 01:48:32,161
>> very money or any? >> very money.

1666
01:48:35,902 --> 01:48:41,841
-- very many. I am tracking what we have seen.

1667
01:48:41,841 --> 01:48:45,450
>> earlier in this testimony, you said you only received

1668
01:48:45,450 --> 01:48:46,378
three. >> I said there's only three

1669
01:48:46,378 --> 01:48:50,916
that I know of. >> that's not what I heard.

1670
01:48:50,916 --> 01:48:53,719
if you can share that, are you able to get that information

1671
01:48:53,719 --> 01:48:57,925
during today's hearing? >> I can definitely get you the

1672
01:48:57,925 --> 01:49:01,127
information afterward. I have a spreadsheet.

1673
01:49:01,127 --> 01:49:03,996
>> can you give a ballpark of how many complaints there might

1674
01:49:03,996 --> 01:49:05,732
be? Are we talking less than a

1675
01:49:05,732 --> 01:49:09,269
dozen? >> definitely less than a dozen.

1676
01:49:09,269 --> 01:49:12,338
>> more than two? >> more than three.

1677
01:49:12,338 --> 01:49:17,138
>> more than three. So, there are complaints that

1678
01:49:19,346 --> 01:49:22,215
neighbors have made about collaboration between mpd and

1679
01:49:22,215 --> 01:49:24,615
federal immigration authorities? >> yes.

1680
01:49:26,419 --> 01:49:31,491
>> that means there is a misalignment between what we

1681
01:49:31,491 --> 01:49:34,159
heard from the deputy mayor and what you are telling us now.

1682
01:49:34,159 --> 01:49:37,696
what we were told on february 11 is there have been no

1683
01:49:37,696 --> 01:49:39,365
complaints. What I heard you say less than

1684
01:49:39,365 --> 01:49:42,340
10 minutes ago is there have only been three complaints, but

1685
01:49:42,340 --> 01:49:45,238
now we are hearing, maybe there are more complaints.

1686
01:49:45,238 --> 01:49:47,975
>> I said there were at least three.

1687
01:49:47,975 --> 01:49:51,577
I know for a fact of three. >> I am going to keep going for

1688
01:49:51,577 --> 01:49:55,448
the sake of time. When we talk about trust, this

1689
01:49:55,448 --> 01:49:58,784
is part of the factor, and it calls into question what we are

1690
01:49:58,784 --> 01:50:01,784
to believe. Respectfully, executive leaders

1691
01:50:06,725 --> 01:50:09,528
are asking us not to believe our eyes, not to believe what

1692
01:50:09,528 --> 01:50:12,537
neighbors are showing and telling us, which continues to

1693
01:50:12,537 --> 01:50:17,542
be a challenge. In response to question 15b, you

1694
01:50:17,542 --> 01:50:22,146
report that the agency missed its goal of publishing five

1695
01:50:22,146 --> 01:50:25,950
policy recommendation reports. I believe you issued three.

1696
01:50:25,950 --> 01:50:29,487
does opc have plans to put together policy recommendations

1697
01:50:29,487 --> 01:50:31,422
for mpd on the collaboration issue?

1698
01:50:31,422 --> 01:50:36,694
>> yes, yes we do. We are currently drafting that

1699
01:50:36,694 --> 01:50:38,262
right now. As I mentioned before, we have

1700
01:50:38,262 --> 01:50:42,700
been tracking those complaints, and yes, we plan on issuing a

1701
01:50:42,700 --> 01:50:43,768
policy recommendation. >> do you have a sense of

1702
01:50:43,768 --> 01:50:46,704
timeline? >> within the next two months,

1703
01:50:46,704 --> 01:50:50,307
for sure. Just one moment, I would also

1704
01:50:50,307 --> 01:50:54,311
like to much of the fact that we only published three reports

1705
01:50:54,311 --> 01:50:57,381
last year. We didn't meet our goal of five.

1706
01:50:57,381 --> 01:51:00,918
that does fall on me. We had a transition of

1707
01:51:00,918 --> 01:51:02,653
leadership. Our executive director retired,

1708
01:51:02,653 --> 01:51:06,257
then we had our legal counsel go on maternity leave.

1709
01:51:06,257 --> 01:51:08,860
that is the role usually responsible for drafting those

1710
01:51:08,860 --> 01:51:11,162
reports. I was acting as the deputy,

1711
01:51:11,162 --> 01:51:15,660
executive, and legal counsel because I was the only licensed

1712
01:51:15,660 --> 01:51:17,736
attorney left. >> sufficed it to say, stretched

1713
01:51:17,736 --> 01:51:20,138
thin. >> yes, but we believe we owe

1714
01:51:20,138 --> 01:51:23,207
the city and community more policy recommendations.

1715
01:51:23,207 --> 01:51:25,877
we know we can't unring the bell.

1716
01:51:25,877 --> 01:51:28,479
>> it is safe to say that by the end of april, we should expect

1717
01:51:28,479 --> 01:51:30,479
those recommendations? >> yes.

1718
01:51:31,282 --> 01:51:35,753
>> in response to prehearing question 38c, opc notes there

1719
01:51:35,753 --> 01:51:40,553
has been a 25% increase in complaints against mpd

1720
01:51:40,558 --> 01:51:42,760
since august 11 when the federal surge began.

1721
01:51:42,760 --> 01:51:46,830
in fiscal year 2020 six, there has been a 33% increase in the

1722
01:51:46,830 --> 01:51:50,435
number of complaints since the same period in fiscal year 2025.

1723
01:51:50,435 --> 01:51:53,904
is that correct? >> that is correct.

1724
01:51:53,904 --> 01:51:57,575
>> but you are not able to tell me how many of these are related

1725
01:51:57,575 --> 01:51:58,443
to collaboration between mpd and ice?

1726
01:51:58,443 --> 01:52:02,643
>> no. The reason why it is these

1727
01:52:02,913 --> 01:52:05,182
federal task force complaints, it is not just ice agents they

1728
01:52:05,182 --> 01:52:09,954
are with. >> are you able to tell me the

1729
01:52:09,954 --> 01:52:11,189
collaboration between mpd and immigration authorities?

1730
01:52:11,189 --> 01:52:14,789
>> that is the other thing. C1

1731
01:52:18,396 --> 01:52:22,467
it is more complex than that. The number of agents who tend to

1732
01:52:22,467 --> 01:52:30,867
be in the task force and on the teams, it is a wide variety.

1733
01:52:31,242 --> 01:52:34,146
anywhere from the u.s. Marshals to homeland security to irs

1734
01:52:34,146 --> 01:52:37,746
agents. >> I would take any information.

1735
01:52:39,217 --> 01:52:42,817
respectfully. >> right now we received about

1736
01:52:43,420 --> 01:52:47,200
87 complaints about the federal task force.

1737
01:52:47,358 --> 01:52:50,428
I can tell you that nine times out of 10 it is usually a

1738
01:52:50,428 --> 01:52:54,280
homeland agent. >> walked me through that.

1739
01:52:55,867 --> 01:52:57,869
87 complaints. Have you mediated or addressed

1740
01:52:57,869 --> 01:53:02,690
all those complaints? >> we have done investigations

1741
01:53:03,374 --> 01:53:06,110
on them. Some of them involved in pv

1742
01:53:06,110 --> 01:53:09,710
officers -- mpd officers. >> excuse me.

1743
01:53:13,786 --> 01:53:18,456
thank you for being here. We cannot have a talk from the

1744
01:53:18,456 --> 01:53:23,256
audience that way. >> it sounds like you have

1745
01:53:24,261 --> 01:53:27,666
addressed although. Or are in the process of

1746
01:53:27,666 --> 01:53:32,466
addressing all of them. >> if there are federal

1747
01:53:35,407 --> 01:53:40,807
authorities, we refer those. I'm not familiar with that

1748
01:53:41,279 --> 01:53:44,279
process. >> what you were discussing

1749
01:53:49,687 --> 01:53:54,291
earlier, you don't have the authority to affect change even

1750
01:53:54,291 --> 01:53:56,894
after investigation. So what happens after?

1751
01:53:56,894 --> 01:54:01,940
>> it depends. >> there is some sort of

1752
01:54:09,239 --> 01:54:12,839
mediation. What other action items result?

1753
01:54:18,816 --> 01:54:24,816
>> if the complaint is unable to be resolved through mediation,

1754
01:54:32,596 --> 01:54:36,196
then we perform a thorough investigation.

1755
01:54:37,235 --> 01:54:41,239
the complaint could be dismissed on merits.

1756
01:54:41,239 --> 01:54:44,839
it could be referred for training.

1757
01:54:55,153 --> 01:55:00,891
>> do you have any number for how many of those complaint

1758
01:55:00,891 --> 01:55:05,691
violations you have had? >> we forwarded a few.

1759
01:55:06,597 --> 01:55:12,597
>> we have many more numbers. Now you know the numbers.

1760
01:55:18,242 --> 01:55:23,642
to your knowledge, none of them relate to collaboration?

1761
01:55:26,984 --> 01:55:30,454
it sounds like once you do that it is out of your control.

1762
01:55:30,454 --> 01:55:35,854
>> we don't have any sick -- say in that.

1763
01:55:37,762 --> 01:55:41,962
>> who has authority over the complaint examiner?

1764
01:55:56,480 --> 01:55:59,480
there were allegations of misconduct.

1765
01:56:08,826 --> 01:56:13,626
what is the most common type of misconduct?

1766
01:56:16,330 --> 01:56:21,433
>> it is how many officers, not how many total.

1767
01:56:22,109 --> 01:56:25,709
>> so far they have been 229 officers.

1768
01:56:35,220 --> 01:56:37,859
what is the most common type of misconduct that you are finding?

1769
01:56:37,859 --> 01:56:42,530
>> the most common type is usually in the harassment

1770
01:56:42,530 --> 01:56:45,530
category. Harassment can encompass that.

1771
01:56:48,936 --> 01:56:52,340
>> could it be that more harassment is happening?

1772
01:56:52,340 --> 01:56:57,140
>> that is happening. >> I am challenging you because

1773
01:57:01,248 --> 01:57:05,448
it seems like the numbers are undermining.

1774
01:57:10,825 --> 01:57:13,861
that is why we are seeing this increase.

1775
01:57:13,861 --> 01:57:15,563
before we were already starting to rationalize why.

1776
01:57:15,563 --> 01:57:20,363
>> is too early to tell of the moment.

1777
01:57:24,505 --> 01:57:26,308
we have received a significant increase in the number of

1778
01:57:26,308 --> 01:57:28,708
complaints. That would correlate.

1779
01:57:32,460 --> 01:57:36,846
with what we are hearing from district residents.

1780
01:57:38,850 --> 01:57:41,789
it is not aligning. We are being told not to believe

1781
01:57:41,789 --> 01:57:44,258
what we are seeing in the numbers.

1782
01:57:44,258 --> 01:57:46,660
we are told not to believe what we are hearing and seeing from

1783
01:57:46,660 --> 01:57:51,460
district residents. That is the definition of gas

1784
01:57:51,598 --> 01:57:55,798
lighting. One last question, does opc have

1785
01:57:58,272 --> 01:58:02,142
any insights on what the current numbers are so high?

1786
01:58:02,142 --> 01:58:03,144
we were just talking about that a little bit.

1787
01:58:03,144 --> 01:58:07,549
>> I think of it a lot of it can be attributed to the federal

1788
01:58:07,549 --> 01:58:12,860
task force. We have seen a number of

1789
01:58:12,860 --> 01:58:16,890
complaints every year. Last year was the biggest issue

1790
01:58:16,890 --> 01:58:19,890
at 12%. There has been increased

1791
01:58:22,429 --> 01:58:26,634
visibility. It is easier to file a complaint

1792
01:58:26,634 --> 01:58:29,837
now. A lot more people know about us.

1793
01:58:29,837 --> 01:58:32,374
this was the first year are majority of complaints came from

1794
01:58:32,374 --> 01:58:36,574
the public. After august, we did receive

1795
01:58:39,447 --> 01:58:44,185
that. That has to do with the increase

1796
01:58:44,185 --> 01:58:46,586
visibility and the increased number of contacts that law

1797
01:58:46,586 --> 01:58:50,524
enforcement is making. >> I will stop there for the

1798
01:58:50,524 --> 01:58:52,860
sake of time. Thank you.

1799
01:58:52,860 --> 01:58:57,431
I do believe it would be a value add to just notify for those

1800
01:58:57,431 --> 01:58:58,732
watching, how does one make a complaint?

1801
01:58:58,732 --> 01:59:04,732
>> you can contact our agency. By email or by phone.

1802
01:59:06,874 --> 01:59:14,248
you can also go to our website. That is easy to fill out.

1803
01:59:14,248 --> 01:59:20,848
as soon as we process it, and investigator will contact you.

1804
01:59:22,390 --> 01:59:26,893
>> there have been other organizations this year that

1805
01:59:26,893 --> 01:59:29,997
have stepped up and provided other opportunities for the

1806
01:59:29,997 --> 01:59:34,835
public to issue a complaint. The aclu is one of them.

1807
01:59:34,835 --> 01:59:38,371
are there any efforts to work with those organizations to see

1808
01:59:38,371 --> 01:59:44,278
what complaints are coming to them especially as there may be

1809
01:59:44,278 --> 01:59:47,810
a lack of education in the public on how to best make a

1810
01:59:47,810 --> 01:59:51,881
mistake -- complaint? >> that is in the works.

1811
01:59:52,253 --> 01:59:56,457
one of our former deputy directors, mild loss, now works

1812
01:59:56,457 --> 02:00:01,194
for the aclu. I would like to get in touch

1813
02:00:01,194 --> 02:00:04,598
with her and see if there is anyway we can work together on

1814
02:00:04,598 --> 02:00:09,360
anything. Our board is in favor of that.

1815
02:00:09,360 --> 02:00:14,241
we discussed that a lot. >> I would ask that you do that.

1816
02:00:14,241 --> 02:00:16,677
I think that will be another good avenue to make sure we are

1817
02:00:16,677 --> 02:00:22,830
following up on those complaints and have a very accurate sense

1818
02:00:22,830 --> 02:00:28,830
of where they are. All I was encouraged to read

1819
02:00:29,223 --> 02:00:35,823
that mpd since most of your policy referrals to the metro

1820
02:00:36,497 --> 02:00:41,897
training facility. Do they then follow up on if

1821
02:00:43,370 --> 02:00:46,840
there are improvements to the training or outcomes based on

1822
02:00:46,840 --> 02:00:48,909
those recommendations that have been sent to the academy?

1823
02:00:48,909 --> 02:00:55,449
>> not in a formal sense. But we do it in an informal way.

1824
02:00:55,449 --> 02:00:59,490
we do evaluate the training process.

1825
02:00:59,530 --> 02:01:02,356
members of our staff attends the annual professional development

1826
02:01:02,356 --> 02:01:05,250
training that is held every year.

1827
02:01:05,250 --> 02:01:08,228
from that we usually have discussions about it.

1828
02:01:08,228 --> 02:01:13,200
we also have informal mechanisms of communicating with the

1829
02:01:13,200 --> 02:01:17,237
trainers at the academy. If we start to see some trends

1830
02:01:17,237 --> 02:01:20,908
that will become alarming, we will contact them.

1831
02:01:20,908 --> 02:01:23,908
and voice our concerns. >> great.

1832
02:01:26,914 --> 02:01:27,814
how many full-time staff do you have?

1833
02:01:27,814 --> 02:01:30,214
>> we have about 30. >> ok.

1834
02:01:36,423 --> 02:01:39,927
thank you very much. I look forward to receiving that

1835
02:01:39,927 --> 02:01:43,964
report and recommendations at the end of april.

1836
02:01:43,964 --> 02:01:48,635
I want to give you a chance to make any closing remarks he

1837
02:01:48,635 --> 02:01:51,172
might have or highlight something we might not get a

1838
02:01:51,172 --> 02:01:56,844
chance to talk about. >> I want to thank my team.

1839
02:01:56,844 --> 02:02:00,614
my entire agency. They do a wonderful job.

1840
02:02:00,614 --> 02:02:02,317
they are very knowledgeable. They are working very hard right

1841
02:02:02,317 --> 02:02:04,717
now. Under hard circumstances.

1842
02:02:06,820 --> 02:02:09,423
I would like to thank the committee for giving me a chance

1843
02:02:09,423 --> 02:02:11,658
to speak today and for its continuing support of our

1844
02:02:11,658 --> 02:02:15,258
agency. The committee and the council

1845
02:02:15,262 --> 02:02:16,664
have always been supportive. We definitely hope that

1846
02:02:16,664 --> 02:02:18,664
continues. >> thank you.

1847
02:02:21,869 --> 02:02:24,672
I will give my thanks to you and your entire team for the

1848
02:02:24,672 --> 02:02:28,476
important work that you do. As a reminder of some of the

1849
02:02:28,476 --> 02:02:34,968
things we talk about, we will be talking about body worn camera

1850
02:02:34,968 --> 02:02:38,372
violations and not activating cameras early enough.

1851
02:02:38,372 --> 02:02:41,241
that is an interesting area to probe.

1852
02:02:41,241 --> 02:02:45,579
we look forward to getting back to us on the total number of

1853
02:02:45,579 --> 02:02:48,281
complaints that involved the federal task force.

1854
02:02:48,281 --> 02:02:51,618
we will need that number. The recommendations you will

1855
02:02:51,618 --> 02:02:55,155
have on federal collaboration that we will expect that the end

1856
02:02:55,155 --> 02:02:57,858
of april. The earlier the better if you

1857
02:02:57,858 --> 02:03:02,262
have that ready. And then a request to work with

1858
02:03:02,262 --> 02:03:03,130
the aclu or any other organizations that are

1859
02:03:03,130 --> 02:03:08,680
collecting complaints so we can all be going off the same page.

1860
02:03:08,680 --> 02:03:09,202
thank you very much for being here today.

1861
02:03:09,202 --> 02:03:11,202
>> thank you. >> ok.

1862
02:03:13,607 --> 02:03:18,407
that concludes. >> I am the witness you have

1863
02:03:24,217 --> 02:03:26,200
been missing. I was delayed by the police.

1864
02:03:26,200 --> 02:03:28,421
I would love to tell you what has happened.

1865
02:03:28,421 --> 02:03:33,160
>> we will hear your testimony and then we will turn to the

1866
02:03:33,160 --> 02:03:35,560
metropolitan police department. Ok.

1867
02:03:37,164 --> 02:03:40,764
welcome. You signed up to testify.

1868
02:03:48,875 --> 02:03:53,680
so we will hear from you together on both.

1869
02:03:53,680 --> 02:03:55,716
would you like your testimony included is a record for both of

1870
02:03:55,716 --> 02:04:00,516
those agencies? >if you can put your microphone

1871
02:04:00,587 --> 02:04:02,587
on. >> hello.

1872
02:04:03,790 --> 02:04:07,600
I should know how to use a microphone.

1873
02:04:07,600 --> 02:04:12,499
you can add my witness testimony to wherever you might like.

1874
02:04:12,499 --> 02:04:16,936
a series of horrifying events of it happening in my life since

1875
02:04:16,936 --> 02:04:19,941
2017. I have been the victim of

1876
02:04:19,941 --> 02:04:22,876
repeated police brutality of six different occasions.

1877
02:04:22,876 --> 02:04:26,130
I called 91 with her help and the police came and beat me and

1878
02:04:26,130 --> 02:04:30,813
tortured me. One officer and others, a whole

1879
02:04:41,295 --> 02:04:46,660
group of officers came to my house without a warrant or

1880
02:04:46,660 --> 02:04:48,770
probable cause. When I cut out to answer my

1881
02:04:48,770 --> 02:04:52,840
doored naked and wet from the shower, they entered my

1882
02:04:52,840 --> 02:04:57,177
apartment and beat me down and sat on my back and tased me

1883
02:04:57,177 --> 02:04:59,279
while it was wet from the shower.

1884
02:04:59,279 --> 02:05:04,518
I filed a police complaint. They said these officers, they

1885
02:05:04,518 --> 02:05:08,718
found no wrongdoing. That happened on january 26,

1886
02:05:11,324 --> 02:05:15,524
2021. They charged me with a u.s.

1887
02:05:22,869 --> 02:05:27,474
felony threat. They said I was the mastermind

1888
02:05:27,474 --> 02:05:32,346
of a plot to kill all the white people in america on november 5,

1889
02:05:32,346 --> 02:05:34,148
2017. They put me under surveillance

1890
02:05:34,148 --> 02:05:37,517
for two years. They terrorized me.

1891
02:05:37,517 --> 02:05:42,917
I lost my job and my family and everything.

1892
02:05:47,600 --> 02:05:53,660
there was a home invasion. Police officers came to my house

1893
02:05:55,340 --> 02:05:58,634
40 minutes late. I made a call.

1894
02:06:04,277 --> 02:06:05,645
several other officers arrive to my house.

1895
02:06:05,645 --> 02:06:09,916
I told him what happened. I said I'm going back to my

1896
02:06:09,916 --> 02:06:12,530
house to lay down because I'm on bed rest for me being hit by a

1897
02:06:12,530 --> 02:06:16,253
car. These officers attacked me in my

1898
02:06:20,194 --> 02:06:23,462
living room. This was the third time I have

1899
02:06:23,462 --> 02:06:28,262
been attacked. Right now I am charged with

1900
02:06:30,536 --> 02:06:34,730
assaulting a police officer. I would like to show you

1901
02:06:34,730 --> 02:06:38,873
something. This is what has happened to me.

1902
02:06:52,692 --> 02:06:58,920
I have over 40 injuries as I stand before you.

1903
02:06:59,466 --> 02:07:02,902
I have been to war for this country.

1904
02:07:02,902 --> 02:07:07,410
this is how I have been treated. I can no longer afford to pay

1905
02:07:07,410 --> 02:07:11,241
for my house. I lost my job.

1906
02:07:15,810 --> 02:07:19,850
they threatened to kill my five-year-old son.

1907
02:07:19,850 --> 02:07:22,655
because he took pictures and video of police officers dealing

1908
02:07:22,655 --> 02:07:27,293
drugs and guns in a park behind my house.

1909
02:07:27,293 --> 02:07:32,930
these officers who have dealt drugs and guns.

1910
02:07:36,336 --> 02:07:41,700
I reported this. These officers came to my house

1911
02:07:41,700 --> 02:07:44,678
and beat me. There is video evidence of these

1912
02:07:44,678 --> 02:07:48,878
officers. They threatened to kill my son.

1913
02:07:52,485 --> 02:07:56,322
he has been out of the state for three years.

1914
02:07:56,322 --> 02:08:00,294
I filed a report. They investigated it and then

1915
02:08:00,294 --> 02:08:05,694
they seal the report. I am fighting this case.

1916
02:08:08,568 --> 02:08:14,568
against falsified charges. >> I'm so sorry to cut you off.

1917
02:08:16,876 --> 02:08:18,450
I'm so sorry for what happened to you.

1918
02:08:18,450 --> 02:08:21,647
that sounds terrible. We will follow-up with the

1919
02:08:21,647 --> 02:08:24,500
office of police complaints on your case.

1920
02:08:24,500 --> 02:08:26,453
if you have longer testimony you can submit it to the record and

1921
02:08:26,453 --> 02:08:30,323
we will read it through but we do have to move on to our other

1922
02:08:30,323 --> 02:08:34,930
100 witnesses. >> may I ask that you unseal it?

1923
02:08:34,930 --> 02:08:40,930
>> we will follow up. >> I really want you to know

1924
02:08:41,485 --> 02:08:46,885
that I have been terrorized. For over a decade.

1925
02:08:47,457 --> 02:08:51,428
they have beaten he entailed me and done all kinds of things to

1926
02:08:51,428 --> 02:08:52,496
me. I got to make it part of the

1927
02:08:52,496 --> 02:08:54,896
public record. >> thank you.

1928
02:08:56,466 --> 02:09:03,666
thank you for being here. I am sorry for what you have

1929
02:09:05,575 --> 02:09:08,478
experience. Thank you for being here.

1930
02:09:08,478 --> 02:09:13,950
we are going to turn to the metropolitan police department.

1931
02:09:13,950 --> 02:09:19,350
we will call our first panel of public witnesses.

1932
02:09:35,772 --> 02:09:41,172
welcome all. We are going to begin with our

1933
02:09:46,830 --> 02:09:49,683
u.s. Representative. From the congressional

1934
02:09:51,880 --> 02:09:53,488
delegation. Please go ahead.

1935
02:09:57,928 --> 02:09:59,296
everyone has three minutes to present.

1936
02:09:59,296 --> 02:10:04,501
>> thank you so much for allowing me to be here.

1937
02:10:04,501 --> 02:10:07,570
I come before you not only as a representative but a child of

1938
02:10:07,570 --> 02:10:11,170
immigrants. Does mpd collaborate with ice?

1939
02:10:16,713 --> 02:10:19,982
such a simple question but we rarely get a simple answer.

1940
02:10:19,982 --> 02:10:27,782
what I do see is officers at the scene of ice jump outs.

1941
02:10:31,528 --> 02:10:34,599
whether it is collaboration or looking the other way, we all

1942
02:10:34,599 --> 02:10:39,399
see complicity. Now we are at a crossroads.

1943
02:10:41,471 --> 02:10:45,671
in minneapolis, we saw ice agents removed.

1944
02:10:46,710 --> 02:10:49,120
I saw people rise up for themselves.

1945
02:10:49,120 --> 02:10:53,812
get national attention. They said to get out.

1946
02:11:00,290 --> 02:11:03,890
our mayor thanked our federal occupiers.

1947
02:11:19,343 --> 02:11:26,543
I know we are vulnerable. We can speak on the office of

1948
02:11:28,918 --> 02:11:33,718
the mayor. What can we do to protect

1949
02:11:33,724 --> 02:11:36,124
noncitizens? Let's increase funding.

1950
02:11:42,666 --> 02:11:47,466
we need services to combat this racist agenda.

1951
02:11:48,471 --> 02:11:52,342
we need to allocate millions of dollars for language services so

1952
02:11:52,342 --> 02:11:55,411
our english as second language speakers can get proper

1953
02:11:55,411 --> 02:12:00,211
protections. We need to force mpd to keep

1954
02:12:01,418 --> 02:12:08,180
body cameras on. If they are on our side, it is

1955
02:12:09,930 --> 02:12:15,693
time for them to show it. Lastly, they are building a $300

1956
02:12:16,990 --> 02:12:20,299
million ice complex blocks from my house.

1957
02:12:21,710 --> 02:12:23,439
there has been no opinion on that.

1958
02:12:23,439 --> 02:12:26,777
there are organizations that make billions of dollars that

1959
02:12:26,777 --> 02:12:32,777
are attached to this facility. We need councilmembers to speak

1960
02:12:32,982 --> 02:12:36,520
out against this and resisted. Use our budgetary powers to make

1961
02:12:36,520 --> 02:12:39,523
sure that those who make money off of us are not making money

1962
02:12:39,523 --> 02:12:44,494
of the people who terrorize us. I am calling on you to bring in

1963
02:12:44,494 --> 02:12:47,497
the rest of the council members to hear these conversations.

1964
02:12:47,497 --> 02:12:50,266
it is not enough for you to be here.

1965
02:12:50,266 --> 02:12:54,466
this is one of the biggest conversations.

1966
02:12:56,940 --> 02:12:59,340
thank you. >> thank you.

1967
02:13:05,215 --> 02:13:09,415
>> good morning. Let's talk about police using

1968
02:13:16,560 --> 02:13:21,960
noncertified interpreters. You have an officer trying to be

1969
02:13:26,504 --> 02:13:29,306
an interpreter and an officer. You cannot hold two salaries at

1970
02:13:29,306 --> 02:13:33,506
once. They are saying use a certified

1971
02:13:38,849 --> 02:13:42,449
interpreter. Try to be an interpreter.

1972
02:13:47,390 --> 02:13:52,790
so many time my ex-wife sprayed me, maced me.

1973
02:13:52,795 --> 02:13:57,595
I had to move because of my safety.

1974
02:13:57,701 --> 02:14:00,203
I have a civil protection order on her.

1975
02:14:00,203 --> 02:14:05,675
she violated it. She had me jump at the giant

1976
02:14:05,675 --> 02:14:09,275
called the police. They did nothing.

1977
02:14:12,148 --> 02:14:16,348
the detective called me the n word.

1978
02:14:17,954 --> 02:14:24,554
my mother burst me. If you want to know why people

1979
02:14:27,960 --> 02:14:34,296
like me trust the police. I have to look over my back

1980
02:14:34,704 --> 02:14:40,104
every single day. It will take a death before

1981
02:14:46,382 --> 02:14:51,531
police will do something. They are not going to take my

1982
02:14:51,531 --> 02:14:54,531
family. But for does something.

1983
02:14:57,700 --> 02:15:01,270
this is between life and death now.

1984
02:15:03,710 --> 02:15:09,710
you have done everything. They are not certified as an

1985
02:15:19,260 --> 02:15:23,826
interpreter. You have to use a contractor to

1986
02:15:26,400 --> 02:15:31,800
interpret for the deaf client. I have a problem.

1987
02:15:36,309 --> 02:15:42,309
do you want to know why I cannot trust mpd?

1988
02:15:42,416 --> 02:15:48,122
why do I hate the? She sprayed me and my eyes so

1989
02:15:48,122 --> 02:15:52,326
badly I call the police. The officer looked and said oh

1990
02:15:52,326 --> 02:15:57,726
well, keep going. They said that's the only option

1991
02:16:04,938 --> 02:16:09,138
you have. The police department, we want

1992
02:16:14,549 --> 02:16:16,116
to know why that is happening. Thank you.

1993
02:16:16,116 --> 02:16:21,516
>> thank you. I am so sorry about what you

1994
02:16:23,157 --> 02:16:25,240
experienced. Our team is working with you to

1995
02:16:25,240 --> 02:16:28,695
look into your case. For your testimony from last

1996
02:16:28,695 --> 02:16:29,630
week. We really appreciate you being

1997
02:16:29,630 --> 02:16:31,630
here today. >> hello.

1998
02:16:37,671 --> 02:16:40,975
I am the executive director. I'm here because we are

1999
02:16:40,975 --> 02:16:45,645
experiencing an emergency. Masked gangs of federal agents

2000
02:16:45,645 --> 02:16:50,500
are shooting at, disappearing, and killing people in our

2001
02:16:50,500 --> 02:16:51,185
community. A couple of weeks ago a u.s.

2002
02:16:51,185 --> 02:16:57,185
marshal shot and killed someone. He was a beloved father,

2003
02:16:58,658 --> 02:17:00,259
husband, and sun. Today we will hear from his

2004
02:17:00,259 --> 02:17:03,259
family. It is our collective

2005
02:17:03,997 --> 02:17:07,534
responsibility to make sure there is justice for him.

2006
02:17:07,534 --> 02:17:12,739
and that questions get answered. Why did a federal agent respond

2007
02:17:12,739 --> 02:17:17,539
to the 911 call that resulted in his death.

2008
02:17:18,211 --> 02:17:21,816
this came after dhs agent shot into the cars of black men.

2009
02:17:21,816 --> 02:17:26,160
this task force is literally killing us.

2010
02:17:27,220 --> 02:17:31,825
trump's agents are anonymous to us and that is dangerous.

2011
02:17:31,825 --> 02:17:36,129
officers are required to display badge numbers and names.

2012
02:17:36,129 --> 02:17:41,367
the never obscure their faces. Incident reports carry their

2013
02:17:41,367 --> 02:17:42,103
names. Judges and prosecutors and

2014
02:17:42,103 --> 02:17:46,303
defense attorneys have accurate information when making

2015
02:17:47,874 --> 02:17:50,760
decisions about probable and charges.

2016
02:17:50,760 --> 02:17:52,578
we need federal officers to be subject to the same rules.

2017
02:17:52,578 --> 02:17:58,485
we urge you to cosponsor the full accountability and arrest

2018
02:17:58,485 --> 02:18:01,321
reporting emergency amendment act of 2026.

2019
02:18:01,321 --> 02:18:05,258
it already has seven cosponsors. Including the councilmembers who

2020
02:18:05,258 --> 02:18:09,950
joined us earlier. This is about safety.

2021
02:18:09,950 --> 02:18:11,650
without these identifiers it is impossible for any of us to know

2022
02:18:11,650 --> 02:18:16,102
who is law enforcement and he was a kidnapper.

2023
02:18:16,102 --> 02:18:19,272
I appreciate you sending a letter for more information

2024
02:18:19,272 --> 02:18:21,908
about participation in the task force.

2025
02:18:21,908 --> 02:18:25,712
I totally share your frustration with the response that you got.

2026
02:18:25,712 --> 02:18:30,950
today is your opportunity to hold and beat -- mpd

2027
02:18:30,950 --> 02:18:35,150
accountable. The stakes could not be higher.

2028
02:18:36,289 --> 02:18:38,691
this is an election year. Agents of this regime are

2029
02:18:38,691 --> 02:18:42,891
running around d.c. Unchecked murdering people.

2030
02:18:44,230 --> 02:18:50,170
the goal is to intimidate and destabilize so they can suppress

2031
02:18:50,170 --> 02:18:54,107
consent. We are begging you to reflect

2032
02:18:54,107 --> 02:18:57,711
the power encourage of people in the city.

2033
02:18:57,711 --> 02:19:00,847
to gather this community has 11 demands that are in my written

2034
02:19:00,847 --> 02:19:03,717
testimony. More than 1000 people have been

2035
02:19:03,717 --> 02:19:08,888
disappeared or deported. At the same time, the council

2036
02:19:08,888 --> 02:19:13,394
has taken nearly zero action on any of this siege or the

2037
02:19:13,394 --> 02:19:16,496
recommendations that were put forward on december 12.

2038
02:19:16,496 --> 02:19:19,933
refusing to protect our people is not smart or strategic.

2039
02:19:19,933 --> 02:19:25,238
it is an approach that signals to a regime of bloodthirsty

2040
02:19:25,238 --> 02:19:29,309
pedophiles and racist oligarchs that we are an easy target.

2041
02:19:29,309 --> 02:19:31,811
we are not an easy target. The council needs to make it

2042
02:19:31,811 --> 02:19:35,682
crystal clear that d.c. Will never be influenced by the

2043
02:19:35,682 --> 02:19:39,882
priorities of stephen miller and the occupation.

2044
02:19:39,885 --> 02:19:43,289
stop cooperation and free d.c.. Thank you.

2045
02:19:43,289 --> 02:19:46,289
[applause] >> thank you very much.

2046
02:19:50,830 --> 02:19:55,300
>> thank you. I am a lifelong washingtonian.

2047
02:19:59,773 --> 02:20:04,573
a proud product of dcps and howard university.

2048
02:20:08,515 --> 02:20:11,951
I am your public. I do not feel safe.

2049
02:20:11,951 --> 02:20:14,522
I must briefly acknowledge something important before I get

2050
02:20:14,522 --> 02:20:21,122
directly to my mpd part. So far, the council has stood

2051
02:20:24,731 --> 02:20:27,534
firm. Yesterday, the attorney general

2052
02:20:27,534 --> 02:20:30,904
offered a formal legal opinion confirming the congress failed

2053
02:20:30,904 --> 02:20:34,941
to repeal that law because it was outside the statutory review

2054
02:20:34,941 --> 02:20:36,543
. You are upholding the home rule

2055
02:20:36,543 --> 02:20:39,543
act. You are showing courage.

2056
02:20:41,414 --> 02:20:43,783
remarkably. Stay the course.

2057
02:20:43,783 --> 02:20:50,357
do not read couple the tax law. Do not read couple yourself to

2058
02:20:50,357 --> 02:20:55,628
this regime because what we are facing is not random.

2059
02:20:55,628 --> 02:21:00,909
it is episodic in a pattern of authoritarian consolidation of

2060
02:21:00,909 --> 02:21:02,440
power. You know that when control of

2061
02:21:02,440 --> 02:21:05,947
our budget and they want to bankrupt our city, overwrite our

2062
02:21:05,947 --> 02:21:09,985
local laws, sees authority over police, normalize a federal

2063
02:21:09,985 --> 02:21:15,385
presence in our neighborhood. Your appeasement will not stop

2064
02:21:15,523 --> 02:21:17,393
it. Neither congress nor stephen

2065
02:21:17,393 --> 02:21:21,796
miller nor the white house. Targeting d.c. Because you try

2066
02:21:21,796 --> 02:21:26,101
not to poke the bear. We are already being targeted.

2067
02:21:26,101 --> 02:21:29,904
more than 30 bills seek to override our laws.

2068
02:21:29,904 --> 02:21:33,504
the federal surge is already here.

2069
02:21:34,609 --> 02:21:40,900
flying under the radar will not save home rule.

2070
02:21:40,115 --> 02:21:42,170
courage from the council and the mayor and the cfo and the

2071
02:21:42,170 --> 02:21:47,156
attorney general might. In the interest of time I will

2072
02:21:47,156 --> 02:21:50,291
trust other residents and experts to speak at length about

2073
02:21:50,291 --> 02:21:53,270
the five black men who have been killed at the hands of federal

2074
02:21:53,270 --> 02:21:57,827
agents. I will notwhere is the public om

2075
02:22:01,770 --> 02:22:04,305
our elected officials denouncing that escalation for a traffic

2076
02:22:04,305 --> 02:22:08,442
stop in the middle of the day? In january, I personally watched

2077
02:22:08,442 --> 02:22:11,981
a whole city block outside of metro center flood with federal

2078
02:22:11,981 --> 02:22:15,450
agents responding to a minor disturbance, young ladies in a

2079
02:22:15,450 --> 02:22:17,185
screaming match. I have seen a black man get

2080
02:22:17,185 --> 02:22:24,385
arrested outside of rhode island row, and mpd came to carry him

2081
02:22:25,259 --> 02:22:27,395
away. It is not proportional, it is

2082
02:22:27,395 --> 02:22:31,650
not transparent. It is a militarized spectacle

2083
02:22:31,650 --> 02:22:33,735
that increases fear, doesn't reduce it.

2084
02:22:33,735 --> 02:22:36,735
mpd's mission of promises transparency.

2085
02:22:40,709 --> 02:22:44,479
you may not control federal agencies, but you absolutely

2086
02:22:44,479 --> 02:22:48,679
control mpd. You have the authority and

2087
02:22:49,950 --> 02:22:53,888
obligation to ensure mpd does not become a further conduit for

2088
02:22:53,888 --> 02:22:56,900
unchecked federal power in this city.

2089
02:22:56,900 --> 02:22:59,930
you defended d.c.'s authority in the tax fight.

2090
02:22:59,930 --> 02:23:01,362
that same resolve is required here.

2091
02:23:01,362 --> 02:23:06,330
if the mission is truly justice for all, any form of cooperation

2092
02:23:06,330 --> 02:23:08,902
with militarized federal forces that operate without

2093
02:23:08,902 --> 02:23:12,400
transparency cannot continue. We capitulate out of fear.

2094
02:23:12,400 --> 02:23:18,400
if we have loud notarized tactics to become normalized, we

2095
02:23:19,313 --> 02:23:22,650
have jeopardized our safety and our dignity.

2096
02:23:22,650 --> 02:23:25,452
your leadership is not about calculating if we have the

2097
02:23:25,452 --> 02:23:27,522
cards. Stand up for the people who

2098
02:23:27,522 --> 02:23:30,324
elected you. Even when the federal government

2099
02:23:30,324 --> 02:23:34,661
attempts to intimidate our city into submission, set aside your

2100
02:23:34,661 --> 02:23:37,398
ambitions for your political futures long enough to protect

2101
02:23:37,398 --> 02:23:39,667
my children, my neighbors, my city.

2102
02:23:39,667 --> 02:23:45,806
stand up for d.c. And don't back down, no cooperation with

2103
02:23:45,806 --> 02:23:47,474
occupation. >> I appreciate you all being

2104
02:23:47,474 --> 02:23:49,770
here. Thank you for your testimony.

2105
02:23:49,770 --> 02:23:51,879
I am going to ask everyone to please help me.

2106
02:23:51,879 --> 02:23:55,830
I do hate cutting you off, but we have to keep to three minutes

2107
02:23:55,830 --> 02:23:57,685
each. We have over 100 witnesses and

2108
02:23:57,685 --> 02:23:59,687
we want to make sure everyone gets their time.

2109
02:23:59,687 --> 02:24:02,823
thank you for being here. Thank you for your testimony.

2110
02:24:02,823 --> 02:24:07,623
>> lilie gerkin, abby organ dari, christina hanson, jerome

2111
02:24:09,496 --> 02:24:14,502
hinkle. As you all come up, I will just

2112
02:24:14,502 --> 02:24:19,574
remind folks that I introduced a bill yesterday that does three

2113
02:24:19,574 --> 02:24:23,778
things that allows for access, requires body worn camera

2114
02:24:23,778 --> 02:24:27,378
footage. It requires a listing and

2115
02:24:28,982 --> 02:24:33,521
database from the use of force that has happened this year, and

2116
02:24:33,521 --> 02:24:38,526
requires a maintenance of records for agents and where

2117
02:24:38,526 --> 02:24:43,464
they are being deployed. So, I hope folks can support

2118
02:24:43,464 --> 02:24:46,934
that legislation in getting that across the finish line.

2119
02:24:46,934 --> 02:24:49,334
lilie gerkin. Abby opeogandare.

2120
02:24:54,776 --> 02:24:57,176
christina hanson. Jerome hinkle.

2121
02:24:58,279 --> 02:25:00,679
amad m. Lia cheek.

2122
02:25:07,422 --> 02:25:10,422
commissioner ashley ruff. Raymond tolson.

2123
02:25:15,530 --> 02:25:17,530
tara vanacore. Raymond?

2124
02:25:22,503 --> 02:25:24,903
raymond is here? Great.

2125
02:25:25,540 --> 02:25:28,540
aunt tara. -- and tara.

2126
02:25:30,345 --> 02:25:32,345
wonderful. Ok.

2127
02:25:33,681 --> 02:25:40,281
so, we will begin with lilie -- lei lei gerken, free

2128
02:25:40,388 --> 02:25:45,188
d.c. >> hello, my name is lei lei.

2129
02:25:46,861 --> 02:25:50,598
I am a resident of ward 3 and the mother of a brilliantly

2130
02:25:50,598 --> 02:25:54,798
gifted, courageous, and amazing special needs child.

2131
02:25:55,200 --> 02:25:57,271
I reflect fellow native washingtonians and I am

2132
02:25:57,271 --> 02:26:01,800
testifying today as a constituent, advocate, and

2133
02:26:01,800 --> 02:26:03,744
activist, because I am deeply troubled by the metropolitan

2134
02:26:03,744 --> 02:26:07,944
police department's ongoing coordination with federal law

2135
02:26:10,218 --> 02:26:11,819
enforcement agencies and the lack of accountability that has

2136
02:26:11,819 --> 02:26:15,622
accompanied it. For context, I am profoundly

2137
02:26:15,622 --> 02:26:20,661
disturbed by the killing of julian bailey by u.s. Marshals.

2138
02:26:20,661 --> 02:26:23,431
according to public reporting, mpd did not respond to the

2139
02:26:23,431 --> 02:26:29,431
initial allegation that he had threatened someone with a gun.

2140
02:26:29,704 --> 02:26:30,971
instead, u.s. Marshals service bond it.

2141
02:26:30,971 --> 02:26:36,911
after mr. Bailey's killing, both mpd and u.s. Marshals did not

2142
02:26:36,911 --> 02:26:42,311
meaningfully produce or request -- or provide requested updates

2143
02:26:45,252 --> 02:26:47,288
regarding the status of the investigation.

2144
02:26:47,288 --> 02:26:50,591
the lack of transparency compounds the harm.

2145
02:26:50,591 --> 02:26:53,610
when agencies deflect responsibility instead of

2146
02:26:53,610 --> 02:26:56,730
providing clear answers, it signals to residents that no one

2147
02:26:56,730 --> 02:26:59,867
is fully accountable. When a call is made in any

2148
02:26:59,867 --> 02:27:03,400
neighborhood, we as residents need to know who is responding,

2149
02:27:03,400 --> 02:27:07,709
under what authority, and with what level of oversight.

2150
02:27:07,709 --> 02:27:10,750
federal tactical officers operating in our city,

2151
02:27:10,750 --> 02:27:14,870
especially in response to local allegations, fundamentally

2152
02:27:14,870 --> 02:27:16,490
changes the risk profile of encounters.

2153
02:27:16,490 --> 02:27:20,827
it raises a serious concern about due process and civil

2154
02:27:20,827 --> 02:27:23,564
rights. Armed agents concealing their

2155
02:27:23,564 --> 02:27:27,435
identities, body camera footage delayed were not

2156
02:27:27,435 --> 02:27:33,435
produced, and erodes trust. All residents deserve to live in

2157
02:27:34,441 --> 02:27:38,645
a city where law enforcement is identifiable, accountable, and

2158
02:27:38,645 --> 02:27:40,315
transparent. Instead, we are witnessing

2159
02:27:40,315 --> 02:27:43,918
blurred lines of authority and diminished oversight.

2160
02:27:43,918 --> 02:27:47,488
I understand that the dc council does not control federal

2161
02:27:47,488 --> 02:27:50,488
agencies. However, you absolutely have

2162
02:27:50,657 --> 02:27:54,610
authority over mpd and its participation in joint

2163
02:27:54,610 --> 02:27:57,664
operations in which our residents are being disappeared,

2164
02:27:57,664 --> 02:27:59,934
kidnapped, murdered, and violated.

2165
02:27:59,934 --> 02:28:04,734
you have authority to demand transparency regarding any

2166
02:28:04,905 --> 02:28:07,708
agreements that permit federal agencies to respond to local

2167
02:28:07,708 --> 02:28:11,912
calls for service. You have authority to require

2168
02:28:11,912 --> 02:28:14,912
documentation, reporting, and clear boundaries.

2169
02:28:15,150 --> 02:28:18,953
furthermore, I firmly oppose the appointment of jeffery carroll

2170
02:28:18,953 --> 02:28:23,290
as permanent mpd chief. His previous tenure ended amid

2171
02:28:23,290 --> 02:28:26,760
serious concerns of transparency and leadership judgment.

2172
02:28:26,760 --> 02:28:29,495
at this critical moment when residents are demanding clear

2173
02:28:29,495 --> 02:28:33,695
boundaries between local policing and federal overreach,

2174
02:28:33,700 --> 02:28:36,303
we need leadership that will prioritize accountability,

2175
02:28:36,303 --> 02:28:39,506
community trust, and the protection of civil rights.

2176
02:28:39,506 --> 02:28:43,443
we cannot move forward with leadership that does not commit

2177
02:28:43,443 --> 02:28:46,443
to these principles. >> thank you.

2178
02:28:50,183 --> 02:28:52,719
and please make sure to submit your full testimony and it will

2179
02:28:52,719 --> 02:28:54,540
all be included in the written record.

2180
02:28:54,540 --> 02:28:57,654
thank you so much. Abi ogandare.

2181
02:28:58,525 --> 02:29:01,525
>> hello. I live in ward 1.

2182
02:29:07,300 --> 02:29:09,802
I am testifying as a representative of free d.c.

2183
02:29:09,802 --> 02:29:14,875
because I am concerned about mpd's ongoing cooperation with

2184
02:29:14,875 --> 02:29:16,309
federal law enforcement agencies.

2185
02:29:16,309 --> 02:29:21,547
is that better? In the past years, mpd has

2186
02:29:21,547 --> 02:29:23,784
increased cooperation with federal law enforcement who are

2187
02:29:23,784 --> 02:29:27,421
using violent tactics, especially against black people,

2188
02:29:27,421 --> 02:29:29,489
immigrants, and those opposing their fascist regime.

2189
02:29:29,489 --> 02:29:33,493
they are ignoring the law, lying about incidents, and evading

2190
02:29:33,493 --> 02:29:35,295
accountability for the harm they have caused.

2191
02:29:35,295 --> 02:29:39,599
on the back of every mpd car, they declare, "we are here to

2192
02:29:39,599 --> 02:29:43,503
help." but I have to wonder, who is mpd

2193
02:29:43,503 --> 02:29:47,507
helping when they are racing down u street at dangerous

2194
02:29:47,507 --> 02:29:49,976
speeds to catch teenagers on electric scooters, speeds that

2195
02:29:49,976 --> 02:29:55,376
would get us jailed? Patrolling you street and other

2196
02:29:58,718 --> 02:30:01,255
various agencies, harassing our unhoused neighbors, threatening

2197
02:30:01,255 --> 02:30:05,325
to arrest people for having an unlit joint, disregarding d.c.

2198
02:30:05,325 --> 02:30:07,527
residents. With the officer jingling his

2199
02:30:07,527 --> 02:30:10,663
handcuffs on a woman clearly expensing a mental health crisis

2200
02:30:10,663 --> 02:30:15,402
helping her? Was the officer who skirted up

2201
02:30:15,402 --> 02:30:22,602
to the sidewalk helping them? Mpd demanded I open my purse to

2202
02:30:23,910 --> 02:30:25,211
show them a backpack was not in it.

2203
02:30:25,211 --> 02:30:29,316
were they helping me? Where they helping him?

2204
02:30:29,316 --> 02:30:32,752
there are many people afraid to leave their houses since the

2205
02:30:32,752 --> 02:30:35,210
occupation began. Schools in ward 1 have seen a

2206
02:30:35,210 --> 02:30:37,900
drastic drop in attendance because parents are afraid to

2207
02:30:37,900 --> 02:30:39,826
send their children to school, and children are afraid that

2208
02:30:39,826 --> 02:30:41,695
when they come home their parents will not be there

2209
02:30:41,695 --> 02:30:43,697
anymore. The education budget does not

2210
02:30:43,697 --> 02:30:47,434
have enough funds to ensure every child pre-k-12 has an

2211
02:30:47,434 --> 02:30:51,505
afterschool program to attend, but mpd does have the budget to

2212
02:30:51,505 --> 02:30:55,410
hunt our children as a fun afterschool activity.

2213
02:30:55,410 --> 02:30:59,446
free d.c. Has 11 demands. I am here to talk about numbers

2214
02:30:59,446 --> 02:31:03,646
4, 5, six, and eight. Prohibit mpd from coordination

2215
02:31:04,117 --> 02:31:07,688
with federal agents in the sensitive locations like school,

2216
02:31:07,688 --> 02:31:11,291
health care facilities, and organizations providing aid,

2217
02:31:11,291 --> 02:31:15,462
repeal local qualified immunity protections for federal officers

2218
02:31:15,462 --> 02:31:19,399
making arrests, as well as officers who enter edc

2219
02:31:19,399 --> 02:31:23,690
school, community center, or house of worship, require mpd to

2220
02:31:23,690 --> 02:31:26,206
file a report on any interactions they have with a

2221
02:31:26,206 --> 02:31:29,410
minor, including conversations on the street, and restrict

2222
02:31:29,410 --> 02:31:33,100
vehicular pursuits for all federal agencies.

2223
02:31:33,130 --> 02:31:36,616
in addition to this request, I oppose any appointment of

2224
02:31:36,616 --> 02:31:39,487
jeffery carroll as a permanent mpd chief.

2225
02:31:39,487 --> 02:31:42,689
I ask you do the same. As a d.c. Resident, I know that

2226
02:31:42,689 --> 02:31:47,694
I cannot rely on mpd to help me, only my community.

2227
02:31:47,694 --> 02:31:51,231
I know we all want a violence free d.c.

2228
02:31:51,231 --> 02:31:55,669
so I asked, what has the dc council done to stop mpd's

2229
02:31:55,669 --> 02:31:59,390
aggressive and often reckless behavior, allowing mpd to learn

2230
02:31:59,390 --> 02:32:04,439
from, coordinate with, and follow the lead of trump's

2231
02:32:08,582 --> 02:32:09,716
federal detention machine is not the way we will achieve that.

2232
02:32:09,716 --> 02:32:10,851
I ask you take action today and heed our demands.

2233
02:32:10,851 --> 02:32:11,851
thank you for your attention on this matter.

2234
02:32:11,851 --> 02:32:15,451
we keep us safe. >> thank you.

2235
02:32:15,455 --> 02:32:20,994
raymond tolson, free d.c. If you could turn your

2236
02:32:20,994 --> 02:32:24,594
microphone on. >> chairperson pinto and members

2237
02:32:32,873 --> 02:32:37,878
of the committee on judiciary and public safety, thank you for

2238
02:32:37,878 --> 02:32:41,148
hearing me today. My name is raymond tolson.

2239
02:32:41,148 --> 02:32:45,252
born and raised right here in ward 7.

2240
02:32:45,252 --> 02:32:50,556
I am one of the cochairs for free d.c. Ward 7.

2241
02:32:50,556 --> 02:32:56,556
I am here today because mpd's growing partnership with federal

2242
02:32:58,164 --> 02:33:03,770
law enforcement has turned every day policing into a pipeline of

2243
02:33:03,770 --> 02:33:07,370
violence, especially against black and disenfranchised

2244
02:33:07,440 --> 02:33:10,440
residents. Since mpd voluntarily joined

2245
02:33:12,312 --> 02:33:18,912
donald trump's d.c. Safety and beautiful task force and mayor

2246
02:33:19,452 --> 02:33:23,827
bowser created the operations center to support it, we have

2247
02:33:23,827 --> 02:33:28,627
watched mpd merge its work with federal agents.

2248
02:33:30,670 --> 02:33:35,467
residents have seen mpd officers traveling with federal agents,

2249
02:33:35,472 --> 02:33:40,272
conducting stops with them, and coordinating -- militarization.

2250
02:33:45,140 --> 02:33:47,685
and the results have been deadly.

2251
02:33:47,685 --> 02:33:53,685
on october 13, a dhs agent opened fire on justin brian

2252
02:34:00,230 --> 02:34:03,830
nelson. On january 21, fbi agents used

2253
02:34:09,906 --> 02:34:13,910
flashbang grenades during a traffic stop on marion barry

2254
02:34:13,910 --> 02:34:18,710
avenue, pointing guns into cars with no justification.

2255
02:34:19,516 --> 02:34:25,516
and on february 12, u.s. Marshals responding to an mpd

2256
02:34:27,791 --> 02:34:32,591
request shot and killed julian bailey in mayfair.

2257
02:34:33,463 --> 02:34:37,467
the list goes on, as stated in my testimony that was emailed to

2258
02:34:37,467 --> 02:34:41,670
you. Dhs has repeatedly lied about

2259
02:34:42,500 --> 02:34:45,408
these shootings. This is a system where federal

2260
02:34:45,408 --> 02:34:49,608
power is being funneled into local police.

2261
02:34:57,387 --> 02:35:02,187
meanwhile, mayor bowser appoints jeffery carroll as interim

2262
02:35:03,693 --> 02:35:08,493
police chief. His history is aggressive -- his

2263
02:35:10,233 --> 02:35:15,330
history of aggressive tactics to first amendment rights.

2264
02:35:18,875 --> 02:35:23,280
I urge this committee to investigate mpd collaboration

2265
02:35:23,280 --> 02:35:27,450
with federal enforcement, close the immigration enforcement

2266
02:35:27,450 --> 02:35:32,250
loopholes, advance the safety community police amendments, and

2267
02:35:34,191 --> 02:35:37,791
reject jeffery carroll's nomination of permanent

2268
02:35:41,640 --> 02:35:44,640
chief of police. >> thank you.

2269
02:35:45,969 --> 02:35:51,369
tara vanacore, free d.c. >> good afternoon, chair pinto,

2270
02:35:54,277 --> 02:35:58,481
and members of the committee. My name is tara vanacore and I

2271
02:35:58,481 --> 02:36:01,885
live in ward 1. I am testifying today as a

2272
02:36:01,885 --> 02:36:06,220
representative of free d.c., and as the pto president at a title

2273
02:36:06,220 --> 02:36:10,930
I dcps elementary school. I urge the council to consider

2274
02:36:10,930 --> 02:36:13,630
the detrimental effect that mpd's cooperation with federal

2275
02:36:13,630 --> 02:36:17,340
law enforcement agencies is having on public safety and our

2276
02:36:17,340 --> 02:36:18,901
city. I begin by quoting a neighbor

2277
02:36:18,901 --> 02:36:22,439
who does not feel safe submitting testimony.

2278
02:36:22,439 --> 02:36:24,708
federal agents are terrorizing our community members and we

2279
02:36:24,708 --> 02:36:27,878
need to feel safe going to mpd. I couldn't agree more.

2280
02:36:27,878 --> 02:36:30,714
I live in columbia heights, which has been relentlessly

2281
02:36:30,714 --> 02:36:34,718
targeted by the president's d.c. Safe and beautiful task force.

2282
02:36:34,718 --> 02:36:38,388
the joint actions of mpd and federal immigration agents are

2283
02:36:38,388 --> 02:36:40,123
creating an atmosphere of fear and isolation in my

2284
02:36:40,123 --> 02:36:41,858
neighborhood. Too many are unable to share

2285
02:36:41,858 --> 02:36:47,130
their stories today. At my kids school, which is

2286
02:36:47,130 --> 02:36:51,668
majority black, brown, and immigrant, we have had several

2287
02:36:51,668 --> 02:36:53,603
for emily's self deport since spring of 2025.

2288
02:36:53,603 --> 02:36:57,473
some have left to follow a parent who has been taken.

2289
02:36:57,473 --> 02:37:03,473
others to avoid for separation. It is reflected in enrollment

2290
02:37:05,282 --> 02:37:07,351
and the budget. Each time I learned of a family

2291
02:37:07,351 --> 02:37:10,553
leaving, I wonder if it is a classmate of my second or fourth

2292
02:37:10,553 --> 02:37:13,290
grader. Forced to start a new life in a

2293
02:37:13,290 --> 02:37:15,692
country they may never have visited.

2294
02:37:15,692 --> 02:37:18,628
just last month, the pto board organized a fundraiser for a

2295
02:37:18,628 --> 02:37:23,330
family of five that was leaving d.c. Within the week.

2296
02:37:23,330 --> 02:37:26,236
we have had parents ask for help walking their kids to school

2297
02:37:26,236 --> 02:37:28,905
because masked agents were staked out in front of their

2298
02:37:28,905 --> 02:37:31,441
building. There was a raid in an apartment

2299
02:37:31,441 --> 02:37:34,645
building nearby in which agents who did not have a warrant enter

2300
02:37:34,645 --> 02:37:36,790
the home and arrested three people.

2301
02:37:36,790 --> 02:37:39,449
as a result, families who live in that building have kept their

2302
02:37:39,449 --> 02:37:43,490
kids home. We provide essential services

2303
02:37:43,453 --> 02:37:45,889
beyond the curriculum, from health checks to groceries to

2304
02:37:45,889 --> 02:37:48,592
clothing for the family. Our families are being

2305
02:37:48,592 --> 02:37:51,261
intentionally deprived of these resources.

2306
02:37:51,261 --> 02:37:54,630
following the mayor's director, families facing threats to their

2307
02:37:54,630 --> 02:37:57,670
safety are on their own. They cannot rely on mpd to

2308
02:37:57,670 --> 02:38:00,667
protect them. Increasingly, mpd joins the

2309
02:38:01,405 --> 02:38:03,674
operations I just described. A photograph I will never forget

2310
02:38:03,674 --> 02:38:08,678
is mpd, fbi, and hsi agents standing in the cardoso high

2311
02:38:08,678 --> 02:38:11,682
school parking lot overlooking a football game in september 2020

2312
02:38:11,682 --> 02:38:14,484
five. We have now seen the perceived

2313
02:38:14,484 --> 02:38:18,210
unruly behavior at such a game might end in detention,

2314
02:38:18,210 --> 02:38:22,821
deportation, or worse. Last spring, helped order toys,

2315
02:38:23,260 --> 02:38:28,698
water, and food. The thought that a member of our

2316
02:38:28,698 --> 02:38:31,501
community might need to hide in an elementary school for days or

2317
02:38:31,501 --> 02:38:34,637
weeks defies belief. What is more disturbing is that

2318
02:38:34,637 --> 02:38:37,240
our police department, whose job should be to protect d.c.

2319
02:38:37,240 --> 02:38:40,443
residents from the inhumane attacks of the administration is

2320
02:38:40,443 --> 02:38:43,880
working to harm those who are most vulnerable.

2321
02:38:43,880 --> 02:38:47,517
I share free d.c.'s request of this committee and of dc

2322
02:38:47,517 --> 02:38:49,719
council, which are listed in my written testimony.

2323
02:38:49,719 --> 02:38:53,990
in order to establish trust with our communities, mpd must stop

2324
02:38:53,990 --> 02:38:55,726
collaborating with federal agents and be held accountable

2325
02:38:55,726 --> 02:38:59,129
for the harm it has inflicted in the past year.

2326
02:38:59,129 --> 02:39:01,198
thank you. >> thank you very much.

2327
02:39:01,198 --> 02:39:04,202
thank you all for being here today for your testimony.

2328
02:39:04,202 --> 02:39:07,202
we appreciate it. Natalia otero.

2329
02:39:12,142 --> 02:39:15,142
nee nee taylor. Dr. Taylor.

2330
02:39:17,948 --> 02:39:20,948
shanice bailey. Commissioner trupti patel.

2331
02:39:30,480 --> 02:39:34,918
and it is ok for this one, but for future panels, if we can sit

2332
02:39:34,918 --> 02:39:39,489
in the order I called you. It is ok for this one.

2333
02:39:39,489 --> 02:39:42,926
go ahead, it's all right. I'm just saying for future

2334
02:39:42,926 --> 02:39:44,894
panels. It will help us keep track of

2335
02:39:44,894 --> 02:39:49,940
everyone's testimony. We will begin with natalia

2336
02:39:49,332 --> 02:39:50,466
otero, executive director and cofounder of d.c. Safe.

2337
02:39:50,466 --> 02:39:55,866
>> thank you. My name is natalia otero and I

2338
02:39:56,606 --> 02:39:58,874
am here on behalf of d.c. Safe. D.c. Safe has served the

2339
02:39:58,874 --> 02:40:01,479
district for over 20 years this october.

2340
02:40:01,479 --> 02:40:05,810
we have served almost 100,000 clients and I have been here

2341
02:40:05,810 --> 02:40:10,686
since the very beginning. I speak today in my role as an

2342
02:40:10,686 --> 02:40:13,222
advocate executive director and a member of our broader

2343
02:40:13,222 --> 02:40:15,291
community. I want to focus my testimony

2344
02:40:15,291 --> 02:40:17,494
today on the needs of the immigrant survivors.

2345
02:40:17,494 --> 02:40:20,896
you will hear my colleague jenae wilsen today about broader

2346
02:40:20,896 --> 02:40:23,533
oversight. I want to express my great

2347
02:40:23,533 --> 02:40:26,936
concern for mpd's continuing cooperation with ice.

2348
02:40:26,936 --> 02:40:30,707
we recognize the challenges the district faces with federal

2349
02:40:30,707 --> 02:40:35,111
interference in critical aspects of home rule but we must

2350
02:40:35,111 --> 02:40:38,715
acknowledge the toll it has taken on victims of domestic

2351
02:40:38,715 --> 02:40:39,716
violence. We have seen fewer survivors

2352
02:40:39,716 --> 02:40:42,652
coming forward. I am hearing from our community

2353
02:40:42,652 --> 02:40:46,852
of providers that mpd cooperation has been

2354
02:40:51,461 --> 02:40:53,195
increasingly challenging. That is unfair and not aligned

2355
02:40:53,195 --> 02:40:57,901
with the stated values for victims to be further isolated,

2356
02:40:57,901 --> 02:41:00,804
trapped, and to endure escalating violence.

2357
02:41:00,804 --> 02:41:04,808
I ask you to consider how the dc council can guide the deputy

2358
02:41:04,808 --> 02:41:06,976
mayor for public safety and the police department to be more

2359
02:41:06,976 --> 02:41:13,820
clear with the community about how they intend to support and

2360
02:41:13,820 --> 02:41:15,619
treat victims of violence. I would appreciate that question

2361
02:41:15,619 --> 02:41:18,822
being asked of the new chief today.

2362
02:41:18,822 --> 02:41:22,691
this political conversation has a big toll not just for the

2363
02:41:22,691 --> 02:41:26,950
populations most directly affected, but for trust in law

2364
02:41:26,950 --> 02:41:30,533
enforcement as a whole. The conversation isn't about

2365
02:41:30,533 --> 02:41:32,168
legalities and a citizenship status.

2366
02:41:32,168 --> 02:41:35,138
the conversation is really about how society and tends to treat

2367
02:41:35,138 --> 02:41:38,641
each other. It is about humanity, dignity,

2368
02:41:38,641 --> 02:41:43,113
and collective rights to the most basic freedoms and respect.

2369
02:41:43,113 --> 02:41:47,500
having participated and listened to testimony related to mpd's

2370
02:41:47,500 --> 02:41:50,253
performance for many years, and having maintained a successful

2371
02:41:50,253 --> 02:41:54,124
relationship with them for 15 years, we strongly believe this

2372
02:41:54,124 --> 02:41:56,926
has benefited survivors in the district as a whole.

2373
02:41:56,926 --> 02:42:00,264
we must fiercely guard against any approach that dissolves the

2374
02:42:00,264 --> 02:42:03,660
vital games that have been made over the years.

2375
02:42:03,660 --> 02:42:07,300
the fear and isolation that this type of policing creates

2376
02:42:07,300 --> 02:42:10,730
increases the risks for survivors and their children.

2377
02:42:10,730 --> 02:42:14,611
as I mentioned in testimony to criminal justice council this

2378
02:42:14,611 --> 02:42:18,281
morning, there is already a deficit to trust for survivors

2379
02:42:18,281 --> 02:42:20,683
in the criminal justice system as a whole and for their

2380
02:42:20,683 --> 02:42:24,487
barriers do nothing to move the needle in addressing domestic

2381
02:42:24,487 --> 02:42:26,880
violence or creating safety for them.

2382
02:42:26,880 --> 02:42:28,758
what kind of future are we creating for ourselves when

2383
02:42:28,758 --> 02:42:31,761
these children live through violence, isolation, and

2384
02:42:31,761 --> 02:42:34,631
experience visceral fear of reaching out to those who should

2385
02:42:34,631 --> 02:42:37,667
be entrusted with safety of their communities?

2386
02:42:37,667 --> 02:42:45,467
I testified at p.m. Ps -- dmpsj hearings and heard the response

2387
02:42:45,508 --> 02:42:47,310
to having federal agents in the community.

2388
02:42:47,310 --> 02:42:50,446
it was interesting and encouraging, but even after

2389
02:42:50,446 --> 02:42:53,516
attending the hearing and working closely with mpd, I

2390
02:42:53,516 --> 02:42:58,321
still have little clarity on how to speak to our clients about

2391
02:42:58,321 --> 02:43:01,124
what to expect from mpd. For the first time in my 20 year

2392
02:43:01,124 --> 02:43:02,792
tenure, I cannot assure them they will be protected.

2393
02:43:02,792 --> 02:43:08,192
>> thank you very much. Dr. Nee nee taylor, executive

2394
02:43:09,799 --> 02:43:12,135
director from harriet's wildest dreams.

2395
02:43:12,135 --> 02:43:16,935
>> good morning. My name is nee nee taylor.

2396
02:43:17,873 --> 02:43:21,110
I am the executive director for harriet's dreams and the

2397
02:43:21,110 --> 02:43:24,414
cofounder of free d.c. For full transparency, I don't

2398
02:43:24,414 --> 02:43:27,216
want to be here today. It is my duty and commitment for

2399
02:43:27,216 --> 02:43:30,487
those who came before me to keep hope alive and continue to fight

2400
02:43:30,487 --> 02:43:33,156
to free d.c.. I am testifying today in the

2401
02:43:33,156 --> 02:43:37,827
spirit of my entity, the first black senator councilwoman, and

2402
02:43:37,827 --> 02:43:40,630
my mayor for life marion barry, who gave me my first job here in

2403
02:43:40,630 --> 02:43:43,630
d.c.. They were freedom

2404
02:43:44,501 --> 02:43:45,969
fighters and I will continue the fight.

2405
02:43:45,969 --> 02:43:49,638
d.c. Still is not free. We are being enslaved by this

2406
02:43:49,638 --> 02:43:50,640
president and republican government.

2407
02:43:50,640 --> 02:43:54,377
I ask this council rise up on the shoulders of those who came

2408
02:43:54,377 --> 02:43:58,181
before them and fight for d.c. D.c. Is under attack and you all

2409
02:43:58,181 --> 02:44:02,519
have tried to reason with the people on the hill, and it has

2410
02:44:02,519 --> 02:44:05,288
been proven that when we give them an inch, they take a foot.

2411
02:44:05,288 --> 02:44:10,459
it is past time that you all stop being complicit

2412
02:44:10,459 --> 02:44:12,929
in protect your constituents. The government has contributed

2413
02:44:12,929 --> 02:44:17,133
to the hurt and harm that is being done to the black and

2414
02:44:17,133 --> 02:44:23,106
brown people in washington d c. Mpd is the leader of the task

2415
02:44:23,106 --> 02:44:26,106
force. This legislation has emboldened

2416
02:44:26,276 --> 02:44:27,410
the white supremacy law enforcement agencies to have

2417
02:44:27,410 --> 02:44:30,680
their way in d.c. Without any accountability.

2418
02:44:30,680 --> 02:44:34,684
others lift up their names in incidents where mpd has not kept

2419
02:44:34,684 --> 02:44:38,288
our community members safe. I for one understand that mpd

2420
02:44:38,288 --> 02:44:40,690
has a legal responsibility to work with federal agents.

2421
02:44:40,690 --> 02:44:45,495
yet in this capacity that they are working now, it is a no.

2422
02:44:45,495 --> 02:44:49,299
when a u.s. Marshal can respond to a local police call and shoot

2423
02:44:49,299 --> 02:44:53,169
a constituent 10 times and mpd is not on the scene, that is

2424
02:44:53,169 --> 02:44:55,569
very problematic and unacceptable.

2425
02:44:56,573 --> 02:45:01,973
julian bailey's blood is on all of your hands.

2426
02:45:04,514 --> 02:45:07,717
our board is here today so you can see firsthand what they are

2427
02:45:07,717 --> 02:45:10,653
going through. On mlk day I had to kidnap a

2428
02:45:10,653 --> 02:45:13,455
16-year-old girl back from u.s. Marshals.

2429
02:45:13,455 --> 02:45:16,525
they had her in handcuffs and were trying to lock her up for

2430
02:45:16,525 --> 02:45:19,896
the actions of a 36-year-old man who was grooming her.

2431
02:45:19,896 --> 02:45:23,499
they arrested the man, but because it was federal law

2432
02:45:23,499 --> 02:45:27,469
enforcement, I was unable to get the man's last name, nor could I

2433
02:45:27,469 --> 02:45:30,140
track him through court watch d.c. Of his criminal background

2434
02:45:30,140 --> 02:45:35,345
or what was happening because it was in federal court.

2435
02:45:35,345 --> 02:45:39,567
with what I am saying today, we must fight for change.

2436
02:45:39,567 --> 02:45:45,567
I ask that the council vote for emergency legislation, that

2437
02:45:48,777 --> 02:45:51,450
would keep your constituents safe.

2438
02:45:51,450 --> 02:45:55,490
the only thing changing around mpd and local policing is the

2439
02:45:55,490 --> 02:45:56,983
year. They are still killing black

2440
02:45:56,983 --> 02:45:59,754
people. I've had my personal experience

2441
02:45:59,754 --> 02:46:02,754
with jeffrey -- jeffery carroll.

2442
02:46:07,695 --> 02:46:11,865
we shut down the inauguration. Carol was on the dust was a

2443
02:46:11,865 --> 02:46:15,903
commander then and was listed in the federal case where all of us

2444
02:46:15,903 --> 02:46:19,140
was found not guilty. I urge you all to say with your

2445
02:46:19,140 --> 02:46:25,140
chest and do not make police officer jeffrey carroll the

2446
02:46:29,149 --> 02:46:33,349
new police chief thank you. >> thank you.

2447
02:46:33,487 --> 02:46:34,556
trinity's bailey. Welcome.

2448
02:46:34,556 --> 02:46:38,756
>> good morning. My name is trenice bailey.

2449
02:46:42,530 --> 02:46:44,980
on february 11, my life changed forever.

2450
02:46:44,980 --> 02:46:48,836
my husband of 12 years was shot and killed by u.s. Marshal.

2451
02:46:48,836 --> 02:46:55,436
my husband was shot and killed. Let me say it again.

2452
02:46:58,112 --> 02:47:03,183
my husband was shot and killed. My husband of 12 years.

2453
02:47:03,183 --> 02:47:09,183
by u.s. Marshal. Julian berry was just 43 at the

2454
02:47:10,925 --> 02:47:16,397
time he was killed. He was a father of five children

2455
02:47:16,397 --> 02:47:21,197
, ages 25, 21, a set of nine-year-old twins, and a

2456
02:47:22,870 --> 02:47:26,340
five-year-old. As well as a stepfather to my

2457
02:47:26,340 --> 02:47:31,780
two older children, who are now 30 and 20 five.

2458
02:47:31,780 --> 02:47:34,348
he was also heavily involved in his community.

2459
02:47:34,348 --> 02:47:38,850
he was a cheer dad, a real cheer dad.

2460
02:47:38,850 --> 02:47:42,423
we have videos of him going up there, being the only brave

2461
02:47:42,423 --> 02:47:49,230
cheer dad to wear whatever the girls would put on him.

2462
02:47:51,332 --> 02:47:54,167
she took his responsibility as cheer dad very seriously.

2463
02:47:54,167 --> 02:47:56,236
he encouraged kids in the neighborhood to not go down

2464
02:47:56,236 --> 02:47:59,540
paths that could cause them to disrupt their lives.

2465
02:47:59,540 --> 02:48:02,430
he literally paid young boys in our neighborhood to help shovel

2466
02:48:02,430 --> 02:48:06,514
out the community during the recent snowstorm, because they

2467
02:48:06,514 --> 02:48:09,450
didn't come on our street. But all that doesn't matter,

2468
02:48:09,450 --> 02:48:15,450
because he was killed by u.s. Marshals on february 11.

2469
02:48:16,189 --> 02:48:20,528
why, you ask? That is what we have been

2470
02:48:20,528 --> 02:48:22,329
collectively asking pam bondi, muriel bowser, the current mayor

2471
02:48:22,329 --> 02:48:28,602
of d.c., and the current director of u.s. Marshals.

2472
02:48:28,602 --> 02:48:34,875
why were u.s. Marshals involved? Julian was not a prisoner, nor

2473
02:48:34,875 --> 02:48:37,311
did he have a warrant for his arrest.

2474
02:48:37,311 --> 02:48:42,170
why does our government want -- why doesn't our government want

2475
02:48:42,170 --> 02:48:46,753
to release more details? What are you hiding?

2476
02:48:46,753 --> 02:48:53,693
if the marshals were a part of the joint task force, this is a

2477
02:48:53,693 --> 02:48:55,563
further reason this needs to end now.

2478
02:48:55,563 --> 02:49:01,502
u.s. Marshal czar not trained to conduct traffic stops or

2479
02:49:01,502 --> 02:49:04,438
interact with innocent people. You are placing district

2480
02:49:04,438 --> 02:49:08,638
residents at risk. How many more husbands?

2481
02:49:10,411 --> 02:49:16,917
how many fathers and sons need to die before you do

2482
02:49:16,917 --> 02:49:21,117
something? My children will never see their

2483
02:49:21,522 --> 02:49:23,124
father done. I will never get to nestle in

2484
02:49:23,124 --> 02:49:27,528
his arms again. I will never get to hear him say

2485
02:49:27,528 --> 02:49:30,998
my name because he spoke proudly .

2486
02:49:30,998 --> 02:49:37,598
we were a team. I literally became a widow and a

2487
02:49:38,720 --> 02:49:41,909
single mother all in one day. Why?

2488
02:49:41,909 --> 02:49:43,611
because you failed to keep us safe.

2489
02:49:43,611 --> 02:49:47,810
you failed to keep my family safe and our community lost a

2490
02:49:47,810 --> 02:49:50,818
good man. I had a reality check, and I'm

2491
02:49:50,818 --> 02:49:54,155
sorry to take this time but I have to say this.

2492
02:49:54,155 --> 02:49:57,625
we had a life together, we dreamed together.

2493
02:49:57,625 --> 02:50:00,940
I have to explain to my five-year-old every morning

2494
02:50:00,940 --> 02:50:05,320
since that day that her daddy is not coming back.

2495
02:50:05,320 --> 02:50:10,432
she literally says, mommy, I miss daddy's heartbeat because

2496
02:50:11,173 --> 02:50:15,442
he put her to sleep every night, because we worked full time but

2497
02:50:15,442 --> 02:50:20,314
he was that type of man that we shared.

2498
02:50:20,314 --> 02:50:24,518
there was no I am just going to be out here.

2499
02:50:24,518 --> 02:50:29,190
my nine-year-old twin daughters said, mommy, who is going to

2500
02:50:29,190 --> 02:50:33,661
check the boyfriends? Because daddy said he is going

2501
02:50:33,661 --> 02:50:36,329
to check all of them. Who is going to walk her down

2502
02:50:36,329 --> 02:50:40,534
the aisle? I have another daughter who she

2503
02:50:40,534 --> 02:50:45,105
won't talk to me anymore. I say, are you ok?

2504
02:50:45,105 --> 02:50:48,475
mommy, I don't know. She won't speak.

2505
02:50:48,475 --> 02:50:51,613
she's not herself. She literally is about to be in

2506
02:50:51,613 --> 02:50:56,817
the starring role as elsa in "frozen" in may and I am

2507
02:50:56,817 --> 02:51:00,220
concerned she may not do it. She has been practicing for this

2508
02:51:00,220 --> 02:51:04,558
play every single day, she and her dad singing "let it go," and

2509
02:51:04,558 --> 02:51:06,760
I am scared that she is not going to do it.

2510
02:51:06,760 --> 02:51:09,160
this hurts. It hurts.

2511
02:51:11,899 --> 02:51:15,503
so, I want answers, because you guys don't have to face these

2512
02:51:15,503 --> 02:51:17,503
girls. I do.

2513
02:51:19,506 --> 02:51:21,608
and you guys can go to sleep at night.

2514
02:51:21,608 --> 02:51:24,444
I can't. I'm tired but I can't sleep

2515
02:51:24,444 --> 02:51:26,181
because my husband is not there with me.

2516
02:51:26,181 --> 02:51:29,781
he was my protector. That's it.

2517
02:51:31,452 --> 02:51:33,452
thank you. [applause]

2518
02:51:39,827 --> 02:51:44,270
[crowd chanting] >> thank you so much, ms.

2519
02:51:53,890 --> 02:51:57,289
bailey. Thank you for being here and

2520
02:51:58,270 --> 02:52:01,497
sharing your story. I am so sorry about this

2521
02:52:01,497 --> 02:52:03,833
unimaginable loss. Your husband sounds like an

2522
02:52:03,833 --> 02:52:05,768
incredible man. And thank you for being here.

2523
02:52:05,768 --> 02:52:10,106
and we are going to try to get as many answers as we can about

2524
02:52:10,106 --> 02:52:12,775
what happened here and get to the bottom of this.

2525
02:52:12,775 --> 02:52:17,447
thank you for being here and your courage.

2526
02:52:17,447 --> 02:52:22,247
chair trupti patel. >> before I begin my testimony,

2527
02:52:23,653 --> 02:52:30,993
I do want to take a moment and say ever so gently, I am so

2528
02:52:30,993 --> 02:52:33,993
sorry. Good morning, chairperson pinto,

2529
02:52:36,132 --> 02:52:39,468
members of the committee on judiciary and public safety.

2530
02:52:39,468 --> 02:52:42,939
thank you for holding this performance oversight meeting so

2531
02:52:42,939 --> 02:52:45,541
my comments may be entered into the official record.

2532
02:52:45,541 --> 02:52:49,745
my name is trupti patel and I am a fourth term advisory

2533
02:52:49,745 --> 02:52:54,545
neighborhood commissioner. I am the chairperson of anc

2534
02:52:54,951 --> 02:52:58,551
2a. I am also the longest-serving

2535
02:52:59,288 --> 02:53:01,357
elected official who was also a tipped worker.

2536
02:53:01,357 --> 02:53:05,728
I am the legacy of two suitcases and eight dollars.

2537
02:53:05,728 --> 02:53:08,966
I am a proud immigrant kid. I am here to testify regarding

2538
02:53:08,966 --> 02:53:11,234
the performance of metropolitan police department during 2025

2539
02:53:11,234 --> 02:53:16,340
and 2026. I want to be clear on the

2540
02:53:17,306 --> 02:53:19,508
outset, effective policing depends not only on enforcement

2541
02:53:19,508 --> 02:53:23,312
but public trust, data integrity, and accountability.

2542
02:53:23,312 --> 02:53:26,315
over the past year, these pillars have been seriously

2543
02:53:26,315 --> 02:53:29,315
tested. First, crime data integrity.

2544
02:53:29,552 --> 02:53:32,455
throughout 2025, serious concerns emerged regarding the

2545
02:53:32,455 --> 02:53:36,225
accuracy and classification of mpd crime data.

2546
02:53:36,225 --> 02:53:38,861
federal investigation and whistleblower disclosures it

2547
02:53:38,861 --> 02:53:43,533
issued allegations that data was manipulated or misclassified to

2548
02:53:43,533 --> 02:53:45,668
present a more favorable narrative.

2549
02:53:45,668 --> 02:53:49,539
this contributed to leadership of people and severely

2550
02:53:49,539 --> 02:53:52,541
undermined public confidence in the department's reporting.

2551
02:53:52,541 --> 02:53:54,944
accurate crime data is not optional.

2552
02:53:54,944 --> 02:53:57,814
it is the foundation of policymaking, resource

2553
02:53:57,814 --> 02:54:02,614
allocation, and trust. Sorry, I lost my place.

2554
02:54:08,524 --> 02:54:11,694
went residents believe numbers are unreliable, they lose faith

2555
02:54:11,694 --> 02:54:15,531
not only in mpd but in the entire safety framework.

2556
02:54:15,531 --> 02:54:17,900
second, civilian oversight and officer accountability.

2557
02:54:17,900 --> 02:54:22,370
during this same period, the office of complete -- police

2558
02:54:22,370 --> 02:54:25,908
complaints issued several complaint volumes involving mpd

2559
02:54:25,908 --> 02:54:29,145
officers, including allegations of harassment, inappropriate

2560
02:54:29,145 --> 02:54:32,782
conduct, and excessive force. While complaints alone do not

2561
02:54:32,782 --> 02:54:36,982
establish wrongdoing, sustained increases .2 issues that demand

2562
02:54:38,121 --> 02:54:41,190
oversight, transparency, and timely discipline where

2563
02:54:41,190 --> 02:54:44,790
warranted. The committee must examine not

2564
02:54:45,461 --> 02:54:48,330
just individual cases but whether mpd is meaningfully

2565
02:54:48,330 --> 02:54:51,533
impotent look -- implementing recommendations and closing the

2566
02:54:51,533 --> 02:54:55,538
loops between complaints, discipline, and policy reform.

2567
02:54:55,538 --> 02:54:57,473
third, organizational culture and leadership.

2568
02:54:57,473 --> 02:55:02,873
the events of 2025 expose deep concerns in internal culture,

2569
02:55:03,545 --> 02:55:06,810
including whether officers and commanders felt pressure to

2570
02:55:06,810 --> 02:55:10,486
report data in a particular way, or field -- feared retaliation

2571
02:55:10,486 --> 02:55:14,686
for issuing concerns. A police department cannot

2572
02:55:14,891 --> 02:55:17,126
function effectively when integrity is subordinated to

2573
02:55:17,126 --> 02:55:20,630
optics. As mpd moves forward under the

2574
02:55:20,630 --> 02:55:23,166
leadership, this committee must assess whether reforms are

2575
02:55:23,166 --> 02:55:27,366
structural or merely cosmetic. Finally, community trust.

2576
02:55:27,370 --> 02:55:31,507
public safety is the strongest when communities view police as

2577
02:55:31,507 --> 02:55:34,507
legitimate partners, not unaccountable institutions.

2578
02:55:35,511 --> 02:55:39,711
rebuilding trust will require transparency, honest data,

2579
02:55:40,916 --> 02:55:43,453
independent audits, and consistent engagement,

2580
02:55:43,453 --> 02:55:45,654
especially in communities most impacted by both crime and

2581
02:55:45,654 --> 02:55:48,658
policing. I have just 30 more seconds.

2582
02:55:48,658 --> 02:55:51,528
in closing, and urge the committee and the council to use

2583
02:55:51,528 --> 02:55:55,464
this performance oversight process to demand for things.

2584
02:55:55,464 --> 02:55:56,833
independent verification of crime data --

2585
02:55:56,833 --> 02:56:00,433
>> I'm sorry. If everyone went 30 seconds

2586
02:56:01,671 --> 02:56:05,308
over, we would be here four additional hours, and I will

2587
02:56:05,308 --> 02:56:08,111
hear from everyone today. >> I did submit this for the

2588
02:56:08,111 --> 02:56:11,147
record and we will have a resolution around this as well.

2589
02:56:11,147 --> 02:56:15,485
>> thank you for being here. And ms. Bailey, I did just want

2590
02:56:15,485 --> 02:56:22,290
to ask you, if I can, has there been any conversation or

2591
02:56:22,290 --> 02:56:24,627
information provided to you from the u.s. Marshals service,

2592
02:56:24,627 --> 02:56:27,564
status of investigation? Have they communicated with you

2593
02:56:27,564 --> 02:56:31,764
at all? >> no one has called me.

2594
02:56:33,902 --> 02:56:36,505
not mpd, not anyone. I don't know.

2595
02:56:36,505 --> 02:56:39,176
I don't even know where my vehicle is.

2596
02:56:39,176 --> 02:56:47,316
I have to rent a car every day. My husband was working, but his

2597
02:56:47,316 --> 02:56:49,385
check is gone. They sent me his last paycheck

2598
02:56:49,385 --> 02:56:52,985
already. We are waiting for the

2599
02:56:53,322 --> 02:56:57,727
insurance, life insurance, but that hasn't went through yet.

2600
02:56:57,727 --> 02:57:01,597
my job is trying to help me as much as they can, but I only

2601
02:57:01,597 --> 02:57:04,597
work. It's like, what's happening?

2602
02:57:06,135 --> 02:57:09,372
do you even know that my husband exists?

2603
02:57:09,372 --> 02:57:11,907
I don't know what happened. >> ok.

2604
02:57:11,907 --> 02:57:14,900
we are going to do everything we can to try to get to the bottom

2605
02:57:14,900 --> 02:57:16,780
of this. Thank you.

2606
02:57:16,780 --> 02:57:21,478
thank you all for being here. Robert vinson brannum.

2607
02:57:22,617 --> 02:57:25,170
leah tribbett. Sam davis.

2608
02:57:25,654 --> 02:57:31,540
jillian buford. Mr. Branham, if you can sit on

2609
02:57:34,960 --> 02:57:37,233
this seat here on my right, and we will go in that order.

2610
02:57:37,233 --> 02:57:41,433
leah tribbett next to him. Sam davis.

2611
02:57:51,514 --> 02:57:55,786
robert vinson brannum, chairman of the ward 5 leadership council

2612
02:57:55,786 --> 02:57:58,186
public safety committee. Welcome.

2613
02:58:05,700 --> 02:58:09,807
>> greetings and salutations. I am robert vinson brannum.

2614
02:58:12,748 --> 02:58:16,352
I am chairman of the ward 5 leadership council public safety

2615
02:58:16,352 --> 02:58:20,356
committee, president emeritus of the d.c. Federation of civic

2616
02:58:20,356 --> 02:58:23,158
associations, and a board member of the d.c. Open government

2617
02:58:23,158 --> 02:58:26,495
coalition. I am also a former anc

2618
02:58:26,495 --> 02:58:28,497
commissioner. Outside of advocating and being

2619
02:58:28,497 --> 02:58:32,901
arrested for d.c. Statehood and for the rest -- right of women

2620
02:58:32,901 --> 02:58:35,571
to make their own health decisions, public safety has

2621
02:58:35,571 --> 02:58:38,306
been and remains a priority issue for me.

2622
02:58:38,306 --> 02:58:42,812
I have been a victim of crime and walked the streets of d.c.

2623
02:58:42,812 --> 02:58:48,212
with my bloomingdale neighbors to take back the streets.

2624
02:58:51,200 --> 02:58:55,725
you don't -- I don't take a backseat to anyone.

2625
02:58:55,725 --> 02:58:59,996
I've testified in support of mpd, but yesterday president

2626
02:58:59,996 --> 02:59:02,598
trump gave a state of the union address and lied to the american

2627
02:59:02,598 --> 02:59:07,336
people. If I were to present a state of

2628
02:59:07,336 --> 02:59:10,539
public safety in the sea at this time, I cannot tell a lie and

2629
02:59:10,539 --> 02:59:14,144
declare all is well. Yes, crime is down, but not to

2630
02:59:14,144 --> 02:59:19,544
president trump. It is also down trust for mpd.

2631
02:59:20,882 --> 02:59:26,880
the people have lost trust in mpd because of the ride along

2632
02:59:26,880 --> 02:59:29,688
with the inhumane, unconstitutional, and racist

2633
02:59:30,920 --> 02:59:32,494
immigration policies of president trump, d.h. Secretary

2634
02:59:32,494 --> 02:59:37,294
kristi noem, and white house advisor stephen miller.

2635
02:59:38,100 --> 02:59:41,837
the decision to transport to federal agents to terrorize

2636
02:59:41,837 --> 02:59:44,640
people is unconscionable. The decision not to be

2637
02:59:44,640 --> 02:59:49,913
transparent about the level of joint mpd and ice operations has

2638
02:59:49,913 --> 02:59:53,181
had dramatic negative impacts in d.c. Communities where it is

2639
02:59:53,181 --> 02:59:59,588
vital for public safety. In a surprise letter to me on

2640
02:59:59,588 --> 03:00:03,660
d.c. Law and order, president trump attacked your leadership

2641
03:00:03,660 --> 03:00:07,531
and other members leadership in the city, and the people in the

2642
03:00:07,531 --> 03:00:09,532
district of columbia. During a meeting requested by

2643
03:00:09,532 --> 03:00:14,470
the white house with me this past august, I expressed my

2644
03:00:14,470 --> 03:00:17,172
strong opposition to the president's federalization of

2645
03:00:17,172 --> 03:00:20,543
mpd and activation of the national guard.

2646
03:00:20,543 --> 03:00:25,943
I have challenged u.s. Attorney jeanine pirro's assertion

2647
03:00:28,830 --> 03:00:31,888
that this is the crime capital of the nation.

2648
03:00:31,888 --> 03:00:34,556
mpd has been sacrificed and lost in a political play to keep a

2649
03:00:34,556 --> 03:00:38,756
presidential bully and mag a congressional republicans

2650
03:00:47,136 --> 03:00:49,504
at play. People are willing to pay the

2651
03:00:49,504 --> 03:00:52,504
ultimate sacrifice. I am somebody.

2652
03:00:52,708 --> 03:00:55,444
I am somebody. For edc, for edc

2653
03:00:55,444 --> 03:01:00,844
--free d.c. I would like to submit the

2654
03:01:01,651 --> 03:01:06,123
letter signed by your president, because he isn't mine, that lies

2655
03:01:06,123 --> 03:01:09,458
about d.c. And crime. Thank you.

2656
03:01:09,458 --> 03:01:14,258
>> thank you, mr. Brannum. Leah tribbett, public witness.

2657
03:01:15,731 --> 03:01:20,536
>> good afternoon. My name is leah tribbett and I

2658
03:01:20,536 --> 03:01:25,141
am a resident of ward 1 and anc1 b.

2659
03:01:25,141 --> 03:01:28,144
I also taught middle school for over 10 years, which is honestly

2660
03:01:28,144 --> 03:01:31,615
really relevant to this hearing. In my seventh graders

2661
03:01:31,615 --> 03:01:33,416
encountered something they didn't know, they used every

2662
03:01:33,416 --> 03:01:36,218
method to find out more. When they witnessed something

2663
03:01:36,218 --> 03:01:40,556
that wasn't morally right, they fought to make it right.

2664
03:01:40,556 --> 03:01:42,759
yet for the past year and longer, all I have heard from

2665
03:01:42,759 --> 03:01:46,895
the leaders of the city when it comes to public safety is, I

2666
03:01:46,895 --> 03:01:49,365
don't know, and I can't do that, ask someone else.

2667
03:01:49,365 --> 03:01:51,567
my smith graders would never accept those answers for

2668
03:01:51,567 --> 03:01:53,836
themselves and I am at a loss as to why you think we should

2669
03:01:53,836 --> 03:01:56,638
accept them from you. I think of the middle schoolers,

2670
03:01:56,638 --> 03:01:59,842
all of our kids looking for a model of what a thriving

2671
03:01:59,842 --> 03:02:02,244
community looks like, and instead seeing a counselor and

2672
03:02:02,244 --> 03:02:04,179
police department that cares more about criminalizing them

2673
03:02:04,179 --> 03:02:07,117
just for existing, covering up attempted murders, and executing

2674
03:02:07,117 --> 03:02:10,652
our neighbors in the streets than they do about their actual

2675
03:02:10,652 --> 03:02:12,187
jobs. We are seeing in interim chief

2676
03:02:12,187 --> 03:02:14,255
who has openly protected white the premises.

2677
03:02:14,255 --> 03:02:18,455
we are seeing officers collaborating with federal

2678
03:02:19,327 --> 03:02:22,931
agents terrorizing the city. Your hearing mpd officers say in

2679
03:02:22,931 --> 03:02:25,134
meetings that they automatically assume teenagers are criminals

2680
03:02:25,134 --> 03:02:28,270
if they are outside at certain times and detain them without

2681
03:02:28,270 --> 03:02:30,138
question. They are seeing mpd officers and

2682
03:02:30,138 --> 03:02:32,508
leadership want that they don't care about the law and refused

2683
03:02:32,508 --> 03:02:35,477
to be held accountable to it. Not that you have made any

2684
03:02:35,477 --> 03:02:37,947
attempt to do so besides signing a single letter.

2685
03:02:37,947 --> 03:02:41,917
I could sit here and share more stories that we have time for.

2686
03:02:41,917 --> 03:02:44,621
about the officers I watched tackle a teenage boy to the

2687
03:02:44,621 --> 03:02:47,322
ground because it was 10 minutes after curfew and he was still

2688
03:02:47,322 --> 03:02:50,726
walking home come about officers who have openly violated the

2689
03:02:50,726 --> 03:02:53,829
sanctuary values ask, by exploiting any loopholes they

2690
03:02:53,829 --> 03:02:59,229
can to disappear neighbors, or arresting or harassing for

2691
03:03:00,703 --> 03:03:02,304
filming. Nothing has changed and we don't

2692
03:03:02,304 --> 03:03:05,541
have the time to keep playing these games when the mpd is

2693
03:03:05,541 --> 03:03:08,444
murdering our neighbors without remorse or accountability.

2694
03:03:08,444 --> 03:03:11,747
for every person who lives in d.c., your message is clear.

2695
03:03:11,747 --> 03:03:14,450
you valuate your power over our lives and we are disposable to

2696
03:03:14,450 --> 03:03:16,452
you. There are so many things I could

2697
03:03:16,452 --> 03:03:18,253
demand that would protect us that I don't have time to name

2698
03:03:18,253 --> 03:03:21,122
them all, but here are three, all of which are within your

2699
03:03:21,122 --> 03:03:23,925
power. One, and mpd's participation in

2700
03:03:23,925 --> 03:03:31,660
the safe and butyl task force. Two, fully comply with the task

2701
03:03:31,660 --> 03:03:34,666
force. Three, hold mpd accountable for

2702
03:03:34,669 --> 03:03:36,671
every broken law. All three of these are something

2703
03:03:36,671 --> 03:03:39,474
that can be done within the district and are what we

2704
03:03:39,474 --> 03:03:41,760
deserve. We deserve a city where we can

2705
03:03:41,760 --> 03:03:44,146
exist without fear that mpd officers covering their badges

2706
03:03:44,146 --> 03:03:47,949
will harass and attack us alongside masked an unidentified

2707
03:03:47,949 --> 03:03:50,552
federal agents, where at best they will traumatize us and at

2708
03:03:50,552 --> 03:03:53,755
worst they will execute us. If you actually care about d.c.,

2709
03:03:53,755 --> 03:03:56,358
if you look at the city and see a community worth protecting and

2710
03:03:56,358 --> 03:03:58,270
celebrating, you will listen to us.

2711
03:03:58,270 --> 03:04:01,964
I said this in november at councilmember nadeau's

2712
03:04:01,964 --> 03:04:03,365
roundtable. I said in december at your

2713
03:04:03,365 --> 03:04:04,733
hearing pairing I am saying it again now.

2714
03:04:04,733 --> 03:04:06,235
maybe this'll be the time you actually hear me.

2715
03:04:06,235 --> 03:04:08,235
thank you. >> ok.

2716
03:04:11,818 --> 03:04:13,818
sam davis. >> hello.

2717
03:04:17,257 --> 03:04:20,126
>> are you sam davis? Or are you testifying for sam

2718
03:04:20,126 --> 03:04:22,128
davis? What is your name?

2719
03:04:22,128 --> 03:04:25,728
>> my name is nampa cooper. Hello.

2720
03:04:33,774 --> 03:04:36,876
I live in ward 5. I am a youth leader on gun

2721
03:04:36,876 --> 03:04:39,679
violence prevention in the district and I represent a

2722
03:04:39,679 --> 03:04:41,748
project. I am deeply concerned about the

2723
03:04:41,748 --> 03:04:45,885
safety of young people in d.c. Today, I'm going to talk about

2724
03:04:45,885 --> 03:04:49,890
issues regarding you safety, safe spaces, and our proposed

2725
03:04:49,890 --> 03:04:51,158
solutions. But first, I will tell you a

2726
03:04:51,158 --> 03:04:54,160
story about what happens when you safety is not prioritized.

2727
03:04:54,160 --> 03:04:56,363
the metro police department does not respond to our calls for

2728
03:04:56,363 --> 03:05:01,901
help when we actually need them. One time, a stabbing happened at

2729
03:05:01,901 --> 03:05:04,303
the train station. The police did not come and that

2730
03:05:04,303 --> 03:05:08,503
person died. Tell me, is that safety?

2731
03:05:08,742 --> 03:05:11,245
we believe funding community spaces is a better investment

2732
03:05:11,245 --> 03:05:14,313
than over policing young people. D.c.'s current solution to youth

2733
03:05:14,313 --> 03:05:17,116
violence is regulating their freedom in d.c..

2734
03:05:17,116 --> 03:05:21,655
investment in safe spaces would look like it's of a curfew and

2735
03:05:21,655 --> 03:05:23,524
federal agents patrolling, youth would be allowed to be

2736
03:05:23,524 --> 03:05:25,458
themselves and nurture their interests.

2737
03:05:25,458 --> 03:05:27,794
safe spaces are violence prevention.

2738
03:05:27,794 --> 03:05:31,640
we have several things the city council can do to support youth.

2739
03:05:31,640 --> 03:05:35,680
most urgently, we want you to create more opportunities for

2740
03:05:35,680 --> 03:05:37,337
youth, especially youth in words seven and eight.

2741
03:05:37,337 --> 03:05:41,341
want you to fund recreation centers as well as organizations

2742
03:05:41,341 --> 03:05:46,141
advocating for youth safety. Make opportunities like the

2743
03:05:47,547 --> 03:05:51,147
summer youth employment program continue year-round.

2744
03:05:53,320 --> 03:05:56,920
and operate as an afterschool program.

2745
03:05:58,125 --> 03:06:01,828
schedule do hearings around youth availability because youth

2746
03:06:01,828 --> 03:06:03,930
should be active in the policymaking process.

2747
03:06:03,930 --> 03:06:07,567
we invite you to come to our schools, or programs, and our

2748
03:06:07,567 --> 03:06:10,704
neighborhoods to meet us. Hear our concerns and policy

2749
03:06:10,704 --> 03:06:12,239
ideas. You cannot say you're being

2750
03:06:12,239 --> 03:06:15,442
accountable to youth without meeting them first.

2751
03:06:15,442 --> 03:06:17,442
>> thank. Jillian buford.

2752
03:06:18,778 --> 03:06:25,378
>> good afternoon, chair pinto. My name is jillian buford, and I

2753
03:06:27,540 --> 03:06:31,391
am a ward 8 resident and policy organizer at harriet's wildest

2754
03:06:31,391 --> 03:06:35,929
dreams, centered on state sanctioned violence in the

2755
03:06:35,929 --> 03:06:38,998
greater d.c. Area. I'm testifying today because I'm

2756
03:06:38,998 --> 03:06:41,734
greatly concerned about mpds collaboration with law

2757
03:06:41,734 --> 03:06:44,471
enforcement agencies. Over the past year, mpds

2758
03:06:44,471 --> 03:06:47,273
cooperation with federal agencies has been more intense

2759
03:06:47,273 --> 03:06:51,544
and aggressive than ever before. As evidenced by the over 1000

2760
03:06:51,544 --> 03:06:54,800
police complaints received in the last year.

2761
03:06:54,800 --> 03:06:56,883
this has set a dangerous precedent that must be addressed

2762
03:06:56,883 --> 03:06:58,485
immediately. The trumpet ministry's and's

2763
03:06:58,485 --> 03:07:01,822
forces have been brutalizing and killing people, including black

2764
03:07:01,822 --> 03:07:05,758
folks right here in d.c.. They are following harmful

2765
03:07:05,758 --> 03:07:09,358
folders -- orders, leaving families separated.

2766
03:07:09,495 --> 03:07:11,497
this issue is important to me because I'm sick and tired of

2767
03:07:11,497 --> 03:07:13,900
losing black to state sanctioned violence.

2768
03:07:13,900 --> 03:07:17,437
on febrile 11, u.s. Marshals shot and killed 43-year-old

2769
03:07:17,437 --> 03:07:22,837
julian -- julian bailey. The federal agents are not

2770
03:07:25,645 --> 03:07:27,180
trained in community response in de-escalation.

2771
03:07:27,180 --> 03:07:31,380
so, what happened? Where is bodycam footage?

2772
03:07:31,384 --> 03:07:35,922
where's the accountability? Twhile I understand the council

2773
03:07:35,922 --> 03:07:38,525
has no power over federal agencies, there are several

2774
03:07:38,525 --> 03:07:42,620
actions the council can take and should take to enforce basic

2775
03:07:42,620 --> 03:07:45,265
safety standards and limit how mpd assists in operations.

2776
03:07:45,265 --> 03:07:47,567
I am coming with several demands.

2777
03:07:47,567 --> 03:07:50,537
prohibit face coverings for federal officers, require

2778
03:07:50,537 --> 03:07:53,940
several agents operating in d.c. To follow the same requirements

2779
03:07:53,940 --> 03:07:59,340
for public identification as mpd, require mpd arrest reports

2780
03:08:00,347 --> 03:08:03,483
list all officers involved in the arrest, prohibit

2781
03:08:03,483 --> 03:08:06,285
mpd from correlating with federal agencies in locations

2782
03:08:06,285 --> 03:08:10,900
such as schools, health care facilities, and organizations

2783
03:08:10,900 --> 03:08:12,959
providing aid. Repeal local qualified immunity

2784
03:08:12,959 --> 03:08:16,563
productions for local officers making arrests under d.c. Law,

2785
03:08:16,563 --> 03:08:18,965
as well as any officer who enters a d.c. School, community

2786
03:08:18,965 --> 03:08:23,436
center, or house of worship. Require mpd to submit a report

2787
03:08:23,436 --> 03:08:25,972
on any interactions they have with a minor, including

2788
03:08:25,972 --> 03:08:29,843
conversations on the street. Conduct all independent

2789
03:08:29,843 --> 03:08:32,912
investigation of all officer-involved shooting's in

2790
03:08:32,912 --> 03:08:35,648
2025 and 2026 and release the names and bodycam footage of all

2791
03:08:35,648 --> 03:08:38,648
officers involved. Restrict vehicular pursuits.

2792
03:08:38,985 --> 03:08:41,921
close the loophole in the sanctuary values act so it

2793
03:08:41,921 --> 03:08:45,258
applies to all d.c. Agencies that contact residents outside

2794
03:08:45,258 --> 03:08:47,593
of holding them in custody. Hold a hearing on the safe

2795
03:08:47,593 --> 03:08:51,793
community police -- safe community act of 2025.

2796
03:08:53,967 --> 03:08:57,937
prohibit mpd from contacting federal agents over personal

2797
03:08:57,937 --> 03:09:00,140
possession of cannabis. But also in addition to these

2798
03:09:00,140 --> 03:09:03,543
demands, I am urging the council to reject the appointment of

2799
03:09:03,543 --> 03:09:05,678
jeffery carroll as a permanent mpd chief.

2800
03:09:05,678 --> 03:09:10,830
not only has a cost the city money with lawsuits, he has been

2801
03:09:10,830 --> 03:09:12,151
documented standing alongside proud boys on january 6.

2802
03:09:12,151 --> 03:09:14,754
is this who you trust to keep us safe?

2803
03:09:14,754 --> 03:09:17,390
he has already proven to be a liability.

2804
03:09:17,390 --> 03:09:20,930
d.c. Residents are doing our part to keep each other safe

2805
03:09:20,930 --> 03:09:22,695
from the militarized police in our communities.

2806
03:09:22,695 --> 03:09:24,698
I am here today to demand you do your part.

2807
03:09:24,698 --> 03:09:27,568
thank you for your time. >> thank you.

2808
03:09:27,568 --> 03:09:29,101
thank you all very much for being here.

2809
03:09:29,101 --> 03:09:34,501
>> very quickly, I recommend that this committee send a

2810
03:09:37,510 --> 03:09:41,914
letter to u.s. Attorney jeanine pirro and invite her to come

2811
03:09:41,914 --> 03:09:44,718
here and testify before this council and the people of the

2812
03:09:44,718 --> 03:09:46,386
district of columbia and stop hiding behind social media

2813
03:09:46,386 --> 03:09:48,386
posts. >> thank you.

2814
03:09:51,658 --> 03:09:54,580
april goggans. Carlo chavarria.

2815
03:09:56,696 --> 03:09:59,960
mikki charles. Loreal hawk.

2816
03:10:04,337 --> 03:10:06,940
if you would mind sitting in this chair and we will go in

2817
03:10:06,940 --> 03:10:10,676
order this way to make sure everyone's testimony is tracked

2818
03:10:10,676 --> 03:10:13,746
with their name. That would be great.

2819
03:10:13,746 --> 03:10:16,146
april carlo. Mikki charles.

2820
03:10:19,725 --> 03:10:24,525
is mikki charles here? Mikki charles not here?

2821
03:10:28,868 --> 03:10:31,268
loreal hawk. Arianna mackey.

2822
03:10:37,476 --> 03:10:42,276
mackie, thank you. We will begin with april

2823
03:10:45,784 --> 03:10:49,984
goggans. >> my name is april goggans and

2824
03:10:58,397 --> 03:11:02,134
I represent blm d.c., and I've been a proud ward 8 resident for

2825
03:11:02,134 --> 03:11:05,604
almost half my life. This performance oversight

2826
03:11:05,604 --> 03:11:10,343
hearing is on mpd, so let's talk about performance.

2827
03:11:10,343 --> 03:11:14,543
let's imagine hypothetically that mpd performed exactly

2828
03:11:15,800 --> 03:11:20,152
as it was built to and murdering me today.

2829
03:11:20,152 --> 03:11:23,156
not a rogue officer, not a tragic mistake, but the logical

2830
03:11:23,156 --> 03:11:29,756
outcome -- are you listening? No, I'm just making sure brooke

2831
03:11:31,960 --> 03:11:35,234
-- she was a little busy. But the logical outcome of

2832
03:11:35,234 --> 03:11:38,234
policy, budget, and political protection.

2833
03:11:38,371 --> 03:11:41,374
since 2001, mpd has operated with expanded federal patrol

2834
03:11:41,374 --> 03:11:44,974
authorities. Since 2000 six, it expanded cctv

2835
03:11:45,511 --> 03:11:47,911
surveillance. Since 2008, shot spotters

2836
03:11:51,517 --> 03:11:54,517
blanketed black neighborhoods. Since 2012, escalated

2837
03:11:55,856 --> 03:11:58,256
enforcement. Since 2018 project safe

2838
03:11:58,924 --> 03:12:00,924
neighborhoods layered coordination.

2839
03:12:03,528 --> 03:12:07,266
federal gun strike forces have wreaked havoc on our city.

2840
03:12:07,266 --> 03:12:12,660
since 2022, flat cameras and expanded license plate readers.

2841
03:12:12,538 --> 03:12:16,738
since 2024, a real-time crime integrating surveillance and

2842
03:12:17,143 --> 03:12:19,880
federal databases. Through it all, mpd's budget has

2843
03:12:19,880 --> 03:12:23,349
grown every year, every request, every expansion approved.

2844
03:12:23,349 --> 03:12:26,552
even when the violence grew, that is mpds performance.

2845
03:12:26,552 --> 03:12:29,880
now imagine the confrontation shaped by that performance.

2846
03:12:29,880 --> 03:12:33,492
if mpd did what it was designed to do and what councilmember

2847
03:12:33,492 --> 03:12:35,761
pinto fights for, the officer who killed me would be deemed

2848
03:12:35,761 --> 03:12:39,361
justified. He would have followed policy,

2849
03:12:39,564 --> 03:12:40,432
placed on paid administrative leave.

2850
03:12:40,432 --> 03:12:45,232
the maga fanatic police chair would defend him.

2851
03:12:45,771 --> 03:12:49,141
the mayor would defend mpd. The council would say they are

2852
03:12:49,141 --> 03:12:52,345
waiting for investigation, but say nothing to my parents or my

2853
03:12:52,345 --> 03:12:53,779
daughter. And mpd would investigate mpd

2854
03:12:53,779 --> 03:12:57,315
because that is the pattern. If there were a vigil for me,

2855
03:12:57,315 --> 03:13:00,986
some of the same councilmembers who voted to expand mpd's power

2856
03:13:00,986 --> 03:13:05,457
would get on the mic and cry. They would mourn me publicly

2857
03:13:05,457 --> 03:13:07,526
while continuing to fund the system that made my death

2858
03:13:07,526 --> 03:13:11,630
possible. They would call for calm and

2859
03:13:11,630 --> 03:13:14,132
pass another enforcement bill because the point is not safety.

2860
03:13:14,132 --> 03:13:17,690
the point is about preservation of the institution.

2861
03:13:17,690 --> 03:13:19,337
mpd's culture would activate. The character assassination

2862
03:13:19,337 --> 03:13:22,274
would begin. She was anti-police, radical,

2863
03:13:22,274 --> 03:13:25,944
unstable. They would dissect my life like

2864
03:13:25,944 --> 03:13:27,613
evidence. They would say I was a single

2865
03:13:27,613 --> 03:13:30,549
mother, as if that makes me disposable.

2866
03:13:30,549 --> 03:13:34,753
they would say I survived abuse as a surviving -- as if

2867
03:13:34,753 --> 03:13:37,156
surviving abuse makes me violent.

2868
03:13:37,156 --> 03:13:39,759
they would weaponize my humanity.

2869
03:13:39,759 --> 03:13:44,696
they would turn my resilience into suspicion, my survival into

2870
03:13:44,696 --> 03:13:48,368
pathology, my truth into justification for my death, not

2871
03:13:48,368 --> 03:13:51,636
to understand me but to make what happened to me feel

2872
03:13:51,636 --> 03:13:53,639
reasonable. Not to key minima -- not to

2873
03:13:53,639 --> 03:13:57,843
humanize me but to make me suspicious, to imply I was

2874
03:13:57,843 --> 03:14:00,120
responsible. That is not reform or failure,

2875
03:14:00,120 --> 03:14:02,714
that is designed. White's a promise he does not

2876
03:14:02,714 --> 03:14:05,917
require open slurs. It requires expanding budgets

2877
03:14:05,917 --> 03:14:11,317
regardless of harm. Once the smoke clears, it is

2878
03:14:12,924 --> 03:14:15,194
back to secure d.c., back to expanded detention.

2879
03:14:15,194 --> 03:14:18,194
>> thank you. >> carlo chavarria, public

2880
03:14:20,733 --> 03:14:23,733
witness. >> thank you, chairwoman pinto,

2881
03:14:29,475 --> 03:14:35,347
and members of the committee. My name is carlo chavarria, and

2882
03:14:35,347 --> 03:14:37,749
I am a resident of ward 4. I am a longtime organizer who

2883
03:14:37,749 --> 03:14:41,221
has been active in various community roles in the last year

2884
03:14:41,221 --> 03:14:43,288
and over the last nine years alone.

2885
03:14:43,288 --> 03:14:47,492
I am here to testify on the impact of mpd's cooperation with

2886
03:14:47,492 --> 03:14:51,162
federal law enforcement, how it is echoing america's history of

2887
03:14:51,162 --> 03:14:53,832
race coded fascism. Over the last six months, the

2888
03:14:53,832 --> 03:14:58,503
safe and beautiful task force has been occupying force in this

2889
03:14:58,503 --> 03:15:00,272
city. They abuse their authority to

2890
03:15:00,272 --> 03:15:06,112
terrorize in at least five cases kill d.c. Residents, and

2891
03:15:06,112 --> 03:15:08,147
in response to congresswoman crawford's point from earlier,

2892
03:15:08,147 --> 03:15:13,520
their presence has been a deterrent to d.c. Safety, not an

2893
03:15:13,520 --> 03:15:15,220
enforcement. Living in petworth, I have seen

2894
03:15:15,220 --> 03:15:17,791
the neighborhood become a staging ground for mass

2895
03:15:17,791 --> 03:15:20,459
profiling of black and brown people.

2896
03:15:20,459 --> 03:15:23,328
the intersections of georgia avenue were once safe spaces for

2897
03:15:23,328 --> 03:15:26,331
the unhoused. Now they can't safely receive

2898
03:15:26,331 --> 03:15:29,869
community or city wide support. Apartment buildings are

2899
03:15:29,869 --> 03:15:34,740
regularly targeted in raids and other federal sweeps with

2900
03:15:34,740 --> 03:15:37,676
mpd officers actively on-site. Sometimes they will say they are

2901
03:15:37,676 --> 03:15:40,879
responding to a call. Other times they won't respond

2902
03:15:40,879 --> 03:15:43,281
at all. Just working within the

2903
03:15:43,281 --> 03:15:45,551
anonymity of the federal government.

2904
03:15:45,551 --> 03:15:50,351
I have seen everyone from hospitality workers to

2905
03:15:51,623 --> 03:15:53,910
ride-share drivers to my own neighbors watch out for the

2906
03:15:53,910 --> 03:15:57,891
black man's with out-of-state plates regularly sticking out

2907
03:15:59,531 --> 03:16:01,967
intersections, waiting for people to make the

2908
03:16:01,967 --> 03:16:04,503
wrong turn. Yet marielle bowser and

2909
03:16:04,503 --> 03:16:07,506
leadership supports their presence, claiming the streets

2910
03:16:07,506 --> 03:16:10,642
are safer because they are a deterrent to violent crime.

2911
03:16:10,642 --> 03:16:15,247
but that logic -- by that logic, all residents are potential

2912
03:16:15,247 --> 03:16:17,115
criminals, another scapegoat for the success of these fascists.

2913
03:16:17,115 --> 03:16:21,253
for all the limitations on d.c. Self-governance, there are

2914
03:16:21,253 --> 03:16:24,923
several actionable steps you and dc council can and should take

2915
03:16:24,923 --> 03:16:28,932
to enforce basic safety. They will be submitted on the

2916
03:16:28,932 --> 03:16:32,200
record as many have already spoken on these 11 points.

2917
03:16:32,200 --> 03:16:35,605
I would like to highlight the ones that enforce the will of

2918
03:16:35,605 --> 03:16:40,143
the people and the laws that you will have passed, specifically

2919
03:16:40,143 --> 03:16:42,612
points eight through 11. Restricting vehicular pursuits

2920
03:16:42,612 --> 03:16:46,282
for all federal agencies, closing the loophole in the

2921
03:16:46,282 --> 03:16:50,153
sanctuary values act, holding hearings on the safe community

2922
03:16:50,153 --> 03:16:54,324
places and policing amendment act of 2020 five, and

2923
03:16:54,324 --> 03:16:57,693
prohibiting mpd from contacting federal agents over personal

2924
03:16:57,693 --> 03:17:01,765
possession of cannabis. Lastly, as we discuss how white

2925
03:17:01,765 --> 03:17:04,634
supremacy is shaping law enforcement, I call on you to

2926
03:17:04,634 --> 03:17:07,370
oppose the appointment of jeffery carroll as permanent mpd

2927
03:17:07,370 --> 03:17:10,741
chief. Not only has he enabled

2928
03:17:10,741 --> 03:17:14,378
harassment of female officers, he is a known sympathizer to

2929
03:17:14,378 --> 03:17:17,113
white supremacists with documented accounts of him

2930
03:17:17,113 --> 03:17:19,616
collaborating with the proud boys and other hate groups.

2931
03:17:19,616 --> 03:17:22,919
I know we all care about d.c. Sovereignty and safety.

2932
03:17:22,919 --> 03:17:26,556
I ask you to act on it as you have claimed.

2933
03:17:26,556 --> 03:17:28,392
thank you very much. End the occupation.

2934
03:17:28,392 --> 03:17:31,992
>> thank you. Loreal hawk, civil rights

2935
03:17:34,197 --> 03:17:34,931
attorney, erase the database d.c.

2936
03:17:34,931 --> 03:17:41,710
>> my name is loreal hawk and I am testifying as a ward 3

2937
03:17:41,710 --> 03:17:43,707
resident, civil rights attorney, and founder of the erase the

2938
03:17:43,707 --> 03:17:48,745
database d.c. Coalition. We were founded in 2021 and the

2939
03:17:48,745 --> 03:17:51,682
mission is to abolish racist surveillance technologies and

2940
03:17:51,682 --> 03:17:55,552
the racist surveillance state. We do this by advocacy and

2941
03:17:55,552 --> 03:17:57,754
organizing to abolish discriminatory policies and

2942
03:17:57,754 --> 03:18:00,157
technologies used to perfect rice's outcomes.

2943
03:18:00,157 --> 03:18:03,160
we also build community power and demand transformative

2944
03:18:03,160 --> 03:18:06,763
systems of care instead of useless experimental and

2945
03:18:06,763 --> 03:18:07,832
expensive surveillance technologies.

2946
03:18:07,832 --> 03:18:12,903
from cctv, red light camera come out to the usage of

2947
03:18:12,903 --> 03:18:15,903
celebrite entanglements, it is important

2948
03:18:19,543 --> 03:18:23,180
to know that they did not disclose any of the technologies

2949
03:18:23,180 --> 03:18:26,490
I just listed. All of this tech converges into

2950
03:18:26,490 --> 03:18:30,720
specific policies, like the database created in, or the

2951
03:18:30,720 --> 03:18:32,522
real-time crime center that went live in 2024.

2952
03:18:32,522 --> 03:18:36,459
when mpd wants to compile info on someone, they use devices to

2953
03:18:36,459 --> 03:18:38,727
track movements. When they make a search or

2954
03:18:38,727 --> 03:18:41,640
arrest based on vague assumption of gang affiliation, they may

2955
03:18:41,640 --> 03:18:46,464
use celebrite to search a person's phone within minutes.

2956
03:18:47,570 --> 03:18:51,341
if they decide to monitor a resident to the real-time crime

2957
03:18:51,341 --> 03:18:53,876
center or the d.c. Gang database, every public or

2958
03:18:53,876 --> 03:18:58,247
private camera in the city may be for use by mpd to track their

2959
03:18:58,247 --> 03:19:00,316
movements. Collectively, mpd is empowered

2960
03:19:00,316 --> 03:19:03,152
to know everything about a person with or without a

2961
03:19:03,152 --> 03:19:05,154
warrant. They use this information to

2962
03:19:05,154 --> 03:19:08,291
surveilled, harassed, and create pretext for arrest, like

2963
03:19:08,291 --> 03:19:10,960
labeling someone a gang member by seeing them attract with

2964
03:19:10,960 --> 03:19:13,496
their gang members. In essence, walking while black

2965
03:19:13,496 --> 03:19:16,966
or brown became automated. Mpd is willing to spend millions

2966
03:19:16,966 --> 03:19:20,703
on this type of technology. In fact, mpd wants to spend an

2967
03:19:20,703 --> 03:19:24,303
additional $5 million alone on additional cameras.

2968
03:19:24,941 --> 03:19:27,377
how taxpayer dollars should not be spent on the list technology.

2969
03:19:27,377 --> 03:19:30,647
our dollars should not be spent on experiments all an extensive

2970
03:19:30,647 --> 03:19:34,116
technologies that share obscene amounts of info with law

2971
03:19:34,116 --> 03:19:35,652
enforcement. Mpd already regularly share

2972
03:19:35,652 --> 03:19:38,988
information with more than 30 federal agencies before the

2973
03:19:38,988 --> 03:19:41,858
occupation. Since the occupation began,

2974
03:19:41,858 --> 03:19:44,661
there has been an increase in 24 arrests per day, as told and

2975
03:19:44,661 --> 03:19:49,265
observed by d.c. Court watch. Of those arrested, 86% were

2976
03:19:49,265 --> 03:19:54,300
black, which is more than double the opposition of black d.c.

2977
03:19:54,300 --> 03:19:57,603
residents. Council has worked to create

2978
03:20:00,743 --> 03:20:04,146
responses like the crisis response team, crt, and champs,

2979
03:20:04,146 --> 03:20:05,482
but these services are not enough.

2980
03:20:05,482 --> 03:20:08,952
less than 1% of 911 calls are divided -- diverted.

2981
03:20:08,952 --> 03:20:14,352
in some spending money on flock, cellebrite, or other

2982
03:20:14,891 --> 03:20:17,494
technologies, we should be focusing on implement e-models

2983
03:20:17,494 --> 03:20:21,364
like on point and scaling up crt and champs.

2984
03:20:21,364 --> 03:20:25,568
on point provides free mental health services, drug treatment,

2985
03:20:25,568 --> 03:20:27,404
meals, laundry services, and other services to meet

2986
03:20:27,404 --> 03:20:32,204
residents' needs. They were able to intervene in

2987
03:20:33,109 --> 03:20:35,100
over 700 overdoses. This is the type of service we

2988
03:20:35,100 --> 03:20:38,314
should invest in to protect our citizens, not extensive machine

2989
03:20:38,314 --> 03:20:41,718
learning that can develop a complete dossier of residents

2990
03:20:41,718 --> 03:20:42,319
within seconds. Thank you.

2991
03:20:42,319 --> 03:20:46,519
>> thank you. Arianna mackey, erase the gang

2992
03:20:47,123 --> 03:20:51,323
database d.c. >> chairperson pinto and members

2993
03:20:51,528 --> 03:20:56,265
of the judiciary, I have been here before representing a

2994
03:20:56,265 --> 03:21:00,203
client whose son was murdered by mpd without accountability.

2995
03:21:00,203 --> 03:21:03,600
my name is arianna mackey and I live in ward 6.

2996
03:21:03,600 --> 03:21:05,975
today, I am testifying as a georgetown law student and

2997
03:21:05,975 --> 03:21:10,175
represented up a the database d.c.

2998
03:21:10,313 --> 03:21:15,351
-- erase the database d.c. I am worried about the harm and

2999
03:21:15,351 --> 03:21:18,870
abuse enacted by the metro police department's continued

3000
03:21:18,870 --> 03:21:19,355
cooperation with federal law enforcement agencies and the

3001
03:21:19,355 --> 03:21:23,326
reliance on the gang database. I am urging the council to

3002
03:21:23,326 --> 03:21:28,726
prohibit federal law enforcement from working with mpd on

3003
03:21:29,632 --> 03:21:32,570
covering their faces and force them to adhere to existing laws

3004
03:21:32,570 --> 03:21:36,639
and public identification. To require that all officers

3005
03:21:36,639 --> 03:21:39,575
from all agencies on the scene of an mpd arrest be listed by

3006
03:21:39,575 --> 03:21:43,713
name and badge number and arrest reports.

3007
03:21:43,713 --> 03:21:46,500
to prohibit mpd from coordinating with federal agents

3008
03:21:46,500 --> 03:21:50,850
in sensitive locations like schools, health care facilities,

3009
03:21:51,587 --> 03:21:55,570
and organizations providing aid, and to prohibit mpd and other

3010
03:21:55,570 --> 03:21:57,600
local and federal law enforcement agencies from using

3011
03:21:57,600 --> 03:22:01,264
d.c.'s vague and discriminatory gang database good as my

3012
03:22:01,264 --> 03:22:04,401
colleague mentioned, mpd maintains a gang database of

3013
03:22:04,401 --> 03:22:09,472
individuals with ties that mpd has considered gang ties.

3014
03:22:09,472 --> 03:22:15,411
mpd can add anyone to it. If they observe an individual

3015
03:22:15,411 --> 03:22:17,547
associating with assumed gang members.

3016
03:22:17,547 --> 03:22:20,583
mpd can conclude a person is a gang member based on tattoos,

3017
03:22:20,583 --> 03:22:25,383
clothing, the public housing they live in, or

3018
03:22:27,223 --> 03:22:28,959
affiliations. Mpd is collecting personal

3019
03:22:28,959 --> 03:22:31,361
information from a large number of people who are likely not

3020
03:22:31,361 --> 03:22:35,765
gang members. Less than half of d.c.'s

3021
03:22:35,765 --> 03:22:39,505
population is black, but 80% of the people in the database are

3022
03:22:39,505 --> 03:22:41,874
listed as black. Only one individual is listed in

3023
03:22:41,874 --> 03:22:47,274
the database as white as of 20. This omits white

3024
03:22:47,513 --> 03:22:51,517
supremacist groups and others. 90 percent are named after

3025
03:22:51,517 --> 03:22:55,117
street corners and public housing complex.

3026
03:22:55,254 --> 03:22:57,724
this is used to justify aggressive policing in our

3027
03:22:57,724 --> 03:23:01,794
community. Mpd does not even a form --

3028
03:23:01,794 --> 03:23:05,640
inform people they are in the database, nor of a have a

3029
03:23:05,640 --> 03:23:07,867
process to appeal ones included in it.

3030
03:23:07,867 --> 03:23:12,139
the best I can tell the council, again, be passed legislation,

3031
03:23:12,139 --> 03:23:15,207
dismantling the database, and prohibiting government

3032
03:23:15,207 --> 03:23:16,476
surveillance strictly on personal association or

3033
03:23:16,476 --> 03:23:20,345
protected classes in accordance with the d.c. Human rights act.

3034
03:23:20,345 --> 03:23:27,860
as a resident of ward 6, I walk outside every day and see

3035
03:23:27,860 --> 03:23:28,855
my neighbors struggling in the freezing weather.

3036
03:23:28,855 --> 03:23:31,624
their needs remain unmet at the presence of law enforcement

3037
03:23:31,624 --> 03:23:34,660
increases and fails to help the community.

3038
03:23:34,660 --> 03:23:39,165
council members, will you take a stand for the residents of the

3039
03:23:39,165 --> 03:23:41,367
district? I hope so.

3040
03:23:41,367 --> 03:23:44,967
thank you. Chair pinto: thank you.

3041
03:23:45,505 --> 03:23:48,474
thank you all for your testimony.

3042
03:23:48,474 --> 03:23:55,674
we will be asking interim chief to carol -- interim chief caroll

3043
03:23:57,250 --> 03:23:59,552
about these databases. Thank you.

3044
03:23:59,552 --> 03:24:06,152
oliver merino, merawi gerima, and, ms. Gerima, if you can sit

3045
03:24:14,600 --> 03:24:18,271
on this seat, we will go in this order.

3046
03:24:18,271 --> 03:24:21,271
james stroud, chad oliver. Great.

3047
03:24:25,277 --> 03:24:27,800
we will begin with oliver merino, public witness.

3048
03:24:27,800 --> 03:24:30,416
all of thank you. Good morning.

3049
03:24:30,416 --> 03:24:35,755
my name is oliver. I'm here with the coalition,

3050
03:24:35,755 --> 03:24:38,230
thank you for being here, everyone.

3051
03:24:38,230 --> 03:24:43,228
this is, of course, not the first time that we are here.

3052
03:24:43,228 --> 03:24:48,300
for months, we have called on the dc council to hold the

3053
03:24:48,300 --> 03:24:50,970
metropolitan police department accountable, to convene a

3054
03:24:50,970 --> 03:24:54,306
dedicated hearing about this voluntary collaboration with

3055
03:24:54,306 --> 03:25:00,906
federal officers, to demand that our local laws are respected and

3056
03:25:01,847 --> 03:25:06,252
upheld, and yet nothing meaningful has been done.

3057
03:25:06,252 --> 03:25:11,157
the mpd voluntary collaboration with I.c.e., cbp, u.s. Marshal,

3058
03:25:11,157 --> 03:25:16,557
park police, dea, fbi have violated people's civil rights,

3059
03:25:17,262 --> 03:25:19,532
have further criminalized our community, have led to racial

3060
03:25:19,532 --> 03:25:25,471
profiling, and these federal agents have even shot and killed

3061
03:25:25,471 --> 03:25:27,606
our community members. All of this collaboration has

3062
03:25:27,606 --> 03:25:31,410
happened and has happened willingly, openly, and without

3063
03:25:31,410 --> 03:25:34,747
any type of accountability. This is not about safety.

3064
03:25:34,747 --> 03:25:38,947
this is about placating a xenophobic federal

3065
03:25:39,180 --> 03:25:39,885
administration. Enough is enough.

3066
03:25:39,885 --> 03:25:44,523
we are demanding the end of this collaboration once again fit our

3067
03:25:44,523 --> 03:25:48,427
taxes should not be going to continue this collaboration.

3068
03:25:48,427 --> 03:25:51,831
invest in community, not federal collaboration that tears

3069
03:25:51,831 --> 03:25:54,233
families apart and puts our communities at risk.

3070
03:25:54,233 --> 03:25:59,571
no more money to abduct our immigrant neighbors, no more

3071
03:25:59,571 --> 03:26:02,375
money to protect federal agents that shoot first and ask

3072
03:26:02,375 --> 03:26:05,411
questions later. No more money for coverups.

3073
03:26:05,411 --> 03:26:09,110
the council has oversight over mpd.

3074
03:26:10,490 --> 03:26:12,517
there must be accountability of the harm that has already been

3075
03:26:12,517 --> 03:26:16,117
committed. There must be certainty about

3076
03:26:16,455 --> 03:26:18,791
how this collaboration has worked and continues to happen,

3077
03:26:18,791 --> 03:26:20,727
and there must be action from the council.

3078
03:26:20,727 --> 03:26:23,562
it's not enough to ask questions.

3079
03:26:23,562 --> 03:26:27,533
you have to lead, you have to take action.

3080
03:26:27,533 --> 03:26:31,270
besides the council's budget oversight power, you can

3081
03:26:31,270 --> 03:26:35,470
introduce and pass emergency legislation that specifically

3082
03:26:35,474 --> 03:26:39,545
prevents mpd from collaborating with immigration enforcement and

3083
03:26:39,545 --> 03:26:42,281
assisting federal agents that terrorize our community.

3084
03:26:42,281 --> 03:26:46,180
how are you preparing to protect our immigrant neighbors?

3085
03:26:46,180 --> 03:26:51,323
what are you doing now to prevent more harm in the future?

3086
03:26:51,323 --> 03:26:55,761
we need emergency organization. We needed it six months ago.

3087
03:26:55,761 --> 03:26:57,950
it's not too late to do the right thing.

3088
03:26:57,950 --> 03:26:58,631
thank you. [applause]

3089
03:26:58,631 --> 03:27:04,310
chair pinto: thank you. Dt alliance against some --

3090
03:27:14,246 --> 03:27:15,981
merawi gerima, organizer of d.c. Alliance against racist and

3091
03:27:15,981 --> 03:27:18,381
political repression. >> thank you.

3092
03:27:19,251 --> 03:27:23,522
we heard about how her husband was murdered by u.s. Marshals,

3093
03:27:23,522 --> 03:27:26,392
and you sat there and told her you would get to the bottom of

3094
03:27:26,392 --> 03:27:29,728
it, which is quite upsetting to me, because philip brown was

3095
03:27:29,728 --> 03:27:34,266
shot at by homeland security officers back in october.

3096
03:27:34,266 --> 03:27:39,405
since then, we've been coming ?o every hearing possible to raise

3097
03:27:39,405 --> 03:27:43,543
the case of brown and justin, who was also shot at by homeland

3098
03:27:43,543 --> 03:27:47,547
security officers. And since then, no legislation

3099
03:27:47,547 --> 03:27:52,884
have been introduced by you to limit the activity of these

3100
03:27:52,884 --> 03:27:58,557
federal agents, and we say that had you acted with haste back

3101
03:27:58,557 --> 03:28:03,228
then, we believe that julian baily's beads life may have been

3102
03:28:03,228 --> 03:28:06,632
spared by the racist officers and agents who are running

3103
03:28:06,632 --> 03:28:12,238
through our city, unchecked by the city council and the mayor.

3104
03:28:12,238 --> 03:28:15,374
that is the first thing. When you say get to the bottom

3105
03:28:15,374 --> 03:28:21,470
of it, you know, I'm not sure exactly what that even means,

3106
03:28:21,470 --> 03:28:25,685
because you seem up to this point to the lonely been willing

3107
03:28:25,685 --> 03:28:29,522
or able to send questionnaires to mpd, just so they can throw

3108
03:28:29,522 --> 03:28:31,457
them back in your face, unanswered.

3109
03:28:31,457 --> 03:28:35,928
we want justice. We are not saying we want only

3110
03:28:35,928 --> 03:28:40,232
the information on who did it. We do.

3111
03:28:40,232 --> 03:28:47,606
we want justice, you know, and here at the d.c. Alliance, all

3112
03:28:47,606 --> 03:28:54,206
of us, phillip brown's murder, for bailey's murder as well, we

3113
03:28:55,615 --> 03:28:58,686
want them charge, we want them locked up.

3114
03:28:58,686 --> 03:29:01,955
killer cops should be locked up. They cannot come into our city

3115
03:29:01,955 --> 03:29:08,555
and break d.c. Laws. They are not above the law.

3116
03:29:08,662 --> 03:29:12,899
I was in chicago when they passed I.c.e. On notice and the

3117
03:29:12,899 --> 03:29:17,699
executive order, mandating cbd investigate federal agents that

3118
03:29:18,372 --> 03:29:22,909
break chicago law. We want to make d.c. A place

3119
03:29:22,909 --> 03:29:25,912
where these racist agents are afraid to break our laws.

3120
03:29:25,912 --> 03:29:30,384
that's what we want. And we are not afraid of

3121
03:29:30,384 --> 03:29:32,319
retaliation by trump. He's already attacking us, you

3122
03:29:32,319 --> 03:29:36,322
know. This was fought for and won by

3123
03:29:36,322 --> 03:29:38,526
the movement and will be defended by exactly the same

3124
03:29:38,526 --> 03:29:41,661
thing. It won't be you and whoever else

3125
03:29:41,661 --> 03:29:45,650
will do it. That's what here in the d.c.

3126
03:29:45,650 --> 03:29:50,690
alliance, we fight and will build a movement to get through

3127
03:29:50,690 --> 03:29:52,606
the police here in washington, d.c., because we see day after

3128
03:29:52,606 --> 03:29:54,941
day elected officials who will not raise a finger to defend the

3129
03:29:54,941 --> 03:30:00,790
people of this city, and we want that democratic option.

3130
03:30:00,790 --> 03:30:02,682
take that power to the city council in the mayor and put it

3131
03:30:02,682 --> 03:30:05,886
in the hands of the people to give them a way to hold these

3132
03:30:05,886 --> 03:30:07,286
cops accountable when they kill our people.

3133
03:30:07,286 --> 03:30:08,880
thank you. [applause]

3134
03:30:08,880 --> 03:30:12,888
chair pinto: thank you. James stroud, public witness.

3135
03:30:16,163 --> 03:30:20,634
james: I'm james stroud, and I've been a resident for almost

3136
03:30:20,634 --> 03:30:23,236
four years, and I've lived in the d.c. Area for over eight

3137
03:30:23,236 --> 03:30:25,439
years. I'm a statistician at fema.

3138
03:30:25,439 --> 03:30:31,439
I previously worked at the johns hopkins university, and hold

3139
03:30:31,678 --> 03:30:33,113
degrees in statistics from john hopkins university.

3140
03:30:33,113 --> 03:30:36,850
starting in 2018, mpd has released their police stop data,

3141
03:30:36,850 --> 03:30:39,510
a record of each individual stop.

3142
03:30:39,510 --> 03:30:42,922
this data is a very basic form of accountability and

3143
03:30:42,922 --> 03:30:45,525
transparency for mpd, which is especially important now when we

3144
03:30:45,525 --> 03:30:49,463
seen a huge shift in how mpd offerings with his cooperation

3145
03:30:49,463 --> 03:30:54,263
-- operates with I.c.e. And others.

3146
03:30:58,138 --> 03:31:01,908
mpd has not released any stop data from 2025, which is a

3147
03:31:01,908 --> 03:31:04,677
violation of the act which requires biannual publication of

3148
03:31:04,677 --> 03:31:08,480
this data. It is impossible to capture the

3149
03:31:08,480 --> 03:31:11,351
full impact of mpd's cooperation with I.c.e. And other entities

3150
03:31:11,351 --> 03:31:15,555
without this crucial data. Before I dig into the 2024 data,

3151
03:31:15,555 --> 03:31:18,692
I want to point out that the's population is about 2% black and

3152
03:31:18,692 --> 03:31:21,692
38% white. In 2024 -- 42% black and 38%

3153
03:31:23,630 --> 03:31:27,230
white. In 2024, 9% of the stops were

3154
03:31:28,434 --> 03:31:30,904
white people. So two populations are about the

3155
03:31:30,904 --> 03:31:33,240
same size, yet one is stopped by the police over eight times more

3156
03:31:33,240 --> 03:31:36,410
than the other. Let's look at stops where there

3157
03:31:36,410 --> 03:31:41,210
no arrests, no ticket, or no warning given.

3158
03:31:47,321 --> 03:31:48,523
the clearest cases of a person doing absolutely nothing wrong

3159
03:31:48,523 --> 03:31:49,522
for black people, bees are one in four stops.

3160
03:31:49,522 --> 03:31:52,292
for white people, that number is one in eight.

3161
03:31:52,292 --> 03:31:56,530
they do wrong much less often but are stopped over eight times

3162
03:31:56,530 --> 03:31:57,598
as often? This is a clear case of

3163
03:31:57,598 --> 03:32:02,136
discrimination. The aclu of d.c. Has public

3164
03:32:02,136 --> 03:32:05,736
reports of similar numbers for 2019, 2020, and 2023.

3165
03:32:06,607 --> 03:32:10,110
these stops are not just a minor inconvenience.

3166
03:32:10,110 --> 03:32:11,878
they result in harm. Black people are

3167
03:32:11,878 --> 03:32:14,415
disproportionately the victims of police use of force and

3168
03:32:14,415 --> 03:32:15,816
police killings and they erode the public's trust in the

3169
03:32:15,816 --> 03:32:19,416
police. They ensure that people don't

3170
03:32:19,486 --> 03:32:22,356
trust the police, are less likely to report a crime and

3171
03:32:22,356 --> 03:32:25,426
they themselves are the victims. I want to finish by telling a

3172
03:32:25,426 --> 03:32:29,563
story about new york city. Between 2004 and 2012, 80% of

3173
03:32:29,563 --> 03:32:32,632
the police stops where the black and latino people who only made

3174
03:32:32,632 --> 03:32:36,470
up half of their population. Sound familiar?

3175
03:32:36,470 --> 03:32:41,842
in 2013, a judge ruled that nypd's stop and frisk policy is

3176
03:32:41,842 --> 03:32:44,312
unconstitutional. The ruling resulted in a huge

3177
03:32:44,312 --> 03:32:47,380
decrease in the number of police stops, from hundreds of

3178
03:32:47,380 --> 03:32:49,715
thousands of stops year to 12,000 a year.

3179
03:32:49,715 --> 03:32:54,540
with that change, crime only decrease from previous

3180
03:32:54,540 --> 03:32:56,322
years. In 2024, mpd stopped over 73,000

3181
03:32:56,322 --> 03:32:59,322
people. Meanwhile, nypd only stopped

3182
03:33:00,927 --> 03:33:05,198
25,000 people. Why are the police in a city of

3183
03:33:05,198 --> 03:33:09,803
700 pounds and stopping more people than a city of over 8

3184
03:33:09,803 --> 03:33:13,403
million? Mpd needs to publish its 2025

3185
03:33:14,675 --> 03:33:16,744
stop data immediately. If this is too cumbersome to do

3186
03:33:16,744 --> 03:33:19,612
in a timely manner, maybe they should not be stopping three

3187
03:33:19,612 --> 03:33:20,348
times more people than nypd does.

3188
03:33:20,348 --> 03:33:23,948
[applause] chair pinto: thank you, mr.

3189
03:33:23,950 --> 03:33:26,950
stroud. Chad oliver, public witness.

3190
03:33:28,889 --> 03:33:32,759
chad: good afternoon, chairman. My name is chad oliver, and I

3191
03:33:32,759 --> 03:33:35,830
live in ward 4. I'm here today as an organizer

3192
03:33:35,830 --> 03:33:40,630
with dsa and the families not fed coalition.

3193
03:33:42,435 --> 03:33:45,705
before interim chief of police carroll comes up and begins to

3194
03:33:45,705 --> 03:33:48,307
distort the truth, I would like to provide you with your reality

3195
03:33:48,307 --> 03:33:50,244
of what is going on in this city from the perspective of a person

3196
03:33:50,244 --> 03:33:54,381
who lives in one of the communities being terrorized by

3197
03:33:54,381 --> 03:33:59,386
federal agents and the mpd. On an evening sometime close to

3198
03:33:59,386 --> 03:34:02,188
the -- close to christmas, I received an alert that federal

3199
03:34:02,188 --> 03:34:03,757
agents and mpd were harassing a neighbor not far from my home.

3200
03:34:03,757 --> 03:34:10,630
when I arrived at the same, I met five federal agents forming

3201
03:34:10,630 --> 03:34:12,598
a perimeter around several mpd officers who were harassing

3202
03:34:12,598 --> 03:34:16,169
unhoused woman for having an open container.

3203
03:34:16,169 --> 03:34:19,169
this woman was ultimately detained.

3204
03:34:20,140 --> 03:34:22,900
this was not an isolated incident.

3205
03:34:22,900 --> 03:34:26,790
many of us in the community have experience freezing days and

3206
03:34:26,790 --> 03:34:29,415
nights, and an uptick in unhoused neighbors being

3207
03:34:29,415 --> 03:34:35,415
harassed by federal agents and retained for -- attained for

3208
03:34:35,622 --> 03:34:37,625
minor offenses. These individuals are vulnerable

3209
03:34:37,625 --> 03:34:41,628
to this cruel treatment. Mpd will tell you this is simply

3210
03:34:41,628 --> 03:34:44,531
about reducing crime in the city and making america safe again,

3211
03:34:44,531 --> 03:34:47,567
but those of us that are watching the streets every day

3212
03:34:47,567 --> 03:34:54,141
know that this is a lie. It is simply about meeting

3213
03:34:54,141 --> 03:34:55,108
quotas. When the federal agents can't

3214
03:34:55,108 --> 03:34:56,642
target our immigrant neighbors, they prey on whoever is

3215
03:34:56,642 --> 03:34:57,978
available when they are most vulnerable.

3216
03:34:57,978 --> 03:35:02,536
it is about desensitizing masses and armed federal forces in

3217
03:35:02,536 --> 03:35:05,806
those cities. As the community defense

3218
03:35:05,806 --> 03:35:09,944
organizer in this moment, I am asked, why aren't we doing what

3219
03:35:09,944 --> 03:35:12,746
minneapolis is doing? Why aren't our leaders acting

3220
03:35:12,746 --> 03:35:15,149
like those in chicago or los angeles?

3221
03:35:15,149 --> 03:35:18,952
I must constantly remind them that this is d.c..

3222
03:35:18,952 --> 03:35:19,887
the conditions are very different here.

3223
03:35:19,887 --> 03:35:25,225
we are not a state. But now I'm asking myself, why

3224
03:35:25,225 --> 03:35:29,897
do I feel the need to explain our leaders' failures away.

3225
03:35:29,897 --> 03:35:31,899
why am I perpetrating the lie that there is nothing that we in

3226
03:35:31,899 --> 03:35:36,636
the city can do? Those other cities, they chose

3227
03:35:36,636 --> 03:35:40,641
to fight, and so must we. We cannot afford to sit around

3228
03:35:40,641 --> 03:35:42,442
doing nothing hoping our love can change them and we cannot

3229
03:35:42,442 --> 03:35:45,111
wait for the midterms and hope that a potential sympathetic

3230
03:35:45,111 --> 03:35:49,850
congress will protect us. We must fight, we must resist,

3231
03:35:49,850 --> 03:35:52,986
and we must create a d.c. For all d.c. Residents.

3232
03:35:52,986 --> 03:35:58,525
so I ask you, the leaders of our city, to fight, end all

3233
03:35:58,525 --> 03:36:03,530
collaboration between mpd and I.c.e., both I.c.e. And trunk's

3234
03:36:03,530 --> 03:36:05,599
federal forces. Fully complied, honor, and

3235
03:36:05,599 --> 03:36:08,599
strength the sanctuary values act.

3236
03:36:09,203 --> 03:36:14,300
demand transparency and accountability for mpd, and end

3237
03:36:15,750 --> 03:36:16,810
the cooperation with trump's task force.

3238
03:36:16,810 --> 03:36:19,213
do not allow this white house to use our police force as a tool

3239
03:36:19,213 --> 03:36:23,350
of hatred and tyranny. Finally, protect the families of

3240
03:36:23,350 --> 03:36:27,954
this district and not be federal agents and mpd gangs that roam

3241
03:36:27,954 --> 03:36:29,623
our communities and terrorize our neighbors.

3242
03:36:29,623 --> 03:36:30,158
thank you. [applause]

3243
03:36:30,158 --> 03:36:34,895
chair pinto: thank you. Thank you all very much.

3244
03:36:34,895 --> 03:36:39,695
christina murdoch, clinton james, clinton james, are you

3245
03:36:42,369 --> 03:36:44,769
here? Carly schippits, tanya

3246
03:36:52,613 --> 03:36:56,213
golash-boza, tanya golash-boza, are you here?

3247
03:36:59,853 --> 03:37:02,853
lina s. Alright, christina murdoch,

3248
03:37:11,765 --> 03:37:14,100
public witness, go ahead. Christina: my name is christina

3249
03:37:14,100 --> 03:37:18,801
murdoch. I'm a member of the d.c.

3250
03:37:19,606 --> 03:37:20,608
alliance against racist and political repression.

3251
03:37:20,608 --> 03:37:25,546
we fight for community control of the police, so that the

3252
03:37:25,546 --> 03:37:31,485
people of d.c. Can say who they are policed by and how.

3253
03:37:31,485 --> 03:37:36,490
we were started by a movement to free angela davis from political

3254
03:37:36,490 --> 03:37:41,295
oppression in jail. I'm also a proud member of the

3255
03:37:41,295 --> 03:37:46,695
families not fed. We fight like hell for the

3256
03:37:49,169 --> 03:37:55,769
immigrant community of d.c. It is happening all day long.

3257
03:37:57,311 --> 03:38:01,181
there are people out there in the streets getting taken all

3258
03:38:01,181 --> 03:38:04,781
day long. And it is unacceptable.

3259
03:38:07,287 --> 03:38:13,287
they are members of this community, and they do not

3260
03:38:13,360 --> 03:38:19,360
deserve to be treated like second or third class citizens.

3261
03:38:20,134 --> 03:38:26,473
they are pole humans, just in case anybody here forgot -- who

3262
03:38:26,473 --> 03:38:28,942
le humans with the right to be here.

3263
03:38:28,942 --> 03:38:34,942
I want to talk about the mpd. In 2025, there was 100 65

3264
03:38:40,287 --> 03:38:44,487
complaints against mpd officers. That's 13% higher than 2004.

3265
03:38:47,628 --> 03:38:50,631
in 2025, there were 32 hundred mpd officers.

3266
03:38:50,631 --> 03:38:56,370
that means 1/3 of the police force had a complaint filed

3267
03:38:56,370 --> 03:39:00,237
against them, or some combination have multiple.

3268
03:39:01,410 --> 03:39:05,241
that is unacceptable. 51% of those complaints were

3269
03:39:10,450 --> 03:39:13,450
harassment, 20 2% were inappropriate conduct, and 15%

3270
03:39:15,522 --> 03:39:20,922
were excessive force. I personally have a complaint to

3271
03:39:23,596 --> 03:39:27,268
file for excessive force myself, which I will be adding to that

3272
03:39:27,268 --> 03:39:29,268
total. That's right.

3273
03:39:33,807 --> 03:39:36,410
there's a lot of people here, and it's not just the ones that

3274
03:39:36,410 --> 03:39:37,945
were filed. That number is so much higher

3275
03:39:37,945 --> 03:39:42,415
than it sounds. There were millions spent in

3276
03:39:42,415 --> 03:39:46,150
2025 that have lawsuits against mpd officers.

3277
03:39:49,289 --> 03:39:52,889
632 million was the mpd's budget in 2025.

3278
03:39:55,896 --> 03:40:01,896
20% higher than 2024, and almost 1/3 of the entire d.c. Budget.

3279
03:40:03,704 --> 03:40:07,174
you've heard the stories today. You are going to hear more.

3280
03:40:07,174 --> 03:40:11,974
you already knew the stories. How dare you?

3281
03:40:15,716 --> 03:40:20,854
how dare you pass a budget increasing the authority and

3282
03:40:20,854 --> 03:40:24,454
capability of a violent, murderous force?

3283
03:40:29,730 --> 03:40:31,632
we demand the end to the occupation now.

3284
03:40:31,632 --> 03:40:35,832
[applause] we demand that you charge all

3285
03:40:37,338 --> 03:40:40,908
the agents involved when mpd officers step aside and let them

3286
03:40:40,908 --> 03:40:45,512
go ahead and shoot at or kill somebody.

3287
03:40:45,512 --> 03:40:50,683
and we demand community control of the police, a dccouncil where

3288
03:40:50,683 --> 03:40:56,423
there is -- a council where there is authority from the

3289
03:40:56,423 --> 03:40:59,559
community to say how they are policed and by whom.

3290
03:40:59,559 --> 03:41:02,830
when there's a black or brown person sitting up here, brooke,

3291
03:41:02,830 --> 03:41:05,965
please don't spend two or three minutes on your phone.

3292
03:41:05,965 --> 03:41:10,765
[applause] and say hi to genevieve for me.

3293
03:41:14,570 --> 03:41:18,257
clinton: hi, my name is clinton james.

3294
03:41:19,328 --> 03:41:22,640
I'm a father and a 20-year resident here in washington,

3295
03:41:22,640 --> 03:41:25,935
d.c. I have volunteered my time over

3296
03:41:25,935 --> 03:41:31,140
the past year to responding to sides of immigration arrests,

3297
03:41:31,140 --> 03:41:34,377
because I believe that nobody should be disappeared from their

3298
03:41:34,377 --> 03:41:37,947
communities, and nobody should have to face the violence of

3299
03:41:37,947 --> 03:41:43,886
I.c.e. And mpd alone. I'm speaking today as a

3300
03:41:43,886 --> 03:41:46,189
first-hand witness to mpd's attacks on the immigrant

3301
03:41:46,189 --> 03:41:51,627
community and to demand an end to all federal collaboration

3302
03:41:51,627 --> 03:41:57,270
which corrupts this department. In the summer of 2025, mpd

3303
03:41:58,901 --> 03:42:05,308
helped I.c.e. Arrest over 1200 block people in just over one

3304
03:42:05,308 --> 03:42:11,514
month here in washington, d.c. It was a month of terror.

3305
03:42:11,514 --> 03:42:17,453
mpd led operations, setting up traffic stops all over the city,

3306
03:42:17,453 --> 03:42:21,724
demonstrating to I.c.e. And other federal agents exactly how

3307
03:42:21,724 --> 03:42:28,324
and where to detain the most immigrant people at one time.

3308
03:42:28,698 --> 03:42:34,737
so many of these stops both in person and in footage collected

3309
03:42:34,737 --> 03:42:38,941
by other community members. The trauma was relentless.

3310
03:42:38,941 --> 03:42:45,349
every day, fathers being ripped from their cars, men pinned to

3311
03:42:45,349 --> 03:42:50,749
the ground, screaming for help. Women and children crying,

3312
03:42:51,554 --> 03:42:56,354
begging for mercy. The police siren became the

3313
03:42:59,280 --> 03:43:01,631
trumpets sound of incoming racial terror.

3314
03:43:01,631 --> 03:43:07,503
at one such traffic stop, a checkpoint, I personally was

3315
03:43:07,503 --> 03:43:13,503
threatened by an mpd officer. Filming from the sidewalk, I

3316
03:43:14,110 --> 03:43:16,846
walked by, and a rating camera as I walked.

3317
03:43:16,846 --> 03:43:23,921
mpd, working with I.c.e., an mpd officer turned to me and said,

3318
03:43:23,921 --> 03:43:30,893
you've got a mask on and you are outside all by yourself.

3319
03:43:30,893 --> 03:43:34,493
those words, "by yourself" were chilling.

3320
03:43:34,730 --> 03:43:39,769
I stopped and turned to the officer, "is that a threat, sir?

3321
03:43:39,769 --> 03:43:43,969
are you threatening me?" I was confused.

3322
03:43:46,275 --> 03:43:51,681
"yeah," he replied, "you are threatening me, telling me I'm

3323
03:43:51,681 --> 03:43:56,386
working with I.c.e." he said. The officer took out a cell

3324
03:43:56,386 --> 03:43:59,689
phone and took a picture of me. Others from other agencies

3325
03:43:59,689 --> 03:44:03,793
cheered, "take a picture of him! You are recording him, report

3326
03:44:03,793 --> 03:44:07,993
him!" what a bunch of fucking idiots.

3327
03:44:12,869 --> 03:44:16,239
this collaboration is lawless. They shoot, they murder without

3328
03:44:16,239 --> 03:44:19,709
fear, because they know that there is no oversight.

3329
03:44:19,709 --> 03:44:22,709
[applause] chair pinto: tanya golash-boza,

3330
03:44:26,715 --> 03:44:29,715
public witness. Carly: good afternoon.

3331
03:44:33,522 --> 03:44:36,659
my name is carly schippits, and I'm here to discuss public

3332
03:44:36,659 --> 03:44:39,928
safety and traffic laws. These days, pedestrians are

3333
03:44:39,928 --> 03:44:42,732
terrified to walk outside. We find we constantly need to

3334
03:44:42,732 --> 03:44:47,203
look over our shoulders because so many bike and scooter riders

3335
03:44:47,203 --> 03:44:52,474
flout d.c. Laws. Let's look at some statistics to

3336
03:44:52,474 --> 03:44:54,543
average walking speed is three miles an hour.

3337
03:44:54,543 --> 03:44:58,140
light can easily reach 15 miles an hour, and bikes -- e bikes

3338
03:44:58,140 --> 03:45:03,414
and e scooters can reach more miles per hour.

3339
03:45:05,621 --> 03:45:07,290
walkways are designed to keep pedestrians safe.

3340
03:45:07,290 --> 03:45:11,728
indeed in d.c., it is illegal to ride a bike or a scooter on the

3341
03:45:11,728 --> 03:45:13,963
sidewalk in the central business district.

3342
03:45:13,963 --> 03:45:21,163
it is also illegal for bikes and scooters to ride their bikes.

3343
03:45:21,537 --> 03:45:24,507
nevertheless, every single day I witness bikes and scooters doing

3344
03:45:24,507 --> 03:45:26,442
just that. I have personally been the

3345
03:45:26,442 --> 03:45:31,800
victim of a bike collision. I was walking in a crisis -- in

3346
03:45:31,800 --> 03:45:34,317
a crosswalk when a bike ran a red light and hit me.

3347
03:45:34,317 --> 03:45:38,254
other d.c. Pedestrians have not been as lucky and have sustained

3348
03:45:38,254 --> 03:45:44,126
broken bones, head injuries, and have even died as a result of

3349
03:45:44,126 --> 03:45:46,863
bike and scooter collisions. The presence of bikes and

3350
03:45:46,863 --> 03:45:49,932
scooters on sidewalks and crosswalks is especially

3351
03:45:49,932 --> 03:45:54,300
dangerous for children and bogs. -- and dogs.

3352
03:45:54,300 --> 03:46:00,610
I have a 25 pound beagle mix, and she has had many near misses

3353
03:46:00,610 --> 03:46:05,615
by bikes traveling at top speed. Such a collision would be

3354
03:46:05,615 --> 03:46:09,815
catastrophic for a dog or a child.

3355
03:46:09,885 --> 03:46:13,880
as we all know, children and dogs can go from walking nicely

3356
03:46:13,880 --> 03:46:17,226
in a straight line to veering off to the side in a split

3357
03:46:17,226 --> 03:46:19,562
second, which is likely not enough time for a passing bike

3358
03:46:19,562 --> 03:46:25,500
or scooter rider to react, press the rectum and come to a stop to

3359
03:46:25,500 --> 03:46:27,102
studies have found for a bike traveling at 10 miles an hour,

3360
03:46:27,102 --> 03:46:31,400
the average stopping distance is a whopping 22 feet.

3361
03:46:31,400 --> 03:46:33,909
and a bike traveling at an average walking speed of three

3362
03:46:33,909 --> 03:46:38,248
miles an hour has a stopping distance of 60.

3363
03:46:38,248 --> 03:46:43,480
likely too much to avoid hitting the wandering.

3364
03:46:46,756 --> 03:46:52,128
sadistically, riding on the sidewalk is also less safe for

3365
03:46:52,128 --> 03:46:55,728
cyclists. The reason is most car-bike

3366
03:46:55,965 --> 03:46:58,400
collisions occur at intersections and driveways, and

3367
03:46:58,400 --> 03:47:00,602
a driver is more likely to see a bike traveling on the road than

3368
03:47:00,602 --> 03:47:04,808
they are deceived by traveling on the sidewalk.

3369
03:47:04,808 --> 03:47:07,543
to sum up, a pedestrian safety zone is no place for a

3370
03:47:07,543 --> 03:47:13,543
high-speed metal machine. The d.c. Love requires bikes and

3371
03:47:15,551 --> 03:47:18,702
scooters to stop at red lights. When bike and scooter writers

3372
03:47:18,702 --> 03:47:22,238
face no penalties for disobeying these laws, it creates a

3373
03:47:22,238 --> 03:47:27,380
dangerous situation that leads to pedestrians and rider

3374
03:47:27,109 --> 03:47:30,709
injuries. Please make our sidewalks and

3375
03:47:31,647 --> 03:47:35,247
crosswalks safe. Please enforce traffic laws.

3376
03:47:36,519 --> 03:47:39,455
thank you. Chair pinto: thank you.

3377
03:47:39,455 --> 03:47:42,525
linda s. Lina: thank you for allowing me

3378
03:47:42,525 --> 03:47:47,263
to testify today for my name is lina, and I'm a member of court

3379
03:47:47,263 --> 03:47:51,667
watch d.c. We have arraignments -- we will

3380
03:47:51,667 --> 03:47:54,971
witness arraignments idc court several times a week.

3381
03:47:54,971 --> 03:47:59,208
I'm here to share on mpd's unaccountable and harmful

3382
03:47:59,208 --> 03:48:00,343
collaboration with federal law enforcement.

3383
03:48:00,343 --> 03:48:05,810
because of these -- d.c. Leadership capitulation, to this

3384
03:48:05,810 --> 03:48:10,486
day, we see mpd traveling and roving convoy with I.c.e. And

3385
03:48:10,486 --> 03:48:13,290
portable, setting up traffic checkpoints so they can hang

3386
03:48:13,290 --> 03:48:15,624
people over to federal agents, and swarming loan pedestrians in

3387
03:48:15,624 --> 03:48:19,628
groups of dozens of officers from a grab bag of agencies.

3388
03:48:19,628 --> 03:48:22,432
before the federal surgical idc was already the most heavily

3389
03:48:22,432 --> 03:48:23,834
policed city in america, with the vast majority of this

3390
03:48:23,834 --> 03:48:28,104
policing follows -- focusing on arresting and jailing black

3391
03:48:28,104 --> 03:48:31,104
residents. Mpd collaboration with federal

3392
03:48:31,307 --> 03:48:35,311
law enforcement has not only resulted in the kidnappings of

3393
03:48:35,311 --> 03:48:36,913
immigrants, it has also supercharge the over policing of

3394
03:48:36,913 --> 03:48:41,713
black people, especially black youth, with racial profiling,

3395
03:48:42,510 --> 03:48:44,655
constitutional violations, and reckless filings.

3396
03:48:44,655 --> 03:48:48,590
we found the number of people of rain per day increased by 59%

3397
03:48:48,590 --> 03:48:54,530
after mpd began collaborating with federal agents in august of

3398
03:48:54,530 --> 03:48:56,598
2025. On some days, court went past

3399
03:48:56,598 --> 03:48:59,200
midnight as over 100 people were arrested.

3400
03:48:59,200 --> 03:49:04,408
a staggering 85% of all people arrested were black, even though

3401
03:49:04,408 --> 03:49:07,744
black people only make up 40% of d.c.'s population.

3402
03:49:07,744 --> 03:49:10,613
this surge in arrest is not about safety.

3403
03:49:10,613 --> 03:49:13,216
violent crime in d.c. Was already at a historic low before

3404
03:49:13,216 --> 03:49:18,160
the federal surge. Through court watch, we found

3405
03:49:18,880 --> 03:49:20,489
the largest increase in arrests per day was for drug related

3406
03:49:20,489 --> 03:49:23,920
offenses, which fully doubled in the weeks after federal

3407
03:49:23,920 --> 03:49:26,692
collaboration began. These are looked nonviolent

3408
03:49:27,163 --> 03:49:30,633
charges, including the possession of marijuana, which

3409
03:49:30,633 --> 03:49:34,833
is decriminalized under d.c. Log aw.

3410
03:49:36,139 --> 03:49:39,575
this is a collaboration at the behest of a racist federal

3411
03:49:39,575 --> 03:49:40,977
government aided and a bed by mpd.

3412
03:49:40,977 --> 03:49:46,649
on top of this, d.c. Residents are slipped up and being handed

3413
03:49:46,649 --> 03:49:53,790
over to a chaotic prosecutor's office led by a former fox news

3414
03:49:53,790 --> 03:49:55,591
propagandist who spoke with relish about locking up children

3415
03:49:55,591 --> 03:49:59,461
in d.c. Under her leadership, court

3416
03:49:59,461 --> 03:50:03,733
watch d.c. Has found prosecutors pretrial percent by 70%,

3417
03:50:03,733 --> 03:50:07,170
seemingly to lock up as many people as possible by any means

3418
03:50:07,170 --> 03:50:11,370
despite judges regularly noticing the witnesses and

3419
03:50:12,608 --> 03:50:15,800
violations of constitutional rights.

3420
03:50:15,344 --> 03:50:18,614
when mpd cooperates with federal agents to arrest people on

3421
03:50:18,614 --> 03:50:21,817
ridiculous charges, this is the hospital system they are

3422
03:50:21,817 --> 03:50:23,686
feeding people into. We know that federal agents are

3423
03:50:23,686 --> 03:50:28,690
ignoring the law, light point blank about incidents, and hide

3424
03:50:28,690 --> 03:50:30,626
their identity. The fact of the matter is they

3425
03:50:30,626 --> 03:50:33,696
are not trained local police, they are the enforcers of an

3426
03:50:33,696 --> 03:50:35,331
authoritarian federal government.

3427
03:50:35,331 --> 03:50:36,767
they care about power, not the law.

3428
03:50:36,767 --> 03:50:40,302
they are making mpd part of that mission and enacting violence on

3429
03:50:40,302 --> 03:50:45,102
our community. I would ask that the council

3430
03:50:46,342 --> 03:50:51,714
meet all of free d.c.'s demands on mpd oversight, especially

3431
03:50:51,714 --> 03:50:53,183
closing a loophole in the century values act.

3432
03:50:53,183 --> 03:50:54,350
thank you. [applause]

3433
03:50:54,350 --> 03:50:59,188
chair pinto: thank you. And thank you all for your

3434
03:50:59,188 --> 03:51:00,389
testimony. We are going to call our next

3435
03:51:00,389 --> 03:51:03,389
panel. The azar, emily emily

3436
03:51:04,600 --> 03:51:09,460
cassometus, bill mefford -- kabbas azhar, emily costa me

3437
03:51:17,600 --> 03:51:23,600
this, bill mefford, and the third chair, joey ferguson, are

3438
03:51:24,547 --> 03:51:28,147
you here? Welcome to you all.

3439
03:51:33,589 --> 03:51:39,589
we will begin with kabbas azhar. >> chairperson pinto and members

3440
03:51:42,970 --> 03:51:45,330
of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify.

3441
03:51:45,330 --> 03:51:52,233
my name is kabbas azhar and I am with the electronic privacy

3442
03:51:52,842 --> 03:51:57,642
information center, a nonprofit s to protect privacy.

3443
03:51:58,948 --> 03:52:02,851
I am also part of the d.c. Coalition and a ward 1 resident.

3444
03:52:02,851 --> 03:52:06,255
do is in a moment of crisis and this crisis makes the income

3445
03:52:06,255 --> 03:52:11,127
meant that the city and mpd be transparent and forthcoming when

3446
03:52:11,127 --> 03:52:14,596
washingtonians demand it. One small portion I would like

3447
03:52:14,596 --> 03:52:21,196
to highlight is a 2016 one-year act and the inability to comply

3448
03:52:23,672 --> 03:52:26,475
to statutes. Mpd records data from all stops,

3449
03:52:26,475 --> 03:52:30,675
frisks, and searches made by mpd officers.

3450
03:52:32,114 --> 03:52:36,850
it requires mpd officers complete the reports practically

3451
03:52:36,850 --> 03:52:41,757
, which includes filling up the stop card, incident, and arrest

3452
03:52:41,757 --> 03:52:43,192
reports. A stop card includes crucial

3453
03:52:43,192 --> 03:52:46,792
information. The reason for the search,

3454
03:52:47,563 --> 03:52:50,766
whether the search was consensual, whether the officer

3455
03:52:50,766 --> 03:52:53,569
seized anything, whether an arrest was made as a result of

3456
03:52:53,569 --> 03:52:55,237
the search, and the charges that followed.

3457
03:52:55,237 --> 03:53:00,643
it also includes a portion where officers can write the suspicion

3458
03:53:00,643 --> 03:53:03,912
that led to the stop. By mpd officers routinely do not

3459
03:53:03,912 --> 03:53:10,512
fill out the stop card. In the audit they did, they

3460
03:53:10,585 --> 03:53:14,791
looked at 77 reports and none of the reports had a stop section

3461
03:53:14,791 --> 03:53:17,459
that was filled out by an officer.

3462
03:53:17,459 --> 03:53:20,662
when mpd was asked about why that was the case, their

3463
03:53:20,662 --> 03:53:25,100
response was, "it is neither visible nor accessible to

3464
03:53:25,100 --> 03:53:27,545
officers when completing their reports."

3465
03:53:27,545 --> 03:53:29,348
it becomes a matter of convenience.

3466
03:53:29,348 --> 03:53:35,619
that is not excuse enough for the conch that's constant --

3467
03:53:35,619 --> 03:53:39,690
they have had a problem complying with transparency and

3468
03:53:39,690 --> 03:53:43,127
I urge the council to investigate why this data is not

3469
03:53:43,127 --> 03:53:46,727
being collected. Other issues include releasing

3470
03:53:49,167 --> 03:53:51,369
data on time. They are supposed to release it

3471
03:53:51,369 --> 03:53:53,504
annually but have rarely done so.

3472
03:53:53,504 --> 03:53:57,342
considering the rapid enforcement, it is important

3473
03:53:57,342 --> 03:54:02,947
washingtonians get access to this data as soon as possible.

3474
03:54:02,947 --> 03:54:05,850
70% of those stopped were black. When it comes to the youth, the

3475
03:54:05,850 --> 03:54:09,454
numbers are worse. I'm nearly 9000 youth that were

3476
03:54:09,454 --> 03:54:11,556
stopped, 86.2 percent were black.

3477
03:54:11,556 --> 03:54:17,261
2025 stands to be much worse. Mpd already has the numbers to

3478
03:54:17,261 --> 03:54:20,131
show for it. Mpd released culinary numbers

3479
03:54:20,131 --> 03:54:23,601
for the first half of 2025. They talked about the searches

3480
03:54:23,601 --> 03:54:26,338
they had done, which included pat downs.

3481
03:54:26,338 --> 03:54:31,738
of those 89, 300 625 were black. These numbers from before august

3482
03:54:34,812 --> 03:54:40,212
2025 include data. I urge the council to push for

3483
03:54:44,755 --> 03:54:45,957
the full data. >> thank you.

3484
03:54:45,957 --> 03:54:48,357
>> emily castanedas, public witness.

3485
03:54:49,693 --> 03:54:54,493
>> good afternoon. I am the assistant professor of

3486
03:54:56,701 --> 03:55:02,440
law at udc law and director of legislation clinic, and I am

3487
03:55:02,440 --> 03:55:05,242
also cochair of d.c.'s local government working group.

3488
03:55:05,242 --> 03:55:08,780
I have been a d.c. Resident for about 15 years now.

3489
03:55:08,780 --> 03:55:14,318
I am here because we still have not seen the progress that we

3490
03:55:14,318 --> 03:55:17,918
asked for at the december 4 hearing.

3491
03:55:18,122 --> 03:55:22,393
I do appreciate you asking mpd specifically about their

3492
03:55:22,393 --> 03:55:25,993
cooperation agreements. Mpd admitted in prehearing

3493
03:55:27,265 --> 03:55:31,935
responses there are 11 federal agencies working with them that

3494
03:55:31,935 --> 03:55:35,606
are operating through the d.c. Safe and beautiful task force,

3495
03:55:35,606 --> 03:55:39,144
which do not have cooperation agreements.

3496
03:55:39,144 --> 03:55:42,613
these law enforcement agencies have little to no training on

3497
03:55:42,613 --> 03:55:46,170
patrol operations, yet that is what they have been doing since

3498
03:55:46,170 --> 03:55:48,860
august 11. They have little to no training

3499
03:55:48,860 --> 03:55:51,756
on d.c. Law but that is what they have been using to detain,

3500
03:55:51,756 --> 03:55:55,356
arrest, and incarcerate people since august 11.

3501
03:55:56,127 --> 03:56:02,127
as a result, two agents shot philip brown in october.

3502
03:56:02,499 --> 03:56:05,360
one billet -- bullet hit so close it pierced the color on

3503
03:56:05,360 --> 03:56:09,741
his jacket. A third agent shot justin nelson

3504
03:56:09,741 --> 03:56:11,442
in november. Officers from the u.s. Marshals

3505
03:56:11,442 --> 03:56:13,845
service and the diplomatic security service were also

3506
03:56:13,845 --> 03:56:17,548
involved. The shooting took place after a

3507
03:56:17,548 --> 03:56:20,517
federal law enforcement initiated a vehicular pursuit, a

3508
03:56:20,517 --> 03:56:23,654
tactic prohibited for mpd for good reason.

3509
03:56:23,654 --> 03:56:28,193
during the pursuit, a non-mock -- unmarked vehicle crashed into

3510
03:56:28,193 --> 03:56:31,793
a bus, endangering many more people.

3511
03:56:32,930 --> 03:56:36,734
in january, bystander video shows what appears to be fbi

3512
03:56:36,734 --> 03:56:39,670
agents using flashbang grenades during a traffic stop.

3513
03:56:39,670 --> 03:56:43,674
I say appears because there has been zero public investigation

3514
03:56:43,674 --> 03:56:47,780
into the incident. Officers on the scene called

3515
03:56:47,780 --> 03:56:51,749
bystanders "fucking idiots" while they legally filled the

3516
03:56:51,749 --> 03:56:54,485
incident and asked officers not to shoot.

3517
03:56:54,485 --> 03:56:57,555
in february, the worst case scenario played out when u.s.

3518
03:56:57,555 --> 03:57:00,625
marshals shot and killed julian bailey during their response to

3519
03:57:00,625 --> 03:57:05,296
a 91 one service call. What do you think federal agents

3520
03:57:05,296 --> 03:57:09,334
will do to hurt black and brown people next month?

3521
03:57:09,334 --> 03:57:12,437
you cannot prevent the abuse of power by federal law

3522
03:57:12,437 --> 03:57:15,639
enforcement, but you can give your constituents the tools to

3523
03:57:15,639 --> 03:57:19,643
demand accountability after the fact, and we need you to play

3524
03:57:19,643 --> 03:57:23,647
your part. But as far as strategy goes,

3525
03:57:23,647 --> 03:57:28,718
isn't poking the bear risky? To quote council member parker

3526
03:57:28,718 --> 03:57:31,756
quoting donald trump, do we have the cards?

3527
03:57:31,756 --> 03:57:35,125
for a year now, d.c. Has been making itself small in the hope

3528
03:57:35,125 --> 03:57:38,529
the federal government will take pity on us or forget about us

3529
03:57:38,529 --> 03:57:40,330
all together. If mayor bowser's campaign of

3530
03:57:40,330 --> 03:57:43,867
appeasement was ever to pay off, last week's showdown over d.c.'s

3531
03:57:43,867 --> 03:57:48,339
new tax law would have been the moment.

3532
03:57:48,339 --> 03:57:51,342
last year when congress needlessly evaporated funds from

3533
03:57:51,342 --> 03:57:54,412
the budget, trump demanded congress restore the $1.1

3534
03:57:54,412 --> 03:57:56,747
billion. This year, the president has the

3535
03:57:56,747 --> 03:58:01,819
power to relieve the district's newest budget crisis at a time

3536
03:58:01,819 --> 03:58:04,555
when the mayor's team has warned budgeting for the next fiscal

3537
03:58:04,555 --> 03:58:07,759
year will be as hard as anything we did during the recession.

3538
03:58:07,759 --> 03:58:12,564
but he did not do that. Bowser has meant the knee and

3539
03:58:12,564 --> 03:58:16,500
she got nothing in return in this critical moment.

3540
03:58:16,500 --> 03:58:21,705
>> I'm sorry, you are over time. >> by signing the resolution,

3541
03:58:21,705 --> 03:58:23,574
the president definitively answers the question whether or

3542
03:58:23,574 --> 03:58:26,710
not her strategy is an effective one.

3543
03:58:26,710 --> 03:58:27,678
it is not. Please take this as a lesson

3544
03:58:27,678 --> 03:58:29,678
learned. >> thank you.

3545
03:58:31,816 --> 03:58:36,540
bill mefford, executive director director of the festival center.

3546
03:58:36,540 --> 03:58:42,459
>> I should just say what she said, but I will add a couple

3547
03:58:42,459 --> 03:58:43,861
things. Thank you, chair pinto, for

3548
03:58:43,861 --> 03:58:48,733
allowing me to speak. I am with the festival center, a

3549
03:58:48,733 --> 03:58:51,602
faith-based community center. We basically provide space in

3550
03:58:51,602 --> 03:58:56,740
one way or another for about 50 nonprofits, and we work with

3551
03:58:56,740 --> 03:59:00,477
dozens more. We are also a member of the

3552
03:59:00,477 --> 03:59:03,613
washington interfaith network. An average of 5000 people per

3553
03:59:03,613 --> 03:59:08,190
month walk through our doors, so safety is of paramount

3554
03:59:08,190 --> 03:59:12,219
importance to us. Thanks to the collaboration,

3555
03:59:13,558 --> 03:59:15,625
this past year has been anything but safe.

3556
03:59:15,625 --> 03:59:19,163
we have had to initiate safety protocols and every day we are

3557
03:59:19,163 --> 03:59:24,535
on high alert as to the presence of mice and mpd in the area.

3558
03:59:24,535 --> 03:59:27,238
it is exhausting. We have had to raise and spend

3559
03:59:27,238 --> 03:59:31,641
an additional $20,000 on new safety equipment to protect our

3560
03:59:31,641 --> 03:59:36,113
guests and our tenants from mpd and I.c.e.

3561
03:59:36,113 --> 03:59:40,524
this is $20,000 I could have gone to support the amazing

3562
03:59:40,524 --> 03:59:43,327
nonprofits who are housed in our building and the ways in which

3563
03:59:43,327 --> 03:59:46,663
they serve d.c. Residents. The reason we have had to take

3564
03:59:46,663 --> 03:59:50,534
all these steps is simple, because our current mayor, this

3565
03:59:50,534 --> 03:59:54,538
council, and this committee have failed to keep us safe and hold

3566
03:59:54,538 --> 03:59:56,874
mpd accountable. Last year, and a large group

3567
03:59:56,874 --> 04:00:01,745
from the festival center met with you to ask for a hearing

3568
04:00:01,745 --> 04:00:04,882
dedicated to ending the collaboration between I.c.e. And

3569
04:00:04,882 --> 04:00:06,751
mpd. We were refused.

3570
04:00:06,751 --> 04:00:10,620
I never understood why. I joined another letter we

3571
04:00:10,620 --> 04:00:15,893
delivered to you on the december 4 hearing, joining with 58 faith

3572
04:00:15,893 --> 04:00:19,296
leaders, and among other things, one of the things we stated in

3573
04:00:19,296 --> 04:00:24,350
the letter was this. "while mpd and federal agencies

3574
04:00:24,350 --> 04:00:28,835
deployed precious resources to arrest people for open

3575
04:00:28,973 --> 04:00:31,375
containers and slipping in parks, residents lined up for

3576
04:00:31,375 --> 04:00:34,975
blocks to access housing support services.

3577
04:00:36,147 --> 04:00:39,747
the juxtaposition could not be starker."

3578
04:00:41,552 --> 04:00:45,356
d.c. Does not need more force, it needs more care.

3579
04:00:45,356 --> 04:00:47,724
therefore, we urge the committee and council to hold a hearing

3580
04:00:47,724 --> 04:00:51,324
and move forward councilmember white's act.

3581
04:00:52,998 --> 04:00:59,598
we also ask that the chiefs order on I's cooperation be

3582
04:01:00,471 --> 04:01:03,674
formally and publicly renounced, and this counsel should insist

3583
04:01:03,674 --> 04:01:06,611
that no officer who works with I.c.e. On their regular time

3584
04:01:06,611 --> 04:01:11,682
should get paid any overtime. We need you to provide oversight

3585
04:01:11,682 --> 04:01:14,552
and accountability. Last year, I remember I was

3586
04:01:14,552 --> 04:01:21,291
sitting at this table up on the fifth floor when you listened

3587
04:01:21,291 --> 04:01:23,694
very passionately and compassionately to a very small

3588
04:01:23,694 --> 04:01:27,631
group of residents in ward 2 who were complaining about loud

3589
04:01:27,631 --> 04:01:30,568
noises from those harassing the chinese embassy.

3590
04:01:30,568 --> 04:01:35,105
your compassionate listening posture, your passion to work

3591
04:01:35,105 --> 04:01:38,642
hard to address their problems is needed now.

3592
04:01:38,642 --> 04:01:41,912
my hope is that you have that same passion to listen to and

3593
04:01:41,912 --> 04:01:44,470
fight for all d.c. Residents. Thank you.

3594
04:01:44,470 --> 04:01:47,647
>> thank you. Joey ferguson, public witness.

3595
04:01:51,455 --> 04:01:54,455
>> hello. My name is joey.

3596
04:01:55,459 --> 04:01:57,995
I'm a pro d.c. Resident living in ward 7.

3597
04:01:57,995 --> 04:02:03,395
I represent a group called d flock d.c.

3598
04:02:03,600 --> 04:02:07,671
we are opposed to the use of automatic license plate readers.

3599
04:02:07,671 --> 04:02:11,942
this technology puts our tribes a, safety, and civil liberties

3600
04:02:11,942 --> 04:02:13,577
in danger, all in the name of profit.

3601
04:02:13,577 --> 04:02:20,777
an alpr logs license plate of every car that drives past it.

3602
04:02:24,321 --> 04:02:31,729
mpd utilizes 66 ale p.r. -- al p r's by a company notorious for

3603
04:02:31,729 --> 04:02:34,565
its surveillance tech. Many are clustered in overly

3604
04:02:34,565 --> 04:02:36,435
police neighborhoods, others are eerily close to a number of

3605
04:02:36,435 --> 04:02:40,538
schools. Normally, mpd is willing to brag

3606
04:02:40,538 --> 04:02:42,573
about its impressive and expensive toys.

3607
04:02:42,573 --> 04:02:48,245
yet when it comes to ale p -- when it comes to alpr's, mums

3608
04:02:48,245 --> 04:02:51,982
the word. Why are they suddenly so

3609
04:02:51,982 --> 04:02:55,619
bashful? Maybe it is because they have

3610
04:02:55,619 --> 04:02:58,255
allowed a private company to spy on us and track our movement,

3611
04:02:58,255 --> 04:02:59,857
whether we are suspected of a crime or not.

3612
04:02:59,857 --> 04:03:05,529
it it is the data gathered is made available and a nationwide

3613
04:03:05,529 --> 04:03:09,233
database searchable by over 4800 other law enforcement agencies.

3614
04:03:09,233 --> 04:03:13,737
yes, that includes I.c.e.. Yes, that includes hsi.

3615
04:03:13,737 --> 04:03:16,807
that includes the rest of the alphabet soup terrorizing our

3616
04:03:16,807 --> 04:03:19,410
streets, throwing flashbangs and killing community members like

3617
04:03:19,410 --> 04:03:24,210
julian bailey. All that doesn't seem to matter

3618
04:03:25,749 --> 04:03:29,820
to mpd, seeing as they want to add an additional $5 million to

3619
04:03:29,820 --> 04:03:35,220
new cameras I the.downtown corridor, cameras are also

3620
04:03:37,561 --> 04:03:38,630
riddled with vulnerabilities on their very few security

3621
04:03:38,630 --> 04:03:39,696
standards for those with access to the database.

3622
04:03:39,696 --> 04:03:43,233
this recklessness is a perfect example of what happens when we

3623
04:03:43,233 --> 04:03:47,637
trust private companies like flock which places profits over

3624
04:03:47,637 --> 04:03:50,707
people. Our safety and privacy are not

3625
04:03:50,707 --> 04:03:54,307
commodities to be bought and sold.

3626
04:03:54,310 --> 04:03:57,247
the data collected by these cameras would no doubt be shared

3627
04:03:57,247 --> 04:04:00,717
with federal agencies with or without flock, either through

3628
04:04:00,717 --> 04:04:03,653
the real-time crime center or the fusion center or simply

3629
04:04:03,653 --> 04:04:06,856
because they ask. So, the only real way to ensure

3630
04:04:06,856 --> 04:04:10,795
this data doesn't end up in the hands of I.c.e. Is to simply not

3631
04:04:10,795 --> 04:04:16,795
collect it. Deflock d.c. Calls on mpd to end

3632
04:04:19,469 --> 04:04:23,540
its relationship with flock and entities of alpr's, regardless

3633
04:04:23,540 --> 04:04:27,140
of who manufactures and maintains them.

3634
04:04:27,311 --> 04:04:32,111
we are spending millions on alpr's, shotspotter's, drones

3635
04:04:32,116 --> 04:04:37,554
that track movement, servers for the getting database, and a

3636
04:04:37,554 --> 04:04:40,357
million dollar a year subscription to celebrate's

3637
04:04:40,357 --> 04:04:43,627
mobile forensics platform, which mpd failed to mention in the

3638
04:04:43,627 --> 04:04:47,497
questions, by the way. Instead of spending money to spy

3639
04:04:47,497 --> 04:04:50,634
on washingtonians, we should instead be investing in them.

3640
04:04:50,634 --> 04:04:54,938
let me tell you something, I love this city.

3641
04:04:54,938 --> 04:04:57,441
long live gogo and the occupation and free d.c.

3642
04:04:57,441 --> 04:05:01,641
>> thank you. Thank you all very much.

3643
04:05:04,214 --> 04:05:06,614
john payne. Barbara mccann.

3644
04:05:11,989 --> 04:05:14,389
l. English. Carol spring.

3645
04:05:22,232 --> 04:05:25,232
ashley james barnett. John payne.

3646
04:05:28,939 --> 04:05:32,420
ok come on second. Barbara mccann.

3647
04:05:32,420 --> 04:05:36,842
carol spring, are you here? Ashley james barnett.

3648
04:05:42,886 --> 04:05:45,286
raj adel. Sandra moscoso.

3649
04:05:54,569 --> 04:05:59,369
robyn swirling. Alright, we will begin with john

3650
04:06:07,183 --> 04:06:10,183
payne, public witness. >> good afternoon.

3651
04:06:11,119 --> 04:06:15,257
my name is john payne. I am a born and raised

3652
04:06:15,257 --> 04:06:16,558
washingtonian and I currently live in ward 4.

3653
04:06:16,558 --> 04:06:20,728
I'm here to testify today about the abuses and harassment mpd

3654
04:06:20,728 --> 04:06:23,598
has inflicted on the city for the past year, especially

3655
04:06:23,598 --> 04:06:27,135
against our black, and house, and immigrant communities.

3656
04:06:27,135 --> 04:06:32,941
I am also here to demand that the dc council end

3657
04:06:32,941 --> 04:06:35,277
cooperation with the federal task force, close loopholes that

3658
04:06:35,277 --> 04:06:38,347
allow agencies to work with I.c.e., and that you do not make

3659
04:06:38,347 --> 04:06:41,550
jeff carroll the new mpd commissioner.

3660
04:06:41,550 --> 04:06:46,688
I want to start by providing several examples of the abuses I

3661
04:06:46,688 --> 04:06:48,240
personally witnessed over the past year.

3662
04:06:48,240 --> 04:06:50,692
this fall while my wife and I were walking through a

3663
04:06:50,692 --> 04:06:53,495
neighborhood, we watched a combination of mpd and fbi pull

3664
04:06:53,495 --> 04:06:57,698
over woman for problems of a temporary tag on her car.

3665
04:06:57,698 --> 04:07:00,835
the woman answered every question calmly and clearly but

3666
04:07:00,835 --> 04:07:04,940
they still felt the need to arrest her and fbi agents

3667
04:07:04,940 --> 04:07:06,843
surrounded her while carrying large weapons.

3668
04:07:06,843 --> 04:07:08,910
why did they need to handcuff a woman for the problem of a

3669
04:07:08,910 --> 04:07:13,848
temporary tag? And why was fbi involved at all

3670
04:07:13,848 --> 04:07:16,351
with the issue of a routine traffic stop?

3671
04:07:16,351 --> 04:07:20,321
another night when I was walking home for my church, I saw a

3672
04:07:20,321 --> 04:07:23,592
combination of mpd, dhs, and part police strip the license

3673
04:07:23,592 --> 04:07:28,196
plates off somebody's car in a routine traffic stop.

3674
04:07:28,196 --> 04:07:34,196
several blocks from my home, mpd, hsi were so busy

3675
04:07:34,803 --> 04:07:36,805
standing around after the arrest of an elderly man that they

3676
04:07:36,805 --> 04:07:41,144
refused to let his wife give him a seizure medication.

3677
04:07:41,144 --> 04:07:44,946
but they would not let him get this life helping medication.

3678
04:07:44,946 --> 04:07:48,550
how is this making any of us safer?

3679
04:07:48,550 --> 04:07:53,221
then just a few weeks ago, mpd without any help from any of the

3680
04:07:53,221 --> 04:07:54,890
federal agencies chased down a man on my block.

3681
04:07:54,890 --> 04:07:59,694
what was his crime? He didn't want to speak to them

3682
04:07:59,694 --> 04:08:03,310
because he was afraid they were going to hurt him.

3683
04:08:03,310 --> 04:08:06,234
they grabbed him, threw him up in the air and smashed him on

3684
04:08:06,234 --> 04:08:07,536
the asphalt. Why?

3685
04:08:07,536 --> 04:08:11,239
because he was afraid they were going to hurt him, and he was

3686
04:08:11,239 --> 04:08:12,541
right. I don't think it is a surprise

3687
04:08:12,541 --> 04:08:16,310
to anyone in this room to learn that all the individuals I have

3688
04:08:16,310 --> 04:08:21,350
been talking about were black residents of d.c..

3689
04:08:21,350 --> 04:08:24,520
even when mpd isn't present, they are to blame for the

3690
04:08:24,520 --> 04:08:27,121
violence committed by the federal task force in d.c.

3691
04:08:27,121 --> 04:08:30,858
mpd shows them where to go, shares radio frequencies, and

3692
04:08:30,858 --> 04:08:34,662
passes wrong information. Because of this, mpd must be

3693
04:08:34,662 --> 04:08:37,332
held accountable for the harm that the task force inflicts on

3694
04:08:37,332 --> 04:08:39,467
this city. And so must this council.

3695
04:08:39,467 --> 04:08:42,137
we have been begging you to end these abuses.

3696
04:08:42,137 --> 04:08:45,740
we are tired of hearing you can't do anything to oversee

3697
04:08:45,740 --> 04:08:47,700
federal agents or that you have sent a letter.

3698
04:08:47,700 --> 04:08:51,346
the harassments, abductions, and murder of our neighbor julian

3699
04:08:51,346 --> 04:08:54,949
bailey are due to your inaction, your collaboration, and

3700
04:08:54,949 --> 04:08:59,754
especially you, chair pinto. His blood is on your hands.

3701
04:08:59,754 --> 04:09:03,358
if you won't defend this city, you should resign and get out of

3702
04:09:03,358 --> 04:09:04,626
the way. We are asking you today to do

3703
04:09:04,626 --> 04:09:10,626
your goddamn job. We have seen over the past eight

3704
04:09:10,765 --> 04:09:15,350
months is not an aberration. The sub in the hallmarks of mpd

3705
04:09:15,350 --> 04:09:19,375
behavior just out in the open. But we are asking you to have

3706
04:09:19,375 --> 04:09:22,243
mpd held accountable for these actions.

3707
04:09:22,243 --> 04:09:24,245
end all cooperation with the task force.

3708
04:09:24,245 --> 04:09:27,382
not with some lot to come later, but end them now.

3709
04:09:27,382 --> 04:09:33,121
close the loopholes in the sanctuary values act, and do not

3710
04:09:33,121 --> 04:09:34,989
appoint jeff carol as mpd commissioner.

3711
04:09:34,989 --> 04:09:37,389
>> barbara mccann, public witness.

3712
04:09:39,160 --> 04:09:41,863
I am going to ask you all -- I know you want to applaud and

3713
04:09:41,863 --> 04:09:44,866
that's ok, but we have a lot of witnesses.

3714
04:09:44,866 --> 04:09:49,537
as I have said, we want to make sure we hear from everybody, and

3715
04:09:49,537 --> 04:09:54,900
so we can talk to the police chief today.

3716
04:09:54,900 --> 04:09:55,910
let's please stay on track. Go ahead.

3717
04:09:55,910 --> 04:10:03,110
>> my name is barbara mccann and I have lived in ward 1 for 28

3718
04:10:03,350 --> 04:10:06,210
years. I am testifying today because I

3719
04:10:06,210 --> 04:10:08,489
am deeply concerned about what I have witnessed as mpd cooperates

3720
04:10:08,489 --> 04:10:12,493
with arms, unidentified men wearing tactical military gear

3721
04:10:12,493 --> 04:10:14,897
on our streets. This is dangerous.

3722
04:10:14,897 --> 04:10:19,767
I am not using the term "federal agents," as in many cases these

3723
04:10:19,767 --> 04:10:23,637
aggressive men or their cars have been identified.

3724
04:10:23,637 --> 04:10:27,508
no badges, no license plates, and sometimes they wear masks to

3725
04:10:27,508 --> 04:10:30,445
shield their identities as criminals often do.

3726
04:10:30,445 --> 04:10:34,516
calling these people federal law enforcement is also problematic,

3727
04:10:34,516 --> 04:10:36,250
as courts across the country have ruled that their behavior

3728
04:10:36,250 --> 04:10:40,755
is outside the law. Yet here in d.c., I have seen

3729
04:10:40,755 --> 04:10:43,755
mpd officers assisting them. Why?

3730
04:10:45,360 --> 04:10:48,863
I did not witness any of the events that have previously been

3731
04:10:48,863 --> 04:10:52,330
mentioned at this hearing, which I have been out all day, but

3732
04:10:52,330 --> 04:10:56,233
since august 2025 I have witnessed ffour arrests.

3733
04:11:11,920 --> 04:11:18,126
I have seem an armed masked man in tactical gear get into an mpd

3734
04:11:18,126 --> 04:11:23,565
squad car, and I have seen armed men taunt onlookers as passive

3735
04:11:23,565 --> 04:11:25,330
mpd officers watched. Aren't they supposed to be

3736
04:11:25,330 --> 04:11:29,233
protecting us? Aren't they supposed to be

3737
04:11:31,106 --> 04:11:34,706
protecting us? I have described kiewit

3738
04:11:37,440 --> 04:11:40,382
incidents I have witnessed. Armed men waiting -- working for

3739
04:11:40,382 --> 04:11:43,451
federal agencies have overrun d.c.'s own law enforcement,

3740
04:11:43,451 --> 04:11:45,854
especially in recent months. Multiple times we have heard

3741
04:11:45,854 --> 04:11:49,357
about this. They have shot d.c. Residents.

3742
04:11:49,357 --> 04:11:51,593
on february 12, they killed julian bailey.

3743
04:11:51,593 --> 04:11:56,665
I attended the vigil. And now we have all witnessed

3744
04:11:56,665 --> 04:12:02,339
the grief of his family. While I personally am not a

3745
04:12:02,339 --> 04:12:05,609
target of federal force, the lawlessness of these people

3746
04:12:05,609 --> 04:12:08,746
means that could change at any moment.

3747
04:12:08,746 --> 04:12:12,750
I now feel fear and distrust when I see mpd squad cars and I

3748
04:12:12,750 --> 04:12:16,860
avoid calling the police for anything, especially since I

3749
04:12:16,860 --> 04:12:18,823
know it will likely endanger my neighbors.

3750
04:12:18,823 --> 04:12:22,827
the dc council can and should take action to enforce basic

3751
04:12:22,827 --> 04:12:27,297
safety steps and to limit how mpd assists the federal

3752
04:12:27,297 --> 04:12:29,433
operations. I am asking you to support

3753
04:12:29,433 --> 04:12:32,702
emergency legislation to identify all federal enforcement

3754
04:12:32,702 --> 04:12:38,102
agents present at an mpd address to facilitate independent

3755
04:12:38,708 --> 04:12:40,311
investigations of all officer-involved shooting's.

3756
04:12:40,311 --> 04:12:43,948
I know there is full accountability and arrest

3757
04:12:43,948 --> 04:12:47,651
reporting emergency amendment act of 2026 for your

3758
04:12:47,651 --> 04:12:50,320
consideration. We need to prohibit mpd from

3759
04:12:50,320 --> 04:12:53,123
court knitting with federal agents in sensitive locations

3760
04:12:53,123 --> 04:12:55,659
like schools, health care facilities, and organizations

3761
04:12:55,659 --> 04:13:01,590
providing aid. And we need a hearing on the

3762
04:13:02,733 --> 04:13:05,690
policing amendment act. We need to restrict vehicle

3763
04:13:05,690 --> 04:13:09,500
pursuits on d.c. Streets. Such a chase resulted in the

3764
04:13:09,500 --> 04:13:12,605
death of a bystander. >> thank you.

3765
04:13:14,278 --> 04:13:16,680
thank you very much. >> we want a d.c. That will be

3766
04:13:16,680 --> 04:13:18,482
safe for all visitors and we need you to take action.

3767
04:13:18,482 --> 04:13:22,820
>> thank you. Sandra moscoso, public witness.

3768
04:13:22,554 --> 04:13:27,354
>> good morning, chairperson pinto, and members of the

3769
04:13:29,427 --> 04:13:30,361
council. My name is sandra moscoso.

3770
04:13:30,361 --> 04:13:33,831
I'm a member of the d.c. Open government commission and a

3771
04:13:33,831 --> 04:13:37,435
proud community member who has worked closely with the

3772
04:13:37,435 --> 04:13:39,300
metropolitan police department for years.

3773
04:13:39,300 --> 04:13:44,375
from community safety walks to building real relationships with

3774
04:13:44,375 --> 04:13:48,179
officers who patrol our neighborhoods, I am here today

3775
04:13:48,179 --> 04:13:51,582
not as an adversary of mpd but a partner who believes the

3776
04:13:51,582 --> 04:13:56,387
transparency is the very foundation of the trust we have

3777
04:13:56,387 --> 04:14:02,125
worked hard to build. I have seen firsthand what a

3778
04:14:02,125 --> 04:14:03,594
collaborative relationship between residents and officers

3779
04:14:03,594 --> 04:14:07,794
looks like. It takes time, consistency, and

3780
04:14:08,132 --> 04:14:11,935
good faith on both sides. And I know that trust once lost

3781
04:14:11,935 --> 04:14:14,935
is incredibly difficult to rebuild.

3782
04:14:15,172 --> 04:14:19,343
that is why I am concerned about the transparency gaps that the

3783
04:14:19,343 --> 04:14:22,479
d.c. Open government coalition has documented and why I urge

3784
04:14:22,479 --> 04:14:27,217
this council to act. First, on arrest information,

3785
04:14:27,217 --> 04:14:31,121
mpd is required by statute to make arrest logs public.

3786
04:14:31,121 --> 04:14:34,491
federal agencies operating in the district are required to

3787
04:14:34,491 --> 04:14:37,528
report their arrests for inclusion in those logs.

3788
04:14:37,528 --> 04:14:40,898
this is particularly important at a time when our crime and

3789
04:14:40,898 --> 04:14:43,534
arrest statistics are being politicized.

3790
04:14:43,534 --> 04:14:48,339
I asked the council to build the public's trust and require mpd

3791
04:14:48,339 --> 04:14:52,543
to publish all statutory arrest information daily on its website

3792
04:14:52,543 --> 04:14:56,713
or at a single accessible location such as mpd

3793
04:14:56,713 --> 04:14:59,113
headquarters. Second, the comprehensive

3794
04:14:59,516 --> 04:15:02,318
policing and justice reform amendment act of 2022 made

3795
04:15:02,318 --> 04:15:05,756
important promises to d.c. Residence.

3796
04:15:05,756 --> 04:15:08,926
promises this counsel passed into law.

3797
04:15:08,926 --> 04:15:11,128
that legislation mandated expanded public access to body

3798
04:15:11,128 --> 04:15:15,332
worn camera footage of officers involved in shootings and use of

3799
04:15:15,332 --> 04:15:19,269
force incidents. But mpd has used foia, privacy

3800
04:15:19,269 --> 04:15:23,607
exemptions beyond what the law requires to delay and obstruct

3801
04:15:23,607 --> 04:15:26,276
access. I asked the council to fund the

3802
04:15:26,276 --> 04:15:29,413
body worn camera provisions of the police reform act so the law

3803
04:15:29,413 --> 04:15:34,213
means something. Third, the same law provided --

3804
04:15:35,619 --> 04:15:39,623
prohibited mpd from using foia exemptions to hide officer

3805
04:15:39,623 --> 04:15:42,960
disciplinary records. A practice that for too long has

3806
04:15:42,960 --> 04:15:45,829
kept the public in the dark about misconduct.

3807
04:15:45,829 --> 04:15:49,990
mpd continues to invoke an exemption that is no longer

3808
04:15:49,990 --> 04:15:54,499
legally valid. I ask the council to fund the

3809
04:15:54,705 --> 04:15:58,375
transparency provision in the fy 2020 seven budget so that

3810
04:15:58,375 --> 04:16:02,179
residents have the information they need and mpd is accountable

3811
04:16:02,179 --> 04:16:08,152
to the community it serves. Fourth, the police reform act

3812
04:16:08,152 --> 04:16:11,722
required the office of police complaints to create a

3813
04:16:11,722 --> 04:16:15,459
searchable database of sustained disciplinary complaints against

3814
04:16:15,459 --> 04:16:17,260
officers. That database does not exist

3815
04:16:17,260 --> 04:16:19,596
because the mayor has not funded it.

3816
04:16:19,596 --> 04:16:26,196
please fund it in this budget. Finally, I support the full

3817
04:16:26,270 --> 04:16:30,470
accountability act. Please do so as well.

3818
04:16:31,208 --> 04:16:34,808
thank you. >> thank you robyn swirling,

3819
04:16:35,790 --> 04:16:37,479
public witness. >> thank you.

3820
04:16:38,749 --> 04:16:42,486
I live in ward 4. I am a lifelong d.c. Area

3821
04:16:42,486 --> 04:16:44,888
resident. On the first night of the

3822
04:16:44,888 --> 04:16:46,824
so-called emergency, I stepped outside to walk my dog and found

3823
04:16:46,824 --> 04:16:49,828
more than two dozen federal agents raiding my neighbors

3824
04:16:49,828 --> 04:16:54,164
house across the street. Mpd officers stood on the

3825
04:16:54,164 --> 04:16:57,935
sidewalk supporting fbi come park police, I.c.e., and metro

3826
04:16:57,935 --> 04:17:01,104
transit for some reason. Since the emergency ended, here

3827
04:17:01,104 --> 04:17:03,941
is some of what I have personally seen.

3828
04:17:03,941 --> 04:17:08,445
hsi and I.c.e. Agents writing in the back of mpd cruisers, mpd

3829
04:17:08,445 --> 04:17:11,781
leading caravans of federal cars, federal agents staging out

3830
04:17:11,781 --> 04:17:15,719
of mpd stations. From my front porch, I witnessed

3831
04:17:15,719 --> 04:17:19,656
a cop pull over a car, then signal to fbi agents in the

3832
04:17:19,656 --> 04:17:22,959
three trailing vehicles to approach the driver.

3833
04:17:22,959 --> 04:17:26,630
fbi agents questioned them, then walked back to the mpd officer

3834
04:17:26,630 --> 04:17:29,733
who was sitting in his car to tell him what ticket to write.

3835
04:17:29,733 --> 04:17:34,604
a couple weeks ago on kennedy street by my house, a routine

3836
04:17:34,604 --> 04:17:37,341
traffic stop for a taillight something or other lead to 14

3837
04:17:37,341 --> 04:17:43,341
fbi, dea agents questioning the driver while mpd stood by.

3838
04:17:43,947 --> 04:17:47,283
these are our neighbors and your constituents.

3839
04:17:47,283 --> 04:17:49,753
the people doing this to them are not accountable to this

3840
04:17:49,753 --> 04:17:51,922
city. They do not live in this city.

3841
04:17:51,922 --> 04:17:55,158
and in many cases are not even willing to show their faces in

3842
04:17:55,158 --> 04:17:57,428
this city. I have seen mpd working

3843
04:17:57,428 --> 04:18:00,631
alongside feds in vehicles with no license plates.

3844
04:18:00,631 --> 04:18:03,734
mpd officers have been imitating their fun new friends wearing

3845
04:18:03,734 --> 04:18:06,989
masks and taunting observers. Mpd and fats like are behaving

3846
04:18:06,989 --> 04:18:11,193
like people who know they will face no consequences.

3847
04:18:11,193 --> 04:18:12,928
and so far, they have been right.

3848
04:18:12,928 --> 04:18:16,332
and that starts at the top. Under jeffrey carroll's

3849
04:18:16,332 --> 04:18:21,737
leadership, mpd provides feds with cars to ride in and traffic

3850
04:18:21,737 --> 04:18:23,940
stops to conduct under federal direction.

3851
04:18:23,940 --> 04:18:27,900
under his leadership, mpd refuses to provide this counsel

3852
04:18:27,900 --> 04:18:31,147
with any data on how many federal agents are operating

3853
04:18:31,147 --> 04:18:34,750
alongside mpd, how many arrests have been made, how many stops.

3854
04:18:34,750 --> 04:18:37,860
he has not been transparent with you and is insulting all of our

3855
04:18:37,860 --> 04:18:41,286
intelligence bike claiming mpd is not collaborating.

3856
04:18:41,958 --> 04:18:43,760
jeffery carroll must not be confirmed as the chief of this

3857
04:18:43,760 --> 04:18:47,960
department. While so much local and national

3858
04:18:48,297 --> 04:18:50,767
attention has been directed at I.c.e., I want to be very clear

3859
04:18:50,767 --> 04:18:53,569
this is not only an immigration issue.

3860
04:18:53,569 --> 04:18:57,840
the dea, atf, fbi, and u.s. Marshals are terrorizing black

3861
04:18:57,840 --> 04:19:01,910
communities in this city, especially in words seven and

3862
04:19:01,910 --> 04:19:03,180
eight, particularly black men and boys.

3863
04:19:03,180 --> 04:19:05,915
we have a long-standing problem with harassment of these

3864
04:19:05,915 --> 04:19:08,517
communities come on now intensified by bringing a dozen

3865
04:19:08,517 --> 04:19:11,954
federal officers along for what used to be two or three local

3866
04:19:11,954 --> 04:19:13,589
cops. Their presence increases danger

3867
04:19:13,589 --> 04:19:15,658
to residents who have been asking for decades for real

3868
04:19:15,658 --> 04:19:18,327
solutions to their safety concerns.

3869
04:19:18,327 --> 04:19:22,650
more police has never met more safety and adding an even more

3870
04:19:22,650 --> 04:19:24,133
unconstrained federal forces with no accountability to our

3871
04:19:24,133 --> 04:19:27,936
city is not making anyone here more safe.

3872
04:19:27,936 --> 04:19:31,140
based on the most recent available data, only 17% of mpd

3873
04:19:31,140 --> 04:19:33,976
officers live in d.c. These federal agents don't if

3874
04:19:33,976 --> 04:19:36,479
you're at all. They are empowered by this

3875
04:19:36,479 --> 04:19:38,748
administration to be in our neighborhoods and are emboldened

3876
04:19:38,748 --> 04:19:41,584
by the cooperation and invitation of this mayor and her

3877
04:19:41,584 --> 04:19:44,886
police leadership. I ask you support the emergency

3878
04:19:44,886 --> 04:19:47,890
legislation requiring identification of all federal

3879
04:19:47,890 --> 04:19:50,493
agents present at mpd arrest, demand a hearing is scheduled on

3880
04:19:50,493 --> 04:19:53,896
the safe community places and policing amendment act before

3881
04:19:53,896 --> 04:19:55,832
the end of march, and publicly commit that you will not vote to

3882
04:19:55,832 --> 04:19:59,368
confirm jeffery carroll. We cannot force the feds to

3883
04:19:59,368 --> 04:20:02,571
change where they focus their enforcement, but we can require

3884
04:20:02,571 --> 04:20:06,242
that mpd is not part of it. >> thank you very much.

3885
04:20:06,242 --> 04:20:09,545
thank you for all your testimony.

3886
04:20:09,545 --> 04:20:12,380
thank you all. We are going to call our next

3887
04:20:12,380 --> 04:20:14,500
panel. Jeff hall.

3888
04:20:14,500 --> 04:20:16,450
paige dennis. Salvador sauceda-guzman.

3889
04:20:18,621 --> 04:20:21,210
robin lipp. Jeff hall?

3890
04:20:25,828 --> 04:20:28,828
is jeff hall here? Ok.

3891
04:20:33,536 --> 04:20:36,938
commissioner, you can come here. His paige dennis here?

3892
04:20:36,938 --> 04:20:41,138
-- is paige dennis here? Robin lipp.

3893
04:20:43,279 --> 04:20:45,679
michael cohen. Commissioner cohen.

3894
04:20:51,420 --> 04:20:53,820
sigute meilus. Elizabeth falcon.

3895
04:21:01,664 --> 04:21:06,464
thai hub and powell. -- ty hobson powell.

3896
04:21:14,877 --> 04:21:19,770
sandra benavente. We will begin with salvador

3897
04:21:23,753 --> 04:21:25,988
sauceda-guzman. Are you testifying in your

3898
04:21:25,988 --> 04:21:28,958
capacity as a commissioner or as public witness?

3899
04:21:28,958 --> 04:21:31,494
go ahead, commissioner. >> thank you.

3900
04:21:31,494 --> 04:21:38,940
good afternoon, everyone. I am here not to speak as a

3901
04:21:38,467 --> 04:21:41,700
latino resident of the city to talk about I.c.e..

3902
04:21:41,700 --> 04:21:43,672
a lot of our brothers and sisters are doing that for us.

3903
04:21:43,672 --> 04:21:47,943
or as a d.c. Resident to talk about the federal occupation.

3904
04:21:47,943 --> 04:21:50,346
again, a lot of our brothers and sisters are talking about that

3905
04:21:50,346 --> 04:21:51,981
today. I am here to talk as an agency

3906
04:21:51,981 --> 04:21:54,381
commissioner. Not to review.

3907
04:21:57,353 --> 04:22:03,353
it is more to talk about mpd and its6 c13

3908
04:22:03,893 --> 04:22:06,962
it is in our city. I am an anc commissioner for the

3909
04:22:06,962 --> 04:22:09,966
south side of ward five. We share a lot of the same

3910
04:22:09,966 --> 04:22:13,336
issues and problems that were entrenched in alongside our

3911
04:22:13,336 --> 04:22:16,872
brothers and sisters east of the river and ward 7 and ward eight.

3912
04:22:16,872 --> 04:22:20,476
and I engaged daily with residents impacted by violence,

3913
04:22:20,476 --> 04:22:24,847
housing instability and crisis. And through all this chaos, I

3914
04:22:24,847 --> 04:22:29,252
still believe in public safety. And I do believe, even given the

3915
04:22:29,252 --> 04:22:32,221
institution might have some problems, that there are good

3916
04:22:32,221 --> 04:22:34,790
officers within the metropolitan police department who care about

3917
04:22:34,790 --> 04:22:38,294
this city. But I'm deeply concerned about

3918
04:22:38,294 --> 04:22:41,294
the operational leadership with mpd.

3919
04:22:41,430 --> 04:22:45,368
over the past year, I've asked 37 officers on patrol.

3920
04:22:45,368 --> 04:22:49,572
one simple question do you know who your watch commander is?

3921
04:22:49,572 --> 04:22:54,243
and out of those 37, only two were able to give me a name.

3922
04:22:54,243 --> 04:22:56,578
and that, to me, has always been something very concerning.

3923
04:22:56,578 --> 04:22:58,482
two and a half. Because one walking and figured

3924
04:22:58,482 --> 04:23:00,616
it out. But still, it's still a

3925
04:23:00,616 --> 04:23:04,820
concerning number for me as an anc commissioner and a resident,

3926
04:23:04,820 --> 04:23:09,358
that that is based on who's at the helm, who's managing, who's

3927
04:23:09,358 --> 04:23:11,560
leading. This isn't a funding issue, it's

3928
04:23:11,560 --> 04:23:15,300
a management issue. If officers on the street do not

3929
04:23:15,300 --> 04:23:19,368
know who is leading their watch, how can we expect cohesion,

3930
04:23:19,368 --> 04:23:23,305
discipline or accountability? Leadership can only appear at

3931
04:23:23,305 --> 04:23:26,709
can not only appear at town halls or public meetings.

3932
04:23:26,709 --> 04:23:31,347
leadership must be visibly present at command, actively

3933
04:23:31,347 --> 04:23:34,317
supervising, reinforcing policy and ensuring standards are

3934
04:23:34,317 --> 04:23:39,189
upheld in real time. I anticipate mpd may respond

3935
04:23:39,189 --> 04:23:42,324
with the that structures exist, that we're doing our jobs, that

3936
04:23:42,324 --> 04:23:45,393
officers are being briefed and that chains of command are

3937
04:23:45,393 --> 04:23:48,197
clear. But if that clarity is not

3938
04:23:48,197 --> 04:23:51,933
reflected in the field, then the system is not functioning

3939
04:23:51,933 --> 04:23:53,936
effectively. You may also hear that

3940
04:23:53,936 --> 04:23:59,108
misconduct is about a bad. A few bad actors, individual

3941
04:23:59,108 --> 04:24:02,278
accountability matters, but weak supervision creates environments

3942
04:24:02,278 --> 04:24:06,349
where misconduct grows and strong officers become

3943
04:24:06,349 --> 04:24:08,884
demoralized or leave. And let me be clear about

3944
04:24:08,884 --> 04:24:10,686
something else. In this city.

3945
04:24:10,686 --> 04:24:14,290
we may not control how federal officers operate.

3946
04:24:14,290 --> 04:24:17,776
we have seen instances where federal federal actors violate

3947
04:24:17,776 --> 04:24:19,278
rights and face limited accountability.

3948
04:24:19,278 --> 04:24:21,647
we know that we heard a lot about that today.

3949
04:24:21,647 --> 04:24:25,184
but mpd is our department. We can control that.

3950
04:24:25,184 --> 04:24:27,852
we have a stake in that. We have a say in that we have

3951
04:24:27,852 --> 04:24:31,623
power in that. If the answers to this council

3952
04:24:31,623 --> 04:24:34,827
of the district of the residents cannot follow these rules, that

3953
04:24:34,827 --> 04:24:38,664
the policies that mpd needs to follow by, we need more real

3954
04:24:38,664 --> 04:24:41,467
oversight with mpd. Thank you.

3955
04:24:41,467 --> 04:24:43,467
thank you. Commissioner.

3956
04:24:43,669 --> 04:24:48,208
robin lippe, public witness. Good afternoon, chair pinto.

3957
04:24:48,208 --> 04:24:49,874
thank you for hosting today's hearing.

3958
04:24:49,874 --> 04:24:52,778
my name is robin lippe. I'm testifying as a ward one

3959
04:24:52,778 --> 04:24:55,714
resident and the parent of a d.c. Native toddler.

3960
04:24:55,714 --> 04:24:59,218
I testified at your hearing on public safety in december and at

3961
04:24:59,218 --> 04:25:01,286
councilmember nadeau's roundtable on potential human

3962
04:25:01,286 --> 04:25:05,190
rights violations by mpd in october, following the december

3963
04:25:05,190 --> 04:25:08,760
4th hearing, your office led a letter to mpd signed by the full

3964
04:25:08,760 --> 04:25:12,498
council that requested basic data on mpd activities.

3965
04:25:12,498 --> 04:25:16,300
two days ago, mpd submitted responses that show why this

3966
04:25:16,300 --> 04:25:19,572
council needs to stand firm in getting real answers and real

3967
04:25:19,572 --> 04:25:24,176
solutions for the people of d.c. Mpd responses are a mess of

3968
04:25:24,176 --> 04:25:27,846
excuses to avoid stating the obvious plainly, mpd

3969
04:25:27,846 --> 04:25:31,450
collaborates with ice and other federal immigration enforcement

3970
04:25:31,450 --> 04:25:33,518
agencies, threatening safety for all of us.

3971
04:25:33,518 --> 04:25:38,123
buried on pages 66 to 74 of their 244 page response.

3972
04:25:38,123 --> 04:25:40,692
here's my summary of what they say.

3973
04:25:40,692 --> 04:25:44,610
mpd has a formal mou to collaborate with a branch of

3974
04:25:44,610 --> 04:25:47,320
ice, and they regularly work together whenever the us

3975
04:25:47,320 --> 04:25:49,469
attorney's office claims an offense involves human

3976
04:25:49,469 --> 04:25:52,437
trafficking, which could be a lot beyond the scope of that

3977
04:25:52,437 --> 04:25:56,410
mou, mpd also collaborates with hpsci and with ice on joint

3978
04:25:56,410 --> 04:25:58,477
patrols during the so-called emergency and afterwards.

3979
04:25:58,477 --> 04:26:02,548
this paragraph 122, during joint patrols with mpd federal

3980
04:26:02,548 --> 04:26:05,517
agencies are conducting immigration enforcement.

3981
04:26:05,517 --> 04:26:10,354
former chief smith's executive order 25 005 allows mpd to share

3982
04:26:10,354 --> 04:26:12,958
information and provide transportation to help federal

3983
04:26:12,958 --> 04:26:15,360
agencies conduct immigration enforcement on their joint

3984
04:26:15,360 --> 04:26:18,630
patrols. Yet, mpd refuses to provide

3985
04:26:18,630 --> 04:26:21,700
information about the number of federal agents from each agency

3986
04:26:21,700 --> 04:26:25,370
who are participating in their joint patrols.

3987
04:26:25,370 --> 04:26:29,541
mpd either refuses to provide or claims that it cannot provide

3988
04:26:29,541 --> 04:26:33,511
any data on arrests by federal agents, even when mpd is

3989
04:26:33,511 --> 04:26:36,715
present, and mpd takes no responsibility for sharing

3990
04:26:36,715 --> 04:26:39,500
information about federal officers with the public, like

3991
04:26:39,500 --> 04:26:42,454
their names and badge numbers, even when they patrol together,

3992
04:26:42,454 --> 04:26:45,257
these shameful admissions are consistent with what I have seen

3993
04:26:45,257 --> 04:26:47,392
in my own neighborhood in ward 1.

3994
04:26:47,392 --> 04:26:51,196
I have seen joint mpd, cbp detentions in front of schools

3995
04:26:51,196 --> 04:26:53,464
during school hours. On the block where I live, I

3996
04:26:53,464 --> 04:26:56,668
have seen a federal mpd raid on an apartment building with ice

3997
04:26:56,668 --> 04:26:59,738
present in my neighborhood. While walking my daughter to

3998
04:26:59,738 --> 04:27:03,208
daycare, I have seen federal agents and mpd swarm a public

3999
04:27:03,208 --> 04:27:05,177
park used by my daughter's daycare.

4000
04:27:05,177 --> 04:27:08,747
I have seen masked ice agents jump out of unmarked cars and

4001
04:27:08,747 --> 04:27:12,250
kidnap latino workers off the street, in an area that mpd

4002
04:27:12,250 --> 04:27:14,286
patrols extensively. And I hear stories every day

4003
04:27:14,286 --> 04:27:16,655
from my neighbors seeing the same things.

4004
04:27:16,655 --> 04:27:20,158
I worry that my daughters, teachers, or caregivers will be

4005
04:27:20,158 --> 04:27:23,261
disappeared with mpd's help. I worry that children in d.c.

4006
04:27:23,261 --> 04:27:26,631
are witnessing and experiencing violence and harassment from

4007
04:27:26,631 --> 04:27:29,501
police, and learning that they cannot trust the police to help

4008
04:27:29,501 --> 04:27:32,370
them. I join in dc's demands and I

4009
04:27:32,370 --> 04:27:35,506
call on the council to immediately take basic steps to

4010
04:27:35,506 --> 04:27:39,177
protect children from violence by ensuring that mpd is

4011
04:27:39,177 --> 04:27:40,912
accountable. As further detailed in my

4012
04:27:40,912 --> 04:27:44,149
written testimony, for now, I urge you to support the full

4013
04:27:44,149 --> 04:27:46,252
accountability and arrest reporting emergency amendment

4014
04:27:46,252 --> 04:27:48,652
act of 2026. Thank you.

4015
04:27:50,822 --> 04:27:51,523
thank you. Guys.

4016
04:27:51,523 --> 04:27:54,325
I'm going to please ask you all again to help us out.

4017
04:27:54,325 --> 04:27:56,461
I know we've got a lot of colleagues, I hope.

4018
04:27:56,461 --> 04:28:00,466
I hope a lot of my colleagues are going to come up later this

4019
04:28:00,466 --> 04:28:02,467
evening so we can all ask the chief questions.

4020
04:28:02,467 --> 04:28:07,706
but as a reminder, if we if we do an applause for every person

4021
04:28:07,706 --> 04:28:10,876
who testifies, as much as I know you want to, that will add an

4022
04:28:10,876 --> 04:28:13,276
hour or 2 or 3. Okay.

4023
04:28:17,149 --> 04:28:18,500
where are we? Here.

4024
04:28:18,500 --> 04:28:19,484
tie. Hobson.

4025
04:28:19,484 --> 04:28:21,620
powell, public witness. All right.

4026
04:28:21,620 --> 04:28:25,524
first, giving honor to god. Happy black history month.

4027
04:28:25,524 --> 04:28:28,827
happy black history month. I'm here today to talk about

4028
04:28:28,827 --> 04:28:31,964
mpd, but also, I guess, just the larger moral, whether that is

4029
04:28:31,964 --> 04:28:35,330
guiding this moment that we're in right now, because policing

4030
04:28:35,330 --> 04:28:36,702
is never just a local technical issue.

4031
04:28:36,702 --> 04:28:39,304
I think it's a mirror of the moment that you're living

4032
04:28:39,304 --> 04:28:40,773
through. Our policing right now is

4033
04:28:40,773 --> 04:28:43,442
telling the truth about what we're willing to fund, who we're

4034
04:28:43,442 --> 04:28:46,378
willing to fear, and how quickly we accept the idea that some

4035
04:28:46,378 --> 04:28:48,880
people have to be controlled in order for others in this city to

4036
04:28:48,880 --> 04:28:51,384
feel comfortable. When we talk about violence, we

4037
04:28:51,384 --> 04:28:52,585
often talk about it as if it's random.

4038
04:28:52,585 --> 04:28:54,854
but it isn't. Not here, not in gaza, not

4039
04:28:54,854 --> 04:28:56,722
anywhere. It's connected, like I said, in

4040
04:28:56,722 --> 04:28:59,891
the congo and palestine and sudan, there's conflict

4041
04:28:59,891 --> 04:29:02,461
entrepreneurs that profit by turning human life into a

4042
04:29:02,461 --> 04:29:03,996
revenue stream. And it's that same kind of logic

4043
04:29:03,996 --> 04:29:06,665
that lives here. When institutions treat harm as

4044
04:29:06,665 --> 04:29:09,467
an acceptable byproduct, when there's budgets that reward

4045
04:29:09,467 --> 04:29:12,136
force over care, when the suffering of the vulnerable is

4046
04:29:12,136 --> 04:29:15,540
something that we see as administratively inevitable.

4047
04:29:15,540 --> 04:29:18,310
that's why I can't talk about mpd without talking about its

4048
04:29:18,310 --> 04:29:22,381
connective tissue to entities like idf that operate under

4049
04:29:22,381 --> 04:29:23,816
collective punishment. When I see those kind of

4050
04:29:23,816 --> 04:29:26,180
collaborations, I don't think about a safer d.c.

4051
04:29:26,180 --> 04:29:28,320
I think about a dc that's importing a worldview that says

4052
04:29:28,320 --> 04:29:31,890
that security is something that you do to people, and not

4053
04:29:31,890 --> 04:29:32,624
something that you build with them.

4054
04:29:32,624 --> 04:29:35,627
mpd is collaboration with ice is just further proof of that,

4055
04:29:35,627 --> 04:29:38,563
something that's making our neighbors scared to report harm,

4056
04:29:38,563 --> 04:29:41,320
people afraid to seek help, people afraid to take their kids

4057
04:29:41,320 --> 04:29:43,602
to school or afraid to take them to work.

4058
04:29:43,602 --> 04:29:45,770
it normalizes the federal apparatus that acts above the

4059
04:29:45,770 --> 04:29:48,173
law and treats due process like it's an inconvenience.

4060
04:29:48,173 --> 04:29:50,742
we've seen that time and time again from this president.

4061
04:29:50,742 --> 04:29:53,145
if federal officials feel entitled to lawlessness, I think

4062
04:29:53,145 --> 04:29:56,348
that mpd owes washingtonians a duty of care to stand in that

4063
04:29:56,348 --> 04:29:59,383
gap between the community and unlawful intimidation, not to

4064
04:29:59,383 --> 04:30:02,854
grease the wheels for it, and overpolicing and under-resourced

4065
04:30:02,854 --> 04:30:04,923
society will always be left clamoring for more.

4066
04:30:04,923 --> 04:30:07,392
that's from here. That's from here to gaza.

4067
04:30:07,392 --> 04:30:09,128
that's more surveillance. It's more overtime.

4068
04:30:09,128 --> 04:30:11,630
it's more weaponry, it's more cages.

4069
04:30:11,630 --> 04:30:13,732
but it's never more housing. It's never more clinics.

4070
04:30:13,732 --> 04:30:16,868
it's never more food access. It's never more trauma care.

4071
04:30:16,868 --> 04:30:19,671
it's never more schools with counselors instead of cops.

4072
04:30:19,671 --> 04:30:22,407
we keep trying to purchase safety with punishment, and then

4073
04:30:22,407 --> 04:30:25,377
we act surprised when our communities remain unsafe.

4074
04:30:25,377 --> 04:30:29,729
now, police and soldiers alike, they move people across borders.

4075
04:30:29,729 --> 04:30:32,932
they reshape opportunity. They influence who can be in

4076
04:30:32,932 --> 04:30:35,735
what neighborhood, what schools are stabilized, who's public

4077
04:30:35,735 --> 04:30:39,390
transit is watched, who's parks are welcoming, who's houses are

4078
04:30:39,390 --> 04:30:40,974
protected. That's how racial inequality

4079
04:30:40,974 --> 04:30:42,420
works. It's block by block.

4080
04:30:42,420 --> 04:30:44,577
it's stop by stop. It's arrest by arrest.

4081
04:30:44,577 --> 04:30:47,179
in the last decade alone, we've heard of dozens of police

4082
04:30:47,179 --> 04:30:49,314
killings that have pierced our national conscience.

4083
04:30:49,314 --> 04:30:52,385
but there are several hundreds more that we didn't even hear

4084
04:30:52,385 --> 04:30:55,540
about. And we always fixate on

4085
04:30:55,540 --> 04:30:57,457
repairing delegitimising policing through new training,

4086
04:30:57,457 --> 04:31:01,427
new tech, more diverse hiring. We need to redo it.

4087
04:31:01,427 --> 04:31:04,864
we need to redo this in favor of a just system that prevents harm

4088
04:31:04,864 --> 04:31:07,332
before it happens in response to harm, without creating more of

4089
04:31:07,332 --> 04:31:08,568
it. It's not naive.

4090
04:31:08,568 --> 04:31:12,738
it's the practical thing to do. If we can spend on average, over

4091
04:31:12,738 --> 04:31:16,276
$70 million on police time over time annually, we can fully fund

4092
04:31:16,276 --> 04:31:19,912
mental health crisis teams, rent stabilization, violence

4093
04:31:19,912 --> 04:31:22,415
interruption, youth employment, school based clinicians and

4094
04:31:22,415 --> 04:31:25,451
housing that people can afford. What does it say about a

4095
04:31:25,451 --> 04:31:28,488
globally interconnected society that we show a deeper commitment

4096
04:31:28,488 --> 04:31:32,392
to guns and bombs than we do to food, access and shelter?

4097
04:31:32,392 --> 04:31:35,392
thank you. Sandra benavente, advocacy

4098
04:31:36,929 --> 04:31:38,498
manager, ayuda. Good afternoon.

4099
04:31:38,498 --> 04:31:41,701
my name is sandra benavente, and I'm a youth advocacy manager.

4100
04:31:41,701 --> 04:31:44,437
I use as a nonprofit organization that has served

4101
04:31:44,437 --> 04:31:47,273
immigrant communities in dc for more than 50 years.

4102
04:31:47,273 --> 04:31:50,376
we provide legal, social and language access services to

4103
04:31:50,376 --> 04:31:53,379
immigrants and their families, including survivors of domestic

4104
04:31:53,379 --> 04:31:56,382
violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and other serious

4105
04:31:56,382 --> 04:31:59,186
crimes as they navigate government systems in pursuit of

4106
04:31:59,186 --> 04:32:02,455
safety and stability. We are deeply concerned about

4107
04:32:02,455 --> 04:32:05,925
the complicity of mpd and the dc government in exposing immigrant

4108
04:32:05,925 --> 04:32:10,196
residents to harm at the federal level, relatively quiet but

4109
04:32:10,196 --> 04:32:13,467
significant procedural changes are happening in the immigration

4110
04:32:13,467 --> 04:32:16,136
system from the firing of immigration judges to the

4111
04:32:16,136 --> 04:32:19,906
expansion of third country removals, brick by brick due

4112
04:32:19,906 --> 04:32:22,709
process is being dismantled. The federal government is making

4113
04:32:22,709 --> 04:32:26,646
it easier to detain and deport people with less oversight and

4114
04:32:26,646 --> 04:32:29,415
fewer safeguards. This all based in the racist

4115
04:32:29,415 --> 04:32:33,553
belief that black and brown immigrants like me do not belong

4116
04:32:33,553 --> 04:32:35,855
here. The district should play no role

4117
04:32:35,855 --> 04:32:39,992
in advancing that racist agenda. Yet when mpd collaborates with

4118
04:32:39,992 --> 04:32:42,929
federal immigration authorities, they are doing just that.

4119
04:32:42,929 --> 04:32:45,798
they are actively collaborating in actions that terrorize

4120
04:32:45,798 --> 04:32:48,668
immigrants and separate families, violently target black

4121
04:32:48,668 --> 04:32:51,838
and brown neighbors regardless of their immigration status.

4122
04:32:51,838 --> 04:32:55,341
spread fear in every member of the community, and compromise

4123
04:32:55,341 --> 04:32:58,111
public safety. We want to bring awareness to

4124
04:32:58,111 --> 04:33:01,381
mpd's new practice of asking survivors seeking uvsa

4125
04:33:01,381 --> 04:33:05,252
certifications for passports or other identification documents

4126
04:33:05,252 --> 04:33:08,454
in the context of mpd's collaboration with federal

4127
04:33:08,454 --> 04:33:11,590
immigration authorities. These requests create fear and

4128
04:33:11,590 --> 04:33:14,193
uncertainty. As a result, many survivors are

4129
04:33:14,193 --> 04:33:17,163
reconsidering if coming forward is worth the risk.

4130
04:33:17,163 --> 04:33:20,667
mpd has publicly committed to being trauma informed, yet

4131
04:33:20,667 --> 04:33:23,869
community trust has been deeply eroded by the collaboration, and

4132
04:33:23,869 --> 04:33:25,805
practices like this cause further damage.

4133
04:33:25,805 --> 04:33:28,541
what is the purpose of this new practice?

4134
04:33:28,541 --> 04:33:31,100
what safeguards are in place to ensure that information shared

4135
04:33:31,100 --> 04:33:35,314
by survivors will not be shared with ice and other federal

4136
04:33:35,314 --> 04:33:37,684
immigration authorities, and what steps are being taken to

4137
04:33:37,684 --> 04:33:41,755
address the harm caused thus far, our questions and concerns

4138
04:33:41,755 --> 04:33:45,240
about the collaboration's impact on survivors have been ignored

4139
04:33:45,240 --> 04:33:47,293
by mpd. We understand council members

4140
04:33:47,293 --> 04:33:50,960
have sent questions of their own, but this committee is

4141
04:33:50,960 --> 04:33:53,232
charged with oversight, and that responsibility requires more

4142
04:33:53,232 --> 04:33:55,902
than sending a letter and waiting for a response that

4143
04:33:55,902 --> 04:33:58,771
never comes. This committee has tools and

4144
04:33:58,771 --> 04:34:01,841
authority beyond what community members have, and we urge you to

4145
04:34:01,841 --> 04:34:05,244
use them to demand, not just transparency, but accountability

4146
04:34:05,244 --> 04:34:07,713
as well. This committee must strengthen

4147
04:34:07,713 --> 04:34:09,915
and uphold the sanctuary values amendment.

4148
04:34:09,915 --> 04:34:14,320
it must hold mpd accountable to, among other things, end the

4149
04:34:14,320 --> 04:34:17,123
collaboration between mpd and federal agents.

4150
04:34:17,123 --> 04:34:20,460
this also means reducing barriers for immigrant survivors

4151
04:34:20,460 --> 04:34:24,230
by creating clear uvsa certification policies, ensuring

4152
04:34:24,230 --> 04:34:26,630
confidentiality of survivor information.

4153
04:34:27,000 --> 04:34:29,802
every member of our community deserves to be treated with

4154
04:34:29,802 --> 04:34:33,373
dignity, respect and humanity. They deserve clarity and access

4155
04:34:33,373 --> 04:34:36,875
to safety and they deserve a local government that does not

4156
04:34:36,875 --> 04:34:39,679
place them in further danger, especially when they're seeking

4157
04:34:39,679 --> 04:34:42,150
help. Thank you for the opportunity to

4158
04:34:42,150 --> 04:34:44,384
testify today. Thank you very much.

4159
04:34:44,384 --> 04:34:45,952
thank you all for your testimony.

4160
04:34:45,952 --> 04:34:49,955
and if anyone is in the flow over room but has signed up to

4161
04:34:49,955 --> 04:34:53,360
testify in person, if you want to come over to room, are we in

4162
04:34:53,360 --> 04:34:55,328
120 or 123? We're in 123.

4163
04:34:55,328 --> 04:34:58,764
so if you're in the wilson building and have signed up to

4164
04:34:58,764 --> 04:35:02,350
testify in person, there are now some seats in here if you want

4165
04:35:02,350 --> 04:35:04,904
to come over. So you're ready to go when

4166
04:35:04,904 --> 04:35:07,440
you're called. And we're going to call

4167
04:35:07,440 --> 04:35:12,240
elizabeth falcon up first and then abby hollinger.

4168
04:35:13,746 --> 04:35:16,746
owen schwartz. Miss stet ringler.

4169
04:35:22,422 --> 04:35:23,156
great. Thank you.

4170
04:35:23,156 --> 04:35:26,693
and we'll begin with elizabeth falcon, public witness.

4171
04:35:26,693 --> 04:35:28,528
hello, my name is elizabeth falcon.

4172
04:35:28,528 --> 04:35:32,231
I'm the executive director of dc jobs with justice, dc jobs with

4173
04:35:32,231 --> 04:35:35,768
justice is a 24 year organization working in

4174
04:35:35,768 --> 04:35:39,305
washington, dc, promoting racial and economic justice for

4175
04:35:39,305 --> 04:35:43,505
workers, residents and tenants. The current collaboration

4176
04:35:45,440 --> 04:35:48,715
between mpd and federal law enforcement reflects an expanded

4177
04:35:48,715 --> 04:35:52,351
reign of terror on immigrant and black residents, which is a

4178
04:35:52,351 --> 04:35:55,655
continuation of the attacks that local and federal law

4179
04:35:55,655 --> 04:35:59,926
enforcement have overpoliced in these communities for decades.

4180
04:35:59,926 --> 04:36:03,763
as the executive director at dc jobs with justice, we concern

4181
04:36:03,763 --> 04:36:05,632
ourselves with a variety of laws.

4182
04:36:05,632 --> 04:36:08,835
many of those laws are the ones that are designed to protect

4183
04:36:08,835 --> 04:36:11,637
folks who are vulnerable in their workplaces or in those in

4184
04:36:11,637 --> 04:36:14,174
their homes. And in addition to the chilling

4185
04:36:14,174 --> 04:36:16,910
effect that we're seeing in terms of our neighbors who are

4186
04:36:16,910 --> 04:36:19,512
unwilling to walk around their neighborhoods, take our public

4187
04:36:19,512 --> 04:36:23,115
transit, we're also seeing a chilling effect in people's

4188
04:36:23,115 --> 04:36:27,186
willingness to ensure that their basic the laws that are there to

4189
04:36:27,186 --> 04:36:31,490
protect them are fully enforced. So workers who are less likely

4190
04:36:31,490 --> 04:36:35,437
to report a wage violation or, you know, wages that are stolen

4191
04:36:35,437 --> 04:36:40,942
by their employer as a result of the the chilling environment

4192
04:36:40,942 --> 04:36:43,979
that we're in. Similarly, tenants who are less

4193
04:36:43,979 --> 04:36:48,316
willing potentially to come forward because they see that

4194
04:36:48,316 --> 04:36:50,952
the the boot of the law is up against them.

4195
04:36:50,952 --> 04:36:56,925
and it's not only in this type of legal protections we heard

4196
04:36:56,925 --> 04:37:01,563
recently from deputy mayor turnage that 4000 residents who

4197
04:37:01,563 --> 04:37:06,680
are currently eligible for the dc healthcare alliance have not

4198
04:37:06,680 --> 04:37:08,970
renewed because they are scared, even of institutions that were

4199
04:37:08,970 --> 04:37:13,508
once safe havens like mary center, because they're afraid

4200
04:37:13,508 --> 04:37:16,911
to be part of our society. And that's not surprising

4201
04:37:16,911 --> 04:37:19,314
because there's been a very violent and unaccountable

4202
04:37:19,314 --> 04:37:23,251
activities by ice and other federal agencies, and mpd has

4203
04:37:23,251 --> 04:37:26,722
been with them at the time when parents are tackled to the

4204
04:37:26,722 --> 04:37:29,457
ground in front of other parents, teachers and students,

4205
04:37:29,457 --> 04:37:32,527
we have a real breach of trust that the council needs to take

4206
04:37:32,527 --> 04:37:35,464
very aggressive steps and restore leadership and

4207
04:37:35,464 --> 04:37:38,533
accountability in the management of our public employees.

4208
04:37:38,533 --> 04:37:42,400
I join my allies from free d.c. Harriet's wildest dreams, black

4209
04:37:42,400 --> 04:37:45,607
lives matter, dc, and the many, many other organizations that

4210
04:37:45,607 --> 04:37:49,444
have come here today to ensure that dc uses all of the tools

4211
04:37:49,444 --> 04:37:54,282
that we have to ensure that our public employees, our tax

4212
04:37:54,282 --> 04:37:57,486
dollars, are only used in the service of our values and that

4213
04:37:57,486 --> 04:38:01,823
we enforce our local laws to the greatest extent possible and put

4214
04:38:01,823 --> 04:38:04,494
firewalls between federal law enforcement and local

4215
04:38:04,494 --> 04:38:08,940
enforcement. And we only bring into

4216
04:38:08,930 --> 04:38:11,967
leadership individuals who support our values and assure

4217
04:38:11,967 --> 04:38:13,135
accountability for those who do not.

4218
04:38:13,135 --> 04:38:15,535
thank you. Thank you.

4219
04:38:20,909 --> 04:38:23,909
abby hollinger, immigration staff attorney.

4220
04:38:24,713 --> 04:38:27,649
ida, good afternoon. My name is abby hollinger, and

4221
04:38:27,649 --> 04:38:30,180
I'm an immigration attorney at ayuda.

4222
04:38:30,180 --> 04:38:33,655
my colleague sandra just spoke to some of the most recent

4223
04:38:33,655 --> 04:38:37,159
federal efforts to further strip immigrants of their rights,

4224
04:38:37,159 --> 04:38:41,797
which are being implemented as we speak in this moment, dc

4225
04:38:41,797 --> 04:38:44,600
should be protecting its residents from federal

4226
04:38:44,600 --> 04:38:47,869
overreach. Instead, the d.c. Government and

4227
04:38:47,869 --> 04:38:52,730
mpd are collaborating with ice to funnel more people into

4228
04:38:52,730 --> 04:38:55,210
detention and deportation. I want to talk about what that

4229
04:38:55,210 --> 04:38:58,948
means for ayudas clients. It means a woman was recently

4230
04:38:58,948 --> 04:39:03,218
the victim of a violent crime, but she's too scared to report

4231
04:39:03,218 --> 04:39:06,688
it. The risk of any interaction with

4232
04:39:06,688 --> 04:39:09,925
police, even for victims, is higher.

4233
04:39:09,925 --> 04:39:13,950
when police are collaborating with ice.

4234
04:39:13,950 --> 04:39:18,660
so she decides not to report. It means our clients are

4235
04:39:18,660 --> 04:39:21,670
brutally beaten by dhs. They are being taken into

4236
04:39:21,670 --> 04:39:25,240
immigration custody. Mpd says that they're here to

4237
04:39:25,240 --> 04:39:28,643
protect and serve us. But what about when residents

4238
04:39:28,643 --> 04:39:32,243
need protection from law enforcement itself?

4239
04:39:32,581 --> 04:39:35,317
it means clients who live in maryland and virginia are

4240
04:39:35,317 --> 04:39:38,540
missing appointments with us because they're too scared to

4241
04:39:38,540 --> 04:39:41,256
come into the city. They know that this could delay

4242
04:39:41,256 --> 04:39:45,227
or irreversibly damage their immigration cases, but the risk

4243
04:39:45,227 --> 04:39:49,564
of detention is just too high. In addition to being an

4244
04:39:49,564 --> 04:39:52,367
immigration attorney, I'm a d.c. Native, and I'm part of the

4245
04:39:52,367 --> 04:39:54,536
rapid response organizing in my neighborhood.

4246
04:39:54,536 --> 04:39:58,774
so I also want to tell you what we're seeing on our streets.

4247
04:39:58,774 --> 04:40:03,311
we see dhs staging its operations from the park road

4248
04:40:03,311 --> 04:40:09,911
mpd station, and then we see caravans of mpd and unmarked

4249
04:40:10,520 --> 04:40:14,252
undercover federal vehicles leave the station together,

4250
04:40:15,560 --> 04:40:19,856
drive into our neighborhoods together, and detain our

4251
04:40:20,796 --> 04:40:24,633
neighbors together. I saw this happen a block away

4252
04:40:24,633 --> 04:40:29,370
from my home. A man was pulled over and within

4253
04:40:29,370 --> 04:40:32,207
minutes ice had swarmed the scene.

4254
04:40:32,207 --> 04:40:36,711
they kept this man waiting for a very long time.

4255
04:40:36,711 --> 04:40:41,216
while he waited, he asked us to call his brother and tell him

4256
04:40:41,216 --> 04:40:46,616
what was happening. His brother sobbed on the phone.

4257
04:40:47,789 --> 04:40:51,393
the police and ice eventually let this man go.

4258
04:40:51,393 --> 04:40:55,330
but so much damage had already been done.

4259
04:40:55,330 --> 04:40:59,968
the stories you've heard today point to a very simple truth you

4260
04:40:59,968 --> 04:41:05,307
all cannot fulfill your duty to protect d.c. Residents while

4261
04:41:05,307 --> 04:41:09,507
collaborating with those intent on harming them.

4262
04:41:11,130 --> 04:41:15,218
we call on you to end all collaboration, including

4263
04:41:15,218 --> 04:41:19,870
rescission of the cop order and dismantling of the task force,

4264
04:41:19,870 --> 04:41:21,289
protecting your community takes work.

4265
04:41:21,289 --> 04:41:24,326
we all know that because we show up every day.

4266
04:41:24,326 --> 04:41:29,126
the question is, when will you? Thank you.

4267
04:41:30,699 --> 04:41:35,300
owen schwartz, active at large board member, delta lambda phi

4268
04:41:35,300 --> 04:41:38,473
social fraternity, inc. Go chairperson, pinto.

4269
04:41:38,473 --> 04:41:40,308
members and staff of the committee.

4270
04:41:40,308 --> 04:41:43,745
my name is owen schwartz and I am an undergraduate student at

4271
04:41:43,745 --> 04:41:46,648
george washington university and active at large.

4272
04:41:46,648 --> 04:41:49,785
member of the board of directors of delta lambda phi social

4273
04:41:49,785 --> 04:41:52,654
fraternity. Delta lambda phi was created in

4274
04:41:52,654 --> 04:41:56,224
1986 right here in dc, in response to the exclusion of gay

4275
04:41:56,224 --> 04:41:58,626
men during the height of the aids epidemic.

4276
04:41:58,626 --> 04:42:02,396
our commitment to justice, dignity and chosen family guides

4277
04:42:02,396 --> 04:42:07,136
the way we show up, especially now across the country and in

4278
04:42:07,136 --> 04:42:09,404
the city. We are seeing a massive increase

4279
04:42:09,404 --> 04:42:13,675
in ice and other immigration enforcement using violence,

4280
04:42:13,675 --> 04:42:17,679
intimidation and deadly force. Immigrant communities, including

4281
04:42:17,679 --> 04:42:22,217
queer, trans, undocumented and mixed status individuals are

4282
04:42:22,217 --> 04:42:27,220
experiencing fear and harm. These are our community's safety

4283
04:42:27,220 --> 04:42:30,458
is built through care, accountability and community,

4284
04:42:30,458 --> 04:42:33,361
not fear, not intimidation and not violence.

4285
04:42:33,361 --> 04:42:36,431
as a board of directors, we urge this committee and the council

4286
04:42:36,431 --> 04:42:41,102
to restore trust by ending mpd's collaboration with ice and

4287
04:42:41,102 --> 04:42:43,505
provide transparency about the work they've conducted with

4288
04:42:43,505 --> 04:42:47,790
federal immigration agencies. The executive order, signed by

4289
04:42:47,790 --> 04:42:51,717
former police chief pamela smith on august 14th, 2025, allows mpd

4290
04:42:51,717 --> 04:42:54,586
officers to share information about persons not in the custody

4291
04:42:54,586 --> 04:42:58,457
of mpd, including those stopped at a traffic stop with federal

4292
04:42:58,457 --> 04:43:01,794
immigration enforcement agencies, as well as provide

4293
04:43:01,794 --> 04:43:04,496
transportation for their agents and detained suspects.

4294
04:43:04,496 --> 04:43:07,433
after this order went into effect, mpd has failed to

4295
04:43:07,433 --> 04:43:10,703
provide clarity about joint patrols between mpd and federal

4296
04:43:10,703 --> 04:43:14,306
agents, which have the authority to conduct civil immigration,

4297
04:43:14,306 --> 04:43:17,976
law enforcement. One such patrol in october of

4298
04:43:17,976 --> 04:43:21,914
2025 raises concerns about mpd's transparency about its work with

4299
04:43:21,914 --> 04:43:24,416
federal agents. Philip brown was stopped by

4300
04:43:24,416 --> 04:43:27,553
patrol, consisting of mpd officers and agents from five

4301
04:43:27,553 --> 04:43:29,355
federal agencies. Federal agents stepped in front

4302
04:43:29,355 --> 04:43:31,957
of his car and fired two shots into it.

4303
04:43:31,957 --> 04:43:34,759
actions like this further erode public trust and local law

4304
04:43:34,759 --> 04:43:38,970
enforcement, with citizens and non-citizens, many from

4305
04:43:38,970 --> 04:43:40,966
predominantly black and brown communities, fearing for their

4306
04:43:40,966 --> 04:43:44,769
lives every time they leave the house, especially when mpd then

4307
04:43:44,769 --> 04:43:47,705
failed to report that an unarmed black man was shot at by federal

4308
04:43:47,705 --> 04:43:50,542
agents. During that stop, mpd is

4309
04:43:50,542 --> 04:43:53,379
actively eroding public trust as it continues to collaborate with

4310
04:43:53,379 --> 04:43:56,982
ice and other federal agencies. Communities are paralyzed with

4311
04:43:56,982 --> 04:44:00,552
fear that they will be arrested, injured or killed by federal

4312
04:44:00,552 --> 04:44:03,389
agents, regardless of their immigration or citizenship

4313
04:44:03,389 --> 04:44:05,157
status. We can no longer accept business

4314
04:44:05,157 --> 04:44:08,794
as usual as this administration continues to undermine district

4315
04:44:08,794 --> 04:44:11,964
law and racially profile its communities.

4316
04:44:11,964 --> 04:44:15,534
we urge this committee and the council to vote on legislation

4317
04:44:15,534 --> 04:44:19,505
banning mpd's collaboration with ice and federal agents, provide

4318
04:44:19,505 --> 04:44:22,141
full transparency about the extent to which mpd has

4319
04:44:22,141 --> 04:44:24,443
collaborated with ice and federal agents.

4320
04:44:24,443 --> 04:44:27,780
speak out against isis brutality and speak up for the rights of

4321
04:44:27,780 --> 04:44:30,949
d.c. Residents, provide full accountability for federal

4322
04:44:30,949 --> 04:44:34,453
agents who break dc's laws and provide transparency about

4323
04:44:34,453 --> 04:44:37,956
whether agents involved in the murders of alex.

4324
04:44:37,956 --> 04:44:40,392
pretty good are now or have worked in dc.

4325
04:44:40,392 --> 04:44:43,992
thank you. Thank you very much.

4326
04:44:44,229 --> 04:44:46,980
mr. Ringler public witness.

4327
04:44:46,980 --> 04:44:49,234
hello, my name is mr. Ringler and I've been a d.c. Resident

4328
04:44:49,234 --> 04:44:52,105
for ten years, and since august I've been watching mpd assist

4329
04:44:52,105 --> 04:44:54,273
ice in abducting my neighbors off our streets.

4330
04:44:54,273 --> 04:44:57,743
I'm disturbed by the leeway this oversight committee gives mpd to

4331
04:44:57,743 --> 04:45:00,913
commit violence and cooperate with federal forces.

4332
04:45:00,913 --> 04:45:04,716
first and utmost, we must stop mpd's collaboration with federal

4333
04:45:04,716 --> 04:45:07,119
forces. And you have so much power to do

4334
04:45:07,119 --> 04:45:09,455
that. A short, short list.

4335
04:45:09,455 --> 04:45:12,658
vote yes on the far emergency bill, which respectfully goes

4336
04:45:12,658 --> 04:45:14,993
way further than the one you reintroduced yesterday.

4337
04:45:14,993 --> 04:45:17,896
and it has cosigners. It's a better bill.

4338
04:45:17,896 --> 04:45:20,266
prohibit federal officers from using face coverings when

4339
04:45:20,266 --> 04:45:23,803
operating in d.c., require them to follow the same public

4340
04:45:23,803 --> 04:45:26,805
identification rules as mpd. And also, regardless of what the

4341
04:45:26,805 --> 04:45:30,776
feds do, require mpd to include federal officer names and badge

4342
04:45:30,776 --> 04:45:33,846
numbers in our pd. 251 grinstein reports.

4343
04:45:33,846 --> 04:45:37,149
when federal officers are on the scene, repeal local qualified

4344
04:45:37,149 --> 04:45:40,352
immunity for federal officers. Close the loophole on sanctuary

4345
04:45:40,352 --> 04:45:42,454
values act. Request a gps.

4346
04:45:42,454 --> 04:45:46,425
hold a hearing before the end of march, and also revoke mpd's

4347
04:45:46,425 --> 04:45:47,894
cooperation agreements. Why are we cooperating?

4348
04:45:47,894 --> 04:45:50,529
you have the power to make that happen.

4349
04:45:50,529 --> 04:45:53,866
second, we need to end mpd flock camera contracts.

4350
04:45:53,866 --> 04:45:59,538
mpd is operating 66 of them and plans to spend $5 million more.

4351
04:45:59,538 --> 04:46:01,440
flock is a known ice collaborators.

4352
04:46:01,440 --> 04:46:05,577
if you care about our city, you will revoke the mpd flock

4353
04:46:05,577 --> 04:46:09,148
contracts. Next, stop and frisk demand mpd

4354
04:46:09,148 --> 04:46:12,117
do their job. Now that they're extremely well

4355
04:46:12,117 --> 04:46:13,752
funded and published. Stop and frisk data.

4356
04:46:13,752 --> 04:46:16,288
it's a laughing stock. They will continue to make a

4357
04:46:16,288 --> 04:46:18,857
laughingstock until this oversight committee exerts its

4358
04:46:18,857 --> 04:46:22,127
power and forces them to do their job.

4359
04:46:22,127 --> 04:46:25,597
next, oppose jeffrey carroll. He's a known white supremacist

4360
04:46:25,597 --> 04:46:27,732
sympathizer. He's a history of aggressive

4361
04:46:27,732 --> 04:46:29,902
tactics. You have the power to stop

4362
04:46:29,902 --> 04:46:33,339
jeffrey carroll from becoming police chief next.

4363
04:46:33,339 --> 04:46:37,876
this fall, I submitted a foia request to mpd requesting all

4364
04:46:37,876 --> 04:46:41,547
mpd officer photos, which they have, and badge numbers allowing

4365
04:46:41,547 --> 04:46:43,282
for exceptions for undercover officers.

4366
04:46:43,282 --> 04:46:46,510
that foia request was denied. Why?

4367
04:46:46,510 --> 04:46:51,900
for officer for officer privacy, I asked given mpd officers

4368
04:46:51,900 --> 04:46:53,592
conduct their business with their faces visible and their

4369
04:46:53,592 --> 04:46:56,496
badge numbers visible. Why is this a denial for

4370
04:46:56,496 --> 04:46:58,300
privacy? And I was told if I didn't like

4371
04:46:58,300 --> 04:47:02,167
the response, I could appeal it. This is public information.

4372
04:47:02,167 --> 04:47:05,571
I should in bulk, be able to submit a foi request for every

4373
04:47:05,571 --> 04:47:08,641
single public mpd officer and get a list of photos and badge

4374
04:47:08,641 --> 04:47:10,843
numbers. It's no more extra information.

4375
04:47:10,843 --> 04:47:15,414
mpd has it and I'm being denied. That is abhorrent and that makes

4376
04:47:15,414 --> 04:47:18,951
our police officers should not be secret police and we need

4377
04:47:18,951 --> 04:47:21,820
that information. Finally, council member pinto,

4378
04:47:21,820 --> 04:47:24,856
you're asking me and all of residents to vote for you to

4379
04:47:24,856 --> 04:47:27,259
represent us in congress? And right now, I have seen

4380
04:47:27,259 --> 04:47:29,929
nothing to say that you will ever keep me safe or advocate

4381
04:47:29,929 --> 04:47:32,929
against the feds. Thank you.

4382
04:47:34,966 --> 04:47:37,669
thank you all. Thank you.

4383
04:47:37,669 --> 04:47:40,138
we're going to call our next panel.

4384
04:47:40,138 --> 04:47:44,938
kevin bell, mary gregory pemberton, madhvi bahl, and

4385
04:47:49,181 --> 04:47:52,181
pastor delonte golston. Go ahead.

4386
04:47:54,553 --> 04:47:56,553
kevin bell. Okay.

4387
04:47:57,289 --> 04:47:59,289
gregory pemberton. Yes.

4388
04:47:59,858 --> 04:48:02,258
thank you. Madhvi bahl.

4389
04:48:03,428 --> 04:48:05,564
okay. And then, pastor delonte

4390
04:48:05,564 --> 04:48:09,164
golston, are you still here? No.

4391
04:48:09,468 --> 04:48:10,202
okay. Marie.

4392
04:48:10,202 --> 04:48:12,202
drizzle. Thank you.

4393
04:48:14,806 --> 04:48:16,806
all right. Hey.

4394
04:48:17,743 --> 04:48:20,579
hey, everybody. We all in this committee treat

4395
04:48:20,579 --> 04:48:24,349
every person with respect, no matter what they're testifying.

4396
04:48:24,349 --> 04:48:26,518
and we are all going to that. That goes for everybody.

4397
04:48:26,518 --> 04:48:29,320
we're all going to treat everybody with respect and hear

4398
04:48:29,320 --> 04:48:35,320
from our our witnesses. Kevin bell, board member, d.c.

4399
04:48:35,660 --> 04:48:38,600
open government coalition. Yes.

4400
04:48:39,640 --> 04:48:40,599
hello. My name is kevin bell.

4401
04:48:40,599 --> 04:48:43,201
I'm a public records attorney with the free information group

4402
04:48:43,201 --> 04:48:45,904
and award for resident, and I am here today as a board member of

4403
04:48:45,904 --> 04:48:47,706
the d.c. Open government coalition.

4404
04:48:47,706 --> 04:48:49,374
thank you for the opportunity to testify.

4405
04:48:49,374 --> 04:48:51,877
these oversight hearings are critical opportunities to hear

4406
04:48:51,877 --> 04:48:54,314
and act on our city's most pressing issues.

4407
04:48:54,314 --> 04:48:57,552
last month, my client, stephanie clemens, testified about her

4408
04:48:57,552 --> 04:49:00,870
struggle for transparency at the oversight hearing for the office

4409
04:49:00,870 --> 04:49:02,890
of unified communications. And thanks to this body's

4410
04:49:02,890 --> 04:49:05,726
political work and courage, I am pleased to say that she has

4411
04:49:05,726 --> 04:49:07,861
already begun to receive the relief that she needed.

4412
04:49:07,861 --> 04:49:10,998
what's more, last thursday, february 19th, we saw the

4413
04:49:10,998 --> 04:49:15,690
introduction of your chairwoman pinto emergency medical services

4414
04:49:15,690 --> 04:49:17,371
clarification amendment act of 2026, which also addressed

4415
04:49:17,371 --> 04:49:20,573
issues raised in that hearing. So these hearings do clearly

4416
04:49:20,573 --> 04:49:22,176
matter. The city is desperate for

4417
04:49:22,176 --> 04:49:24,177
answers from mpd and brightwood park, where I live.

4418
04:49:24,177 --> 04:49:26,747
I cannot walk two blocks without passing a sign marking a

4419
04:49:26,747 --> 04:49:28,882
community members disappearance by ice.

4420
04:49:28,882 --> 04:49:31,785
lacking any official information about these kidnapings, local

4421
04:49:31,785 --> 04:49:33,821
activists have filled the gap with community knowledge.

4422
04:49:33,821 --> 04:49:37,580
as chair, you have seen firsthand mpd's disappointing

4423
04:49:37,580 --> 04:49:39,526
and inadequate in your words response to your oversight

4424
04:49:39,526 --> 04:49:43,970
letter about mpd's apparently enthusiastic support for federal

4425
04:49:43,970 --> 04:49:45,532
law enforcement. Mpd has long chafed at

4426
04:49:45,532 --> 04:49:48,680
transparency obligations, most recently from the 2022 police

4427
04:49:48,680 --> 04:49:50,471
reform act, which mandated greater access to body worn

4428
04:49:50,471 --> 04:49:54,575
camera footage under foia that would reveal that federal

4429
04:49:54,575 --> 04:49:56,276
cooperation transparency, however, is simply too expensive

4430
04:49:56,276 --> 04:49:59,880
to fit within the mpd's meager $650 million budget.

4431
04:49:59,880 --> 04:50:02,282
the office of the chief financial officer said as much

4432
04:50:02,282 --> 04:50:05,552
in 2024 when it copied and pasted the mpd's $4 million

4433
04:50:05,552 --> 04:50:08,655
guess from a single email with no cited methodology or sources

4434
04:50:08,655 --> 04:50:10,791
to describe how much that would cost.

4435
04:50:10,791 --> 04:50:12,893
less than, of course, we've discussed earlier, we're

4436
04:50:12,893 --> 04:50:16,830
planning on spending on flat cameras in 2024, mpd received

4437
04:50:16,830 --> 04:50:19,667
792 foia requests for body worn camera footage, of which 16 were

4438
04:50:19,667 --> 04:50:24,638
granted in full 265 in part at a reported cost of $87,000 from

4439
04:50:24,638 --> 04:50:27,541
mpd vendor, or about 325 bucks a pop.

4440
04:50:27,541 --> 04:50:29,844
the cost comes from a professed concern for the strict

4441
04:50:29,844 --> 04:50:32,946
protection of bystander privacy, the same pretext relied by ouc

4442
04:50:32,946 --> 04:50:35,749
to withhold the 911 calls from miss clemons and the same

4443
04:50:35,749 --> 04:50:38,252
pretext rejected last friday by the d.c. Superior court.

4444
04:50:38,252 --> 04:50:40,989
while ordering the release of the five hour, unredacted

4445
04:50:40,989 --> 04:50:43,791
recording of its facilitation of the doge raid on the us

4446
04:50:43,791 --> 04:50:46,392
institute of peace. Using mpd's own law breaking

4447
04:50:46,392 --> 04:50:48,562
tools. Why do I say this is a pretext?

4448
04:50:48,562 --> 04:50:51,365
mpd takes a janus faced approach to privacy and spending,

4449
04:50:51,365 --> 04:50:54,000
operating a 28,000 camera surveillance network frequently

4450
04:50:54,000 --> 04:50:56,604
handed over to the feds, has multiple contractors to surveil

4451
04:50:56,604 --> 04:50:58,439
the social media of d.c. Residents to tap into the

4452
04:50:58,439 --> 04:51:00,408
networks of activists and disrupters, according to public

4453
04:51:00,408 --> 04:51:02,576
records. Obtained foia litigation by the

4454
04:51:02,576 --> 04:51:05,479
brennan center. Mpd also compiles tweets about

4455
04:51:05,479 --> 04:51:07,981
graduation parties, birthdays and cookouts, and ward 7 and

4456
04:51:07,981 --> 04:51:10,617
eight shares compiled social media information with ice, the

4457
04:51:10,617 --> 04:51:15,890
department of homeland security, the usda, amazon, and the ogden

4458
04:51:15,890 --> 04:51:17,224
cap luxury apartment company. For some reason, citations for

4459
04:51:17,224 --> 04:51:18,692
that are in my written testimony.

4460
04:51:18,692 --> 04:51:21,495
despite all of this, mpd still refuses to release any body worn

4461
04:51:21,495 --> 04:51:24,832
camera footage, which features a federal agent in it because of

4462
04:51:24,832 --> 04:51:26,500
the need to protect their privacy.

4463
04:51:26,500 --> 04:51:29,103
we ask the council to fulfill the police reform act's

4464
04:51:29,103 --> 04:51:31,305
transparency promises by mandating the agency spend

4465
04:51:31,305 --> 04:51:33,400
appropriated money on transparency instead of this far

4466
04:51:33,400 --> 04:51:35,976
reaching domestic espionage. Nobody here is naive enough to

4467
04:51:35,976 --> 04:51:37,511
think that the release of records alone will lead to

4468
04:51:37,511 --> 04:51:39,112
change. But if they were not important,

4469
04:51:39,112 --> 04:51:41,348
we do not believe the mpd and the mayor would be trying so

4470
04:51:41,348 --> 04:51:44,948
hard to hide it. Thank you.

4471
04:51:48,288 --> 04:51:50,900
gregory pemberton, president, dc police union.

4472
04:51:50,900 --> 04:51:51,257
thank you. Good morning, members of the

4473
04:51:51,257 --> 04:51:52,926
committee, thank you for this opportunity to testify.

4474
04:51:52,926 --> 04:51:55,462
as the president of the dc police union, I speak on behalf

4475
04:51:55,462 --> 04:51:58,565
of approximately 2800 sworn police officers, detectives and

4476
04:51:58,565 --> 04:52:01,100
sergeants who serve this community as members of the mpd.

4477
04:52:01,100 --> 04:52:03,537
I've been a dc police officer for 21 years, and I take great

4478
04:52:03,537 --> 04:52:06,106
pride in serving the city. When I took office as head of

4479
04:52:06,106 --> 04:52:10,210
the police union in april of 2020, reports showed that we had

4480
04:52:10,210 --> 04:52:12,460
3797 sworn members on the department.

4481
04:52:12,460 --> 04:52:15,182
the mpd staffing report from february 4th, 2026 states we are

4482
04:52:15,182 --> 04:52:19,621
down to 3156, the lowest total number we have seen in over 50

4483
04:52:19,621 --> 04:52:23,390
years. This is a net loss of 641 sworn

4484
04:52:23,390 --> 04:52:25,692
members, as this attrition rate undoubtedly continues, we could

4485
04:52:25,692 --> 04:52:29,429
see this number drop below 3000 in less than a year.

4486
04:52:29,429 --> 04:52:32,299
while mpd public facing daily crime report has shown declines

4487
04:52:32,299 --> 04:52:34,634
in certain crime categories over the past two years, we should be

4488
04:52:34,634 --> 04:52:37,504
careful to celebrate recent investigations by the u.s.

4489
04:52:37,504 --> 04:52:39,390
attorney's office for the district of columbia and the

4490
04:52:39,390 --> 04:52:41,708
house committee on oversight and government reform have exposed a

4491
04:52:41,708 --> 04:52:44,110
systemic pattern of deliberate crime data manipulation under

4492
04:52:44,110 --> 04:52:47,180
former chief pam smith. These reports confirm what the

4493
04:52:47,180 --> 04:52:49,583
union has long warned mpd command staff and a corrosive

4494
04:52:49,583 --> 04:52:52,119
culture of fear pressured commanders to downgrade serious

4495
04:52:52,119 --> 04:52:54,955
felonies, such as assaults with dangerous weapon robberies,

4496
04:52:54,955 --> 04:52:58,158
burglaries and motor vehicle thefts to lesser offenses or

4497
04:52:58,158 --> 04:52:59,993
noncriminal classifications like injured person to the hospital

4498
04:52:59,993 --> 04:53:03,630
or pending investigation. This not only distorted public

4499
04:53:03,630 --> 04:53:05,933
statistics, but prevented proper investigations, leaving evidence

4500
04:53:05,933 --> 04:53:08,333
uncollected. Detectives uninvolved and

4501
04:53:08,435 --> 04:53:11,705
criminals unaccountable. To put this in perspective, the

4502
04:53:11,705 --> 04:53:14,107
internal national national incident based reporting system

4503
04:53:14,107 --> 04:53:17,277
nibrs data reported to the fbi showed a 2% increase in violent

4504
04:53:17,277 --> 04:53:20,877
crime for 2024, contradicting the dcr's fabricated 28%

4505
04:53:21,348 --> 04:53:24,348
decrease. The usa odc reviewed

4506
04:53:24,451 --> 04:53:28,510
approximately 5800 police reports and identified over 1200

4507
04:53:28,255 --> 04:53:31,191
misclassifications, including 78% of taking property without

4508
04:53:31,191 --> 04:53:34,791
right reports, 33% of aggravated assaults, 68% pending

4509
04:53:35,429 --> 04:53:37,864
investigation cases. This manipulation hid the true

4510
04:53:37,864 --> 04:53:41,340
extent of crime, gaslighting residents about their personal

4511
04:53:41,340 --> 04:53:43,970
experiences and basing public safety decisions on falsified

4512
04:53:43,970 --> 04:53:45,672
data. This command staff officials who

4513
04:53:45,672 --> 04:53:48,174
so blatantly and callously chose to falsify police reports and

4514
04:53:48,174 --> 04:53:50,310
crime stats for their own political benefit, are the same

4515
04:53:50,310 --> 04:53:52,579
officials responsible for investigating union members?

4516
04:53:52,579 --> 04:53:55,316
so when the council made the misguided decision to strip away

4517
04:53:55,316 --> 04:53:57,985
key employee protections such as due process rights and

4518
04:53:57,985 --> 04:54:00,553
disciplinary actions and privacy rights, they hindered unfettered

4519
04:54:00,553 --> 04:54:03,390
authority to an abusive command staff, further eroding morale

4520
04:54:03,390 --> 04:54:05,892
and driving experience personnel out the door.

4521
04:54:05,892 --> 04:54:08,861
the staffing crisis forced mpd to rely on an unprecedented

4522
04:54:08,861 --> 04:54:11,397
amount of overtime hours to maintain basic operations.

4523
04:54:11,397 --> 04:54:15,802
for fiscal year 2025, the mpd used 1.7 million hours of

4524
04:54:15,802 --> 04:54:19,474
overtime, nearly four times the average, costing over $130

4525
04:54:19,474 --> 04:54:21,474
million. This unsustainable pattern is a

4526
04:54:21,474 --> 04:54:23,977
major factor in officers retiring early or leaving for

4527
04:54:23,977 --> 04:54:27,215
other agencies. It is of the utmost important

4528
04:54:27,215 --> 04:54:29,749
that we properly staff to handle any emergency that may affect

4529
04:54:29,749 --> 04:54:31,184
the city. We've handled everything from

4530
04:54:31,184 --> 04:54:34,354
extended periods of civil unrest to pandemics to aircraft

4531
04:54:34,354 --> 04:54:36,189
collisions. Being understaffed undermines

4532
04:54:36,189 --> 04:54:38,492
the safety of the city as well as its citizens and

4533
04:54:38,492 --> 04:54:40,930
institutions. The union asked for the council

4534
04:54:40,930 --> 04:54:42,362
to consider repealing or amending prior legislation that

4535
04:54:42,362 --> 04:54:44,631
is negatively affected. The ability to hire and retain

4536
04:54:44,631 --> 04:54:46,899
our best employees. Specifically, legislation

4537
04:54:46,899 --> 04:54:49,236
affecting employee rights. These are at the heart of mpd's

4538
04:54:49,236 --> 04:54:51,239
performance. Thank you for the opportunity to

4539
04:54:51,239 --> 04:54:51,738
testify. Welcome.

4540
04:54:51,738 --> 04:54:54,107
any questions you may have. Thank you.

4541
04:54:54,107 --> 04:54:57,707
thank you. Madhvi ball, court organizer,

4542
04:54:58,845 --> 04:55:03,535
migrant solidarity mutual aid. Hi, chair pinto, members of the

4543
04:55:03,535 --> 04:55:05,871
committee. We got to stop meeting like

4544
04:55:05,871 --> 04:55:08,540
this. I'm once again here testifying

4545
04:55:08,540 --> 04:55:11,900
about mpd and federal law enforcement collaboration.

4546
04:55:11,900 --> 04:55:13,144
and I'm once again deeply frustrated.

4547
04:55:13,144 --> 04:55:15,714
in fact, there's nothing that I can say today that I didn't

4548
04:55:15,714 --> 04:55:18,383
already say in december or in october or during the many other

4549
04:55:18,383 --> 04:55:21,686
hearings I've testified at in this committee over the years.

4550
04:55:21,686 --> 04:55:24,422
but I will give it a go. My name is madhvi bell.

4551
04:55:24,422 --> 04:55:27,625
I'm a core organizer with migrant solidarity mutual aid,

4552
04:55:27,625 --> 04:55:30,562
or msma. Since january 2025, msma has

4553
04:55:30,562 --> 04:55:33,565
operated a 24 over seven emergency hotline.

4554
04:55:33,565 --> 04:55:37,535
in august, when the expanded occupation of d.c. Began

4555
04:55:37,535 --> 04:55:40,239
overnight, mismos hotline became the emergency hotline for all

4556
04:55:40,239 --> 04:55:42,474
federal law enforcement activity in the district.

4557
04:55:42,474 --> 04:55:45,844
over the past six months, we have fielded thousands of calls

4558
04:55:45,844 --> 04:55:49,715
from d.c. Residents witnessing federal law enforcement harass,

4559
04:55:49,715 --> 04:55:53,985
assault, or kidnap our neighbors while mpd joins in or looks on.

4560
04:55:53,985 --> 04:55:56,987
we have heard from thousands of families desperately trying to

4561
04:55:56,987 --> 04:55:59,257
find their loved ones who disappeared off the street, only

4562
04:55:59,257 --> 04:56:02,460
to learn that ice has them or they're at ccp.

4563
04:56:02,460 --> 04:56:06,131
none of this would have been possible without mpd's full

4564
04:56:06,131 --> 04:56:08,332
throated collaboration. The mayor and this council have

4565
04:56:08,332 --> 04:56:11,670
also played a role in this. By enacting policies and passing

4566
04:56:11,670 --> 04:56:14,539
legislation that have been exploited by mpd and the feds to

4567
04:56:14,539 --> 04:56:17,142
further harm dc residents, such as the mayor's youth.

4568
04:56:17,142 --> 04:56:20,345
curfews to target black youth, or teaming up with the metro

4569
04:56:20,345 --> 04:56:22,781
transit police to target black and brown neighbors at metro

4570
04:56:22,781 --> 04:56:25,550
stations under the guise of fare evasion.

4571
04:56:25,550 --> 04:56:29,354
this should all seem familiar to you, considering a lot if it was

4572
04:56:29,354 --> 04:56:33,491
insecure d.c., and a lot of it was championed by you and then

4573
04:56:33,491 --> 04:56:37,695
and passed by the council. We told you this during that

4574
04:56:37,695 --> 04:56:41,666
fight. We said that when you allow

4575
04:56:41,666 --> 04:56:45,603
people to when you supercharge enforcement, when you expand

4576
04:56:45,603 --> 04:56:47,405
criminalization, it will lead here.

4577
04:56:47,405 --> 04:56:50,843
it doesn't matter if it's mpd doing it or federal law

4578
04:56:50,843 --> 04:56:53,478
enforcement, the policies and the legislation.

4579
04:56:53,478 --> 04:56:58,183
you pass got us here. And I really, really want you to

4580
04:56:58,183 --> 04:57:02,383
understand that. Mpd is a rogue police

4581
04:57:06,570 --> 04:57:08,426
department, and you're doing nothing to rein them in.

4582
04:57:08,426 --> 04:57:11,797
in fact, you're enabling it. This is a police department that

4583
04:57:11,797 --> 04:57:14,499
gave us people like shane lamont, who worked with the

4584
04:57:14,499 --> 04:57:18,536
proud boys, or greg pemberton, who just spoke, who have has

4585
04:57:18,536 --> 04:57:22,307
been seen to rub shoulders with the fascists in chief trump and

4586
04:57:22,307 --> 04:57:25,910
project veritas and interim chief jeffrey carroll, who has

4587
04:57:25,910 --> 04:57:29,147
been who's also seems to have a soft spot for the proud boys.

4588
04:57:29,147 --> 04:57:31,549
are we supposed to believe that these people are not going to

4589
04:57:31,549 --> 04:57:34,519
relish at the chance to work with the feds, to lock up black

4590
04:57:34,519 --> 04:57:36,921
and brown folks? Are we really supposed to

4591
04:57:36,921 --> 04:57:39,757
believe that? I don't, after hearing him

4592
04:57:39,757 --> 04:57:44,396
speak, I definitely don't. I don't know what to say except

4593
04:57:44,396 --> 04:57:48,233
consider please doing your job. And today I invite you all to be

4594
04:57:48,233 --> 04:57:52,103
human beings and protect d.c. Residents and end the

4595
04:57:52,103 --> 04:57:54,103
collaboration. Okay?

4596
04:58:01,579 --> 04:58:04,579
thank you. Thank you everybody.

4597
04:58:05,250 --> 04:58:10,650
marie driscoll, public witness. My name is marie driscoll.

4598
04:58:10,822 --> 04:58:15,930
my family has lived in dc for 170 straight years.

4599
04:58:15,930 --> 04:58:19,698
I am here to testify in support of the metropolitan police for

4600
04:58:19,698 --> 04:58:23,368
more than two years, my neighbors near the chinese

4601
04:58:23,368 --> 04:58:28,406
ambassador's home at s and 23rd streets were subjected to

4602
04:58:28,406 --> 04:58:30,806
harassment. Protesters use amplified

4603
04:58:31,675 --> 04:58:36,140
megaphones to blast messages and mandarin at deafening levels.

4604
04:58:36,140 --> 04:58:40,251
from 7 a.m. Until 9 p.m., seven days a week.

4605
04:58:40,251 --> 04:58:43,121
the situation was so tense that residents could not think

4606
04:58:43,121 --> 04:58:46,758
straight, could not have close family members stay in their

4607
04:58:46,758 --> 04:58:49,494
homes, and could not use their home offices.

4608
04:58:49,494 --> 04:58:54,980
with your support and the leadership of mpd, the council

4609
04:58:54,980 --> 04:58:58,102
enacted legislation to limit amplified noise in residential

4610
04:58:58,102 --> 04:58:59,937
zones. The law is now permanent.

4611
04:58:59,937 --> 04:59:03,708
I am happy to report that the early morning and late night

4612
04:59:03,708 --> 04:59:09,130
noise has finally ceased. I want to thank interim chief

4613
04:59:09,130 --> 04:59:13,652
jeffrey cao during the height of the crisis, deputy chief carol

4614
04:59:13,652 --> 04:59:18,322
showed up unannounced to observe these harassers firsthand.

4615
04:59:18,322 --> 04:59:22,493
he understood immediately that this was not a legitimate first

4616
04:59:22,493 --> 04:59:25,697
amendment exercise, but a calculated game.

4617
04:59:25,697 --> 04:59:29,200
he testified before the council that decibel testing was a cat

4618
04:59:29,200 --> 04:59:32,737
and mouse game. The protesters knew how to rig

4619
04:59:32,737 --> 04:59:37,800
his clear testimony that the residential tranquility act was

4620
04:59:37,800 --> 04:59:40,345
enforceable, and that stationing officers there indefinitely was

4621
04:59:40,345 --> 04:59:44,382
a waste of vital resources. He is instrumental in defining

4622
04:59:44,382 --> 04:59:48,553
this problem and presenting his position supporting the proposed

4623
04:59:48,553 --> 04:59:51,553
law. A major substantive and

4624
04:59:51,756 --> 04:59:56,293
enforceable change in noise laws in 50 years and at the same time

4625
04:59:56,293 --> 05:00:01,320
protecting the first amendment. On a personal note, I was I was

4626
05:00:01,320 --> 05:00:04,869
present when a protester charged at me yelling in mandarin.

4627
05:00:04,869 --> 05:00:08,573
an empty canine officer intercepted her and protected

4628
05:00:08,573 --> 05:00:11,508
me. I am deeply grateful for their

4629
05:00:11,508 --> 05:00:14,345
presence. I also want to address the

4630
05:00:14,345 --> 05:00:17,582
issues regarding ice and crime statistics.

4631
05:00:17,582 --> 05:00:21,530
recently, neighbors were terrified that an ice raid was

4632
05:00:21,530 --> 05:00:24,689
occurring at a church on our block known for its homeless

4633
05:00:24,689 --> 05:00:27,992
feeding program. We contacted church leadership

4634
05:00:27,992 --> 05:00:33,197
and discovered it was actually a medical emergency, and pd

4635
05:00:33,197 --> 05:00:38,597
arrived to assist with the emergency medical service team.

4636
05:00:39,137 --> 05:00:42,674
regarding the. And also, I just want to add, I

4637
05:00:42,674 --> 05:00:48,120
have heard many issues here today of grave concern and am

4638
05:00:48,120 --> 05:00:52,817
and am very impressed with the testimony of tyler hobson

4639
05:00:52,817 --> 05:00:55,217
powell. Regarding concerns over

4640
05:00:56,154 --> 05:00:59,958
downgrading of crime statistics. I welcome a legitimate, serious

4641
05:00:59,958 --> 05:01:03,558
review of these issues. Thank you.

4642
05:01:04,620 --> 05:01:07,999
thank you, thank you all very much for your testimony.

4643
05:01:07,999 --> 05:01:13,999
we're going to call the next panel, alexander howard, julian

4644
05:01:15,589 --> 05:01:17,989
hedlund. Is julia here?

4645
05:01:20,494 --> 05:01:23,494
is julia hedlund here? Yes.

4646
05:01:24,231 --> 05:01:26,231
wayne j. Okay.

4647
05:01:28,936 --> 05:01:31,336
for wayne. Okay, okay.

4648
05:01:33,974 --> 05:01:36,410
jay brown will be there. Talib.

4649
05:01:36,410 --> 05:01:39,879
kareem muhammad and mr. Brown, could you sit next to mr.

4650
05:01:39,879 --> 05:01:44,790
howard, please. And we'll go in order.

4651
05:01:44,952 --> 05:01:45,753
talib. Kareem.

4652
05:01:45,753 --> 05:01:48,753
muhammad, are you here? Kwanzaa.

4653
05:01:52,926 --> 05:01:54,926
billy. Talia.

4654
05:02:00,834 --> 05:02:02,603
brock. Talia.

4655
05:02:02,603 --> 05:02:05,603
brock, are you here? Yes.

4656
05:02:07,441 --> 05:02:08,976
okay. Ashley.

4657
05:02:08,976 --> 05:02:10,976
anderson. Thank you.

4658
05:02:15,583 --> 05:02:17,918
okay. We will begin with alexander

4659
05:02:17,918 --> 05:02:19,786
howard, public witness. Good morning.

4660
05:02:19,786 --> 05:02:22,523
thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today.

4661
05:02:22,523 --> 05:02:25,593
thank you to bridging the information void that was left

4662
05:02:25,593 --> 05:02:28,328
by the executive branch during the snow emergency.

4663
05:02:28,328 --> 05:02:31,397
you and my councilman allen were out there in social media

4664
05:02:31,397 --> 05:02:34,802
telling us what was happening when our government would not.

4665
05:02:34,802 --> 05:02:37,710
this, unfortunately, is an ongoing problem across the

4666
05:02:37,710 --> 05:02:39,673
district. I've been a resident since 2009.

4667
05:02:39,673 --> 05:02:42,843
I've been a journalist here. I've been an advocate for open

4668
05:02:42,843 --> 05:02:45,979
government, including at the sunlight foundation, where I had

4669
05:02:45,979 --> 05:02:49,216
the opportunity to engage with the council and with the

4670
05:02:49,216 --> 05:02:51,418
executive on some of these issues.

4671
05:02:51,418 --> 05:02:54,822
I am grateful to everyone who is engaged in defense of the

4672
05:02:54,822 --> 05:02:57,357
freedom of information act, but I'm disappointed by the

4673
05:02:57,357 --> 05:02:59,893
weakening of public meeting standards and the lapses of

4674
05:02:59,893 --> 05:03:01,929
oversight around transparency and accountability.

4675
05:03:01,929 --> 05:03:04,231
it's very clear that foia is broken.

4676
05:03:04,231 --> 05:03:08,350
I suggest you hold a hearing and hold accountable every single

4677
05:03:08,350 --> 05:03:11,370
official who is supposed to be involved in the administration

4678
05:03:11,370 --> 05:03:13,306
of that. In an age when the public right

4679
05:03:13,306 --> 05:03:15,975
to know about public business has never been more important,

4680
05:03:15,975 --> 05:03:18,512
access to critical police records remains poor across our

4681
05:03:18,512 --> 05:03:20,514
union, including here in the district.

4682
05:03:20,514 --> 05:03:24,118
the mpd is required by law to make its arrest records public,

4683
05:03:24,118 --> 05:03:26,920
including arrests by federal law enforcement agencies that are

4684
05:03:26,920 --> 05:03:29,123
operating here. But despite many improvements to

4685
05:03:29,123 --> 05:03:32,590
the district's open data portal by octo since its historic

4686
05:03:32,590 --> 05:03:35,195
launch in 2008, arrest data continues to be missing context

4687
05:03:35,195 --> 05:03:38,660
and timeliness that would make it relevant to news reporting

4688
05:03:38,660 --> 05:03:40,266
and to public awareness of public policing.

4689
05:03:40,266 --> 05:03:43,538
the council of d.c. Should require the mpd to publish all

4690
05:03:43,538 --> 05:03:46,407
arrest data as open data on the district's portal, with monthly

4691
05:03:46,407 --> 05:03:49,677
audits from staff and biannual oversight hearings.

4692
05:03:49,677 --> 05:03:52,913
mpd has not been honoring an important provisions in the

4693
05:03:52,913 --> 05:03:55,482
police reform act, which the council itself has correctly

4694
05:03:55,482 --> 05:03:58,285
noted are crucial to keeping our police officers accountable to

4695
05:03:58,285 --> 05:04:01,388
the public they serve. This council should be fully

4696
05:04:01,388 --> 05:04:05,920
funding the police reform act to ensure that cost is no longer

4697
05:04:05,920 --> 05:04:08,161
used as justification to withhold and redact public

4698
05:04:08,161 --> 05:04:12,500
records from public access under foia, where when proactive

4699
05:04:12,500 --> 05:04:14,401
disclosures in the public interest.

4700
05:04:14,401 --> 05:04:17,638
this is even more important given the trump administration's

4701
05:04:17,638 --> 05:04:20,173
termination of the national law enforcement accountability

4702
05:04:20,173 --> 05:04:23,243
database that president biden once ordered be created but kept

4703
05:04:23,243 --> 05:04:25,379
secret, which has now been wiped off the books.

4704
05:04:25,379 --> 05:04:28,648
the need for a database to hold law enforcement accountable is

4705
05:04:28,648 --> 05:04:31,551
only grown more apparent this past year, as we've seen a

4706
05:04:31,551 --> 05:04:34,854
secret federal police force engaged in unconstitutional

4707
05:04:34,854 --> 05:04:38,725
policing across our union, including brazen violation of

4708
05:04:38,725 --> 05:04:42,195
civil rights, human rights and civil liberties by anonymous

4709
05:04:42,195 --> 05:04:44,998
officers shielded from liability from the use of force.

4710
05:04:44,998 --> 05:04:48,401
the mpd should be protecting the constitutional rights of every

4711
05:04:48,401 --> 05:04:51,304
person in our union, not just the citizens.

4712
05:04:51,304 --> 05:04:55,442
every person, first amendment rights, fourth amendment rights,

4713
05:04:55,442 --> 05:04:58,812
fifth amendment rights. They should be there to protect

4714
05:04:58,812 --> 05:05:01,281
us against secret police, not be collaborating with them.

4715
05:05:01,281 --> 05:05:07,870
and you should be fully funding the laws that you pass.

4716
05:05:07,870 --> 05:05:08,955
public service is a public trust.

4717
05:05:08,955 --> 05:05:13,260
if you do not implement these laws, you will lose the trust of

4718
05:05:13,260 --> 05:05:16,963
this district and the people can and will hold every member of

4719
05:05:16,963 --> 05:05:20,563
this council accountable for that failure.

4720
05:05:21,902 --> 05:05:25,502
thank you. Shay brown, public witness.

4721
05:05:28,342 --> 05:05:31,712
yeah, so I'm dealing with some shortness of breath.

4722
05:05:31,712 --> 05:05:37,384
so I ain't got time. To play with y'all today.

4723
05:05:37,384 --> 05:05:42,789
I'm sick of the council bs. I'm sick of npd's bs.

4724
05:05:42,789 --> 05:05:49,960
I'm sick of bowser bs and I'm so glad that preaching as pastor,

4725
05:05:49,960 --> 05:05:52,398
whatever that pam smith gon I'm saying this.

4726
05:05:52,398 --> 05:05:54,334
I'm sorry to interrupt you if you could not hold the mic

4727
05:05:54,334 --> 05:05:56,803
because I think it's going to create some echo for the go

4728
05:05:56,803 --> 05:05:57,938
ahead. Okay, do you want me to repeat

4729
05:05:57,938 --> 05:05:59,390
that? Because I would love to repeat

4730
05:05:59,390 --> 05:06:01,439
that part. Okay, cool.

4731
05:06:03,343 --> 05:06:08,582
all right. I hear a lot of talk about

4732
05:06:08,582 --> 05:06:12,919
collaboration and cooperation with mpd and the federal agents.

4733
05:06:12,919 --> 05:06:14,754
I don't look at it. Look at it that way.

4734
05:06:14,754 --> 05:06:18,225
I look at them like they're co-defendants.

4735
05:06:18,225 --> 05:06:22,863
they're co-defendants. And when we sit in positions of

4736
05:06:22,863 --> 05:06:26,330
power, especially positions that are oppressive, like when we

4737
05:06:26,330 --> 05:06:29,569
push the security d.c. Bill knowing that it was a failure

4738
05:06:29,569 --> 05:06:33,106
when you had members of your council tell me to my face,

4739
05:06:33,106 --> 05:06:36,844
don't worry about the sacrifices of the black and brown community

4740
05:06:36,844 --> 05:06:38,312
members. This is a smoke screen for

4741
05:06:38,312 --> 05:06:41,181
congress. I held my tongue because I

4742
05:06:41,181 --> 05:06:46,319
wanted to protect home rule, but it only set up a situation that

4743
05:06:46,319 --> 05:06:49,122
was stronger for the feds to mess with our community.

4744
05:06:49,122 --> 05:06:52,992
those policies failed us, and now it emboldened the federal

4745
05:06:52,992 --> 05:06:57,192
agencies. Please don't become or don't add

4746
05:06:58,650 --> 05:07:02,735
to our view of you, pinto and the council members as

4747
05:07:02,735 --> 05:07:05,605
codefendants of to these atrocities that are going on and

4748
05:07:05,605 --> 05:07:10,911
our community with these federal police who are who is the person

4749
05:07:10,911 --> 05:07:14,810
that's supervising our mpd officers when they're working

4750
05:07:14,810 --> 05:07:16,350
with these individuals? Because when I call the

4751
05:07:16,350 --> 05:07:19,853
commander hickman and every, every time there's an incident,

4752
05:07:19,853 --> 05:07:22,389
he tells me, that wasn't us. That's not us.

4753
05:07:22,389 --> 05:07:24,380
I didn't know they were in our community.

4754
05:07:24,380 --> 05:07:26,907
that's not us. Then what the hell do you know

4755
05:07:26,907 --> 05:07:28,709
who's responsible for them knowing.

4756
05:07:28,709 --> 05:07:32,646
and when those federal agencies out there and our members of the

4757
05:07:32,646 --> 05:07:34,448
community say, hey, who can we talk to?

4758
05:07:34,448 --> 05:07:38,920
where's the supervisor? We get a flash bang, a --

4759
05:07:38,920 --> 05:07:41,550
grenade, a smoke bomb, some mace.

4760
05:07:41,550 --> 05:07:43,190
those are the answers that we're getting.

4761
05:07:43,190 --> 05:07:46,259
I'm sick of it. I feel like I'm begging the

4762
05:07:46,259 --> 05:07:49,263
oppressor about what kind of cotton we picking?

4763
05:07:49,263 --> 05:07:53,601
we really gotta get this together for real.

4764
05:07:53,601 --> 05:07:57,171
when julian bailey got hit up around mayfair, that's the same

4765
05:07:57,171 --> 05:08:03,171
route my daughter take home from school every single day.

4766
05:08:10,840 --> 05:08:13,840
thank you, mr. Brown. You.

4767
05:08:15,489 --> 05:08:19,890
absolutely there, talia brock, program director.

4768
05:08:19,527 --> 05:08:21,362
critical exposure. Good afternoon.

4769
05:08:21,362 --> 05:08:23,964
members of the council. My name is talia brock.

4770
05:08:23,964 --> 05:08:26,834
I'm the program director at critical exposure, a member of

4771
05:08:26,834 --> 05:08:29,937
the youth safety collective and a resident of ward four.

4772
05:08:29,937 --> 05:08:32,573
a critical exposure. We work primarily with black and

4773
05:08:32,573 --> 05:08:36,210
brown youth to transform dc communities and schools through

4774
05:08:36,210 --> 05:08:38,612
youth organizing, storytelling, and photography.

4775
05:08:38,612 --> 05:08:41,649
the impacts of our policing system have long been an issue

4776
05:08:41,649 --> 05:08:45,253
area for us. Much of our past work has been

4777
05:08:45,253 --> 05:08:48,956
connected to the school to prison pipeline, restorative

4778
05:08:48,956 --> 05:08:51,492
justice programs in dc schools as well.

4779
05:08:51,492 --> 05:08:54,995
in the months since august, the residents of this city who have

4780
05:08:54,995 --> 05:08:57,332
already regularly been in the presence of a long list of

4781
05:08:57,332 --> 05:09:00,668
federal law enforcement agencies have had to deal with armed

4782
05:09:00,668 --> 05:09:03,604
national guard and ice agents roaming the streets.

4783
05:09:03,604 --> 05:09:06,440
the youth we work with have shared how deeply anxious they

4784
05:09:06,440 --> 05:09:09,611
are every day. Because of this, black and brown

4785
05:09:09,611 --> 05:09:12,130
residents who have had long reason to distrust law

4786
05:09:12,130 --> 05:09:15,160
enforcement are now seeing mpd work in collaboration with

4787
05:09:15,160 --> 05:09:17,416
federal immigration enforcement agencies.

4788
05:09:17,585 --> 05:09:21,222
it's hard to imagine that seeing families being ripped apart is

4789
05:09:21,222 --> 05:09:23,557
doing anything other than eroding the already tenuous

4790
05:09:23,557 --> 05:09:26,293
level of trust that black and brown youth have with the

4791
05:09:26,293 --> 05:09:28,829
police. Time and time again, our city's

4792
05:09:28,829 --> 05:09:31,999
response to issues of community safety is greater investment in

4793
05:09:31,999 --> 05:09:34,436
law enforcement. Instead, we should be doing what

4794
05:09:34,436 --> 05:09:38,105
youth and advocates have been asking for, for over and over

4795
05:09:38,105 --> 05:09:41,308
again, addressing the root causes, a lack of consistent

4796
05:09:41,308 --> 05:09:44,645
access to the basic material needs that a human requires for

4797
05:09:44,645 --> 05:09:47,181
survival. I'm here today to speak on the

4798
05:09:47,181 --> 05:09:50,517
experiences of two young people who have had experiences with

4799
05:09:50,517 --> 05:09:53,854
law enforcement as evidence of the harmful impact these police

4800
05:09:53,854 --> 05:09:56,657
encounters have on the youth in our city.

4801
05:09:56,657 --> 05:09:59,930
one of the members of our youth organizing collective shared a

4802
05:09:59,930 --> 05:10:00,994
story when her brother was 11 years old.

4803
05:10:00,994 --> 05:10:03,330
he had just gotten money from his father to go to the

4804
05:10:03,330 --> 05:10:05,499
carryout, and while he was on his way, I want to note here

4805
05:10:05,499 --> 05:10:07,968
that he was alone. He was stopped by police.

4806
05:10:07,968 --> 05:10:11,710
three white police officers told her brother to put his hands up

4807
05:10:11,710 --> 05:10:14,808
with tasers in their hands. They detained him, questioned

4808
05:10:14,808 --> 05:10:16,877
him to see if he was a young person they'd been looking for,

4809
05:10:16,877 --> 05:10:19,346
who had allegedly been stealing from a 7-eleven.

4810
05:10:19,346 --> 05:10:21,515
they said that he fit the description.

4811
05:10:21,515 --> 05:10:24,718
her brother told them that it wasn't him, and then one of the

4812
05:10:24,718 --> 05:10:28,880
officers asked for his id they did let him go, but they also

4813
05:10:28,880 --> 05:10:31,392
told him not to tell his parents about this interaction.

4814
05:10:31,392 --> 05:10:34,628
the youth member who shared this story said to me, I want to tell

4815
05:10:34,628 --> 05:10:36,963
people because my brother has gone through so much with the

4816
05:10:36,963 --> 05:10:38,932
police and this is just one of his stories.

4817
05:10:38,932 --> 05:10:42,690
I'm not afraid to speak up about police and how they view young

4818
05:10:42,690 --> 05:10:44,938
black people. Incidents like this are far from

4819
05:10:44,938 --> 05:10:47,507
uncommon, and they deepen the historically rooted distrust

4820
05:10:47,507 --> 05:10:49,711
that black and brown youth develop for law enforcement at

4821
05:10:49,711 --> 05:10:52,847
an early age. Another youth member shared that

4822
05:10:52,847 --> 05:10:54,815
she was heading home on the metro and had run out of money

4823
05:10:54,815 --> 05:10:56,983
to exit the station. She said I don't usually jump

4824
05:10:56,983 --> 05:10:59,386
the fare gates thanks to my mom's advocacy on keeping money

4825
05:10:59,386 --> 05:11:01,588
on my smartrip. One night, I ran out of money

4826
05:11:01,588 --> 05:11:04,910
and my bank account and was with my friend who had a kids ride

4827
05:11:04,910 --> 05:11:05,793
free card. I used her card to get through

4828
05:11:05,793 --> 05:11:07,861
and was immediately stopped by an officer.

4829
05:11:07,861 --> 05:11:10,197
he questioned her. She explained that she had no

4830
05:11:10,197 --> 05:11:12,833
money in her bank account to get through this.

4831
05:11:12,833 --> 05:11:15,969
cop then proceeded to walk her over to the card load reload

4832
05:11:15,969 --> 05:11:19,273
machine and put the only money she had left, which was a $5 in

4833
05:11:19,273 --> 05:11:22,376
cash which she was going to use to buy something important that

4834
05:11:22,376 --> 05:11:25,545
she needed. She then the officer then took

4835
05:11:25,545 --> 05:11:28,282
the card out of her hand, put it on a machine to check to make

4836
05:11:28,282 --> 05:11:30,951
sure that there was money on it, even though he had watched her

4837
05:11:30,951 --> 05:11:32,619
reload it. And then he took her card and he

4838
05:11:32,619 --> 05:11:36,623
used it to spend on a fare gate for another person.

4839
05:11:36,623 --> 05:11:38,625
the last thing I just want to add, in addition to the fact

4840
05:11:38,625 --> 05:11:40,661
that this kind of response, without any level of

4841
05:11:40,661 --> 05:11:43,163
understanding or kindness, exemplifies a harmful use of

4842
05:11:43,163 --> 05:11:46,333
power through the officer's choice to publicly shame her.

4843
05:11:46,333 --> 05:11:48,869
this particular young person is out of high school, but she just

4844
05:11:48,869 --> 05:11:51,739
graduated in may and was only 18 years old at the time.

4845
05:11:51,739 --> 05:11:54,375
the critical exposure is working with the youth power and safety

4846
05:11:54,375 --> 05:11:57,478
collective, which is working on an issue related to young people

4847
05:11:57,478 --> 05:12:00,614
ages 18 1920, aging out of access to kids rides.

4848
05:12:00,614 --> 05:12:03,317
free card. Research from dc action states

4849
05:12:03,317 --> 05:12:07,855
that youth employment in 2024 was 16.4%, three times the

4850
05:12:07,855 --> 05:12:10,924
overall dc unemployment rate. I hope these stories provide

4851
05:12:10,924 --> 05:12:13,160
greater insight into the experiences of dc youth.

4852
05:12:13,160 --> 05:12:15,896
we should not be reinforcing the already booming business that is

4853
05:12:15,896 --> 05:12:18,650
the school to prison pipeline. Thank you.

4854
05:12:18,650 --> 05:12:22,865
thank you, miss frost. Thank you, ashley anderson,

4855
05:12:23,737 --> 05:12:27,874
policy council, dc justice labs. Good afternoon, chairwoman pinto

4856
05:12:27,874 --> 05:12:30,677
and members of the committee. My name is ashley anderson.

4857
05:12:30,677 --> 05:12:33,948
I am a policy counsel with dc justice lab, a resident of ward

4858
05:12:33,948 --> 05:12:37,284
6 and a member of the iris database coalition.

4859
05:12:37,284 --> 05:12:40,554
today, my testimony will again emphasize that npd's

4860
05:12:40,554 --> 05:12:43,356
collaboration with federal agencies over the last seven

4861
05:12:43,356 --> 05:12:46,160
months has not made dc safer, but has harmed our residents.

4862
05:12:46,160 --> 05:12:49,530
in addition, I will highlight npd's growing and alarming use

4863
05:12:49,530 --> 05:12:52,366
of surveillance technology and how it's harming our neighbors.

4864
05:12:52,366 --> 05:12:56,170
I urge you to act and echo the demands of dc residents to hold

4865
05:12:56,170 --> 05:12:58,706
mpd accountable for the harms committed while working

4866
05:12:58,706 --> 05:13:01,942
alongside federal officers by putting guardrails on mpd

4867
05:13:01,942 --> 05:13:04,440
authority, it is encouraging to see the introduction of two

4868
05:13:04,440 --> 05:13:07,614
pieces of legislation, an important step in the direction

4869
05:13:07,614 --> 05:13:10,517
of transparency, and I look forward to seeing step towards

4870
05:13:10,517 --> 05:13:12,520
accountability. In addition, you must use your

4871
05:13:12,520 --> 05:13:15,857
power as an oversight body to provide transparency around

4872
05:13:15,857 --> 05:13:18,125
mpd's use of surveillance technologies.

4873
05:13:18,125 --> 05:13:20,627
today, at this hearing, you should ask the interim chief

4874
05:13:20,627 --> 05:13:23,663
about what information is being shared with federal entities and

4875
05:13:23,663 --> 05:13:26,533
ask about the disproportionate racial impact of the use of

4876
05:13:26,533 --> 05:13:30,337
surveillance technology. More complaints against mpd were

4877
05:13:30,337 --> 05:13:33,673
filed in 2025 than ever before, with weekly complaints

4878
05:13:33,673 --> 05:13:35,421
increasing. When the federal surge began.

4879
05:13:35,421 --> 05:13:38,691
the office of police complaints reported receiving over 1000

4880
05:13:38,691 --> 05:13:43,228
complaints in fiscal year 2025, a 13% increase over the prior

4881
05:13:43,228 --> 05:13:46,310
year and the highest number the agency has received since its

4882
05:13:46,310 --> 05:13:47,900
beginning more than 20 years ago.

4883
05:13:47,900 --> 05:13:50,469
even after you wrote a letter to the chief in december seeking

4884
05:13:50,469 --> 05:13:53,205
clarity on mpd collaboration with federal agencies, the

4885
05:13:53,205 --> 05:13:55,840
interim chief penned a short response, barely answering any

4886
05:13:55,840 --> 05:13:57,842
of the detailed questions you asked.

4887
05:13:57,842 --> 05:14:00,145
when the interim chief comes today, I urge you and the

4888
05:14:00,145 --> 05:14:02,848
committee to get the answers that dc residents deserve.

4889
05:14:02,848 --> 05:14:05,784
but not only should you get answers to your questions about

4890
05:14:05,784 --> 05:14:08,188
mpd collaborations with federal entities, the council needs to

4891
05:14:08,188 --> 05:14:10,923
act to defend the city against the attacks we are facing.

4892
05:14:10,923 --> 05:14:13,793
I echoed the demands and solutions that I shared in my

4893
05:14:13,793 --> 05:14:16,528
december 4th testimony, such as by using your oversight

4894
05:14:16,528 --> 05:14:18,664
authority to provide transparency and accountability

4895
05:14:18,664 --> 05:14:22,501
for the mpd officer involved. Shootings we saw last fall.

4896
05:14:22,501 --> 05:14:25,771
additionally, I hope the council continues to evaluate excessive

4897
05:14:25,771 --> 05:14:28,875
and unnecessary interactions between law enforcement and

4898
05:14:28,875 --> 05:14:32,612
residents. D.c. Has a growing surveillance

4899
05:14:32,612 --> 05:14:34,413
problem. Just at the last performance

4900
05:14:34,413 --> 05:14:37,416
oversight hearing, former chief pamela smith testified about the

4901
05:14:37,416 --> 05:14:40,319
expansion of cctv cameras and their integration with the real

4902
05:14:40,319 --> 05:14:43,220
time crime center. However, I did not hear any

4903
05:14:43,220 --> 05:14:46,291
concern or consideration about the growing use of surveillance

4904
05:14:46,291 --> 05:14:48,827
technology by mpd. How would this impact residents

4905
05:14:48,827 --> 05:14:51,630
fourth amendment and privacy rights and create harmful

4906
05:14:51,630 --> 05:14:54,633
contact with criminal legal system, while disproportionately

4907
05:14:54,633 --> 05:14:56,568
targeting black and young people in the district?

4908
05:14:56,568 --> 05:15:00,373
for more than a decade, mpd has also maintained in use its gang

4909
05:15:00,373 --> 05:15:03,274
tracking and analysis system, or gang database to secretly

4910
05:15:03,274 --> 05:15:06,178
surveil thousands of residents, often without suspicion of

4911
05:15:06,178 --> 05:15:09,480
criminal activity. As the erased database coalition

4912
05:15:09,480 --> 05:15:11,316
wrote in its letter to this committee earlier this week,

4913
05:15:11,316 --> 05:15:14,586
this database disproportionately includes black residents,

4914
05:15:14,586 --> 05:15:16,855
particularly in ward seven and eight, and the information is

4915
05:15:16,855 --> 05:15:18,390
shared with law enforcement agencies.

4916
05:15:18,390 --> 05:15:21,960
despite ongoing concerns about accuracy, transparency and its

4917
05:15:21,960 --> 05:15:24,830
limited impact for public safety, the coalition demands

4918
05:15:24,830 --> 05:15:27,933
that mpd stop using the gang database again today.

4919
05:15:27,933 --> 05:15:31,403
at this hearing, I urge you to demand more information from mpd

4920
05:15:31,403 --> 05:15:34,473
about its use of surveillance and its impact on residents, and

4921
05:15:34,473 --> 05:15:37,743
I look forward to supporting to establishing more transparency

4922
05:15:37,743 --> 05:15:40,812
on this matter and to ultimately restrict the use of surveillance

4923
05:15:40,812 --> 05:15:42,414
technology in dc. Thank you for the opportunity to

4924
05:15:42,414 --> 05:15:44,649
speak with you all. Thank you.

4925
05:15:44,649 --> 05:15:47,490
thank you all. Talib.

4926
05:15:48,253 --> 05:15:51,853
kareem muhammad, are you here? Great.

4927
05:15:52,157 --> 05:15:55,757
come on up, meg messier. Yes.

4928
05:15:57,396 --> 05:15:59,396
ava. Millstone.

4929
05:15:59,831 --> 05:16:01,831
ava. Millstone.

4930
05:16:02,367 --> 05:16:04,367
okay. Joanna hardy.

4931
05:16:08,306 --> 05:16:10,706
michaela deming. All right.

4932
05:16:19,510 --> 05:16:22,788
is there anyone else in here who has signed up to testify in

4933
05:16:22,788 --> 05:16:26,388
person? Who has not testified yet?

4934
05:16:27,259 --> 05:16:30,362
okay, okay, we will go first to talib.

4935
05:16:30,362 --> 05:16:32,362
kareem muhammad? Yes.

4936
05:16:32,464 --> 05:16:34,464
okay. Yes.

4937
05:16:35,868 --> 05:16:37,537
sorry about that. Good afternoon.

4938
05:16:37,537 --> 05:16:39,937
I'm. I'm talib muhammad.

4939
05:16:40,500 --> 05:16:47,205
I'm a engineer, a lawyer, a ward three resident, former chief of

4940
05:16:47,446 --> 05:16:51,717
staff of the largest dc government agency, former

4941
05:16:51,717 --> 05:16:57,550
counsel to the previous mayor and former special counsel to

4942
05:16:57,550 --> 05:17:00,559
the special committee on dc statehood.

4943
05:17:00,559 --> 05:17:05,163
former chief of counsel for congresswoman sheila jackson

4944
05:17:05,163 --> 05:17:10,340
lee, who oversaw the civil rights committee, which is a key

4945
05:17:10,340 --> 05:17:11,838
committee in the house judiciary committee to determine whether

4946
05:17:11,838 --> 05:17:15,741
or not dc will be a state. And I wanted to give that

4947
05:17:15,741 --> 05:17:18,310
background, first of all, to let everyone know that I'm also

4948
05:17:18,310 --> 05:17:20,746
running for mayor of washington, dc.

4949
05:17:20,746 --> 05:17:23,949
and the reason why I'm running for mayor is because the current

4950
05:17:23,949 --> 05:17:28,149
members of the council, including councilmember janice.

4951
05:17:29,588 --> 05:17:33,191
george and yourself for two years in a row, we came before

4952
05:17:33,191 --> 05:17:38,130
the council invited by the chairman to put forth a idea to

4953
05:17:38,130 --> 05:17:39,665
keep our young people safe after school.

4954
05:17:39,665 --> 05:17:43,000
as you all know, the violent hours, most violent hours during

4955
05:17:43,000 --> 05:17:47,607
the week is generally the time between 3 and 6 when our young

4956
05:17:47,607 --> 05:17:50,676
people are out of school and their parents are oftentimes at

4957
05:17:50,676 --> 05:17:53,613
work for two years in a row. Instead of allocating the monies

4958
05:17:53,613 --> 05:17:56,915
that could have been used to keep our young people safe and

4959
05:17:56,915 --> 05:18:01,420
keep them from engaging in conduct that none of us would

4960
05:18:01,420 --> 05:18:07,893
like to see, you all chose to say no to that money, but yes to

4961
05:18:07,893 --> 05:18:10,328
the billionaires first, the billionaires who own the

4962
05:18:10,328 --> 05:18:13,565
washington wizards and then the billionaires who own the

4963
05:18:13,565 --> 05:18:16,367
washington commanders. That's what a mentor of mine

4964
05:18:16,367 --> 05:18:18,904
pulled me to the side and said, talib, the people currently

4965
05:18:18,904 --> 05:18:20,939
running dc government don't care about the youth.

4966
05:18:20,939 --> 05:18:23,441
and if you really want to see change, you're going to have to

4967
05:18:23,441 --> 05:18:26,578
be that change and run for mayor.

4968
05:18:26,578 --> 05:18:29,948
if elected as mayor from day one, I would end all

4969
05:18:29,948 --> 05:18:32,884
collaboration with all federal authorities, not just ice.

4970
05:18:32,884 --> 05:18:37,856
as was stated by congressman or councilmember janice george, but

4971
05:18:37,856 --> 05:18:42,494
all federal authorities. We need to reestablish that law

4972
05:18:42,494 --> 05:18:46,640
enforcement in the district of columbia is a local concern.

4973
05:18:46,640 --> 05:18:52,664
second of all, we would end the idf training that happens

4974
05:18:52,671 --> 05:18:55,874
through the federal government's training of our dc law

4975
05:18:55,874 --> 05:18:57,342
enforcement. We need to end that.

4976
05:18:57,342 --> 05:19:03,347
second of all, we would end the bans against businesses from

4977
05:19:03,347 --> 05:19:07,619
protesting and boycotting the genocide by the current laws

4978
05:19:07,619 --> 05:19:12,157
that prevent companies from getting contracts if they

4979
05:19:12,157 --> 05:19:15,270
boycott israel. In conclusion, I'd like to just

4980
05:19:15,270 --> 05:19:20,990
invite everyone here to the 15th annual ramadan iftar that's

4981
05:19:20,990 --> 05:19:24,336
scheduled to take place downstairs on next tuesday.

4982
05:19:24,336 --> 05:19:28,240
everyone is invited and we will be standing for our brothers and

4983
05:19:28,240 --> 05:19:32,144
sisters, both in palestine, our brothers and sisters in all

4984
05:19:32,144 --> 05:19:38,116
eight wards, and prayerfully end the occupation of d.c. Free d.c.

4985
05:19:38,116 --> 05:19:41,420
okay, thank you mr. Muhammad. I do want to remind folks that

4986
05:19:41,420 --> 05:19:45,200
we cannot politic in this building.

4987
05:19:46,698 --> 05:19:50,298
we are here around mpd oversight.

4988
05:19:51,770 --> 05:19:54,506
so as I stated at the beginning, we've all got to follow the

4989
05:19:54,506 --> 05:19:59,906
rules, including those of us who enforce the rules.

4990
05:20:00,512 --> 05:20:03,114
okay, meg messier, public witness.

4991
05:20:03,114 --> 05:20:05,549
good afternoon, chairperson pinto and members of the

4992
05:20:05,549 --> 05:20:07,485
committee. My name is meg messier, and I'm

4993
05:20:07,485 --> 05:20:10,421
a staff attorney at the domestic violence and family law unit at

4994
05:20:10,421 --> 05:20:13,725
legal aid d.c. Legal aid. D.c. Works with survivors of

4995
05:20:13,725 --> 05:20:15,960
domestic violence by helping them navigate their civil

4996
05:20:15,960 --> 05:20:19,431
protection order, or cpo cases, family court matters, and

4997
05:20:19,431 --> 05:20:21,633
immigration matters. This work requires significant

4998
05:20:21,633 --> 05:20:24,200
coordination with mpd. I want to bring attention to

4999
05:20:24,200 --> 05:20:26,905
several areas of concern regarding mpd's interaction with

5000
05:20:26,905 --> 05:20:30,908
our client communities. First, mpd has been inaccurately

5001
05:20:30,908 --> 05:20:33,440
reading court documents and laws.

5002
05:20:33,440 --> 05:20:35,846
survivors rely on mpd to provide accurate information when they

5003
05:20:35,846 --> 05:20:38,583
are in stressful and dangerous situations.

5004
05:20:38,583 --> 05:20:41,920
however, we continue to hear of instances where mpd misinformed

5005
05:20:41,920 --> 05:20:43,855
district residents about the law.

5006
05:20:43,855 --> 05:20:46,592
for example, encouraging survivors to file for cpos even

5007
05:20:46,592 --> 05:20:49,928
when the incident they report is not an intrafamily offense as

5008
05:20:49,928 --> 05:20:52,797
required by law, or telling survivors incorrect ways to

5009
05:20:52,797 --> 05:20:55,233
serve respondents with necessary court documents.

5010
05:20:55,233 --> 05:20:58,100
these inaccurate recommendations create safety risks for

5011
05:20:58,100 --> 05:21:01,100
survivors. Second, mpd has increasingly

5012
05:21:01,739 --> 05:21:03,841
arrested survivors of domestic violence.

5013
05:21:03,841 --> 05:21:06,945
survivors rely on mpd to be able to assess the situation,

5014
05:21:06,945 --> 05:21:09,748
identify the primary aggressor, and take steps to keep survivors

5015
05:21:09,748 --> 05:21:12,830
safe. Unfortunately, over the past

5016
05:21:12,830 --> 05:21:14,752
year, at least seven legal adc clients who have been

5017
05:21:14,752 --> 05:21:17,255
experiencing domestic violence from a partner were arrested

5018
05:21:17,255 --> 05:21:20,157
following an incident where they were the victims of domestic

5019
05:21:20,157 --> 05:21:21,592
violence. Survivors should be able to rely

5020
05:21:21,592 --> 05:21:26,230
on mpd for protection, not fear, arrest or other consequences.

5021
05:21:26,230 --> 05:21:28,766
next, mpd does not have a proactive process for gun

5022
05:21:28,766 --> 05:21:32,603
relinquishment by respondents for all tpos and many cpos

5023
05:21:32,603 --> 05:21:35,372
respondents are prohibited from possessing, purchasing or

5024
05:21:35,372 --> 05:21:38,242
receiving any firearms or ammunition while the order is in

5025
05:21:38,242 --> 05:21:40,112
effect. We know that an abuser's access

5026
05:21:40,112 --> 05:21:43,648
to a firearm makes it five times more likely that the survivor

5027
05:21:43,648 --> 05:21:47,518
will be killed by their abuser. Currently, mpd officers don't

5028
05:21:47,518 --> 05:21:50,121
ask respondents about firearms or relinquish firearms when

5029
05:21:50,121 --> 05:21:53,391
serving or enforcing tpos or cpos.

5030
05:21:53,391 --> 05:21:55,994
mpd officers need to have a proactive process for gun

5031
05:21:55,994 --> 05:21:58,696
relinquishment to ensure survivor safety.

5032
05:21:58,696 --> 05:22:02,934
next, mpd continues to decline certification of uva's u visas

5033
05:22:02,934 --> 05:22:06,204
offer immigrant crime victims temporary legal status to file a

5034
05:22:06,204 --> 05:22:09,700
petition for a u visa. Crime victims must get

5035
05:22:09,700 --> 05:22:11,420
certification from a law enforcement entity that the

5036
05:22:11,420 --> 05:22:13,677
victim has been helpful in either the investigation or

5037
05:22:13,677 --> 05:22:17,810
prosecution of a crime. Even where a victim has been

5038
05:22:17,810 --> 05:22:20,284
fully cooperative, mpd refuses to certify u visas where another

5039
05:22:20,284 --> 05:22:22,754
law enforcement agency is involved.

5040
05:22:22,754 --> 05:22:26,391
mpd refusal to certify isn't survivor centered.

5041
05:22:26,391 --> 05:22:29,193
last, the lack of clarity surrounding mpd's cooperation

5042
05:22:29,193 --> 05:22:32,330
with ice discourages survivors, immigrant survivors from

5043
05:22:32,330 --> 05:22:35,660
reporting crime and providing information to mpd.

5044
05:22:35,660 --> 05:22:37,568
the presence of ice has caused immigrant victims in d.c. To

5045
05:22:37,568 --> 05:22:40,172
fear for their well-being, distrust law enforcement, and

5046
05:22:40,172 --> 05:22:42,907
decide against seeking protection for themselves.

5047
05:22:42,907 --> 05:22:44,942
immigrant survivors like our client should be able to

5048
05:22:44,942 --> 05:22:48,479
interact with mpd to ensure their safety without fear of

5049
05:22:48,479 --> 05:22:50,348
immigration related consequences.

5050
05:22:50,348 --> 05:22:53,418
in all, mpd response to domestic violence survivors remains a

5051
05:22:53,418 --> 05:22:56,455
critical point in survivors journeys, and we appreciate the

5052
05:22:56,455 --> 05:22:59,323
opportunity to testify today. Our written testimony lays out

5053
05:22:59,323 --> 05:23:01,659
these issues and more in more detail.

5054
05:23:01,659 --> 05:23:05,259
thank you very much. Thank you.

5055
05:23:06,230 --> 05:23:09,300
michaela deming, policy director, dc coalition against

5056
05:23:09,300 --> 05:23:10,535
domestic violence. Thank you.

5057
05:23:10,535 --> 05:23:11,870
good afternoon, chair, pinto and staff.

5058
05:23:11,870 --> 05:23:14,710
thank you for the accommodation of testifying.

5059
05:23:14,710 --> 05:23:16,541
my name is michaela deming. I'm the policy director for the

5060
05:23:16,541 --> 05:23:18,976
dc coalition against domestic violence, the federally

5061
05:23:18,976 --> 05:23:21,145
recognized statewide coalition of domestic violence service

5062
05:23:21,145 --> 05:23:25,160
providers here in dc, serving upwards of 1000 victims of

5063
05:23:25,160 --> 05:23:27,652
domestic violence survivors on any given day across all eight

5064
05:23:27,652 --> 05:23:30,822
wards of the district. Improving public safety in the

5065
05:23:30,822 --> 05:23:33,691
district requires protecting victims and witnesses of crime,

5066
05:23:33,691 --> 05:23:36,494
regardless of their background. When survivors of violence are

5067
05:23:36,494 --> 05:23:38,563
afraid that contacting the police exposes them and their

5068
05:23:38,563 --> 05:23:41,799
loved ones to violent federal law enforcement actions, they

5069
05:23:41,799 --> 05:23:43,836
often remain silent. Rather than seeking the

5070
05:23:43,836 --> 05:23:47,710
protection and services they urgently need and deserve.

5071
05:23:47,710 --> 05:23:50,842
all dc residents are less safe when victims and witnesses are

5072
05:23:50,842 --> 05:23:53,378
discouraged from reporting crime and seeking safety and justice

5073
05:23:53,378 --> 05:23:57,810
like they are now. Over 75% of advocates who work

5074
05:23:57,810 --> 05:23:59,417
with immigrant survivors of violence report that their

5075
05:23:59,417 --> 05:24:02,687
clients express concern about contacting the police to report

5076
05:24:02,687 --> 05:24:05,823
domestic violence and sexual assault, and half of those

5077
05:24:05,823 --> 05:24:08,593
victims ultimately chose not to call the police because of that

5078
05:24:08,593 --> 05:24:11,129
fear. Here in dc, immigrant survivors

5079
05:24:11,129 --> 05:24:13,731
and black and brown folks, regardless of citizenship or

5080
05:24:13,731 --> 05:24:16,234
legal status, have shared that they are afraid to come to

5081
05:24:16,234 --> 05:24:19,370
service providers offices to seek help or go to court for

5082
05:24:19,370 --> 05:24:21,939
protection orders. Every day, domestic violence

5083
05:24:21,939 --> 05:24:23,708
survivors. Our neighbors are making

5084
05:24:23,708 --> 05:24:25,877
impossible choices for themselves and their children.

5085
05:24:25,877 --> 05:24:28,746
between their physical safety and d.c. And the potential of

5086
05:24:28,746 --> 05:24:31,140
being ripped away from their children permanently and

5087
05:24:31,140 --> 05:24:34,850
returned to dangerous situations that they may have fled.

5088
05:24:34,850 --> 05:24:37,254
the lack of clarity about the collaboration with mpd, national

5089
05:24:37,254 --> 05:24:40,525
guard, ice and all the other law enforcement entities has made

5090
05:24:40,525 --> 05:24:44,328
our work increasingly challenging and has put

5091
05:24:44,328 --> 05:24:49,667
survivors, the survivors we work with, at even greater risk.

5092
05:24:49,667 --> 05:24:53,237
we spoke recently with a deputy mayor for public safety in front

5093
05:24:53,237 --> 05:24:59,837
of this committee, and heard from her a lack of firm

5094
05:25:00,111 --> 05:25:03,681
rescission of the police chief's executive order here now before

5095
05:25:03,681 --> 05:25:07,852
the mpd committee hearing, want to make sure that the committee

5096
05:25:07,852 --> 05:25:11,188
is aware that the police chief's executive order expanding

5097
05:25:11,188 --> 05:25:13,858
cooperation and permitting ice to, quote, share information

5098
05:25:13,858 --> 05:25:18,620
about persons not in mpd custody with federal immigration

5099
05:25:18,620 --> 05:25:19,864
enforcement agencies is in fact, still in place.

5100
05:25:19,864 --> 05:25:23,669
it has not been rescinded despite numerous requests to

5101
05:25:23,669 --> 05:25:26,604
rescind that order or any legal confirmation to support that

5102
05:25:26,604 --> 05:25:30,608
it's no longer operational. You might hear in that person's

5103
05:25:30,608 --> 05:25:32,777
not in mpd. Custody, of course, would

5104
05:25:32,777 --> 05:25:34,445
include victims and witnesses of crime.

5105
05:25:34,445 --> 05:25:37,149
I hope you raise these unanswered questions with mpd

5106
05:25:37,149 --> 05:25:41,349
today. I also want to highlight a

5107
05:25:41,485 --> 05:25:43,755
couple of other things. One, the rate of domestic

5108
05:25:43,755 --> 05:25:47,325
violence homicide in the district is rising, and that is

5109
05:25:47,325 --> 05:25:51,295
even with the declines in homicides overall and also want

5110
05:25:51,295 --> 05:25:54,136
to raise, as has already been raised a couple of times, the

5111
05:25:54,136 --> 05:25:58,140
uva certification process concerns in the recent changes

5112
05:25:58,140 --> 05:26:01,844
in what mpd is requiring. At the very same time that

5113
05:26:01,844 --> 05:26:05,113
federal law enforcement is using the guise of unlawful

5114
05:26:05,113 --> 05:26:07,216
immigration as a reason for subjecting our neighbors to

5115
05:26:07,216 --> 05:26:10,520
increased violence and enforcement, mpd is making it

5116
05:26:10,520 --> 05:26:14,723
nearly impossible for immigrant survivors to pursue lawful

5117
05:26:14,723 --> 05:26:18,323
status, appreciate the opportunity to testify.

5118
05:26:20,396 --> 05:26:23,866
thank you very much, miss deming, and thank you to

5119
05:26:23,866 --> 05:26:26,768
everybody for being here today and for your your testimony.

5120
05:26:26,768 --> 05:26:31,272
we are going to turn to our virtual witnesses who have

5121
05:26:31,272 --> 05:26:34,676
joined us today. I'm going to call some names as

5122
05:26:34,676 --> 05:26:39,881
a reminder to please accept your invitation to join as a

5123
05:26:39,881 --> 05:26:43,785
panelist. O geoff a nanuku elizabeth page,

5124
05:26:43,785 --> 05:26:49,185
cecilia bruni, cheryl k, afeni evans, tiffany montgomery, paula

5125
05:26:52,294 --> 05:26:56,494
edwards, max ewert, sofia boschetti, vanessa lopez.

5126
05:26:59,401 --> 05:27:03,601
queen, odissi, shane sullivan, christine conroy, kristi

5127
05:27:06,208 --> 05:27:12,808
matthews, jones, mary calhoun. I'll give you all a moment to

5128
05:27:20,389 --> 05:27:25,789
join. I see cecilia bruni on so we can

5129
05:27:27,629 --> 05:27:31,133
get started with you. But as a reminder to everybody

5130
05:27:31,133 --> 05:27:35,137
else joining us for virtual testimony to please accept your

5131
05:27:35,137 --> 05:27:39,410
invitation to join as a panelist, we will begin with

5132
05:27:39,410 --> 05:27:43,241
cecilia bruni, public witness. Good afternoon, chairperson

5133
05:27:44,413 --> 05:27:45,881
pinto and members of the committee.

5134
05:27:45,881 --> 05:27:49,384
my name is cecilia bruni and I'm a staff attorney in the reentry

5135
05:27:49,384 --> 05:27:52,320
justice project at legal aid d.c.

5136
05:27:52,320 --> 05:27:56,910
since 2015, legally, reentry justice project has assisted

5137
05:27:56,910 --> 05:27:59,295
clients facing barriers to accessing housing, employment

5138
05:27:59,295 --> 05:28:01,997
and other necessities due to their criminal record.

5139
05:28:01,997 --> 05:28:04,833
we help community members seek record clearing relief, most

5140
05:28:04,833 --> 05:28:08,403
frequently under the second chance amendment act or caa.

5141
05:28:08,403 --> 05:28:11,673
that work requires that we interact with mpd to request

5142
05:28:11,673 --> 05:28:13,776
arrest histories for clients and certifications that their

5143
05:28:13,776 --> 05:28:16,440
records have been sealed at legal aid.

5144
05:28:16,440 --> 05:28:19,470
we've been excited to see the increased access to

5145
05:28:19,470 --> 05:28:22,117
opportunities and greater sense of dignity that the caa provides

5146
05:28:22,117 --> 05:28:24,987
for our client community, and we appreciate the council's

5147
05:28:24,987 --> 05:28:29,358
commitment to increasing public safety through enacting the caa.

5148
05:28:29,358 --> 05:28:32,395
yet administrative delays and challenges that stem from

5149
05:28:32,395 --> 05:28:35,664
interacting with mpd have hindered the scars impact.

5150
05:28:35,664 --> 05:28:39,167
I'm here today to speak about three areas of concern related

5151
05:28:39,167 --> 05:28:43,138
to mpd that continues to create barriers to individuals seeking

5152
05:28:43,138 --> 05:28:45,640
record clearing relief in the district.

5153
05:28:45,640 --> 05:28:48,877
first, we experience frequent delays when requesting arrest

5154
05:28:48,877 --> 05:28:52,800
histories from mpd. Arrest histories are documents

5155
05:28:52,800 --> 05:28:54,916
that list all of the client's d.c. Arrests.

5156
05:28:54,916 --> 05:28:57,850
they're necessary for sealing motions, and they must be

5157
05:28:57,850 --> 05:28:58,854
requested and picked up in person.

5158
05:28:58,854 --> 05:29:02,124
although some arrest history requests are fulfilled within

5159
05:29:02,124 --> 05:29:04,993
weeks, mpd sometimes takes multiple months to fulfill a

5160
05:29:04,993 --> 05:29:07,529
request while providing no status updates.

5161
05:29:07,529 --> 05:29:11,300
we also have had several clients receive inaccurate mpd arrest

5162
05:29:11,300 --> 05:29:13,935
histories and have seen clients struggle to obtain their arrest

5163
05:29:13,935 --> 05:29:17,906
histories from mpd until a legal service provider steps in to

5164
05:29:17,906 --> 05:29:19,174
assist. These delays.

5165
05:29:19,174 --> 05:29:22,344
slow down the already lengthy process of record sealing for

5166
05:29:22,344 --> 05:29:24,313
our clients. They require additional time and

5167
05:29:24,313 --> 05:29:27,282
labor on our staff's part, and they raised concerns for us

5168
05:29:27,282 --> 05:29:30,186
about mpd, respect for our client community, and the ease

5169
05:29:30,186 --> 05:29:33,455
of access to necessary records for community members looking

5170
05:29:33,455 --> 05:29:37,859
for relief under the sca. Second, to request an arrest

5171
05:29:37,859 --> 05:29:40,795
history mpd requires sensitive information about clients,

5172
05:29:40,795 --> 05:29:43,198
including their social security number and place of birth.

5173
05:29:43,198 --> 05:29:47,202
we are very concerned that requiring this information

5174
05:29:47,202 --> 05:29:50,380
deters individuals who are not u.s. Citizens from pursuing

5175
05:29:50,380 --> 05:29:53,810
record clearing relief between fears over mpd's cooperation

5176
05:29:53,810 --> 05:29:57,446
with ice and the usao focus on identifying noncitizens through

5177
05:29:57,446 --> 05:30:00,616
dc's court system, we are troubled that immigrant members

5178
05:30:00,616 --> 05:30:03,785
of our client community are not getting the same access to

5179
05:30:03,785 --> 05:30:07,322
record clearing relief as their citizen counterparts.

5180
05:30:07,322 --> 05:30:10,559
third, mpd often fails to provide certifications of

5181
05:30:10,559 --> 05:30:14,430
sealing within 90 days as required by the sca and court

5182
05:30:14,430 --> 05:30:16,331
orders. These certifications are some of

5183
05:30:16,331 --> 05:30:19,668
the only means by which an individual can know whether the

5184
05:30:19,668 --> 05:30:22,771
relief that they've been granted has been realized.

5185
05:30:22,771 --> 05:30:25,607
for clients, this delay means that despite having a court

5186
05:30:25,607 --> 05:30:28,844
order in hand sealing their criminal records, the barriers

5187
05:30:28,844 --> 05:30:32,914
that the sca sought to eliminate instead can persist.

5188
05:30:32,914 --> 05:30:35,784
thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

5189
05:30:35,784 --> 05:30:38,987
we urge the committee to ensure that mpd improves how it works

5190
05:30:38,987 --> 05:30:42,925
with system impacted community members and aligns its practices

5191
05:30:42,925 --> 05:30:45,727
with the council's goal of expanding public safety through

5192
05:30:45,727 --> 05:30:49,331
record sealing relief, so that all community members can gain

5193
05:30:49,331 --> 05:30:52,467
full access to the relief offered under the sca.

5194
05:30:52,467 --> 05:30:56,670
thank you. Thank you, afeni evans.

5195
05:31:08,417 --> 05:31:10,817
hello. Good afternoon, councilmember

5196
05:31:12,155 --> 05:31:14,890
pinto and members of the judiciary and public safety

5197
05:31:14,890 --> 05:31:16,525
committee. My name is afeni evans, and I'm

5198
05:31:16,525 --> 05:31:18,827
a community organizer with the fair budget coalition.

5199
05:31:18,827 --> 05:31:22,764
I'm here today because I am disgusted with the metropolitan

5200
05:31:22,764 --> 05:31:25,433
police department's immoral and illegal participation with ice

5201
05:31:25,433 --> 05:31:29,704
and the federal task force. Year after year, members of the

5202
05:31:29,704 --> 05:31:32,974
public come to this committee asking for the counsel that is

5203
05:31:32,974 --> 05:31:36,912
on the people's payroll to divest from the brutality of

5204
05:31:36,912 --> 05:31:39,847
punishment and policing, and to send money to other committees

5205
05:31:39,847 --> 05:31:44,520
to invest in social safety nets that actually have been proven

5206
05:31:44,520 --> 05:31:48,557
time and time again to be effective in creating safety.

5207
05:31:48,557 --> 05:31:52,394
every piece of legislation that you have put forward,

5208
05:31:52,394 --> 05:31:55,630
whitewashing, police misconduct and emboldening brutality and

5209
05:31:55,630 --> 05:31:59,201
criminalizing our children has laid the groundwork for the

5210
05:31:59,201 --> 05:32:02,504
worst outcomes of this federal occupation.

5211
05:32:02,504 --> 05:32:05,576
on august 15th, I was pepper sprayed, slammed to the ground

5212
05:32:05,576 --> 05:32:09,380
and arrested for what should have been a civil citation.

5213
05:32:09,380 --> 05:32:13,951
I was held for 18 hours with pepper spray in my eyes, all

5214
05:32:13,951 --> 05:32:17,622
over my face and all down the front of my body in places that

5215
05:32:17,622 --> 05:32:22,627
you don't even want to imagine. While this action was not

5216
05:32:22,627 --> 05:32:26,764
carried out by mpd, your officers were on the scene

5217
05:32:26,764 --> 05:32:29,701
actively collaborating and this incident is indicative of the

5218
05:32:29,701 --> 05:32:32,770
culture of policing that has led in the district that that in the

5219
05:32:32,770 --> 05:32:38,176
district that is led by mpd and legislated by you, every

5220
05:32:38,176 --> 05:32:41,776
unlawful arrest, every unnecessary detainment, every

5221
05:32:42,146 --> 05:32:44,949
single unwarranted police shooting is on your hands.

5222
05:32:44,949 --> 05:32:47,852
and mark cross got up here and said that there were three

5223
05:32:47,852 --> 05:32:49,554
complaints. And then it shot up to 87, which

5224
05:32:49,554 --> 05:32:53,525
makes it clear to me that this agency is either not properly

5225
05:32:53,525 --> 05:32:57,328
tracking its officers or they are purposely obfuscating the

5226
05:32:57,328 --> 05:33:00,328
truth. There has been collaboration

5227
05:33:01,320 --> 05:33:04,535
between mpd and ice. That is a fact.

5228
05:33:04,535 --> 05:33:08,806
it is also true that it is a violation of the law.

5229
05:33:08,806 --> 05:33:12,377
and further collaboration with the federal occupation

5230
05:33:12,377 --> 05:33:16,480
undermines dc's autonomy. So my questions are these how

5231
05:33:16,480 --> 05:33:20,118
much of our money is going towards collaborating with the

5232
05:33:20,118 --> 05:33:23,454
federal occupation? How many officers are lended in

5233
05:33:23,454 --> 05:33:27,240
support of these ice kidnapings, and how does this impact their

5234
05:33:27,240 --> 05:33:30,228
use of overtime? It is your job, council member

5235
05:33:30,228 --> 05:33:33,831
pinto to get these answers, to oversee this agency and to hold

5236
05:33:33,831 --> 05:33:36,168
them accountable. Do your job and maybe then I

5237
05:33:36,168 --> 05:33:40,368
will thank you. Thank you, miss evans.

5238
05:33:43,441 --> 05:33:47,641
oh, hefa anyanwu, aclu d.c. Saldana.

5239
05:33:51,916 --> 05:33:55,516
who are you here? Go ahead.

5240
05:33:57,880 --> 05:33:58,556
of course. Didn't unmute.

5241
05:33:58,556 --> 05:34:02,393
sorry about that. Hello, chair pinto and members

5242
05:34:02,393 --> 05:34:05,630
of the committee. My name is anna echo and I

5243
05:34:05,630 --> 05:34:08,499
present the following on behalf of aclu d.c.

5244
05:34:08,499 --> 05:34:11,270
my written testimony goes into more detail about how we got to

5245
05:34:11,270 --> 05:34:14,806
this current moment, and also touches on the search for new

5246
05:34:14,806 --> 05:34:18,409
police chief, a process that should be transparent, inclusive

5247
05:34:18,409 --> 05:34:20,978
and centered. D.c. Communities most impacted

5248
05:34:20,978 --> 05:34:23,381
by police and community violence.

5249
05:34:23,381 --> 05:34:26,317
there's much to be said about the impact of federal

5250
05:34:26,317 --> 05:34:28,353
interference on dcs inability to be nimble.

5251
05:34:28,353 --> 05:34:32,156
in this moment, however, we must acknowledge that the groundwork

5252
05:34:32,156 --> 05:34:36,594
for the severity of the federal takeover was laid by a history

5253
05:34:36,594 --> 05:34:41,132
of defiance from mpd, as well as actions from from district

5254
05:34:41,132 --> 05:34:44,235
leaders, including the council. While for some, the clock

5255
05:34:44,235 --> 05:34:47,505
started last august, the abuses of power we are seeing from

5256
05:34:47,505 --> 05:34:52,844
federal agents and mpd are not new black latina immigrant

5257
05:34:52,844 --> 05:34:54,178
communities who have always been.

5258
05:34:54,178 --> 05:34:56,881
the canaries in the coal mine have long been the primary

5259
05:34:56,881 --> 05:35:01,519
targets of police brutality and used as political fodder.

5260
05:35:01,519 --> 05:35:04,355
in response to calls for more investments in community based

5261
05:35:04,355 --> 05:35:09,270
solutions to violence, dc leaders gave more money to mpd.

5262
05:35:09,270 --> 05:35:13,564
they also passed legislation such as security, and dcc, that

5263
05:35:13,564 --> 05:35:16,268
further criminalized certain segments of the population, with

5264
05:35:16,268 --> 05:35:20,139
an urgency that did not exist for reining in mpd.

5265
05:35:20,139 --> 05:35:22,274
accountability measures that were passed, such as the

5266
05:35:22,274 --> 05:35:25,210
establishment of a police misconduct database, went

5267
05:35:25,210 --> 05:35:27,545
unfunded. The defiance mpd leaders

5268
05:35:27,545 --> 05:35:30,982
continue to exhibit can be attributed in part to the

5269
05:35:30,982 --> 05:35:33,510
council's reluctance to take up measures.

5270
05:35:33,510 --> 05:35:35,620
excuse me? The council's reluctance to take

5271
05:35:35,620 --> 05:35:39,557
up measures that address transparency and accountability.

5272
05:35:39,557 --> 05:35:42,360
this reluctance has resulted in a history of mpd officers and

5273
05:35:42,360 --> 05:35:46,631
the department writ large, acting with an air of impunity,

5274
05:35:46,631 --> 05:35:50,601
mpd has gotten use to there being no consequences when they

5275
05:35:50,601 --> 05:35:54,105
disregard district laws or violate department policies when

5276
05:35:54,105 --> 05:35:57,643
they fail to implement, when they fail to implement

5277
05:35:57,643 --> 05:36:00,978
recommendations or publish reports or lie about their

5278
05:36:00,978 --> 05:36:04,480
policing practices. Mpd is emboldened by a lack of

5279
05:36:04,480 --> 05:36:06,317
pushback. For instance, when department

5280
05:36:06,317 --> 05:36:10,550
leadership decided to reinstate terrance sutton and andrew

5281
05:36:10,550 --> 05:36:13,491
zubowski, who were found guilty and convicted of murdering karen

5282
05:36:13,491 --> 05:36:18,960
hilton brown and conspiring to cover it up, this history is why

5283
05:36:18,960 --> 05:36:20,565
mpd officers can feel comfortable not reporting

5284
05:36:20,565 --> 05:36:23,601
federal agents who shoot dc residents and leadership lying

5285
05:36:23,601 --> 05:36:26,337
about the department's engagement in immigration

5286
05:36:26,337 --> 05:36:28,439
enforcement. While the dc council has taken

5287
05:36:28,439 --> 05:36:31,542
actions that have had negative impacts on the public's faith in

5288
05:36:31,542 --> 05:36:35,814
this body, this moment presents a critical opportunity to

5289
05:36:35,814 --> 05:36:38,715
ameliorate some of those harms. The council can meet this moment

5290
05:36:38,715 --> 05:36:42,320
by taking bold actions to surrounding mpd, and by working

5291
05:36:42,320 --> 05:36:46,900
with impacted communities on meaningful solutions that do not

5292
05:36:46,900 --> 05:36:49,227
center policing. It can start by acting on the

5293
05:36:49,227 --> 05:36:51,529
recommendations outlined in the report by the committee on

5294
05:36:51,529 --> 05:36:53,929
public works. Thank you.

5295
05:36:58,636 --> 05:37:01,172
thank you. I want to note we've been joined

5296
05:37:01,172 --> 05:37:06,572
by my ward 4 colleague, council member janeese lewis george.

5297
05:37:08,179 --> 05:37:11,683
all right. We will turn to tiffany.

5298
05:37:11,683 --> 05:37:13,683
tiffany montgomery. Hi.

5299
05:37:15,753 --> 05:37:18,156
good afternoon. Can you hear me?

5300
05:37:18,156 --> 05:37:22,126
yes, we can hear you. Thank you very much for the

5301
05:37:22,126 --> 05:37:25,126
opportunity to testify regarding mpd.

5302
05:37:25,963 --> 05:37:31,963
I first want to thank. Mpd leadership for not just

5303
05:37:32,837 --> 05:37:37,842
communicating with me, but for also communicating with legal

5304
05:37:37,842 --> 05:37:43,147
staff at congress. After it was discovered that the

5305
05:37:43,147 --> 05:37:47,347
dc office of the inspector general had.

5306
05:37:48,520 --> 05:37:54,520
lied to mpd and also destroyed and falsified government records

5307
05:37:54,558 --> 05:37:57,795
to give a little bit of background information.

5308
05:37:57,795 --> 05:38:02,600
I'm a whistleblower, and I reported fraud at the d.c. Board

5309
05:38:02,600 --> 05:38:06,937
of ethics and government accountability, also known as to

5310
05:38:06,937 --> 05:38:11,309
my former supervisor, director of office of open government,

5311
05:38:11,309 --> 05:38:15,881
nicole allen was referred for criminal investigation by dc

5312
05:38:15,881 --> 05:38:20,681
department of human resources and subsequently and separately

5313
05:38:21,153 --> 05:38:25,725
by mpd. Mpd had referred not just miss

5314
05:38:25,725 --> 05:38:28,260
allen for criminal investigation, but several other

5315
05:38:28,260 --> 05:38:30,864
people at baga. And unfortunately, the dc office

5316
05:38:30,864 --> 05:38:35,634
of the inspector general outright lied to mpd about

5317
05:38:35,634 --> 05:38:38,340
conducting those criminal investigations.

5318
05:38:38,537 --> 05:38:43,843
it was later discovered that oig not just lied to law

5319
05:38:43,843 --> 05:38:48,430
enforcement, but oig has destroyed and falsified

5320
05:38:48,114 --> 05:38:54,714
government records and part of the reason why the bowser act

5321
05:38:54,787 --> 05:39:00,787
was introduced by senator mike lee and congressman andy ogles

5322
05:39:01,160 --> 05:39:06,560
is because criminal suspect nicole allen has basically made

5323
05:39:06,866 --> 05:39:11,666
it difficult or less than honest concerning government

5324
05:39:13,973 --> 05:39:17,877
transparency to the public and to government officials.

5325
05:39:17,877 --> 05:39:21,470
so criminal suspect nicole allen is responsible for the

5326
05:39:21,470 --> 05:39:24,650
enforcement of open government and foia laws.

5327
05:39:24,650 --> 05:39:28,120
and she is in fact, contradicting what she's

5328
05:39:28,120 --> 05:39:31,657
supposed to do in her official capacity.

5329
05:39:31,657 --> 05:39:37,570
baga has concealed or sometimes ignored complaints made by

5330
05:39:37,730 --> 05:39:43,350
members of the public or government officials who have

5331
05:39:43,350 --> 05:39:47,773
filed violations of ethics complaints to baga, and these

5332
05:39:47,773 --> 05:39:52,611
complaints were ignored fully, or sometimes just hidden or

5333
05:39:52,611 --> 05:39:57,411
concealed or ignored. And so other people have

5334
05:39:57,450 --> 05:39:59,450
contacted congress independently.

5335
05:40:00,687 --> 05:40:02,621
and I'm thankful for those individuals.

5336
05:40:02,621 --> 05:40:07,793
and once again, I am thankful to mpd leadership for referring

5337
05:40:07,793 --> 05:40:12,593
criminal suspect nicole allen to various law enforcement

5338
05:40:13,310 --> 05:40:17,370
agencies, and for also communicating with legal staff

5339
05:40:17,370 --> 05:40:21,307
at gop oversight. And I am disappointed in dc

5340
05:40:21,307 --> 05:40:24,109
council for illegally reappointing a convicted felon

5341
05:40:24,109 --> 05:40:29,682
by the name of darren sobin to, as well as every other corrupt

5342
05:40:29,682 --> 05:40:33,882
baga board member who was fraudulently appointed,

5343
05:40:34,588 --> 05:40:37,989
including felice smith, who misrepresented her legal

5344
05:40:37,989 --> 05:40:40,259
qualifications when she was first appointed in may 2019.

5345
05:40:40,259 --> 05:40:44,997
she wasn't even licensed as a lawyer until december 2023,

5346
05:40:44,997 --> 05:40:48,670
which oig falsified. The government records

5347
05:40:48,670 --> 05:40:50,803
concerning. Thank you for the opportunity to

5348
05:40:50,803 --> 05:40:52,803
testify. Thank you.

5349
05:40:55,908 --> 05:40:59,508
paula edwards. Commissioner edwards, are you

5350
05:41:09,220 --> 05:41:11,220
on? Okay.

5351
05:41:15,928 --> 05:41:18,328
max ewert. Good afternoon.

5352
05:41:22,735 --> 05:41:27,106
my name is max ewert. I'm a native washingtonian, ward

5353
05:41:27,106 --> 05:41:30,609
1 resident and an organizer with the dmv chapter of the

5354
05:41:30,609 --> 05:41:34,447
international jewish labor bund. Our organizing is guided by the

5355
05:41:34,447 --> 05:41:39,510
political philosophy of yiddish for hereness bundists believe

5356
05:41:39,510 --> 05:41:42,655
that our collective liberation is not tied to a nationalistic

5357
05:41:42,655 --> 05:41:45,258
project, but in solidarity with working in marginalized people.

5358
05:41:45,258 --> 05:41:48,661
where we live today. I'm here to testify regarding

5359
05:41:48,661 --> 05:41:51,564
the performance of the metropolitan police department.

5360
05:41:51,564 --> 05:41:55,670
over 100 people here today have spoken and will continue to

5361
05:41:55,670 --> 05:41:58,938
speak on mpd's collaboration with federal agents and how they

5362
05:41:58,938 --> 05:42:01,730
have collectively decimated our community.

5363
05:42:01,730 --> 05:42:04,410
I would like to speak specifically about cellebrite

5364
05:42:04,410 --> 05:42:07,546
and more specifically, the pathfinder ai software, a tool

5365
05:42:07,546 --> 05:42:11,500
that mpd has been using to more efficiently, efficiently harm

5366
05:42:11,500 --> 05:42:14,190
our neighbors. Cellebrite is a surveillance

5367
05:42:14,190 --> 05:42:17,823
company that has contracts with ice, mpd, and many other police

5368
05:42:17,823 --> 05:42:21,394
agencies throughout the world. They created the universal

5369
05:42:21,394 --> 05:42:24,830
forensics extraction device, or ufd, to break into phones and

5370
05:42:24,830 --> 05:42:27,266
extract their data. More recently, cellebrite has

5371
05:42:27,266 --> 05:42:31,971
been offering has been offering their pathfinder tool, an ai

5372
05:42:31,971 --> 05:42:36,142
software by celebrates own omission can be used to analyze

5373
05:42:36,142 --> 05:42:39,712
location data, correlate like phone numbers or other

5374
05:42:39,712 --> 05:42:42,380
identification methods, interpret slang and coded

5375
05:42:42,380 --> 05:42:45,651
language, and analyze images and videos, including facial

5376
05:42:45,651 --> 05:42:47,887
analysis. This is personal data that can

5377
05:42:47,887 --> 05:42:50,857
be scraped and analyzed, even if mpd does not have a valid reason

5378
05:42:50,857 --> 05:42:54,960
to search or retain someone's phone, or has coerced vulnerable

5379
05:42:54,960 --> 05:42:58,640
people to hand over their phone for fear of prosecution,

5380
05:42:58,640 --> 05:43:00,499
something that mpd has done in the past.

5381
05:43:00,499 --> 05:43:04,136
additionally, I would like to add that in mpd's responses,

5382
05:43:04,136 --> 05:43:06,272
they lied about the ai tools that they are using.

5383
05:43:06,272 --> 05:43:09,607
specifically on question 199, where they stated the only ai

5384
05:43:09,607 --> 05:43:13,790
tools that they use are from the adobe suite, leaving off the

5385
05:43:13,790 --> 05:43:16,648
pathfinder ai tool. Mpd has had a pathfinder

5386
05:43:16,648 --> 05:43:20,519
contract since 2022, and is slated to renew that contract.

5387
05:43:20,519 --> 05:43:23,255
this tool has undoubtedly been used to wreak havoc on the

5388
05:43:23,255 --> 05:43:25,557
migrant community and our black and brown neighbors, who have

5389
05:43:25,557 --> 05:43:28,260
historically been overpoliced and criminalized.

5390
05:43:28,260 --> 05:43:31,296
access to this data would allow mpd, or anyone they work with to

5391
05:43:31,296 --> 05:43:34,233
track down, identify and surveil children, neighbors, or anyone

5392
05:43:34,233 --> 05:43:37,303
in proximity to someone whose cell phone data they have

5393
05:43:37,303 --> 05:43:38,904
scraped. Even you.

5394
05:43:38,904 --> 05:43:41,507
I would be shocked to find out that this was not used in

5395
05:43:41,507 --> 05:43:43,542
collaboration with federal agents.

5396
05:43:43,542 --> 05:43:46,344
mpd's use of this surveillance tool reminds me of ibm's

5397
05:43:46,344 --> 05:43:49,115
collaboration with nazi germany, where the company's technology

5398
05:43:49,115 --> 05:43:52,451
was used to systematically target my ancestors in europe,

5399
05:43:52,451 --> 05:43:56,880
making it easier for the nazi party to commit genocide.

5400
05:43:56,880 --> 05:43:59,524
celebrates inhumane use by mpd is not an isolated occurrence.

5401
05:43:59,524 --> 05:44:02,394
there is documented use of this company's technology against

5402
05:44:02,394 --> 05:44:04,794
protesters and organizers abroad.

5403
05:44:04,997 --> 05:44:07,399
the unfortunate reality is that cellebrite is not alone in its

5404
05:44:07,399 --> 05:44:10,135
abuse of personal privacy with their surveillance tools.

5405
05:44:10,135 --> 05:44:12,371
there are many companies who do something similar.

5406
05:44:12,371 --> 05:44:15,974
is my goal today to urge the council and this committee not

5407
05:44:15,974 --> 05:44:18,677
to play whack a mole with surveillance companies as a tool

5408
05:44:18,677 --> 05:44:21,965
for the police, but to abolish the use of them outright.

5409
05:44:21,965 --> 05:44:27,965
thank you. Thank you so who else do we have

5410
05:44:34,444 --> 05:44:36,444
here? Sophia boschetti.

5411
05:44:38,115 --> 05:44:40,115
I'm here. Okay.

5412
05:44:40,951 --> 05:44:42,951
vanessa lopez. Christina.

5413
05:44:44,154 --> 05:44:46,154
corey. Hello.

5414
05:44:47,590 --> 05:44:49,426
sorry. One second.

5415
05:44:49,426 --> 05:44:51,426
hi. Good afternoon.

5416
05:44:51,428 --> 05:44:54,640
chairperson pinto. My name is christine corey, and

5417
05:44:54,640 --> 05:44:56,933
I am a born and raised washingtonian currently residing

5418
05:44:56,933 --> 05:44:59,703
in ward 5. I'm here today to testify about

5419
05:44:59,703 --> 05:45:03,474
mpd's ongoing collaboration with federal agencies, as well as

5420
05:45:03,474 --> 05:45:06,410
npds use of invasive technologies such as automated

5421
05:45:06,410 --> 05:45:10,800
license plate readers or alpr as a tool of surveillance.

5422
05:45:10,800 --> 05:45:13,316
it is true that dc has always been a heavily policed and

5423
05:45:13,316 --> 05:45:16,853
heavily surveilled city, with its black, brown and immigrant

5424
05:45:16,853 --> 05:45:18,922
communities suffering the greatest consequences.

5425
05:45:18,922 --> 05:45:22,159
but the escalation of violence and terror we have seen in

5426
05:45:22,159 --> 05:45:25,429
recent months has been shocking and represents a fundamental

5427
05:45:25,429 --> 05:45:28,565
threat to human rights for all residents of the district.

5428
05:45:28,565 --> 05:45:32,602
so many of our neighbors are too afraid to even go outside to do

5429
05:45:32,602 --> 05:45:35,672
everyday tasks, like getting groceries for fear of harassment

5430
05:45:35,672 --> 05:45:39,343
or detention. While mpd has denied and

5431
05:45:39,343 --> 05:45:42,380
downplayed its collaboration with ice and other federal

5432
05:45:42,380 --> 05:45:44,348
agencies, there is abundant footage available that indicates

5433
05:45:44,348 --> 05:45:47,830
the exact opposite. In addition to the harm caused

5434
05:45:47,830 --> 05:45:50,721
to our most vulnerable communities, the persistent

5435
05:45:50,721 --> 05:45:53,390
obfuscation of a reality that so many of us have witnessed with

5436
05:45:53,390 --> 05:45:57,393
our own eyes erodes public trust and further contributes to the

5437
05:45:57,393 --> 05:46:00,564
culture of fear that has overtaken our city.

5438
05:46:00,564 --> 05:46:04,200
amidst this growing climate of violence, terror and distrust,

5439
05:46:04,200 --> 05:46:07,738
we are also facing rapidly increasing surveillance.

5440
05:46:07,738 --> 05:46:11,975
mpd operates 66 floc automated license plate readers in dc, and

5441
05:46:11,975 --> 05:46:16,120
records indicate that mpd intends to spend between 1

5442
05:46:16,120 --> 05:46:18,415
million and $5 million to expand floc cameras in the downtown

5443
05:46:18,415 --> 05:46:20,284
corridor. Whatever the stated rationale

5444
05:46:20,284 --> 05:46:23,753
for these systems is, the fact is that they collect data about

5445
05:46:23,753 --> 05:46:26,824
all our movement without any guarantees or protections in

5446
05:46:26,824 --> 05:46:29,459
place to ensure that it is not misused.

5447
05:46:29,459 --> 05:46:33,630
these cameras are connected to a national network where law

5448
05:46:33,630 --> 05:46:36,600
enforcement agencies, including federal agencies, can query the

5449
05:46:36,600 --> 05:46:39,435
data, and floc has a track record of collaborating with

5450
05:46:39,435 --> 05:46:42,239
ice. Given that mpd has not responded

5451
05:46:42,239 --> 05:46:45,909
to a freedom of information act request for the floc data, we

5452
05:46:45,909 --> 05:46:48,445
have no way of knowing how they are using it.

5453
05:46:48,445 --> 05:46:52,516
but even if we had transparency from mpd or felt we could trust

5454
05:46:52,516 --> 05:46:55,819
them not to collaborate with ice, the overarching security

5455
05:46:55,819 --> 05:46:59,756
and privacy concerns associated with alpr pose a major civil

5456
05:46:59,756 --> 05:47:01,892
rights issue. The only way to ensure that the

5457
05:47:01,892 --> 05:47:06,296
data do not end up in the wrong hands is not to collect it,

5458
05:47:06,296 --> 05:47:09,660
investing millions in surveillance technology does not

5459
05:47:09,660 --> 05:47:11,535
actually prevent crime or make us safer.

5460
05:47:11,535 --> 05:47:14,604
investing in our communities to address the root causes of harm

5461
05:47:14,604 --> 05:47:18,241
is the only path forward to a safer d.c. For all.

5462
05:47:18,241 --> 05:47:20,211
these problems will not be solved overnight, but I would

5463
05:47:20,211 --> 05:47:25,816
like to close with a by no means comprehensive list of actionable

5464
05:47:25,816 --> 05:47:27,818
items. Require federal agents operating

5465
05:47:27,818 --> 05:47:30,587
in dc to follow the same requirements for public

5466
05:47:30,587 --> 05:47:34,124
identification as mpd, including including displaying name, badge

5467
05:47:34,124 --> 05:47:36,960
number, and agency information that is not removable and

5468
05:47:36,960 --> 05:47:40,530
prohibit face coverings for federal officers in d.c.

5469
05:47:40,530 --> 05:47:43,734
require mpd arrest reports to list all officers from all

5470
05:47:43,734 --> 05:47:45,235
agencies present during the arrest.

5471
05:47:45,235 --> 05:47:47,971
this should include officer names, badge numbers, and

5472
05:47:47,971 --> 05:47:49,439
descriptions of their use of force.

5473
05:47:49,439 --> 05:47:53,100
close the loophole in the sanctuary values act and finally

5474
05:47:53,100 --> 05:47:56,847
end mpd's relationship with floc and all automatic automated

5475
05:47:56,847 --> 05:47:58,581
license plate reader technologies.

5476
05:47:58,581 --> 05:48:02,652
thank you for your time. Thank you.

5477
05:48:02,652 --> 05:48:05,520
ego mclean. Ego mclean.

5478
05:48:09,760 --> 05:48:11,760
ego mclean. Yes.

5479
05:48:14,598 --> 05:48:16,500
hello. My name is ego mclean.

5480
05:48:16,500 --> 05:48:19,870
I live in ward five and I am a student attorney in the movement

5481
05:48:19,870 --> 05:48:22,406
lawyering clinic at howard university school of law.

5482
05:48:22,406 --> 05:48:26,409
I'm testifying today in place of queen, who can't testify but

5483
05:48:26,409 --> 05:48:29,646
will be submitting written testimony in coordination with

5484
05:48:29,646 --> 05:48:32,160
the erased the database d.c. Coalition.

5485
05:48:32,160 --> 05:48:35,452
I am among the many d.c. Residents deeply concerned about

5486
05:48:35,452 --> 05:48:38,688
the destruction of my fellow citizens lives and the upending

5487
05:48:38,688 --> 05:48:42,559
of my community through mpd surveillance, targeting,

5488
05:48:42,559 --> 05:48:47,297
stalking, and harassment of black and brown dc residents.

5489
05:48:47,297 --> 05:48:50,300
aedc also upholds a commitment to transformative and

5490
05:48:50,300 --> 05:48:52,102
alternative forms of care and justice.

5491
05:48:52,102 --> 05:48:55,605
we work in coalition with decrim, poverty, poverty dcc,

5492
05:48:55,605 --> 05:48:58,775
which works to empower dc residents into systems of care

5493
05:48:58,775 --> 05:49:01,211
that meet their needs instead of criminalizing them.

5494
05:49:01,211 --> 05:49:05,150
I am urging the council to reject not only usage of the

5495
05:49:05,150 --> 05:49:07,584
gang database, but its entire existence.

5496
05:49:07,584 --> 05:49:12,922
the dc gang database is one part of a larger body of invasive

5497
05:49:12,922 --> 05:49:16,126
discriminatory surveillance. It strengthens the school to

5498
05:49:16,126 --> 05:49:19,329
prison pipeline, accelerates gentrification, and installs

5499
05:49:19,329 --> 05:49:22,867
other harmful systemic barriers to community enjoyment and

5500
05:49:22,867 --> 05:49:26,102
enrichment that directly impact black and brown dc residents.

5501
05:49:26,102 --> 05:49:29,807
out of the nearly 700 people listed on the database, children

5502
05:49:29,807 --> 05:49:33,410
make up almost 20% of the listed individuals, all of those

5503
05:49:33,410 --> 05:49:37,480
children being people of color, some as young as one year old.

5504
05:49:37,480 --> 05:49:40,550
this racialized surveillance has led to more interactions with

5505
05:49:40,550 --> 05:49:42,686
police, impacting those children's futures, either by

5506
05:49:42,686 --> 05:49:45,823
placing them on a track to prison or by cutting their lives

5507
05:49:45,823 --> 05:49:48,223
short. Technologies like floc,

5508
05:49:48,858 --> 05:49:51,961
cellebrite, tangles, shotspotter and others add layers of

5509
05:49:51,961 --> 05:49:54,964
surveillance that ensure that once labeled a gang member, mpd

5510
05:49:54,964 --> 05:49:58,768
can keep constant tabs on an unknowing person.

5511
05:49:58,768 --> 05:50:01,704
such wraparound surveillance increases the likelihood someone

5512
05:50:01,704 --> 05:50:05,308
will be trapped in the criminal legal system and a cycle of

5513
05:50:05,308 --> 05:50:07,544
poverty. These risks are exacerbated for

5514
05:50:07,544 --> 05:50:10,380
those who aren't able to insulate themselves from

5515
05:50:10,380 --> 05:50:14,580
surveillance, like unhoused and housing insecure residents.

5516
05:50:14,718 --> 05:50:18,188
I have seen over surveillance and punishment tear apart

5517
05:50:18,188 --> 05:50:20,223
families as it's torn apart my own.

5518
05:50:20,223 --> 05:50:23,560
instead of funding, social services funding went to

5519
05:50:23,560 --> 05:50:26,596
surveilling my family members and creating barriers to their

5520
05:50:26,596 --> 05:50:29,398
success. Their recidivism was nearly

5521
05:50:29,398 --> 05:50:31,735
unavoidable. I know what becomes of those who

5522
05:50:31,735 --> 05:50:34,921
are wrongly identified as gang members and as a resident of

5523
05:50:34,921 --> 05:50:39,359
ward five, I see the daily harm of surveillance and policing of

5524
05:50:39,359 --> 05:50:43,562
black and brown neighborhoods. As a law student, educated in

5525
05:50:43,562 --> 05:50:46,232
sociology and an emerging movement lawyer, I recognize

5526
05:50:46,232 --> 05:50:50,136
that over surveillance masquerades as a heroic effort

5527
05:50:50,136 --> 05:50:54,741
to keep all communities safe, but instead it serves to protect

5528
05:50:54,741 --> 05:50:58,711
rigid systems that continue to prey on and punish dc residents

5529
05:50:58,711 --> 05:51:02,815
that would benefit from real care and safety, such as drug

5530
05:51:02,815 --> 05:51:06,185
checking services, reallocation of funds to health care, and

5531
05:51:06,185 --> 05:51:08,621
other comprehensive harm reduction services.

5532
05:51:08,621 --> 05:51:12,821
instead of investing into 24/7 surveillance, harassment, and

5533
05:51:13,859 --> 05:51:17,597
abuse of black and brown residents, adults and children

5534
05:51:17,597 --> 05:51:23,302
alike, we must invest in centers and emergency services that

5535
05:51:23,302 --> 05:51:27,440
provide care to those in crisis or on the verge of crisis.

5536
05:51:27,440 --> 05:51:32,110
we must focus on funding services that actually empower

5537
05:51:32,110 --> 05:51:37,830
residents like on point nyc. Scaling up our 988 number

5538
05:51:37,830 --> 05:51:39,552
services, crt and champ services.

5539
05:51:39,552 --> 05:51:43,690
services like on point nyc have provided care to those who lack

5540
05:51:43,690 --> 05:51:46,693
access to it, instead of criminalizing them.

5541
05:51:46,693 --> 05:51:50,229
this is particularly important given the consequences of the

5542
05:51:50,229 --> 05:51:55,368
war on drugs and the opioid crisis here in the district.

5543
05:51:55,368 --> 05:51:58,360
we demand that the council listen to the voices of black

5544
05:51:58,360 --> 05:52:01,708
and brown residents of the district when they tell you how

5545
05:52:01,708 --> 05:52:07,130
they are harmed by system you say are meant to care for them.

5546
05:52:07,130 --> 05:52:10,918
public safety is not created. I'm sorry to cut you off your

5547
05:52:10,918 --> 05:52:13,318
very over time. Okay.

5548
05:52:13,453 --> 05:52:16,453
thank you so much. Okay.

5549
05:52:18,240 --> 05:52:21,624
mary. Laura, are you mary calhoun?

5550
05:52:22,662 --> 05:52:23,796
are you. Yes.

5551
05:52:23,796 --> 05:52:24,697
that's me. Hi.

5552
05:52:24,697 --> 05:52:26,566
okay. Go ahead.

5553
05:52:26,566 --> 05:52:28,340
okay. Thank you.

5554
05:52:28,340 --> 05:52:29,769
good afternoon. And thank you for giving me the

5555
05:52:29,769 --> 05:52:33,720
opportunity to testify on mpd's performance in the district.

5556
05:52:33,720 --> 05:52:36,608
my name is mary laura calhoun. I live in ward four and teach in

5557
05:52:36,608 --> 05:52:39,879
ward five at the same school. My own children attend.

5558
05:52:39,879 --> 05:52:42,882
today I will tell you about a disturbing recent incident I

5559
05:52:42,882 --> 05:52:46,919
witnessed involving metropolitan police officers cooperating with

5560
05:52:46,919 --> 05:52:48,988
federal agents. What I am about to tell you

5561
05:52:48,988 --> 05:52:52,325
happened in september after trump's federal emergency had

5562
05:52:52,325 --> 05:52:55,280
long ended, and we had been told by mayor bowser and the chief of

5563
05:52:55,280 --> 05:52:58,970
police that our own police force would no longer be cooperating

5564
05:52:58,970 --> 05:53:01,768
with the trump regime regime. School had just finished, and I

5565
05:53:01,768 --> 05:53:03,603
had picked up my own kids from their classes.

5566
05:53:03,603 --> 05:53:06,572
we were just passing time on the playground when we heard that

5567
05:53:06,572 --> 05:53:10,760
law enforcement officers were on the other side of the school,

5568
05:53:10,760 --> 05:53:12,645
likely arresting someone for immigration related reasons.

5569
05:53:12,645 --> 05:53:16,449
out of concern, I approached the scene while video recording.

5570
05:53:16,449 --> 05:53:20,353
when I arrived, I saw several officers from multiple agencies

5571
05:53:20,353 --> 05:53:24,858
working together. Fbi, mpd and some others too far

5572
05:53:24,858 --> 05:53:26,893
away for me to read their jackets.

5573
05:53:26,893 --> 05:53:29,796
they and several police cars were surrounding two men who

5574
05:53:29,796 --> 05:53:31,497
were handcuffed and seated in the street.

5575
05:53:31,497 --> 05:53:35,536
as I approached from a distance, one mpd officer yelled at me

5576
05:53:35,536 --> 05:53:37,770
that simply by being present and, quote, distracting him, I

5577
05:53:37,770 --> 05:53:39,906
was, quote, interfering with the scene.

5578
05:53:39,906 --> 05:53:43,409
he moved towards me aggressively and demanded that I move to a

5579
05:53:43,409 --> 05:53:45,545
specific location, otherwise he would arrest me.

5580
05:53:45,545 --> 05:53:48,281
although I knew I was doing nothing unlawful and was within

5581
05:53:48,281 --> 05:53:51,216
my rights to observe and record a police encounter in a public

5582
05:53:51,216 --> 05:53:53,686
space, I felt scared for my own safety.

5583
05:53:53,686 --> 05:53:57,256
the officer used his authority to intimidate me and anyone

5584
05:53:57,256 --> 05:53:59,250
nearby from witnessing the arrest.

5585
05:53:59,250 --> 05:54:02,228
in that moment, I was scared for my own safety and that of my

5586
05:54:02,228 --> 05:54:04,731
family and that of the families of children at my school.

5587
05:54:04,731 --> 05:54:08,701
we saw mpd officers hand one of the arrested men to a masked

5588
05:54:08,701 --> 05:54:11,404
federal agent who put the man in an unmarked car.

5589
05:54:11,404 --> 05:54:14,439
they refused to answer questions of why the men were arrested or

5590
05:54:14,439 --> 05:54:17,476
where they were being taken. The fear we all felt in that

5591
05:54:17,476 --> 05:54:20,312
moment hasn't left any of us. Of course, families who may be

5592
05:54:20,312 --> 05:54:22,415
targeted by immigration enforcement are scared to bring

5593
05:54:22,415 --> 05:54:24,216
their children to and from school.

5594
05:54:24,216 --> 05:54:27,190
children are worried for their families and even people who may

5595
05:54:27,190 --> 05:54:29,188
have previously thought they have no reason to fear.

5596
05:54:29,188 --> 05:54:32,592
the police now know that dc's mpd does not exist to keep us

5597
05:54:32,592 --> 05:54:35,928
safe, but to intimidate us. When I last testified before

5598
05:54:35,928 --> 05:54:38,898
council about this incident in december, council member pinto

5599
05:54:38,898 --> 05:54:41,401
said she'd like to have someone from her office follow up with

5600
05:54:41,401 --> 05:54:43,369
me. Someone emailed me and asked

5601
05:54:43,369 --> 05:54:46,472
where and when the incident occurred, which is information I

5602
05:54:46,472 --> 05:54:48,641
provided. The last I heard from council

5603
05:54:48,641 --> 05:54:52,545
member pinto's office was an email dated january 13th that

5604
05:54:52,545 --> 05:54:55,681
read, only apologies for my late reply, but we have been looking

5605
05:54:55,681 --> 05:54:58,484
into this incident and appreciate the details you

5606
05:54:58,484 --> 05:55:00,619
provided. I have filed an official

5607
05:55:00,619 --> 05:55:02,956
complaint with the office of police complaints.

5608
05:55:02,956 --> 05:55:05,424
I was offered mediation and I declined.

5609
05:55:05,424 --> 05:55:08,227
I don't feel safe around this officer, and I don't see how

5610
05:55:08,227 --> 05:55:10,831
having a private conversation with someone so inclined to

5611
05:55:10,831 --> 05:55:14,433
abuse his power would help. The last I heard from opc, the

5612
05:55:14,433 --> 05:55:16,703
incident was still being investigated.

5613
05:55:16,703 --> 05:55:20,106
I doubt any real consequences have happened and I presume this

5614
05:55:20,106 --> 05:55:23,575
officer is still on the force intimidating other law abiding

5615
05:55:23,575 --> 05:55:27,146
citizens across the district. Along with d.c., I am asking for

5616
05:55:27,146 --> 05:55:30,883
some basic common sense reforms that will make us all safer.

5617
05:55:30,883 --> 05:55:34,120
mpd arrests should list all officers from all agencies

5618
05:55:34,120 --> 05:55:36,456
present. Mpd should be prohibited from

5619
05:55:36,456 --> 05:55:40,192
coordinating with federal agents, repeal local qualified

5620
05:55:40,192 --> 05:55:41,861
immunity protections for federal officers.

5621
05:55:41,861 --> 05:55:45,564
close the loophole in the sanctuary values act.

5622
05:55:45,564 --> 05:55:47,233
no cooperation with the occupation.

5623
05:55:47,233 --> 05:55:49,633
thank you. Thank you.

5624
05:55:53,706 --> 05:55:58,506
commissioner kim, commissioner paula edwards, are you here?

5625
05:55:59,145 --> 05:56:02,745
commissioner paula edwards? Just making sure.

5626
05:56:03,415 --> 05:56:04,684
okay. Okay.

5627
05:56:04,684 --> 05:56:06,919
thank you very much. Yes, I am here.

5628
05:56:06,919 --> 05:56:08,621
I'm sorry. Can you hear me?

5629
05:56:08,621 --> 05:56:09,355
go ahead. Thank you.

5630
05:56:09,355 --> 05:56:12,158
I'm very sorry. Thank you very much for allowing

5631
05:56:12,158 --> 05:56:16,228
me to testify today. I'm paula edwards, commissioner

5632
05:56:16,228 --> 05:56:20,990
for anc. 401, and I would like first to

5633
05:56:20,990 --> 05:56:22,935
extend my condolences to mrs. Bailey and her family on the

5634
05:56:22,935 --> 05:56:26,105
death of her husband. Please implement the

5635
05:56:26,105 --> 05:56:29,542
recommendations from open data government and the office of the

5636
05:56:29,542 --> 05:56:32,378
d.c. Auditor. Accurate, timely and publicly

5637
05:56:32,378 --> 05:56:34,547
accessible information is the only way that our elected

5638
05:56:34,547 --> 05:56:38,118
officials can govern equitably and engage in good decision

5639
05:56:38,118 --> 05:56:42,803
making that protects the community, defendants and mpd,

5640
05:56:42,803 --> 05:56:46,206
ending racially profiled stops and searches, warrantless

5641
05:56:46,206 --> 05:56:50,100
arrests, masking of officers and requiring body worn cameras are

5642
05:56:50,100 --> 05:56:53,247
other necessities. Necessary reforms needed mpd

5643
05:56:53,247 --> 05:56:56,216
must invest in rapidly disseminating clear, accurate,

5644
05:56:56,216 --> 05:56:59,753
and timely information to combat the rumors and misinformation

5645
05:56:59,753 --> 05:57:03,230
that fill the vacuum. Programs like the community

5646
05:57:03,230 --> 05:57:05,192
engagement academy are also very effective.

5647
05:57:05,192 --> 05:57:08,796
I thought I had heard enough bombastic rhetoric, bad data,

5648
05:57:08,796 --> 05:57:11,298
and demonization to last a while last night.

5649
05:57:11,298 --> 05:57:15,536
and then came the hearing today, 163 complaints filed with a

5650
05:57:15,536 --> 05:57:19,380
force of 3200 officers does not mean that one third of the

5651
05:57:19,380 --> 05:57:21,375
officers have had complaints filed against them.

5652
05:57:21,375 --> 05:57:25,346
black people making up 86% of arrests, while black people make

5653
05:57:25,346 --> 05:57:29,583
up 40% of residents, does not mean that everyone arrested is a

5654
05:57:29,583 --> 05:57:32,786
d.c. Resident. In the case of late mr. Hilton

5655
05:57:32,786 --> 05:57:36,724
brown, a wholesale condemnation of the culture of mpd does not

5656
05:57:36,724 --> 05:57:40,160
acknowledge the judge's opinion that if it had not been for the

5657
05:57:40,160 --> 05:57:44,898
actions and testimony of captain porter of 4d and the detectives

5658
05:57:44,898 --> 05:57:47,701
that investigated the case, the officers who tried to cover up

5659
05:57:47,701 --> 05:57:50,237
the crime would not have been convicted.

5660
05:57:50,237 --> 05:57:53,941
the bombast may play well to the base and enhance fundraising,

5661
05:57:53,941 --> 05:57:56,176
but it results in governmental chaos.

5662
05:57:56,176 --> 05:58:01,248
this type of rhetoric tends to divide and conflict us at a time

5663
05:58:01,248 --> 05:58:05,180
when we should be united, and that is the goal of autocratic

5664
05:58:05,180 --> 05:58:07,870
governments. Montgomery county and dc are

5665
05:58:07,870 --> 05:58:11,291
reporting similar crime data, but only dc's data is questioned

5666
05:58:11,291 --> 05:58:14,228
as manufactured, valid, warranted arrests are being

5667
05:58:14,228 --> 05:58:19,333
reported as ice kidnapings in d.c. And maryland and ice dump

5668
05:58:19,333 --> 05:58:22,969
of kidnaped children's backpacks was reported in our ward.

5669
05:58:22,969 --> 05:58:27,174
except it was a dump of workers backpacks by car thieves who are

5670
05:58:27,174 --> 05:58:29,643
preying on those who are most vulnerable to ice.

5671
05:58:29,643 --> 05:58:32,712
we have had reports that young people are being lured into

5672
05:58:32,712 --> 05:58:35,949
gangs with promises that they and their families will be

5673
05:58:35,949 --> 05:58:38,852
protected from ice. Those who need our protection

5674
05:58:38,852 --> 05:58:42,990
the most are being separated from law enforcement by fear and

5675
05:58:42,990 --> 05:58:45,126
misinformation. And I thank you for the

5676
05:58:45,126 --> 05:58:48,529
opportunity to testify. If you have any questions, I'm

5677
05:58:48,529 --> 05:58:51,529
available. Thank you very much,

5678
05:58:53,400 --> 05:58:56,770
commissioner. And thank you all on this panel

5679
05:58:56,770 --> 05:59:02,743
for your testimony sheet. It we are going to call our next

5680
05:59:02,743 --> 05:59:05,546
panel. Please accept your invitation to

5681
05:59:05,546 --> 05:59:10,946
join as a panelist. Laura fuchs, marie cohen, jenny

5682
05:59:12,286 --> 05:59:17,860
wilson, irene jacobs, austin rose, brendan jackson, virginia

5683
05:59:19,159 --> 05:59:23,959
spatz, patrick burke, karen gall, edward daniels, edna

5684
05:59:25,933 --> 05:59:30,733
boone, afeni evans, naima konate, rebecca gordon, and

5685
05:59:32,390 --> 05:59:34,390
mariah burke. Rains.

5686
05:59:48,889 --> 05:59:50,889
okay. Mr.

5687
06:00:00,367 --> 06:00:03,967
okay. Laura fuchs, are you here?

5688
06:00:05,672 --> 06:00:08,672
okay. Marie cohen, child welfare

5689
06:00:10,310 --> 06:00:12,710
monitor. There we go.

5690
06:00:14,281 --> 06:00:15,248
yeah. Okay.

5691
06:00:15,248 --> 06:00:15,949
all right. Great.

5692
06:00:15,949 --> 06:00:18,584
thank you. Good afternoon, chairperson

5693
06:00:18,584 --> 06:00:20,620
pinto and members of the committee.

5694
06:00:20,620 --> 06:00:24,658
my name is marie cohen. I live in ward six and I write

5695
06:00:24,658 --> 06:00:28,495
child welfare monitor d.c., a substack about child

5696
06:00:28,495 --> 06:00:30,630
maltreatment and child protection in the district.

5697
06:00:30,630 --> 06:00:33,766
I never thought of writing about criminal justice until I

5698
06:00:33,766 --> 06:00:37,700
realized how many parents and caregivers who kill a child by

5699
06:00:37,700 --> 06:00:39,806
abuse or criminal neglect go unpunished.

5700
06:00:39,806 --> 06:00:43,143
as part of a study on child maltreatment deaths in the

5701
06:00:43,143 --> 06:00:46,279
district, I identified the following seven cases that were

5702
06:00:46,279 --> 06:00:51,679
classified as homicides by ocm between 2022 and 2025, and have

5703
06:00:52,686 --> 06:00:56,923
apparently been not resulted in any prosecution so far.

5704
06:00:56,923 --> 06:01:01,394
storm, serenity frazier, one and a half months old, died on

5705
06:01:01,394 --> 06:01:04,598
january 21st, 2022. The cause of death was blunt

5706
06:01:04,598 --> 06:01:08,235
trauma of head and neck, fentanyl and heroin toxicity.

5707
06:01:08,235 --> 06:01:11,571
the washington post reported that mpd was investigating the

5708
06:01:11,571 --> 06:01:15,342
case, but mpd has released no further information on the

5709
06:01:15,342 --> 06:01:18,211
investigation. King phelps, seven months old,

5710
06:01:18,211 --> 06:01:22,816
died on march 16th, 2023, of complications of blunt force

5711
06:01:22,816 --> 06:01:25,887
trauma. Mpd announced in a press release

5712
06:01:25,887 --> 06:01:29,560
that it was investigating this death, but has released no

5713
06:01:29,560 --> 06:01:32,659
information since that time. Amiri royall bynum, who was two

5714
06:01:32,659 --> 06:01:36,196
months old, was pronounced dead on may 27th, 2024.

5715
06:01:36,196 --> 06:01:40,901
the cause of death was fentanyl and methamphetamine

5716
06:01:40,901 --> 06:01:42,903
intoxication. Mpd announced that it was

5717
06:01:42,903 --> 06:01:45,806
investigating amiri's death as a homicide, but has released no

5718
06:01:45,806 --> 06:01:48,806
further information on this investigation.

5719
06:01:48,975 --> 06:01:52,879
thomas tramposch, age four, was found dead in a car on galloway

5720
06:01:52,879 --> 06:01:57,450
street north northeast on june 14th, 2024, one of the hottest

5721
06:01:57,450 --> 06:02:00,720
days of the summer. A police spokesman said the

5722
06:02:00,720 --> 06:02:02,889
detectives were awaiting autopsy results.

5723
06:02:02,889 --> 06:02:06,760
the autopsy, conducted the next day, concluded that thomas died

5724
06:02:06,760 --> 06:02:10,960
of hypothermia. Hypothermia and and ruled his

5725
06:02:11,698 --> 06:02:14,534
death a homicide. But mpd has released no

5726
06:02:14,534 --> 06:02:19,338
information on this case. Jordan ballard, age one, died on

5727
06:02:19,338 --> 06:02:22,609
august 23rd, 2024, of multiple blunt force injuries.

5728
06:02:22,609 --> 06:02:25,145
mpd announced that it was investigating jordan's death but

5729
06:02:25,145 --> 06:02:28,145
has released no further information.

5730
06:02:28,682 --> 06:02:31,884
austin antonio oliver, an infant, died of fentanyl

5731
06:02:31,884 --> 06:02:34,540
intoxication on august 2nd, 2025.

5732
06:02:34,540 --> 06:02:38,291
mpd has released no information about this death.

5733
06:02:38,291 --> 06:02:41,895
cairo shaw, an infant, died from blunt force head injuries on

5734
06:02:41,895 --> 06:02:47,301
february 2nd, 2024, according to kfs, a fatality report, mpd was

5735
06:02:47,301 --> 06:02:50,237
unable to determine the identity of the maltreatment and no

5736
06:02:50,237 --> 06:02:52,106
arrest was made. Three times.

5737
06:02:52,106 --> 06:02:55,988
I asked mpd for updates on these cases, these cases, but I

5738
06:02:55,988 --> 06:02:59,458
received no response. In contrast to these seven

5739
06:02:59,458 --> 06:03:01,927
homicides where nobody has been charged, there were only six

5740
06:03:01,927 --> 06:03:05,598
child abuse or neglect homicides during the same period that have

5741
06:03:05,598 --> 06:03:09,802
resulted in prosecution. It is not acceptable for mpd to

5742
06:03:09,802 --> 06:03:13,473
say it is investigating and then never to follow up or answer

5743
06:03:13,473 --> 06:03:17,743
questions from the public about the status of an investigation.

5744
06:03:17,743 --> 06:03:19,812
just finishing punishing the perpetrators will not bring

5745
06:03:19,812 --> 06:03:23,449
these children back, but child killers, like all killers, must

5746
06:03:23,449 --> 06:03:26,351
be held accountable. There is something wrong with a

5747
06:03:26,351 --> 06:03:29,287
city that is indifferent to the deaths of children due to the

5748
06:03:29,287 --> 06:03:32,591
violence or negligence of those who are supposed to love and

5749
06:03:32,591 --> 06:03:34,760
protect them. Thank you so much for listening.

5750
06:03:34,760 --> 06:03:37,696
and there's more information in my written testimony.

5751
06:03:37,696 --> 06:03:41,296
thank you, miss cohen. Jenny wilson.

5752
06:03:45,338 --> 06:03:47,573
thank you, chairperson pinto and members of the committee.

5753
06:03:47,573 --> 06:03:50,309
my name is jenny wilson and I'm the crisis response team

5754
06:03:50,309 --> 06:03:53,512
director for dc safe d.c. Safe is an integral part of the

5755
06:03:53,512 --> 06:03:56,480
city's public safety infrastructure, providing 24

5756
06:03:56,480 --> 06:03:58,784
seven crisis intervention for domestic violence survivors in

5757
06:03:58,784 --> 06:04:01,121
the district. We provide a critical bridge to

5758
06:04:01,121 --> 06:04:03,456
safety for survivors who have interacted with police.

5759
06:04:03,456 --> 06:04:06,725
with over 13,000 of our referrals to our crisis response

5760
06:04:06,725 --> 06:04:10,128
line coming from mpd officers responding to domestic violence

5761
06:04:10,128 --> 06:04:12,664
incidents. In addition, mpd is an essential

5762
06:04:12,664 --> 06:04:15,167
partner in the lethality assessment project and the

5763
06:04:15,167 --> 06:04:18,805
domestic violence system review. Mpd efforts to connect survivors

5764
06:04:18,805 --> 06:04:21,107
in a moment of crisis and vulnerability and their

5765
06:04:21,107 --> 06:04:23,242
engagement in uplifting the needs of survivors at the

5766
06:04:23,242 --> 06:04:27,130
highest risk of serious harm and homicide, are a vital part of

5767
06:04:27,130 --> 06:04:30,116
the high risk domestic violence initiative and a valuable tool

5768
06:04:30,116 --> 06:04:33,420
to overall survivors safety. Further, their participation in

5769
06:04:33,420 --> 06:04:36,856
the domestic violence system review helps elevate the most at

5770
06:04:36,856 --> 06:04:40,126
risk cases and consider how to address critical gaps in

5771
06:04:40,126 --> 06:04:42,161
addressing domestic violence in the district.

5772
06:04:42,161 --> 06:04:45,364
mpd continues to be a valuable and collaborative partner in our

5773
06:04:45,364 --> 06:04:48,200
joint efforts to promote safety for survivors.

5774
06:04:48,200 --> 06:04:50,569
however, while we remain thankful for the partnership we

5775
06:04:50,569 --> 06:04:53,371
maintain with mpd, we know there are opportunities for

5776
06:04:53,371 --> 06:04:55,307
improvement and have consistently made

5777
06:04:55,307 --> 06:04:58,245
recommendations for many years, such as better data gathering

5778
06:04:58,245 --> 06:05:02,249
and analysis on dv calls for service, a more robust and

5779
06:05:02,249 --> 06:05:07,490
consistent dv unit, expectations for leadership assigned dv

5780
06:05:07,587 --> 06:05:11,256
responsibilities, and a better access for information for

5781
06:05:11,256 --> 06:05:16,656
officers who are on the scene of dv calls.

5782
06:05:17,863 --> 06:05:19,999
a comprehensive and targeted approach to chronic and

5783
06:05:19,999 --> 06:05:23,599
persistent. Develop the capacity for great

5784
06:05:24,670 --> 06:05:27,405
collaboration both within and outside the public safety

5785
06:05:27,405 --> 06:05:28,907
cluster. We've shared those

5786
06:05:28,907 --> 06:05:32,111
recommendations with mpd leadership, your office, the

5787
06:05:32,111 --> 06:05:35,180
cdjc, and testimony for the deputy mayor for public safety

5788
06:05:35,180 --> 06:05:37,350
and justice. And in past performance,

5789
06:05:37,350 --> 06:05:40,190
oversight and budget testimony. We continue to urge the

5790
06:05:40,190 --> 06:05:42,555
committee of public safety and mpd to consider how to move

5791
06:05:42,555 --> 06:05:44,456
forward with these recommendations.

5792
06:05:44,456 --> 06:05:47,359
we recognize that there may be resource constraints that impact

5793
06:05:47,359 --> 06:05:49,896
things like creating a more robust dv unit, but

5794
06:05:49,896 --> 06:05:52,164
recommendations like reevaluating data for calls for

5795
06:05:52,164 --> 06:05:54,633
service, or how frequent calls for service are tracked seem

5796
06:05:54,633 --> 06:05:57,102
like they are within reach. If there is a commitment to

5797
06:05:57,102 --> 06:06:01,400
improving mpd and the city's response to dv, even simply

5798
06:06:01,400 --> 06:06:03,509
publicly reporting crime statistics related to dv in line

5799
06:06:03,509 --> 06:06:05,978
with reporting sexual assault data would be a start.

5800
06:06:05,978 --> 06:06:09,180
as we have mentioned in other testimony, there has been a

5801
06:06:09,180 --> 06:06:12,784
shift in attention to and the city's response to domestic

5802
06:06:12,784 --> 06:06:14,453
violence, and we welcome that focus.

5803
06:06:14,453 --> 06:06:17,890
but we want to uplift that. There is a strong foundation,

5804
06:06:17,890 --> 06:06:20,250
particularly in the work of the high risk domestic violence

5805
06:06:20,250 --> 06:06:22,828
initiative and existing pilots and recommendations for an

5806
06:06:22,828 --> 06:06:25,865
innovative approach for these efforts to be successful, there

5807
06:06:25,865 --> 06:06:28,834
needs to be thoughtful consideration, but also a

5808
06:06:28,834 --> 06:06:31,303
sustained commitment of both will and resources.

5809
06:06:31,303 --> 06:06:35,341
we also believe strongly that investing in a smart approach to

5810
06:06:35,341 --> 06:06:38,410
policing and the city's overall approach to dv pays dividends

5811
06:06:38,410 --> 06:06:41,680
over time, both in cost savings and community safety.

5812
06:06:41,680 --> 06:06:46,180
thank you for your time and we look forward to any questions.

5813
06:06:46,180 --> 06:06:50,189
thank you very much. I want to call eva millstone,

5814
06:06:50,189 --> 06:06:53,789
who's here in person. I understand.

5815
06:06:55,728 --> 06:06:56,828
great. Welcome.

5816
06:06:56,828 --> 06:07:00,428
please go ahead whenever you're ready.

5817
06:07:15,314 --> 06:07:18,884
the mic is red. Is it on?

5818
06:07:18,884 --> 06:07:21,820
oh good afternoon, chair pinto and members of the committee.

5819
06:07:21,820 --> 06:07:25,925
my name is eva millstone. I'm a ward six resident, a dcfs

5820
06:07:25,925 --> 06:07:29,194
parent, and the granddaughter of holocaust survivors.

5821
06:07:29,194 --> 06:07:32,330
last june, I warned this committee that the fy 26 budget

5822
06:07:32,330 --> 06:07:35,534
echoed the authoritarian threats my ancestors faced.

5823
06:07:35,534 --> 06:07:38,370
I said then that it was my sacred duty to try to protect

5824
06:07:38,370 --> 06:07:41,139
the victims of today. Today, my witness that those

5825
06:07:41,139 --> 06:07:43,442
threats are taking root in our city.

5826
06:07:43,442 --> 06:07:45,744
every morning in southwest, my children see the national guard

5827
06:07:45,744 --> 06:07:48,380
on their way to school. Our city's children are

5828
06:07:48,380 --> 06:07:50,149
absorbing the tension of this city.

5829
06:07:50,149 --> 06:07:53,620
the sirens masked federal agents, the normalization of

5830
06:07:53,620 --> 06:07:55,421
occupation. This is a theft of their

5831
06:07:55,421 --> 06:07:58,158
childhood. I see our mpd officers as

5832
06:07:58,158 --> 06:08:00,192
neighbors. My family mourned with the first

5833
06:08:00,192 --> 06:08:02,728
district when we lost. Officer terry bennett and I

5834
06:08:02,728 --> 06:08:05,297
cheered the dozens of officers who cold plunged alongside my

5835
06:08:05,297 --> 06:08:08,670
kids for the special olympics last weekend.

5836
06:08:08,670 --> 06:08:10,570
I've shown up to first district meetings to brainstorm

5837
06:08:10,570 --> 06:08:11,737
solutions. Because this is the mpd.

5838
06:08:11,737 --> 06:08:16,108
we strive for a community agency rooted in oversight and

5839
06:08:16,108 --> 06:08:18,377
relationship. But after the navy yard incident

5840
06:08:18,377 --> 06:08:21,280
on halloween, where our children were chased by military units

5841
06:08:21,280 --> 06:08:25,500
with guns less than a mile from my house, I saw how easily that

5842
06:08:25,500 --> 06:08:27,953
neighborly bond is shattered by federal entanglement.

5843
06:08:27,953 --> 06:08:31,523
federal agents are unnamed, unreachable, and unaccountable.

5844
06:08:31,523 --> 06:08:34,727
the so-called d.c. Safe and beautiful task force has eroded

5845
06:08:34,727 --> 06:08:38,531
the trust mpd needs to function. In recent months, federal agents

5846
06:08:38,531 --> 06:08:42,202
have opened fire during mpd operations, shooting philip

5847
06:08:42,202 --> 06:08:45,939
bailey and justin brian nelson and killing julian bailey, the

5848
06:08:45,939 --> 06:08:50,743
father and son of the city who we mourn when an mpd supervisor

5849
06:08:50,743 --> 06:08:53,245
instructs an officer to omit a federal shooting from a report.

5850
06:08:53,245 --> 06:08:57,150
transparency is destroyed. Without transparency, there's no

5851
06:08:57,150 --> 06:08:59,752
democracy. This is a home rule crisis.

5852
06:08:59,752 --> 06:09:02,594
just as federal urban renewal once raised my neighborhood of

5853
06:09:02,594 --> 06:09:05,363
southwest against the will of black and the black and jewish

5854
06:09:05,363 --> 06:09:08,567
community, federal public safety is now reshaping our city from

5855
06:09:08,567 --> 06:09:12,772
the inside without our consent. Today, a historic coalition is

5856
06:09:12,772 --> 06:09:15,390
rising. As a jewish mom, I'm proud to

5857
06:09:15,390 --> 06:09:17,843
ally with free d.c. And harriet's wildest dreams to cry

5858
06:09:17,843 --> 06:09:20,512
out for justice. We're watching our sanctuary

5859
06:09:20,512 --> 06:09:23,581
city become a trap. Immigrants and friends I've

5860
06:09:23,581 --> 06:09:26,170
hosted in my home now refuse to enter d.c.

5861
06:09:26,170 --> 06:09:27,987
they stay in maryland because of routine traffic.

5862
06:09:27,987 --> 06:09:30,655
stop here has become an ice pipeline due to the loophole in

5863
06:09:30,655 --> 06:09:36,550
our sanctuary values act. Chair pinto, the safe community,

5864
06:09:36,727 --> 06:09:39,130
places and policing amendment act has been sitting since

5865
06:09:39,130 --> 06:09:41,399
december. Families cannot wait for

5866
06:09:41,399 --> 06:09:43,868
political timing. We're living in fear today.

5867
06:09:43,868 --> 06:09:46,771
I'm asking you directly, as a mother, to schedule a hearing

5868
06:09:46,771 --> 06:09:49,274
without delay. I urge this committee to close

5869
06:09:49,274 --> 06:09:53,111
the sanctuary values act loophole immediately require

5870
06:09:53,111 --> 06:09:55,680
full transparency, prohibit face coverings for federal officers,

5871
06:09:55,680 --> 06:09:59,880
and require full public identification mandate reporting

5872
06:09:59,951 --> 06:10:02,421
every officer present at an arrest, local or federal, must

5873
06:10:02,421 --> 06:10:05,923
be named in an official report. I also oppose any appointment of

5874
06:10:05,923 --> 06:10:08,930
jeffrey carroll as permanent mpd chief.

5875
06:10:08,930 --> 06:10:11,262
I ask you to do the same. D.c. Needs our officers to be on

5876
06:10:11,262 --> 06:10:14,165
the side of our communities and our democracy.

5877
06:10:14,165 --> 06:10:17,350
carroll's aggressive tactics are the opposite.

5878
06:10:17,350 --> 06:10:20,572
accountability and compassion are not opposites.

5879
06:10:20,572 --> 06:10:22,373
transparency strengthens. Strengthens trust.

5880
06:10:22,373 --> 06:10:24,843
choose our neighbors. Choose oversight.

5881
06:10:24,843 --> 06:10:27,243
choose autonomy. Thank you.

5882
06:10:27,913 --> 06:10:32,713
thank you very much. Austin rose, public witness.

5883
06:10:36,554 --> 06:10:38,790
thank you. Chair pinto.

5884
06:10:38,790 --> 06:10:41,725
my name is austin rose. I'm a long time d.c. Resident,

5885
06:10:41,725 --> 06:10:44,662
and I'm currently the managing attorney at the mca center for

5886
06:10:44,662 --> 06:10:48,199
immigrant rights, which is a nonprofit organization that

5887
06:10:48,199 --> 06:10:50,268
represents our detained immigrant neighbors.

5888
06:10:50,268 --> 06:10:53,772
in that capacity, I am leading class action litigation in the

5889
06:10:53,772 --> 06:10:57,408
d.c. Federal court. Escobar, molina versus dhs that

5890
06:10:57,408 --> 06:11:00,244
has challenged warrantless immigration arrests in our city

5891
06:11:00,244 --> 06:11:02,747
and secured a permanent injunction to summer that has

5892
06:11:02,747 --> 06:11:06,984
reduced those arrests. But through that litigation, I

5893
06:11:06,984 --> 06:11:12,900
have learned of several specific concerning examples of mpd

5894
06:11:12,900 --> 06:11:15,930
collaboration with ice. I want to highlight two of those

5895
06:11:15,930 --> 06:11:19,229
examples, one of which happened in december 2025 and january

5896
06:11:19,229 --> 06:11:22,634
2026. So very recently attached to my

5897
06:11:22,634 --> 06:11:25,536
testimony, which is public on the website, are the

5898
06:11:25,536 --> 06:11:28,473
declarations and the arrest reports of these two

5899
06:11:28,473 --> 06:11:30,307
individuals, which are already public through the litigation.

5900
06:11:30,307 --> 06:11:34,846
and I encourage you to read these are unequivocal examples.

5901
06:11:34,846 --> 06:11:37,949
in addition, a washington post article was just published today

5902
06:11:37,949 --> 06:11:41,786
outlining these two stories. First is jose argueta, who has

5903
06:11:41,786 --> 06:11:45,857
lived in the united states for more than two decades.

5904
06:11:45,857 --> 06:11:50,795
in november 2025, mr. Argueta reported his car stolen to the

5905
06:11:50,795 --> 06:11:55,633
police in december, someone purporting to be d.c. Police

5906
06:11:55,633 --> 06:11:58,602
called him and instructed him to come into the mpd station.

5907
06:11:58,602 --> 06:12:01,874
the fifth district station at 1805 bladensburg road.

5908
06:12:01,874 --> 06:12:03,841
and you can see that right on the ice.

5909
06:12:03,841 --> 06:12:07,879
arrest report. Mr. Argueta arrived at the

5910
06:12:07,879 --> 06:12:12,679
station and inside an mpd station, ice agents,

5911
06:12:13,384 --> 06:12:17,255
specifically hcy agents, which part of ice arrested him.

5912
06:12:17,255 --> 06:12:20,925
and one of the officers later revealed that they had used a

5913
06:12:20,925 --> 06:12:23,361
stolen vehicle. Report that his his report that

5914
06:12:23,361 --> 06:12:28,320
his car had been stolen to track him down and to lure him to the

5915
06:12:28,320 --> 06:12:33,370
station and months the next month at various ice detention

5916
06:12:33,370 --> 06:12:35,106
facilities before he was thankfully released on bond,

5917
06:12:35,106 --> 06:12:38,810
which is rare. This is an incredibly troubling

5918
06:12:38,810 --> 06:12:43,348
incident that violated clearly one or more provisions of the

5919
06:12:43,348 --> 06:12:48,253
sanctuary values act, namely section 74, b and c, in that

5920
06:12:48,253 --> 06:12:51,823
mpd. Apparently provided to ice an

5921
06:12:51,823 --> 06:12:54,692
individual's personal identifying information and or

5922
06:12:54,692 --> 06:12:58,730
granted ice access to a district detention facility or place.

5923
06:12:58,730 --> 06:13:01,466
there's also a second example which I don't have time to

5924
06:13:01,466 --> 06:13:05,300
cover, but I'm raising this to make clear that there's been

5925
06:13:05,300 --> 06:13:07,805
lots of suggestions about new legislation we can pass, and I

5926
06:13:07,805 --> 06:13:09,340
applaud those efforts in the future.

5927
06:13:09,340 --> 06:13:11,843
but right now, what the d.c. Council can do and what you

5928
06:13:11,843 --> 06:13:15,413
chair pinto can do is focus on enforcing the law we already

5929
06:13:15,413 --> 06:13:17,148
have, which doesn't need congressional approval.

5930
06:13:17,148 --> 06:13:21,752
this is fully under our control, and that law needs to be

5931
06:13:21,752 --> 06:13:23,755
implemented. These examples were not

5932
06:13:23,755 --> 06:13:24,955
loopholes in the sanctuary values act.

5933
06:13:24,955 --> 06:13:27,392
they were blatant defiance of the sanctuary values act.

5934
06:13:27,392 --> 06:13:31,696
they were examples of our city authorities actively

5935
06:13:31,696 --> 06:13:34,980
facilitating an ice arrest, someone who would not have been

5936
06:13:34,980 --> 06:13:36,901
an ice custody absent collaboration.

5937
06:13:36,901 --> 06:13:38,503
that's unacceptable and it must end.

5938
06:13:38,503 --> 06:13:41,539
so I encourage the council to act with vigorous oversight,

5939
06:13:41,539 --> 06:13:43,808
including questions of the mpd chief later today.

5940
06:13:43,808 --> 06:13:48,608
thank you. Thank you very much, sir rose,

5941
06:13:50,648 --> 06:13:55,448
and we certainly will be asking those questions.

5942
06:13:56,587 --> 06:14:01,959
brendan jackson, public witness. Good afternoon, chair pinto and

5943
06:14:01,959 --> 06:14:03,861
committee members. My name is brandon jackson and I

5944
06:14:03,861 --> 06:14:07,131
live in ward three. I'm testifying today to voice my

5945
06:14:07,131 --> 06:14:10,635
concern over how mpd makes our city less safe for those who

5946
06:14:10,635 --> 06:14:15,600
live, work, and visit, wasting limited resources that could be

5947
06:14:15,600 --> 06:14:17,108
more effectively used. Increasing safety through

5948
06:14:17,108 --> 06:14:19,811
meeting community needs. With my limited time, I would

5949
06:14:19,811 --> 06:14:24,582
like to focus on mpd's continued collaboration with federal

5950
06:14:24,582 --> 06:14:28,152
agencies, enabled by this government's inaction.

5951
06:14:28,152 --> 06:14:31,389
since returning to d.c. Control, mpd has been involved in at

5952
06:14:31,389 --> 06:14:34,826
least three shootings by federal agencies in their continued

5953
06:14:34,826 --> 06:14:38,730
support of the harassment and abduction of community members,

5954
06:14:38,730 --> 06:14:41,532
and committed two murders of their own.

5955
06:14:41,532 --> 06:14:44,669
mpd refuses transparency and lies about the violence they

5956
06:14:44,669 --> 06:14:47,839
commit and abet. This council has been passive,

5957
06:14:47,839 --> 06:14:51,509
going only so far as toothless letter writing giving up when

5958
06:14:51,509 --> 06:14:54,312
told to pound sand by a department whose purse strings

5959
06:14:54,312 --> 06:14:56,648
they hold. If the council is concerned that

5960
06:14:56,648 --> 06:14:59,617
pushing back on trump will threaten home rule, have they

5961
06:14:59,617 --> 06:15:03,540
not learned that trump cannot be appeased through concessions?

5962
06:15:03,540 --> 06:15:06,958
I would further ask of what use is the power to self-govern if

5963
06:15:06,958 --> 06:15:10,280
we refuse to use it to protect our community?

5964
06:15:10,280 --> 06:15:13,201
while the council has limited control over federal agencies

5965
06:15:13,201 --> 06:15:17,710
operating in the district, it is in their power to stop using our

5966
06:15:17,710 --> 06:15:19,541
resources to help them violate our rights and harm our

5967
06:15:19,541 --> 06:15:22,243
neighbors. The obvious place to start would

5968
06:15:22,243 --> 06:15:26,114
be to end all collaboration with federal agencies in their

5969
06:15:26,114 --> 06:15:29,384
kidnaping spree. That means no more mpd making

5970
06:15:29,384 --> 06:15:33,688
arrests for ice, no more resource sharing, and no more

5971
06:15:33,688 --> 06:15:35,456
information sharing. Without a warrant.

5972
06:15:35,456 --> 06:15:38,760
the council should also get creative and learn from other

5973
06:15:38,760 --> 06:15:41,830
jurisdictions to further limit and challenge federal agencies

5974
06:15:41,830 --> 06:15:44,966
where they can. The council should use their

5975
06:15:44,966 --> 06:15:48,169
powers under the sanctuary values act to release data on

5976
06:15:48,169 --> 06:15:51,472
how many people have been abducted, the conditions they're

5977
06:15:51,472 --> 06:15:58,720
held under and the sorry they're held under, and the information

5978
06:15:58,312 --> 06:16:01,716
and assistance requested by and shared with feds.

5979
06:16:01,716 --> 06:16:05,319
mpd should no longer be allowed to hide the identities of the

5980
06:16:05,319 --> 06:16:07,789
agents they have been supporting, and officers who

5981
06:16:07,789 --> 06:16:11,460
commit violence and abuse power. I ask the council to reject the

5982
06:16:11,460 --> 06:16:14,295
appointment of jeffrey carroll as police chief.

5983
06:16:14,295 --> 06:16:18,166
as assistant chief, he oversaw a culture of white supremacy and

5984
06:16:18,166 --> 06:16:20,735
sexism, and his interim chief. He has continued collaborating

5985
06:16:20,735 --> 06:16:23,504
with feds and withholding information.

5986
06:16:23,504 --> 06:16:28,476
I would also like to raise the alarm over mpd's acquisition of

5987
06:16:28,476 --> 06:16:30,678
surveillance technologies. You wouldn't want a stranger

5988
06:16:30,678 --> 06:16:33,347
going through your phone or following you down the street,

5989
06:16:33,347 --> 06:16:37,551
and the only way to ensure this data is not abused by mpd or

5990
06:16:37,551 --> 06:16:40,870
anyone else, is to not collect it in the first place.

5991
06:16:40,870 --> 06:16:43,892
while our city fails to meet the material, educational and social

5992
06:16:43,892 --> 06:16:47,828
needs of our neighbors, it cannot be safe supporting a

5993
06:16:47,828 --> 06:16:51,650
cruel project in a vain attempt to appease a wannabe dictator

5994
06:16:51,650 --> 06:16:55,265
can only make us less safe. Yeah.

5995
06:16:55,736 --> 06:17:01,136
thank you, mr. Jackson. Virginia spatz to patrick burke,

5996
06:17:02,776 --> 06:17:06,976
executive director of the dc police foundation.

5997
06:17:07,348 --> 06:17:09,383
were you calling? This is virginia spatz.

5998
06:17:09,383 --> 06:17:11,185
did you call me or someone else? I did, I'm sorry.

5999
06:17:11,185 --> 06:17:14,588
I didn't see you. Virginia spatz, public witness.

6000
06:17:14,588 --> 06:17:16,157
please go ahead, and then we'll turn to you.

6001
06:17:16,157 --> 06:17:18,157
mr. Burke. Okay.

6002
06:17:18,993 --> 06:17:23,230
as I, I am virginia spatz. I have lived for nearly 40 years

6003
06:17:23,230 --> 06:17:27,735
in ward six and worked over the years and served as a freelance

6004
06:17:27,735 --> 06:17:30,671
reporter in other parts of the city.

6005
06:17:30,671 --> 06:17:33,974
my testimony, the written submission, and this kind of

6006
06:17:33,974 --> 06:17:37,345
condensed version is informed by that background as well as by

6007
06:17:37,345 --> 06:17:41,816
the work of d.c. Justice lab free dc project, harriet's

6008
06:17:41,816 --> 06:17:45,619
wildest dreams, and other experts on issues of judiciary

6009
06:17:45,619 --> 06:17:48,288
and policing. However, I am speaking for

6010
06:17:48,288 --> 06:17:51,892
myself. I am more worried for my

6011
06:17:51,892 --> 06:17:55,463
neighbors than for myself or my spouse.

6012
06:17:55,463 --> 06:18:00,263
despite my privileges in interacting or avoiding law

6013
06:18:01,102 --> 06:18:06,340
enforcement, however, I have been impacted deeply by the

6014
06:18:06,340 --> 06:18:10,978
cooperation of our city's police department with federal law

6015
06:18:10,978 --> 06:18:14,248
enforcement agencies. I feel far less safe on our

6016
06:18:14,248 --> 06:18:19,286
streets and in the metro than in the 40 years before, and I am

6017
06:18:19,286 --> 06:18:22,560
now afraid to call police for any reason.

6018
06:18:22,560 --> 06:18:26,994
I call on this committee and the council to move beyond tepid

6019
06:18:26,994 --> 06:18:30,132
responses and stand up for the needs and rights of the

6020
06:18:30,132 --> 06:18:32,466
district. The district has always been at

6021
06:18:32,466 --> 06:18:36,270
the mercy of national politics, in which we have little say.

6022
06:18:36,270 --> 06:18:41,742
the president's creation of that dc safe and beautiful task force

6023
06:18:41,742 --> 06:18:45,946
last march is one example, and trump's declaration of that

6024
06:18:45,946 --> 06:18:48,816
crime emergency in august is another.

6025
06:18:48,816 --> 06:18:54,388
recruitment for the dc task force, which, on asking people

6026
06:18:54,388 --> 06:18:57,958
to apply to become part of it, is really terrifying.

6027
06:18:57,958 --> 06:19:01,495
it dehumanizes urban residents here and around the country,

6028
06:19:01,495 --> 06:19:05,900
while encouraging applicants to join the agency of your dreams

6029
06:19:05,900 --> 06:19:10,380
like they were engaging in some sort of violent role playing

6030
06:19:10,380 --> 06:19:13,174
game. This has disturbing and deadly

6031
06:19:13,174 --> 06:19:15,476
consequences. The task force has brought

6032
06:19:15,476 --> 06:19:18,512
shootings, automobile chases, and threats to young people into

6033
06:19:18,512 --> 06:19:22,516
the district. In addition, we are now grieving

6034
06:19:22,516 --> 06:19:26,687
five black men whose deaths are directly linked to the safe and

6035
06:19:26,687 --> 06:19:31,492
beautiful task force or to place within that context, julian

6036
06:19:31,492 --> 06:19:36,292
bailey, aaron williams, david childs, demetrius alston and

6037
06:19:36,797 --> 06:19:39,867
kevin booker. The federal government is not

6038
06:19:39,867 --> 06:19:43,672
solely to blame for the multi-agency incursion into our

6039
06:19:43,672 --> 06:19:46,273
neighborhoods. However, our own metropolitan

6040
06:19:46,273 --> 06:19:49,100
police department, including interim chief carroll, has

6041
06:19:49,100 --> 06:19:50,845
actively supported the task force.

6042
06:19:50,845 --> 06:19:53,748
mayor bowser's own order normalized and applauded it.

6043
06:19:53,748 --> 06:19:58,719
and this council and this committee in action and inaction

6044
06:19:58,719 --> 06:20:01,489
has further endangered the district.

6045
06:20:01,489 --> 06:20:05,793
while the dc while dc sovereignty is limited in some

6046
06:20:05,793 --> 06:20:09,997
ways, the council does have the power to restrict how federal

6047
06:20:09,997 --> 06:20:11,332
agents operate. Here.

6048
06:20:11,332 --> 06:20:16,704
I join in calling for specific restrictions and to enact the

6049
06:20:16,704 --> 06:20:20,574
full accountability and arrest reporting emergency amendment

6050
06:20:20,574 --> 06:20:26,681
act of 2026 and also join in asking you to refuse to make

6051
06:20:26,681 --> 06:20:28,883
jeffrey carroll's appointment permanent.

6052
06:20:28,883 --> 06:20:32,420
while many in our city do mourn and organize in the face of

6053
06:20:32,420 --> 06:20:37,725
growing loss of life and dire threat to public safety, many

6054
06:20:37,725 --> 06:20:41,529
others, including leaders, have been supporting and normalizing

6055
06:20:41,529 --> 06:20:43,530
egregious attacks on our city's well-being.

6056
06:20:43,530 --> 06:20:46,802
we need you to take steps available to you and take them

6057
06:20:46,802 --> 06:20:47,835
now. Thank you.

6058
06:20:47,835 --> 06:20:50,835
thank you. Patrick burke, executive

6059
06:20:51,806 --> 06:20:54,806
director of dc police foundation.

6060
06:20:55,420 --> 06:20:57,478
good afternoon, chairwoman pinto and members of the committee.

6061
06:20:57,478 --> 06:21:02,583
I'm patrick burke, and just quickly, the dc police

6062
06:21:02,583 --> 06:21:06,530
foundation was formed to bring together business, professional,

6063
06:21:06,530 --> 06:21:08,956
civic, nonprofit organizations and individuals to promote

6064
06:21:08,956 --> 06:21:13,930
public safety by providing financial and in-kind resources

6065
06:21:13,930 --> 06:21:18,466
to the chief of police and mpd. Our goal is to make washington,

6066
06:21:18,466 --> 06:21:22,605
dc a safer place to live, work, and visit for everyone, and I

6067
06:21:22,605 --> 06:21:25,574
appreciate the opportunity to testify before you today.

6068
06:21:25,574 --> 06:21:30,460
I've been watching the entire testimony, and I appreciate the

6069
06:21:30,460 --> 06:21:34,684
passion, and I know there's a lot of conflict, especially with

6070
06:21:34,684 --> 06:21:37,219
increased federal intervention in the city.

6071
06:21:37,219 --> 06:21:40,656
as retired assistant chief for mpd and the former u.s. Marshal

6072
06:21:40,656 --> 06:21:44,526
for dc, I've served in a law enforcement capacity for over

6073
06:21:44,526 --> 06:21:48,798
half my life, and I'm honored to work with chief carroll and our

6074
06:21:48,798 --> 06:21:52,000
community to continue to serve and working to make our city

6075
06:21:52,000 --> 06:21:54,637
safer. And first of all, I want to say

6076
06:21:54,637 --> 06:21:57,406
I've submitted my testimony, so I'm going to deviate from that.

6077
06:21:57,406 --> 06:22:01,243
and a lot of the work that we do and the police foundation is

6078
06:22:01,243 --> 06:22:04,113
working with youth and especially keeping minority

6079
06:22:04,113 --> 06:22:07,417
youth out of the criminal justice system, working with mpd

6080
06:22:07,417 --> 06:22:09,485
officers. And one of the biggest

6081
06:22:09,485 --> 06:22:13,689
challenges has been with the decreased staffing is fewer

6082
06:22:13,689 --> 06:22:17,192
officers to work on caseloads for detectives to spend time

6083
06:22:17,192 --> 06:22:20,897
with, youth to spend time with victims, and that that takes

6084
06:22:20,897 --> 06:22:24,967
away from a lot of the community empowering activities that mpd

6085
06:22:24,967 --> 06:22:28,504
officers have. So we we strongly encourage full

6086
06:22:28,504 --> 06:22:33,842
staffing of the mpd and working to retain these officers that we

6087
06:22:33,842 --> 06:22:38,113
work so hard to bring into mpd. We train them and then

6088
06:22:38,113 --> 06:22:40,883
unfortunately, we're losing so many to other agencies.

6089
06:22:40,883 --> 06:22:44,452
but with my brief amount of time beyond talking through the

6090
06:22:44,452 --> 06:22:49,240
programs that we offer with mpd, I want to just say to the

6091
06:22:49,240 --> 06:22:51,660
officers and obviously for people watching today, it's not

6092
06:22:51,660 --> 06:22:56,640
a great recruiting video. And first of all, I know when

6093
06:22:56,640 --> 06:23:00,269
d.c. With opc, internal affairs and a number of avenues, if

6094
06:23:00,269 --> 06:23:03,972
people feel that they're treated unfairly by mpd and I've seen

6095
06:23:03,972 --> 06:23:07,176
this around the country, around the world, there are many

6096
06:23:07,176 --> 06:23:09,478
avenues to pursue. If you have a complaint.

6097
06:23:09,478 --> 06:23:12,800
there's a lot of anecdotal stories out here, but if you

6098
06:23:12,800 --> 06:23:15,283
have a complaint, come forward, make it and people will be dealt

6099
06:23:15,283 --> 06:23:17,920
with. And we absolutely want anyone

6100
06:23:17,920 --> 06:23:20,856
held accountable. And I also want to say thank you

6101
06:23:20,856 --> 06:23:23,759
to all the police officers if you're watching this, it's a

6102
06:23:23,759 --> 06:23:27,960
tough hearing to watch, but I want to thank you, the men and

6103
06:23:27,960 --> 06:23:29,964
women that are out there every day putting your lives on the

6104
06:23:29,964 --> 06:23:33,235
line. I want to thank the widow and

6105
06:23:33,235 --> 06:23:37,839
the son of terry bennett, who we lost recently in mpd, and I know

6106
06:23:37,839 --> 06:23:40,776
the dangerous work that that you men and women are doing every

6107
06:23:40,776 --> 06:23:43,378
single day. And I want to thank you and let

6108
06:23:43,378 --> 06:23:47,649
you know that I appreciate you. And there's a whole lot of

6109
06:23:47,649 --> 06:23:50,319
people throughout dc and beyond that appreciate the work you do.

6110
06:23:50,319 --> 06:23:55,719
god bless and be safe. Thank you, mr. Burke.

6111
06:23:57,592 --> 06:24:01,463
karen gall, chairwoman and public safety director of three

6112
06:24:01,463 --> 06:24:05,630
dcc third district citizens advisory council.

6113
06:24:06,902 --> 06:24:08,937
can you hear me? I'm.

6114
06:24:08,937 --> 06:24:11,740
I guess we can. Okay.

6115
06:24:11,740 --> 06:24:13,609
good afternoon, chairwoman pinto.

6116
06:24:13,609 --> 06:24:18,414
my name is karen gall. I am the third district citizens

6117
06:24:18,414 --> 06:24:23,814
advisory council chairwoman and public safety director, and also

6118
06:24:25,187 --> 06:24:29,387
anc 105 committeewoman serving here in ward one.

6119
06:24:33,729 --> 06:24:37,533
I have a cold, so bear with me for 45 years, three dcac has

6120
06:24:37,533 --> 06:24:42,333
been on the organizing community voice for approximately 180,000

6121
06:24:42,738 --> 06:24:45,975
residents across eight police service areas in the third

6122
06:24:45,975 --> 06:24:48,577
district. Public safety is only as strong

6123
06:24:48,577 --> 06:24:52,177
as the community infrastructure, supporting it.

6124
06:24:52,448 --> 06:24:55,517
enforcement matters, accountability matters, and data

6125
06:24:55,517 --> 06:24:58,754
matters, but enforcement alone cannot close the trust gap, and

6126
06:24:58,754 --> 06:25:03,554
it cannot sustain safety. When community confidence is

6127
06:25:04,126 --> 06:25:07,126
weakened. We acknowledge the reported 29%

6128
06:25:07,696 --> 06:25:11,800
decrease in violent crime, that progress matters, and we

6129
06:25:11,800 --> 06:25:15,871
appreciate the work behind it. But progress is fragile.

6130
06:25:15,871 --> 06:25:19,471
when federal interference, unclear coordination, and

6131
06:25:20,109 --> 06:25:23,679
inconsistent communications erode trust at the neighborhood

6132
06:25:23,679 --> 06:25:26,415
level. When trust is damaged, bonds are

6133
06:25:26,415 --> 06:25:28,551
broken. People hesitate to report

6134
06:25:28,551 --> 06:25:31,954
witnesses. Go quiet, victims disengage, and

6135
06:25:31,954 --> 06:25:36,125
businesses lose confidence. Chairperson pinto the bill you

6136
06:25:36,125 --> 06:25:39,828
introduced yesterday is is just what our communities need.

6137
06:25:39,828 --> 06:25:43,298
it reflects what residents have been saying in our meetings and

6138
06:25:43,298 --> 06:25:47,436
on our block. Three dcac has documented 47

6139
06:25:47,436 --> 06:25:52,507
incidents involving mpd and federal court effect and federal

6140
06:25:52,507 --> 06:25:55,100
coordination affecting civil rights in our communities.

6141
06:25:55,100 --> 06:25:59,615
these are not abstract numbers. Behind each incident is a

6142
06:25:59,615 --> 06:26:02,785
resident, family or business owner who no longer knows

6143
06:26:02,785 --> 06:26:06,921
whether calling for help will lead to protection, confusion or

6144
06:26:06,921 --> 06:26:09,525
harm. That is why we're here.

6145
06:26:09,525 --> 06:26:14,325
three dcc is bringing concern, documentation and organized

6146
06:26:14,930 --> 06:26:17,633
community evidence. We are your evidence and we are

6147
06:26:17,633 --> 06:26:19,201
your implementation partner to who?

6148
06:26:19,201 --> 06:26:24,106
and because we believe in community policing for mpd, we

6149
06:26:24,106 --> 06:26:28,430
respectfully urge five actions. First, expedite the permanent

6150
06:26:28,430 --> 06:26:34,430
chief appointment by q2 2026. Also, because we need to have

6151
06:26:34,830 --> 06:26:37,520
stable leadership and it strengthens the accountability

6152
06:26:37,520 --> 06:26:40,155
and public confidence. Second, published a protocol

6153
06:26:40,155 --> 06:26:44,355
required under section 740 because residents and partners

6154
06:26:44,426 --> 06:26:48,230
deserve a clear standard for how coordination works.

6155
06:26:48,230 --> 06:26:53,300
third, fund block captain training for fy 2026 because

6156
06:26:53,102 --> 06:26:57,539
prevention and readiness at the block level reduces calls, it

6157
06:26:57,539 --> 06:27:01,777
rebuilds trust for service and it stabilizes the corridors.

6158
06:27:01,777 --> 06:27:05,981
fourth fund, a pastoral clergy coalition for replication

6159
06:27:05,981 --> 06:27:10,319
because trusted messengers help prevent escalation and restore

6160
06:27:10,319 --> 06:27:13,919
trust after incidents. Fifth, require clear

6161
06:27:14,256 --> 06:27:17,159
identification and complete arrest documentation when

6162
06:27:17,159 --> 06:27:21,129
federal officers operate in dc. Because transparency is the

6163
06:27:21,129 --> 06:27:24,632
foundation of lawful coordination, federal officers

6164
06:27:24,632 --> 06:27:28,832
should should follow mpd public identification rules.

6165
06:27:29,538 --> 06:27:33,229
mpd reports should list every officer from every agency

6166
06:27:33,229 --> 06:27:37,299
present, and mpd should not coordinate enforcement in

6167
06:27:37,299 --> 06:27:40,269
sensitive locations like schools, health care facilities.

6168
06:27:40,269 --> 06:27:43,269
yes, ma'am. You're over time.

6169
06:27:43,838 --> 06:27:45,641
sorry. Thank you.

6170
06:27:45,641 --> 06:27:49,841
thank you very much. Edward daniels here.

6171
06:27:53,315 --> 06:27:55,315
edna boone. Hey.

6172
06:27:57,820 --> 06:28:03,859
have you heard from naima konate, youth leader, d.c. Girls

6173
06:28:03,859 --> 06:28:08,590
coalition and youth for justice. Good afternoon.

6174
06:28:11,500 --> 06:28:16,539
my name is naima and I'm here representing d.c. Coalition and

6175
06:28:16,539 --> 06:28:21,443
youth for justice. I live in ward four, and when I

6176
06:28:21,443 --> 06:28:24,146
walk around my community, I should be able to feel safe

6177
06:28:24,146 --> 06:28:26,348
without fear of being intimidated.

6178
06:28:26,348 --> 06:28:29,251
no one should have to worry about being stopped or

6179
06:28:29,251 --> 06:28:33,122
questioned by federal agents or ice, along with all the other

6180
06:28:33,122 --> 06:28:36,725
law enforcement agencies currently occupying d.c.

6181
06:28:36,725 --> 06:28:40,229
I should be able to walk with my friends without being profiled

6182
06:28:40,229 --> 06:28:43,132
or harassed. Everyone deserves to feel secure

6183
06:28:43,132 --> 06:28:46,770
in their own community, regardless of who they are or

6184
06:28:46,770 --> 06:28:50,705
what they look like. As a lifelong washingtonian, I

6185
06:28:50,705 --> 06:28:53,508
have both the right and responsibility to speak out

6186
06:28:53,508 --> 06:28:57,212
against the injustices in my city, especially when they

6187
06:28:57,212 --> 06:28:59,715
impact you. Young people should be able to

6188
06:28:59,715 --> 06:29:02,584
leave their homes freely and enjoy public spaces without

6189
06:29:02,584 --> 06:29:04,190
fear. They should.

6190
06:29:04,190 --> 06:29:06,455
they should have the right to gather with their friends, walk

6191
06:29:06,455 --> 06:29:08,924
in groups, and express themselves without being

6192
06:29:08,924 --> 06:29:11,827
unfairly targeted. As a member of the young people

6193
06:29:11,827 --> 06:29:15,598
in washington, d.c., we deserve. We deserve opportunities to grow

6194
06:29:15,598 --> 06:29:18,333
outside of our homes without being met with suspicion or

6195
06:29:18,333 --> 06:29:21,700
hostility. We need to build a community

6196
06:29:21,700 --> 06:29:24,873
where young people, as well as others, feel safe.

6197
06:29:24,873 --> 06:29:28,177
and safety is not only is not determined by their appearance,

6198
06:29:28,177 --> 06:29:31,814
age, or background. Instead of increased law

6199
06:29:31,814 --> 06:29:36,180
enforcement presence, we should invest in support for youth, not

6200
06:29:36,180 --> 06:29:38,854
violence, by empowering young people and fostering trust, we

6201
06:29:38,854 --> 06:29:42,910
can create a city where everyone feels safe and valued.

6202
06:29:42,910 --> 06:29:46,291
thank you. Thank you very much, rebecca

6203
06:29:48,960 --> 06:29:50,960
gordon. Yes.

6204
06:29:51,400 --> 06:29:53,202
hello, chair pinto and committee members.

6205
06:29:53,202 --> 06:29:56,972
my name is rebecca gordon. I live in ward one and I'm

6206
06:29:56,972 --> 06:30:00,275
testifying today about mpd's collaboration with ice and other

6207
06:30:00,275 --> 06:30:04,112
federal police and reducing overpolicing and unnecessary

6208
06:30:04,112 --> 06:30:06,949
surveillance. My testimony is informed by my

6209
06:30:06,949 --> 06:30:10,352
direct observation in my community and my many years of

6210
06:30:10,352 --> 06:30:14,590
work on violence as a public health issue, both I and my

6211
06:30:14,590 --> 06:30:18,160
neighbors have seen mpd collaborate with federal police,

6212
06:30:18,160 --> 06:30:22,231
including irs, dhs, secret service, and the dea.

6213
06:30:22,231 --> 06:30:24,660
these agents show up en masse to mpd.

6214
06:30:24,660 --> 06:30:27,137
calls are on their own for nonviolent calls and minor

6215
06:30:27,137 --> 06:30:32,107
issues such as transit stops harassing unhoused people and

6216
06:30:32,107 --> 06:30:35,310
metro enforcement. They kidnap our neighbors and

6217
06:30:35,310 --> 06:30:37,780
attack bystanders. The collaboration targets the

6218
06:30:37,780 --> 06:30:40,549
most marginalized and criminalized, making dc less

6219
06:30:40,549 --> 06:30:44,149
safe. It decreases community trust in

6220
06:30:44,653 --> 06:30:48,757
mpd and the kidnapings of over 1000 dc neighbors by ice and the

6221
06:30:48,757 --> 06:30:52,294
killing of julian bailey and others are the horrific and

6222
06:30:52,294 --> 06:30:57,365
racist results I have other written testimony that I will

6223
06:30:57,365 --> 06:31:00,903
submit, but I want to use some of my time to address the

6224
06:31:00,903 --> 06:31:04,506
guesstimated number of complaints that was shared by

6225
06:31:04,506 --> 06:31:08,310
interim mpd chief carroll today, limited police complaints

6226
06:31:08,310 --> 06:31:11,913
certainly do not reflect the extent of the harms ranging from

6227
06:31:11,913 --> 06:31:14,817
harassment and general decreased safety to kidnapings

6228
06:31:14,817 --> 06:31:18,200
disappearances and killings. I know from my experience with

6229
06:31:18,200 --> 06:31:20,889
complaints reporting systems for gender based violence and

6230
06:31:20,889 --> 06:31:23,792
violence against children, as well as violence in communities,

6231
06:31:23,792 --> 06:31:26,328
that violence is always underreported.

6232
06:31:26,328 --> 06:31:30,198
this is particularly true for institutional systems, including

6233
06:31:30,198 --> 06:31:33,335
reporting of violence by the police, distrust of reporting

6234
06:31:33,335 --> 06:31:36,872
systems, and the institutions that manage them also decrease

6235
06:31:36,872 --> 06:31:39,800
reporting. Even the increased complaints to

6236
06:31:39,800 --> 06:31:42,110
mpd discussed at the outset of this hearing will not reflect

6237
06:31:42,110 --> 06:31:45,414
the extent to which community members are experiencing,

6238
06:31:45,414 --> 06:31:48,884
observing and raising complaints about mpd in public or the

6239
06:31:48,884 --> 06:31:53,288
violence they are experiencing. If a dc citizen is harassed by

6240
06:31:53,288 --> 06:31:58,394
mpd or an officer. Threatens to turn her over to

6241
06:31:58,394 --> 06:31:59,896
ice, who is she going to report to?

6242
06:31:59,896 --> 06:32:02,980
will she trust the police to investigate?

6243
06:32:02,980 --> 06:32:05,868
if I observe ice with mpd and the city government has done

6244
06:32:05,868 --> 06:32:09,138
nothing, why would I report ice to a police mechanism?

6245
06:32:09,138 --> 06:32:12,708
as we have heard already, is particularly likely to

6246
06:32:12,708 --> 06:32:15,577
immigrants, unhoused people, black people and survivors of

6247
06:32:15,577 --> 06:32:18,347
domestic violence and sexual violence will fear reporting.

6248
06:32:18,347 --> 06:32:22,284
calling these stories anecdotal is minimizing when there are

6249
06:32:22,284 --> 06:32:24,786
already more reports in this hearing than noted at the

6250
06:32:24,786 --> 06:32:27,556
outset. As karen gall and others have

6251
06:32:27,556 --> 06:32:31,327
noted, the violence dc residents experience goes far, far beyond

6252
06:32:31,327 --> 06:32:35,831
this and must be stopped. Federal police unnecessarily

6253
06:32:35,831 --> 06:32:38,300
joining mpd and the collaboration has been a waste

6254
06:32:38,300 --> 06:32:42,604
of funds that promotes unnecessary stops and arrests,

6255
06:32:42,604 --> 06:32:46,204
disappearances and violence. It increases institutionalized

6256
06:32:46,209 --> 06:32:49,678
pathways for violence against immigrants, criminalization and

6257
06:32:49,678 --> 06:32:53,615
transference to ice, and promotes an unsafe city.

6258
06:32:53,615 --> 06:32:57,353
I echo the request of d.c., harriet's wildest dreams and

6259
06:32:57,353 --> 06:33:00,689
others about reducing federal collaboration and mpd oversight

6260
06:33:00,689 --> 06:33:03,759
in general, ending the collaboration with the safe and

6261
06:33:03,759 --> 06:33:07,363
beautiful task force, not confirming interim police chief

6262
06:33:07,363 --> 06:33:11,299
carroll and enforcement of the sanctuary values act, including

6263
06:33:11,299 --> 06:33:14,504
officers, federal officers working with mpd and operating

6264
06:33:14,504 --> 06:33:18,306
in the city needing to show personal identification.

6265
06:33:18,306 --> 06:33:21,309
thank you for your time. Thank you.

6266
06:33:21,309 --> 06:33:24,309
mariah burke rains, public witness.

6267
06:33:27,382 --> 06:33:29,510
chair, pinto and members of the committee.

6268
06:33:29,510 --> 06:33:31,319
thank you for allowing me to testify today.

6269
06:33:31,319 --> 06:33:34,456
my name is maria burke. I'm a native washingtonian, a

6270
06:33:34,456 --> 06:33:37,959
ten year resident of ward five, and a supporter of harriet's

6271
06:33:37,959 --> 06:33:40,862
wildest dreams. I'm here because I'm deeply

6272
06:33:40,862 --> 06:33:44,485
concerned about mpd's collaboration with federal law

6273
06:33:44,485 --> 06:33:46,921
enforcement agencies, and I want you to take immediate action.

6274
06:33:46,921 --> 06:33:50,825
we know that allowing mpd to learn from and coordinate with

6275
06:33:50,825 --> 06:33:54,395
trump's federal detention machine has created an

6276
06:33:54,395 --> 06:33:56,564
incredibly dangerous situation for our people.

6277
06:33:56,564 --> 06:34:00,340
it puts us all, but especially black people, brown people, and

6278
06:34:00,340 --> 06:34:03,637
people who are immigrants in daily mortal danger.

6279
06:34:03,637 --> 06:34:07,508
mpd and trump's federal officers are showing up around the city

6280
06:34:07,508 --> 06:34:11,179
in large numbers and full force, intimidating washingtonians,

6281
06:34:11,179 --> 06:34:14,716
making a show of arrests, kidnaping people and killing

6282
06:34:14,716 --> 06:34:16,851
people. They're ignoring the law, lying

6283
06:34:16,851 --> 06:34:19,253
about incidents and refusing to take accountability.

6284
06:34:19,253 --> 06:34:23,290
since the occupation began, I have spent my mornings and

6285
06:34:23,290 --> 06:34:25,793
afternoons holding the broken hearts of two children,

6286
06:34:25,793 --> 06:34:30,970
navigating the trauma of their father's kidnaping and long term

6287
06:34:30,970 --> 06:34:34,202
detention by ice. I've seen mpd, fbi, and homeland

6288
06:34:34,202 --> 06:34:37,700
security in tactical gear all show up for a single person

6289
06:34:37,700 --> 06:34:41,409
having a medical emergency. I've seen fbi deploy flash bang

6290
06:34:41,409 --> 06:34:45,790
grenades during a traffic stop, as if washingtonians are enemy

6291
06:34:45,790 --> 06:34:47,415
combatants. I feared for my children's

6292
06:34:47,415 --> 06:34:50,170
school community as ice targets teachers and families on their

6293
06:34:50,170 --> 06:34:52,720
way to school. I've watched the lockup list at

6294
06:34:52,720 --> 06:34:56,490
the d.c. Jail surge to over 100 people almost daily, and I've

6295
06:34:56,490 --> 06:35:00,161
watched with horror as children celebrating halloween were

6296
06:35:00,161 --> 06:35:02,963
chased, terrorized and arrested by national guard and mpd and

6297
06:35:02,963 --> 06:35:06,563
navy yard. We have collectively mourned

6298
06:35:06,967 --> 06:35:10,504
julian bailey, a beloved father and husband murdered in dc by

6299
06:35:10,504 --> 06:35:12,606
u.s. Marshals just two weeks ago.

6300
06:35:12,606 --> 06:35:16,210
and we've mourned kevin booker, demetrius alston and darren

6301
06:35:16,210 --> 06:35:19,413
warren childs all loved community community members who

6302
06:35:19,413 --> 06:35:22,849
either died in mpd custody or were shot and killed by mpd in

6303
06:35:22,849 --> 06:35:26,253
november. The horrors are truly endless,

6304
06:35:26,253 --> 06:35:27,888
both on the surface of it and at its core.

6305
06:35:27,888 --> 06:35:32,590
we're talking about a deliberate fascist advancement of state

6306
06:35:32,590 --> 06:35:34,610
sanctioned violence against d.c. People.

6307
06:35:34,610 --> 06:35:37,431
we're talking about the psychological torture, physical

6308
06:35:37,431 --> 06:35:40,267
brutalization and murder of black, black and brown folks.

6309
06:35:40,267 --> 06:35:42,169
and that's the inescapable truth of it.

6310
06:35:42,169 --> 06:35:45,207
I do not accept for a second that this is a necessary

6311
06:35:45,207 --> 06:35:47,708
reality, and I do not accept that you are powerless to

6312
06:35:47,708 --> 06:35:50,111
mitigate it. I understand that this council

6313
06:35:50,111 --> 06:35:52,213
doesn't control federal agencies, but there are many

6314
06:35:52,213 --> 06:35:56,216
steps that you can take to limit how mpd assists federal agents,

6315
06:35:56,216 --> 06:35:58,619
which others have already laid out today and which are included

6316
06:35:58,619 --> 06:36:03,240
in my written testimony. I also implore you to reject the

6317
06:36:03,240 --> 06:36:05,920
appointment of jeffrey carroll as mpd chief.

6318
06:36:05,920 --> 06:36:08,929
he's a known white supremacist apologist and a grave, grave

6319
06:36:08,929 --> 06:36:12,990
danger to our community. Washingtonians are going to

6320
06:36:12,990 --> 06:36:15,702
continue to protect one another from militarized police in our

6321
06:36:15,702 --> 06:36:17,905
communities. While mayor bowser has sold out

6322
06:36:17,905 --> 06:36:20,907
to fascist dictates, you still have a great number of ways to

6323
06:36:20,907 --> 06:36:23,577
stand in solidarity with the people.

6324
06:36:23,577 --> 06:36:27,181
stop complying in advance, and do not cede any more ground.

6325
06:36:27,181 --> 06:36:29,984
otherwise, trump's fascist regime will know that their

6326
06:36:29,984 --> 06:36:32,153
power here is free to go unchecked.

6327
06:36:32,153 --> 06:36:36,353
thank you for your time. Thank you.

6328
06:36:37,158 --> 06:36:41,958
kristi matthews, kristy matthews jones yes, I'm here.

6329
06:36:44,531 --> 06:36:48,470
please go ahead. Good afternoon, council member

6330
06:36:48,470 --> 06:36:50,710
pinto and members of the judiciary committee.

6331
06:36:50,710 --> 06:36:53,174
my name is kristi matthews jones, and I'm the director of

6332
06:36:53,174 --> 06:36:56,611
dc girls coalition. Dc girls coalition works to

6333
06:36:56,611 --> 06:36:59,947
elevate and amplify the voices of young girls of color, women

6334
06:36:59,947 --> 06:37:03,751
of color, and gender nonconforming people of color in

6335
06:37:03,751 --> 06:37:06,220
dc. Composed of youth serving

6336
06:37:06,220 --> 06:37:09,156
organizations and advocacy, we are led by our youth advisory

6337
06:37:09,156 --> 06:37:11,892
board, made up of young girls and gender nonconforming people

6338
06:37:11,892 --> 06:37:13,695
of color. Today, I will speak about some

6339
06:37:13,695 --> 06:37:17,765
of the concerns we've heard from young people about mpd and

6340
06:37:17,765 --> 06:37:19,834
overpolicing of young people of color.

6341
06:37:19,834 --> 06:37:22,969
there has been an increase in interactions between police

6342
06:37:22,969 --> 06:37:25,906
officers and young people since the city implemented youth

6343
06:37:25,906 --> 06:37:28,906
curfews and more aggressive manner.

6344
06:37:29,143 --> 06:37:33,414
127 young people were taken to is due to the juvenile curfew.

6345
06:37:33,414 --> 06:37:36,251
young people have been targeted and harassed for simply trying

6346
06:37:36,251 --> 06:37:39,854
to get home from school, work, programing and or events.

6347
06:37:39,854 --> 06:37:44,258
this has led to a distrust of police officers among young

6348
06:37:44,258 --> 06:37:48,129
people. We often hear about police, how

6349
06:37:48,129 --> 06:37:53,133
police should be seen as resources, but unfortunately for

6350
06:37:53,133 --> 06:37:56,771
many young people, they are a source of great pain and

6351
06:37:56,771 --> 06:37:59,540
distress and we need to be creating space for young people

6352
06:37:59,540 --> 06:38:04,578
to grow, learn and develop into adults who can lead the world.

6353
06:38:04,578 --> 06:38:07,883
instead, we're making investments into targeting,

6354
06:38:07,883 --> 06:38:12,683
criminalizing and intimidating young people in very harmful

6355
06:38:12,753 --> 06:38:16,353
ways. Last august, when the youth

6356
06:38:18,159 --> 06:38:24,131
curfew was implemented, dc girls coalition, along with many other

6357
06:38:24,131 --> 06:38:27,835
organizations, created safe spaces and had held various

6358
06:38:27,835 --> 06:38:30,905
meetings with young people to express what their concerns

6359
06:38:30,905 --> 06:38:33,440
were. We held a youth assembly where

6360
06:38:33,440 --> 06:38:37,780
we had over 40 young people come together with grave concerns

6361
06:38:37,780 --> 06:38:39,915
about the overpolicing that they had already been experienced and

6362
06:38:39,915 --> 06:38:42,416
the increase that they were going to be experiencing with

6363
06:38:42,416 --> 06:38:44,551
the new curfew and the hot zones.

6364
06:38:44,551 --> 06:38:48,122
our young people talked a lot about being harassed, just

6365
06:38:48,122 --> 06:38:51,526
simply walking through the neighborhood, trying to get home

6366
06:38:51,526 --> 06:38:56,926
feeling very unsafe, feeling very targeted, and the safe

6367
06:38:57,310 --> 06:39:00,267
spaces that we held were opportunity for them to feel

6368
06:39:00,267 --> 06:39:03,270
safe being and experience joy turning.

6369
06:39:03,270 --> 06:39:08,141
being under 18 into a crime directly impacts young people's

6370
06:39:08,141 --> 06:39:09,410
ability to develop in who they are.

6371
06:39:09,410 --> 06:39:12,813
I know I'm running out of time and I will submit my written

6372
06:39:12,813 --> 06:39:15,810
testimony. I just want to say in closing,

6373
06:39:15,810 --> 06:39:18,185
that we need to stop making investments in criminalizing

6374
06:39:18,185 --> 06:39:21,388
young people, and we need to start making investments into

6375
06:39:21,388 --> 06:39:23,824
creating resources and programing for them to address

6376
06:39:23,824 --> 06:39:26,961
whatever needs they might need. If we continue to teach young

6377
06:39:26,961 --> 06:39:29,897
people that they are, quote unquote the problem, then that's

6378
06:39:29,897 --> 06:39:31,999
going to be what the society that we create.

6379
06:39:31,999 --> 06:39:34,134
I've worked with young people for a lot of years.

6380
06:39:34,134 --> 06:39:37,637
I've held multiple events, and my experience has always been

6381
06:39:37,637 --> 06:39:41,308
that young people are the future, and they do have the

6382
06:39:41,308 --> 06:39:44,311
ability to see things through. We need to create the

6383
06:39:44,311 --> 06:39:47,648
opportunity for them to do that, and we are very concerned about

6384
06:39:47,648 --> 06:39:49,883
the national guard and the overpolicing that we're seeing

6385
06:39:49,883 --> 06:39:52,453
in d.c. I know I'm over time, so I will

6386
06:39:52,453 --> 06:39:56,653
end there, and I welcome any questions.

6387
06:40:02,612 --> 06:40:07,412
thank you very much. That concludes our public

6388
06:40:07,550 --> 06:40:11,621
witnesses for today's hearing. I want to thank you all very

6389
06:40:11,621 --> 06:40:15,458
much for being here today, both those of you who are in person

6390
06:40:15,458 --> 06:40:18,227
and online, and for submitting your written testimony and being

6391
06:40:18,227 --> 06:40:23,700
a part of this process. I know there's a lot of feeling

6392
06:40:23,700 --> 06:40:28,605
of fear and frustration and want to just thank you all for and

6393
06:40:28,605 --> 06:40:32,175
anger, and thank you all for sharing your stories, your

6394
06:40:32,175 --> 06:40:36,513
perspectives, your ideas. Those ideas have shaped a lot of

6395
06:40:36,513 --> 06:40:39,716
the questions that we've been able to ask mpd, the legislation

6396
06:40:39,716 --> 06:40:43,253
that I introduced yesterday, came directly from the hearing

6397
06:40:43,253 --> 06:40:47,157
that we had from public witnesses about their

6398
06:40:47,157 --> 06:40:50,326
experiences in december. So thank you for being part of

6399
06:40:50,326 --> 06:40:55,126
the process, and we will continue our effort.

6400
06:40:55,165 --> 06:40:59,965
I'm going to call our government witnesses now.

6401
06:41:00,503 --> 06:41:06,503
interim mpd chief jeffrey carroll and team, you all can

6402
06:41:06,509 --> 06:41:08,345
come in. If I can ask folks, I think

6403
06:41:08,345 --> 06:41:13,717
there are some available chairs if we're able to try to provide

6404
06:41:13,717 --> 06:41:18,288
a row for mpd team, as they may be assisting in answering

6405
06:41:18,288 --> 06:41:21,157
questions for our government witnesses, that would be

6406
06:41:21,157 --> 06:41:23,993
helpful. There's still room in the flow

6407
06:41:23,993 --> 06:41:26,230
over space as well, but there's some seats over here.

6408
06:41:26,230 --> 06:41:30,430
there's some seats in the back. There.

6409
06:41:31,601 --> 06:41:34,100
yep, that's all. Good.

6410
06:41:39,709 --> 06:41:42,709
so absolutely no. I'll be.

6411
06:41:42,979 --> 06:41:48,118
so we got this all that because we need to make some room for

6412
06:41:48,118 --> 06:41:51,454
our government witnesses who are here to testify.

6413
06:41:51,454 --> 06:41:54,791
and thanks to all the community organizers across dc.

6414
06:41:54,791 --> 06:41:57,293
thank you all for coming. Thank you.

6415
06:41:57,293 --> 06:41:59,729
thank you for coming. Thank you.

6416
06:41:59,729 --> 06:42:03,929
thank you. Chief, is there anyone sitting

6417
06:42:07,203 --> 06:42:10,774
up at the table with you? Okay.

6418
06:42:10,774 --> 06:42:12,975
okay. Is everybody all our officers

6419
06:42:12,975 --> 06:42:18,375
don't have seats yet. There's a seat over here.

6420
06:42:33,830 --> 06:42:35,830
yeah. Okay.

6421
06:42:50,680 --> 06:42:53,283
we're going to bring some chairs on the side.

6422
06:42:53,283 --> 06:42:57,483
thank you so much, larry. And marquez.

6423
06:42:59,956 --> 06:43:04,756
she's upstairs. So I came down here first.

6424
06:43:07,630 --> 06:43:10,663
yeah. Okay, mpd folks, there's some

6425
06:44:15,650 --> 06:44:18,665
extra chairs here. Are you sure?

6426
06:44:20,737 --> 06:44:24,937
okay, how about here on the side?

6427
06:44:25,808 --> 06:44:29,880
okay, okay. Well, thank you very much,

6428
06:44:29,880 --> 06:44:31,947
chief, for being here. I want to also recognize we've

6429
06:44:31,947 --> 06:44:35,850
been joined by my at large colleague, councilmember

6430
06:44:35,850 --> 06:44:37,520
christina henderson. Thank you for joining us.

6431
06:44:37,520 --> 06:44:40,390
and, chief, as you know, it is the tradition of this committee

6432
06:44:40,390 --> 06:44:42,625
to swear in all government witnesses who appear before it.

6433
06:44:42,625 --> 06:44:45,695
if you can, please turn on your microphone and raise your right

6434
06:44:45,695 --> 06:44:49,365
hand. Do you swear or affirm under

6435
06:44:49,365 --> 06:44:51,567
penalty of law that the testimony you're about to

6436
06:44:51,567 --> 06:44:54,300
provide before this committee and the council of the district

6437
06:44:54,300 --> 06:44:57,140
of columbia is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the

6438
06:44:57,140 --> 06:45:00,143
truth, I do great. Well, thank you very much for

6439
06:45:00,143 --> 06:45:02,845
being here. And thank you to your entire

6440
06:45:02,845 --> 06:45:07,160
team who's here and all of the hard working mpd officers who

6441
06:45:07,160 --> 06:45:10,530
work throughout the year on behalf of the district of

6442
06:45:10,530 --> 06:45:11,587
columbia. We appreciate all that.

6443
06:45:11,587 --> 06:45:14,323
you all do. I'd like to invite you now to

6444
06:45:14,323 --> 06:45:16,559
make any opening statement that you may have.

6445
06:45:16,559 --> 06:45:19,729
thank you ma'am. Good afternoon, chairperson

6446
06:45:19,729 --> 06:45:23,366
pinto, members of the committee, everyone here today and those

6447
06:45:23,366 --> 06:45:25,601
watching remotely. My name is jeffrey carroll, and

6448
06:45:25,601 --> 06:45:28,138
I'm the interim chief of police for the metropolitan police

6449
06:45:28,138 --> 06:45:29,972
department. I'm honored and grateful that

6450
06:45:29,972 --> 06:45:32,342
mayor bowser selected me to serve as the interim chief of

6451
06:45:32,342 --> 06:45:34,477
police and to be here representing the department that

6452
06:45:34,477 --> 06:45:38,214
I have served for over 23 years. I grew up in maryland, and I

6453
06:45:38,214 --> 06:45:41,217
learned about mpd from my uncle, who also had a long career with

6454
06:45:41,217 --> 06:45:43,752
mpd. I've served half my career in

6455
06:45:43,752 --> 06:45:47,390
patrol in the first, third, and sixth districts and rose to the

6456
06:45:47,390 --> 06:45:49,459
rank of commander for the third district.

6457
06:45:49,459 --> 06:45:52,695
I've also worked in and led the special operations division, the

6458
06:45:52,695 --> 06:45:56,500
homeland security bureau, the internal affairs bureau, most

6459
06:45:56,500 --> 06:45:59,369
recently, I served as the executive assistant chief for

6460
06:45:59,369 --> 06:46:01,604
specialized operations, overseeing homeland security,

6461
06:46:01,604 --> 06:46:04,400
internal affairs, investigations, technical

6462
06:46:04,255 --> 06:46:06,423
support and professional development.

6463
06:46:06,423 --> 06:46:09,260
my experience with mpd has given me the opportunity to learn

6464
06:46:09,260 --> 06:46:12,596
about this vibrant city, and about most every function in the

6465
06:46:12,596 --> 06:46:14,231
department. One thing that I've learned is

6466
06:46:14,231 --> 06:46:17,568
that mpd has two essential assets in our work to promote

6467
06:46:17,568 --> 06:46:21,405
public safety in d.c., our engaged community members and

6468
06:46:21,405 --> 06:46:24,274
dedicated employees. I appreciate all the community

6469
06:46:24,274 --> 06:46:26,743
members who are active partners in public safety, whether

6470
06:46:26,743 --> 06:46:30,748
they're attending meetings, joining mpd on community walks,

6471
06:46:30,748 --> 06:46:33,550
emailing officials, or testifying before the council.

6472
06:46:33,550 --> 06:46:35,685
I recognize that community members can and do have

6473
06:46:35,685 --> 06:46:38,122
different visions and definitions of public safety.

6474
06:46:38,122 --> 06:46:41,425
that's why it's important that we hear from our residents and

6475
06:46:41,425 --> 06:46:44,429
businesses so we can continue to try to meet the different and

6476
06:46:44,429 --> 06:46:47,464
sometimes competing visions. I look forward to working

6477
06:46:47,464 --> 06:46:50,701
closely with the community, as well as our dc agencies and our

6478
06:46:50,701 --> 06:46:53,871
elected city leaders to keep dc safe, strong and united.

6479
06:46:53,871 --> 06:46:55,839
to the men and women of metropolitan police department,

6480
06:46:55,839 --> 06:46:58,642
I'd like to say thank you. Your dedication,

6481
06:46:58,642 --> 06:47:01,745
professionalism, and sacrifice were on prominent display as

6482
06:47:01,745 --> 06:47:05,683
2025 brought many demands to dc and the metropolitan police

6483
06:47:05,683 --> 06:47:08,986
department from major events such as the 60th presidential

6484
06:47:08,986 --> 06:47:13,557
inauguration, world pride dc and the us army 250th anniversary

6485
06:47:13,557 --> 06:47:16,660
parade to the tragic mid-air collision of the army helicopter

6486
06:47:16,660 --> 06:47:19,630
and the commercial plane over the potomac.

6487
06:47:19,630 --> 06:47:21,932
mpd members have worked to support and protect dc through

6488
06:47:21,932 --> 06:47:25,235
the good and the bad. This year, in the midst of this

6489
06:47:25,235 --> 06:47:29,139
heavy workload, mpd and dc were able to reach several positive

6490
06:47:29,139 --> 06:47:32,139
milestones. In 2025, violent crime fell 29%,

6491
06:47:32,210 --> 06:47:37,100
including a 32% reduction in homicides to 127, the fewest

6492
06:47:37,681 --> 06:47:40,417
since 2017. Fewer homicides allows our

6493
06:47:40,417 --> 06:47:43,187
detectives to focus on their investigations, leading to an

6494
06:47:43,187 --> 06:47:46,787
85% homicide closure rate, the highest since 2011.

6495
06:47:47,257 --> 06:47:50,427
the clearance rate for dc code index violent crimes increased

6496
06:47:50,427 --> 06:47:52,563
20 percentage points in two years.

6497
06:47:52,563 --> 06:47:56,867
the number of people who were struck by gunfire decreased 35%.

6498
06:47:56,867 --> 06:48:00,400
district roads were safer in 2025, with carjackings cut in

6499
06:48:00,400 --> 06:48:03,207
half and traffic fatalities dropping to its lowest level

6500
06:48:03,207 --> 06:48:05,676
since 2012. While these numbers are

6501
06:48:05,676 --> 06:48:07,911
significant, what's really important is how it translates

6502
06:48:07,911 --> 06:48:10,314
to lives saved and communities protected.

6503
06:48:10,314 --> 06:48:14,618
compared to 2024, there were 60 fewer homicides and 27 fewer

6504
06:48:14,618 --> 06:48:17,855
traffic fatalities. There were 253 fewer people shot

6505
06:48:17,855 --> 06:48:21,593
in a crime in 2025. Hospitals reported similar to

6506
06:48:21,593 --> 06:48:24,529
climb in firearm injury data, which helps to free up emergency

6507
06:48:24,529 --> 06:48:27,865
rooms for other healthcare needs of the community.

6508
06:48:27,865 --> 06:48:30,400
these improvements mean fewer families, fewer children

6509
06:48:30,400 --> 06:48:33,137
impacted by violence. This is the progress in our

6510
06:48:33,137 --> 06:48:36,730
communities that we must work together to sustain.

6511
06:48:36,730 --> 06:48:38,876
this year, I will remain focused on combating crime and working

6512
06:48:38,876 --> 06:48:42,146
with our community partners to support safe and thriving

6513
06:48:42,146 --> 06:48:44,314
communities. While there were some notable

6514
06:48:44,314 --> 06:48:47,284
successes in 2025, I wanted to highlight some concerning

6515
06:48:47,284 --> 06:48:49,553
indicators for young people in dcc last year.

6516
06:48:49,553 --> 06:48:51,890
although the number of people shot in the district fell by

6517
06:48:51,890 --> 06:48:55,225
more than a third, there were six additional youth shot in

6518
06:48:55,225 --> 06:48:59,425
2025 when compared to 2024. Juvenile arrests for homicide

6519
06:48:59,430 --> 06:49:02,990
and robbery decreased, but arrests for assault, arrest for

6520
06:49:02,990 --> 06:49:04,802
assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault, simple

6521
06:49:04,802 --> 06:49:08,305
assault and illegal gun possession all increased.

6522
06:49:08,305 --> 06:49:11,750
in addition, several communities experienced the negative impact

6523
06:49:11,750 --> 06:49:14,311
of large groups of youth. Up to 100 or more participants

6524
06:49:14,311 --> 06:49:16,780
intent on disruptive and sometimes criminal behavior.

6525
06:49:16,780 --> 06:49:20,351
these were not just spontaneous gatherings with boisterous kids.

6526
06:49:20,351 --> 06:49:23,854
the crowds were often promoted by social media postings for

6527
06:49:23,854 --> 06:49:26,458
teen takeovers, encouraging attendees to bring their own

6528
06:49:26,458 --> 06:49:29,493
alcohol and marijuana. The incidents include massive

6529
06:49:29,493 --> 06:49:31,663
brawls running through businesses and restaurants,

6530
06:49:31,663 --> 06:49:34,465
jumping on tables and damaging property.

6531
06:49:34,465 --> 06:49:37,201
this was particularly dangerous when crowds were running through

6532
06:49:37,201 --> 06:49:40,504
traffic and banging on cars. At least one youth was struck by

6533
06:49:40,504 --> 06:49:43,740
a vehicle and one driver ended up in the hospital after he got

6534
06:49:43,740 --> 06:49:47,110
out of the car and fought with the youth, residents and

6535
06:49:47,110 --> 06:49:49,213
businesses alike in the affected areas voiced their alarm,

6536
06:49:49,213 --> 06:49:52,215
prompting mayor bowser to propose emergency legislation

6537
06:49:52,215 --> 06:49:54,651
and the council to enact a juvenile curfew.

6538
06:49:54,651 --> 06:49:57,320
emergency amendment act. We appreciate the support from

6539
06:49:57,320 --> 06:50:00,924
chair pinto and the council in responding quickly to this

6540
06:50:00,924 --> 06:50:04,940
emerging challenge. The legislation expanded curfew

6541
06:50:04,940 --> 06:50:06,596
ages and hours and authorized the chief of police to establish

6542
06:50:06,596 --> 06:50:09,699
juvenile curfew zones. Former chief smith's use of

6543
06:50:09,699 --> 06:50:13,236
these zones was limited, with 15 zones declared each lasting four

6544
06:50:13,236 --> 06:50:16,473
days or less. No juveniles were arrested in a

6545
06:50:16,473 --> 06:50:20,770
zone during the active hours from 8 to 11 p.m.

6546
06:50:20,770 --> 06:50:22,980
most young people we encounter in the zones voluntarily comply

6547
06:50:22,980 --> 06:50:26,116
with the law, either dispersing into groups of eight or fewer or

6548
06:50:26,116 --> 06:50:29,190
simply leaving the zone in two zones.

6549
06:50:29,190 --> 06:50:31,521
19 youth were detained and transported home or to a drop

6550
06:50:31,521 --> 06:50:35,459
off center operated by irs that focuses on connecting at risk

6551
06:50:35,459 --> 06:50:37,594
youth and their amilies with services.

6552
06:50:37,594 --> 06:50:40,897
in short, the legislation produced the desired outcome

6553
06:50:40,897 --> 06:50:43,734
with narrowly tailored periods of enforcement and increased

6554
06:50:43,734 --> 06:50:46,570
community safety while decreasing at risk behavior by

6555
06:50:46,570 --> 06:50:48,538
youth without increasing juvenile arrests.

6556
06:50:48,538 --> 06:50:51,842
given the trends in 2025, we need to make sure that we are

6557
06:50:51,842 --> 06:50:55,120
all working together to discourage at risk behavior.

6558
06:50:55,120 --> 06:50:56,847
mpd has many efforts to advance this goal.

6559
06:50:56,847 --> 06:51:00,616
working with youth of all ages, officer friendly and badger bear

6560
06:51:00,616 --> 06:51:02,753
helped to build positive relationships with our young

6561
06:51:02,753 --> 06:51:05,122
people. We engaged middle and high

6562
06:51:05,122 --> 06:51:08,191
school aged youth in longer programs like junior cadets or

6563
06:51:08,191 --> 06:51:11,895
youth creating change to help build social and life skills.

6564
06:51:11,895 --> 06:51:14,764
mpd hosts programs and activities to engage in support

6565
06:51:14,764 --> 06:51:18,234
families, including food and clothing drives, holiday events

6566
06:51:18,234 --> 06:51:20,903
and beat the streets. And as the interim chief, I'm

6567
06:51:20,903 --> 06:51:23,439
readily meeting with the youth advisory board and I'm looking

6568
06:51:23,439 --> 06:51:27,110
to learning more from them, mpd's juvenile investigative

6569
06:51:27,110 --> 06:51:30,580
response unit is also working to strengthen partnerships with

6570
06:51:30,580 --> 06:51:33,917
schools, investigate pattern offenses that seem to be stemmed

6571
06:51:33,917 --> 06:51:38,717
by juveniles, and engaging families to deter offending.

6572
06:51:38,855 --> 06:51:40,991
mpd's investigative services bureau has worked to prevent

6573
06:51:40,991 --> 06:51:44,928
several team takeovers when they became aware of social media

6574
06:51:44,928 --> 06:51:47,597
posts organizing a takeover. Members were able to engage with

6575
06:51:47,597 --> 06:51:50,901
the youth and family to have them take down the posts.

6576
06:51:50,901 --> 06:51:54,400
in 2026, mpd will be continuing our efforts to support youth

6577
06:51:54,400 --> 06:51:56,640
while working with our partners to ensure that the appropriate

6578
06:51:56,640 --> 06:52:00,276
accountability for justice involved youth looking inward.

6579
06:52:00,276 --> 06:52:02,879
one of the most critical challenges isn't related to

6580
06:52:02,879 --> 06:52:05,148
crime. It's the continued downward

6581
06:52:05,148 --> 06:52:07,818
slide in sworn staffing for a persistent problem.

6582
06:52:07,818 --> 06:52:10,818
we currently have 3144 sworn members.

6583
06:52:11,755 --> 06:52:15,705
this is about 660 fewer members. And right before the pandemic,

6584
06:52:15,705 --> 06:52:19,508
or the equivalent of losing the staffing of more than two police

6585
06:52:19,508 --> 06:52:22,111
districts. Unfortunately, for fiscal year

6586
06:52:22,111 --> 06:52:25,648
2025 was the seventh year in a row with separations outpaced

6587
06:52:25,648 --> 06:52:28,884
new hires. This is happening even though

6588
06:52:28,884 --> 06:52:31,420
the separations have reached a lowest level in more than a

6589
06:52:31,420 --> 06:52:34,723
decade, with both resignations and retirements hitting new

6590
06:52:34,723 --> 06:52:36,859
lows. Although the department has made

6591
06:52:36,859 --> 06:52:39,996
progress on retention, the recruitment challenges are

6592
06:52:39,996 --> 06:52:42,164
systematic. First, the good news the cadet

6593
06:52:42,164 --> 06:52:45,134
program has become the strong hiring pipeline that we

6594
06:52:45,134 --> 06:52:47,503
envisioned in the past five years.

6595
06:52:47,503 --> 06:52:50,906
155 cadets rolled over to become recruits, approximately one

6596
06:52:50,906 --> 06:52:53,943
fifth of all recruits hired over that time.

6597
06:52:53,943 --> 06:52:57,546
mpd also has one of the fastest hiring processes of major police

6598
06:52:57,546 --> 06:53:00,416
departments and applicants, and new hires rate highly for

6599
06:53:00,416 --> 06:53:02,151
professional development opportunities.

6600
06:53:02,151 --> 06:53:04,687
however, it's increasingly difficult to compete against

6601
06:53:04,687 --> 06:53:07,790
other jurisdictions and departments to recruit new

6602
06:53:07,790 --> 06:53:09,925
members. For example, most agencies are

6603
06:53:09,925 --> 06:53:12,228
competing against have a lower entry level requirements.

6604
06:53:12,228 --> 06:53:14,563
a year ago, arlington, montgomery county and mpd were

6605
06:53:14,563 --> 06:53:17,767
the only jurisdictions in the region requiring applicants to

6606
06:53:17,767 --> 06:53:20,569
have more than a high school diploma or ged.

6607
06:53:20,569 --> 06:53:23,572
since then, montgomery county has dropped their college

6608
06:53:23,572 --> 06:53:26,709
requirement credit, credit requirement, although arlington

6609
06:53:26,709 --> 06:53:30,112
still requires the credit, it's better work life balance and

6610
06:53:30,112 --> 06:53:32,748
requires jurisdiction is a draw for some applicants.

6611
06:53:32,748 --> 06:53:36,585
and on july 1st, 2026, the arlington starting salary was

6612
06:53:36,585 --> 06:53:40,785
increased from $72,000 to $90,000 in comparison to mpd

6613
06:53:41,190 --> 06:53:43,590
starting salary of approximately $75,000.

6614
06:53:43,959 --> 06:53:46,929
on the other hand, although federal agencies may still

6615
06:53:46,929 --> 06:53:49,932
require college credits, they are also offering hiring bonuses

6616
06:53:49,932 --> 06:53:54,732
ranging from $50,000 to $70,000, more than twice of mpd's $25,000

6617
06:53:55,604 --> 06:53:57,940
bonus. This is not drawing not only new

6618
06:53:57,940 --> 06:54:00,543
recruits, but also mpd officers who resign.

6619
06:54:00,543 --> 06:54:03,345
I know they're always competing priorities in the district's

6620
06:54:03,345 --> 06:54:06,749
budget, so we're working on low or no cost legislative proposals

6621
06:54:06,749 --> 06:54:10,486
with council support that would expand our hiring pipeline.

6622
06:54:10,486 --> 06:54:13,356
looking ahead to summer of 2026 is going to be one of the

6623
06:54:13,356 --> 06:54:17,626
busiest in dc for decades. As the country celebrates its

6624
06:54:17,626 --> 06:54:19,428
250th birthday. The district is expected to host

6625
06:54:19,428 --> 06:54:22,465
numerous events, including a two week great american state fair,

6626
06:54:22,465 --> 06:54:26,236
a landmark 4th of july celebration, the grand prix race

6627
06:54:26,236 --> 06:54:29,639
and more events to come. Although the three issues trends

6628
06:54:29,639 --> 06:54:32,641
with youth sworn staffing and the upcoming summer celebrations

6629
06:54:32,641 --> 06:54:34,577
may seem unrelated, they're all connected.

6630
06:54:34,577 --> 06:54:37,646
while we're excited to play a role in this historic

6631
06:54:37,646 --> 06:54:39,649
celebration, there will be unprecedented demands on the

6632
06:54:39,649 --> 06:54:42,717
department and our members. The historically low staffing

6633
06:54:42,717 --> 06:54:45,554
has driven record overtime hours as fewer officers have to work,

6634
06:54:45,554 --> 06:54:48,357
have to work more hours to meet the demands.

6635
06:54:48,357 --> 06:54:51,126
higher overtime puts a strain on officer well-being and their

6636
06:54:51,126 --> 06:54:53,295
families. I've made it a priority to

6637
06:54:53,295 --> 06:54:55,998
identify ways to reduce local overtime while maintaining our

6638
06:54:55,998 --> 06:54:58,434
positive progress on crime reduction.

6639
06:54:58,434 --> 06:55:02,405
we've seen some initial successes, with a 22% reduction

6640
06:55:02,405 --> 06:55:05,207
in overtime hours for the most recent pay period when compared

6641
06:55:05,207 --> 06:55:08,844
to the same period last year. This is only a start, but I hope

6642
06:55:08,844 --> 06:55:11,747
to be able to alleviate some of the strain before the summer

6643
06:55:11,747 --> 06:55:14,150
events begin. This will be impacted by what we

6644
06:55:14,150 --> 06:55:17,860
see in our neighborhoods during the spring and summer.

6645
06:55:17,860 --> 06:55:20,189
the curfew legislation also is set to expire on april 15th,

6646
06:55:20,189 --> 06:55:24,526
right before spring break. I hope the council will consider

6647
06:55:24,526 --> 06:55:27,396
retaining this proactive tool to help both protect our

6648
06:55:27,396 --> 06:55:30,232
communities and young residents. In closing, as I look at the

6649
06:55:30,232 --> 06:55:33,301
past year, I'm excited about what we can accomplish this

6650
06:55:33,301 --> 06:55:35,304
year. Mpd will continue to focus on

6651
06:55:35,304 --> 06:55:38,904
community based policing, accountability, and proactive

6652
06:55:39,141 --> 06:55:41,877
problem solving. We'll work to strengthen trust,

6653
06:55:41,877 --> 06:55:45,547
improve transparency, and ensure that every person feels safe,

6654
06:55:45,547 --> 06:55:48,510
heard, and respected. With that, I'll open up to any

6655
06:55:48,510 --> 06:55:51,651
questions. Ma'am, thank you so much.

6656
06:55:51,820 --> 06:55:55,724
thank you chief, and I'm going to ask everybody as a reminder

6657
06:55:55,724 --> 06:56:00,329
to please. Allow us to have a conversation

6658
06:56:00,329 --> 06:56:02,264
with the chief. We're all going to treat each

6659
06:56:02,264 --> 06:56:07,200
other with respect in here. And if if we can't, I'm going to

6660
06:56:07,200 --> 06:56:10,839
have to ask you to leave. So let's let's keep the peace,

6661
06:56:10,839 --> 06:56:12,975
and I'll be in here. I know many of you have been

6662
06:56:12,975 --> 06:56:17,780
waiting all day to hear the testimony, so let's let's do

6663
06:56:17,780 --> 06:56:21,170
that. Thank you very much for your

6664
06:56:21,170 --> 06:56:24,170
testimony. And congratulations on the

6665
06:56:25,954 --> 06:56:30,926
reduction in crime that mpd has led over the last several years.

6666
06:56:30,926 --> 06:56:37,366
I want to ask you to kind of take us back to last spring in

6667
06:56:37,366 --> 06:56:40,202
the establishment of the safe and beautiful task force.

6668
06:56:40,202 --> 06:56:45,240
what was the communication like to mpd and who serves on that

6669
06:56:45,240 --> 06:56:47,900
task force today? Sure.

6670
06:56:47,900 --> 06:56:49,878
so in the springtime, I believe the president signed an

6671
06:56:49,878 --> 06:56:51,680
executive order. I believe it was in march of

6672
06:56:51,680 --> 06:56:54,149
last year. And during that time frame, mpd

6673
06:56:54,149 --> 06:56:56,519
wasn't really involved with the task force operations there.

6674
06:56:56,519 --> 06:56:59,488
I believe there was a 1 or 2 executive orders, one related to

6675
06:56:59,488 --> 06:57:02,491
the national guard and one related to the overall task

6676
06:57:02,491 --> 06:57:05,894
force that was signed at that point in time, mpd wasn't

6677
06:57:05,894 --> 06:57:08,464
involved with the task force. It wasn't until I believe it was

6678
06:57:08,464 --> 06:57:12,201
august of last year when we actually became involved in task

6679
06:57:12,201 --> 06:57:15,104
force operations after the federal government started

6680
06:57:15,104 --> 06:57:16,105
deploying resources on their own.

6681
06:57:16,105 --> 06:57:20,442
without mpd support. And excuse me for one moment,

6682
06:57:20,442 --> 06:57:23,144
let me just remind my colleagues who have joined us, we're going

6683
06:57:23,144 --> 06:57:29,284
to have 15 minute rounds, and our order is going to be pinto

6684
06:57:29,284 --> 06:57:33,484
henderson, robert white, lewis, george and parker.

6685
06:57:34,223 --> 06:57:37,293
okay. Oh, thank you, thank you so

6686
06:57:37,293 --> 06:57:38,270
much. Great.

6687
06:57:38,270 --> 06:57:40,427
and counselor crawford. Okay.

6688
06:57:46,335 --> 06:57:48,537
okay. And so you said that you weren't

6689
06:57:48,537 --> 06:57:50,305
really involved in those conversations.

6690
06:57:50,305 --> 06:57:52,307
when did you become involved? So it was I believe it was

6691
06:57:52,307 --> 06:57:54,943
august of last year when mpd actually got involved.

6692
06:57:54,943 --> 06:57:57,179
that's after the president started to deploy resources from

6693
06:57:57,179 --> 06:58:01,183
the federal government across the city without mpd assistance

6694
06:58:01,183 --> 06:58:03,419
or involvement. And so that was the first time

6695
06:58:03,419 --> 06:58:05,588
mpd started attending task force meetings.

6696
06:58:05,588 --> 06:58:08,590
yes, the task force had started, and they had actually the u.s.

6697
06:58:08,590 --> 06:58:12,527
marshals had been put in charge of the task force operations by

6698
06:58:12,527 --> 06:58:16,331
the federal government. So it was in august when we were

6699
06:58:16,331 --> 06:58:17,566
brought into it. Okay.

6700
06:58:17,566 --> 06:58:21,136
and are you the representative for mpd at these task force

6701
06:58:21,136 --> 06:58:22,404
meetings? Yes, I have been the

6702
06:58:22,404 --> 06:58:24,730
representative, along with some other members, both of the

6703
06:58:24,730 --> 06:58:25,884
executive staff and the command staff.

6704
06:58:25,884 --> 06:58:29,354
okay. And what is the stated mission

6705
06:58:29,354 --> 06:58:32,624
of this task force? It's a task force that was

6706
06:58:32,624 --> 06:58:35,361
established by by the president to I think their stated mission

6707
06:58:35,361 --> 06:58:37,930
is to keep dc safe and beautiful.

6708
06:58:37,930 --> 06:58:41,166
okay. So so it aligns with the title.

6709
06:58:41,166 --> 06:58:44,937
yes, ma'am. And august was when the

6710
06:58:44,937 --> 06:58:47,439
president declared the public emergency.

6711
06:58:47,439 --> 06:58:51,276
how how have things changed in the operations of the task force

6712
06:58:51,276 --> 06:58:54,913
since after september 9th, when the emergency ended?

6713
06:58:54,913 --> 06:58:58,317
sure. So once the the emergency began,

6714
06:58:58,317 --> 06:59:00,919
obviously mpd was was fully integrated.

6715
06:59:00,919 --> 06:59:03,923
since that time, as time has gone on, task force operations

6716
06:59:03,923 --> 06:59:06,425
have have migrated a bit or changed a bit.

6717
06:59:06,425 --> 06:59:10,663
initially there was a big push of federal officers that you'd

6718
06:59:10,663 --> 06:59:12,965
see across the community, each huge contingents.

6719
06:59:12,965 --> 06:59:16,101
as time has gone on, there's been work to take the federal

6720
06:59:16,101 --> 06:59:18,871
agencies and push them more into investigative areas or areas

6721
06:59:18,871 --> 06:59:21,340
where they may have more experience and operational in

6722
06:59:21,340 --> 06:59:23,408
there. There still is a contingent of

6723
06:59:23,408 --> 06:59:26,612
what they call proactive teams that are integrated or that work

6724
06:59:26,612 --> 06:59:29,815
with the crime suppression teams across the police districts.

6725
06:59:29,815 --> 06:59:32,350
but the numbers of those, those personnel have shrunk down,

6726
06:59:32,350 --> 06:59:34,554
while the investigative folks have increased.

6727
06:59:34,554 --> 06:59:39,359
so, for example, like the us marshals, they they lead the

6728
06:59:39,359 --> 06:59:40,926
capital area regional fugitive task force.

6729
06:59:40,926 --> 06:59:42,428
that's something they did before this.

6730
06:59:42,428 --> 06:59:45,798
but now they have additional resources that are doing more

6731
06:59:45,798 --> 06:59:48,330
warrant enforcement, working with the criminal apprehension

6732
06:59:48,330 --> 06:59:50,536
unit over at the violent crime suppression division and other

6733
06:59:50,536 --> 06:59:53,772
federal agencies to enhance that, because that's their area

6734
06:59:53,772 --> 06:59:56,175
of expertise. Or the dea is working more

6735
06:59:56,175 --> 06:59:58,778
closely and providing more resources with other federal

6736
06:59:58,778 --> 07:00:01,847
agencies with their violent crime suppression division to

6737
07:00:01,847 --> 07:00:04,983
address narcotics operations. So really, that area where those

6738
07:00:04,983 --> 07:00:08,253
agencies have that that special skill set is the areas they're

6739
07:00:08,253 --> 07:00:12,657
going to to try to beef that up. And then of course, there is the

6740
07:00:12,657 --> 07:00:14,960
proactive part that still is a portion of that, but it's much

6741
07:00:14,960 --> 07:00:17,629
smaller now than what it was when it began.

6742
07:00:17,629 --> 07:00:23,269
have you tracked those numbers since it started in august, of

6743
07:00:23,269 --> 07:00:26,338
which how many agents are here from which agency?

6744
07:00:26,338 --> 07:00:29,474
so we don't track the numbers the federal government has does

6745
07:00:29,474 --> 07:00:33,145
track the numbers. The numbers have stayed fairly

6746
07:00:33,145 --> 07:00:34,546
consistent. They've kind of gone down over

6747
07:00:34,546 --> 07:00:38,683
time, I'd say, but it's not something mpd tracks how many

6748
07:00:38,683 --> 07:00:40,953
that they have. How do you know if it's gone

6749
07:00:40,953 --> 07:00:44,189
down, if we haven't tracked the federal government tracks it so

6750
07:00:44,189 --> 07:00:46,758
the feds, the marshals track the us marshals, okay.

6751
07:00:46,758 --> 07:00:48,660
and do they provide that information to mpd?

6752
07:00:48,660 --> 07:00:51,864
they push it out to the agencies involved in the task force.

6753
07:00:51,864 --> 07:00:52,499
yes, ma'am. Okay.

6754
07:00:52,499 --> 07:00:54,433
and do you know how often they're tracking that?

6755
07:00:54,433 --> 07:00:56,502
is that on a weekly basis, a daily basis?

6756
07:00:56,502 --> 07:00:59,305
they put out a daily report, but they also put out a weekly

6757
07:00:59,305 --> 07:01:00,639
report. They have a variety of reports

6758
07:01:00,639 --> 07:01:02,207
that they put out. Okay.

6759
07:01:02,207 --> 07:01:06,111
and it includes which agents are here from which agency does it

6760
07:01:06,111 --> 07:01:09,314
also include arrest data. So there's a daily report that

6761
07:01:09,314 --> 07:01:12,651
has arrest data and numbers of personnel.

6762
07:01:12,651 --> 07:01:17,220
okay. And is mpd a part of collecting

6763
07:01:17,220 --> 07:01:20,158
that data when you are on the scene of an arrest, when there

6764
07:01:20,158 --> 07:01:21,994
is also another federal agent there.

6765
07:01:21,994 --> 07:01:24,830
so we aren't collecting the data, but arrest data is pushed

6766
07:01:24,830 --> 07:01:28,660
to the jock where the the marshals imt that's their

6767
07:01:28,660 --> 07:01:31,303
incident management team is at. So that information from all the

6768
07:01:31,303 --> 07:01:33,605
agencies goes to one central place.

6769
07:01:33,605 --> 07:01:37,876
but in the event that mpd is on the scene where an arrest is

6770
07:01:37,876 --> 07:01:40,712
being made, are you all recording that arrest data?

6771
07:01:40,712 --> 07:01:43,815
only if we make the arrest. Only if mpd itself makes the

6772
07:01:43,815 --> 07:01:44,649
arrest. Yes.

6773
07:01:44,649 --> 07:01:47,180
okay. And regardless of which agency

6774
07:01:47,180 --> 07:01:51,356
makes the arrest, whether it's mpd or a federal agency, that

6775
07:01:51,356 --> 07:01:53,910
information then rolls up to the jock.

6776
07:01:53,910 --> 07:01:55,660
yes, it goes to the incident management team and the jock.

6777
07:01:55,660 --> 07:01:57,963
it's also irregardless of if the arrest happens in the district

6778
07:01:57,963 --> 07:01:59,765
or not. And what I mean by that is, for

6779
07:01:59,765 --> 07:02:02,567
example, park police, if they were to make an arrest in

6780
07:02:02,567 --> 07:02:05,370
maryland, that number would also go to the imt for inclusion in

6781
07:02:05,370 --> 07:02:07,437
their overall numbers. Okay.

6782
07:02:07,939 --> 07:02:11,443
so as you know, the council passed a law in 2021 that limits

6783
07:02:11,443 --> 07:02:14,779
the district's ability to share immigration information about

6784
07:02:14,779 --> 07:02:18,249
individuals who are in mpd custody or actively support

6785
07:02:18,249 --> 07:02:21,520
certain immigration enforcement efforts absent a judicial

6786
07:02:21,520 --> 07:02:25,525
warrant or order. Is it mpd's policy that you

6787
07:02:25,525 --> 07:02:28,627
follow that law? Yes, it is absolutely.

6788
07:02:28,627 --> 07:02:30,395
policy always is. We follow the sanctuary values

6789
07:02:30,395 --> 07:02:32,397
act. It's their mpd officers are not

6790
07:02:32,397 --> 07:02:35,167
allowed to share information once they're inside custody.

6791
07:02:35,167 --> 07:02:37,602
we're not allowed to turn them over to federal agencies.

6792
07:02:37,602 --> 07:02:40,572
we're not allowed to inquire into their immigration status.

6793
07:02:40,572 --> 07:02:44,710
that's in the law. Are you aware of any cases over

6794
07:02:44,710 --> 07:02:49,281
the last six months that that law has been violated by mpd

6795
07:02:49,281 --> 07:02:50,681
officers? I am not aware of any.

6796
07:02:50,681 --> 07:02:54,281
you're under oath. You're under oath.

6797
07:02:55,200 --> 07:02:56,822
everybody, please, please don't make me remind you again.

6798
07:02:56,822 --> 07:02:58,590
we're going to have this conversation.

6799
07:02:58,590 --> 07:03:03,390
we cannot have call outs from the audience.

6800
07:03:05,330 --> 07:03:08,700
we asked in our pre-hearing questions whether executive

6801
07:03:08,700 --> 07:03:11,700
order 25 005 regarding immigration enforcement was

6802
07:03:12,170 --> 07:03:15,674
still in effect. And your response was, yes.

6803
07:03:15,674 --> 07:03:17,909
so why is that order still in place?

6804
07:03:17,909 --> 07:03:21,647
if mpd's policy is that we do not coordinate with immigration

6805
07:03:21,647 --> 07:03:22,247
enforcement? Sure.

6806
07:03:22,247 --> 07:03:24,783
so, executive that executive order brings clarity so that

6807
07:03:24,783 --> 07:03:26,985
executive order is not in contrast to the law.

6808
07:03:26,985 --> 07:03:30,422
it specifically talks about what mpd officers can do prior to

6809
07:03:30,422 --> 07:03:33,250
individuals being in custody. So there is no conflict between

6810
07:03:33,250 --> 07:03:35,927
the executive order and the law. It was actually to make sure

6811
07:03:35,927 --> 07:03:38,130
there was clarity for the officers and not to put them in

6812
07:03:38,130 --> 07:03:41,199
a situation where there wasn't. They were unclear what to do.

6813
07:03:41,199 --> 07:03:43,535
can you elaborate a little more on that and what that means

6814
07:03:43,535 --> 07:03:45,237
prior to being in custody? Yeah.

6815
07:03:45,237 --> 07:03:48,400
so prior so if you're not in police custody, then the

6816
07:03:48,400 --> 07:03:50,475
questions can be asked. Once you're in custody, the law

6817
07:03:50,475 --> 07:03:53,445
is very clear and specific about once you're in custody, we can

6818
07:03:53,445 --> 07:03:56,948
share no information with federal immigration authorities.

6819
07:03:56,948 --> 07:03:59,651
and at no time can we inquire about immigration status.

6820
07:03:59,651 --> 07:04:02,421
so prior to being in custody, the law does not prohibit that

6821
07:04:02,421 --> 07:04:06,458
at this time. And how is in custody defined.

6822
07:04:06,458 --> 07:04:08,226
so that would be like you're under arrest.

6823
07:04:08,226 --> 07:04:12,798
you're in police custody okay. So before someone is under

6824
07:04:12,798 --> 07:04:15,767
arrest, there can be questions asked about immigration status.

6825
07:04:15,767 --> 07:04:20,105
and there can be a transference of somebody not by mpd, by other

6826
07:04:20,105 --> 07:04:21,740
agencies. Mpd will never inquire to

6827
07:04:21,740 --> 07:04:24,142
anyone's immigration status. Other agencies can.

6828
07:04:24,142 --> 07:04:27,445
so for example, if we had a traffic stop, the person wasn't

6829
07:04:27,445 --> 07:04:29,649
in custody and we have information we could share that

6830
07:04:29,649 --> 07:04:32,517
with a federal agency. If that person is placed under

6831
07:04:32,517 --> 07:04:34,695
arrest for a crime, at that point, we can no longer share

6832
07:04:34,695 --> 07:04:38,895
anything based on the law. Okay, okay.

6833
07:04:39,599 --> 07:04:43,503
and so can you provide an example of how this works in

6834
07:04:43,503 --> 07:04:47,107
practice, where information would be shared about someone's

6835
07:04:47,107 --> 07:04:48,942
immigration status prior to an arrest being made?

6836
07:04:48,942 --> 07:04:50,310
yes. So the really we wouldn't be

6837
07:04:50,310 --> 07:04:52,612
sharing information about their immigration status because we

6838
07:04:52,612 --> 07:04:53,213
don't have that. Right.

6839
07:04:53,213 --> 07:04:54,481
so we would be sharing information.

6840
07:04:54,481 --> 07:04:57,170
so what could happen is there could be a person on the scene

6841
07:04:57,170 --> 07:04:59,753
from another federal agency. I'll give you an example of

6842
07:04:59,753 --> 07:05:02,356
marshal service marshals historically don't have title

6843
07:05:02,356 --> 07:05:04,910
eight authority, which is immigration enforcement

6844
07:05:04,910 --> 07:05:06,259
authority. However, now they do so they

6845
07:05:06,259 --> 07:05:09,620
could be on the scene with us. We could do a traffic stop for a

6846
07:05:09,620 --> 07:05:10,897
broken taillight. We could have a driver's

6847
07:05:10,897 --> 07:05:12,232
license. We could be running the

6848
07:05:12,232 --> 07:05:13,500
information. The marshal could take that

6849
07:05:13,500 --> 07:05:15,135
information. They could run it through

6850
07:05:15,135 --> 07:05:17,971
whatever databases that they have related to that, and then

6851
07:05:17,971 --> 07:05:20,707
they can come back with an immigration response and they

6852
07:05:20,707 --> 07:05:23,707
could take action. Okay, okay.

6853
07:05:28,181 --> 07:05:30,581
sorry, sorry. That's okay.

6854
07:05:31,117 --> 07:05:33,620
okay. And when you say that the us

6855
07:05:33,620 --> 07:05:35,589
marshal use I don't want to put words in your mouth, but you

6856
07:05:35,589 --> 07:05:38,925
said something like they used to not do this, but now they can.

6857
07:05:38,925 --> 07:05:42,796
is that formal authority that they've been deputized by this

6858
07:05:42,796 --> 07:05:44,998
task force, that they can handle immigration enforcement?

6859
07:05:44,998 --> 07:05:46,133
where does that authority come from?

6860
07:05:46,133 --> 07:05:47,668
no. So there's certain agencies that

6861
07:05:47,668 --> 07:05:50,204
have what's titled authority, which is immigration enforcement

6862
07:05:50,204 --> 07:05:51,472
authority. So the federal government has

6863
07:05:51,472 --> 07:05:53,874
given them that authority. So there's other agencies.

6864
07:05:53,874 --> 07:05:57,411
some agencies may have had a historically but never used it.

6865
07:05:57,411 --> 07:06:00,113
other agencies now have it that didn't have it before.

6866
07:06:00,113 --> 07:06:03,160
and when did that new authority come to life?

6867
07:06:03,160 --> 07:06:04,417
I'm not exactly sure when they got it.

6868
07:06:04,417 --> 07:06:06,987
I know it was during president trump's term.

6869
07:06:06,987 --> 07:06:10,240
is my understanding of that. But this term you think, yes, my

6870
07:06:10,240 --> 07:06:12,325
understanding is this term. But again, I don't have the

6871
07:06:12,325 --> 07:06:14,895
nuances of when how the federal authorities work with that.

6872
07:06:14,895 --> 07:06:17,964
we weren't involved in any of that.

6873
07:06:17,964 --> 07:06:21,401
okay, mpd is required to transmit a report on january 1st

6874
07:06:21,401 --> 07:06:24,438
of every year to the mayor and the council, providing data on

6875
07:06:24,438 --> 07:06:28,208
requests for information or detainers made by federal

6876
07:06:28,208 --> 07:06:30,344
immigration agencies, individuals released into the

6877
07:06:30,344 --> 07:06:33,780
custody of a federal immigration agency, the types of information

6878
07:06:33,780 --> 07:06:36,750
that the agency shared with federal immigration agencies.

6879
07:06:36,750 --> 07:06:40,587
to date, we have not received any of these reports from mpd.

6880
07:06:40,587 --> 07:06:43,791
when can you commit to getting us this report from 2025?

6881
07:06:43,791 --> 07:06:45,792
yeah, so to date we haven't done any of that.

6882
07:06:45,792 --> 07:06:47,993
and that's why I report the report has never been because it

6883
07:06:47,993 --> 07:06:49,796
never has been. But if that's something that we

6884
07:06:49,796 --> 07:06:52,999
need to provide as a report, we can we can provide that.

6885
07:06:52,999 --> 07:06:57,671
and and maybe what we need to do is think of a longer life cycle,

6886
07:06:57,671 --> 07:07:01,871
that it's also includes the pre-arrest information.

6887
07:07:03,610 --> 07:07:06,412
I mean, we need to comply with the requirements of, of the

6888
07:07:06,412 --> 07:07:08,148
council and the law. So, I mean, we can look into

6889
07:07:08,148 --> 07:07:09,349
that. The issue is a pre-arrest like

6890
07:07:09,349 --> 07:07:12,180
we don't track that information. I think this was one of the

6891
07:07:12,180 --> 07:07:14,554
questions that came up. We don't track pre-arrest

6892
07:07:14,554 --> 07:07:16,423
information from federal agencies of what they do and

6893
07:07:16,423 --> 07:07:19,160
don't do. So we don't have that to

6894
07:07:19,160 --> 07:07:24,560
provide. But if mpd is on site, how how

6895
07:07:25,231 --> 07:07:28,835
complicated would that be for you to track yourself, for us to

6896
07:07:28,835 --> 07:07:30,970
track if they're asking questions or not?

6897
07:07:30,970 --> 07:07:33,239
the question would be is how will we track that information?

6898
07:07:33,239 --> 07:07:35,608
what information will we have to provide?

6899
07:07:35,608 --> 07:07:37,844
again, you know, this is a collaboration, but the federal

6900
07:07:37,844 --> 07:07:39,645
government doesn't have to provide us with information.

6901
07:07:39,645 --> 07:07:41,915
so again, we're putting their officers that are on the scene

6902
07:07:41,915 --> 07:07:44,918
in a very precarious situation, almost like we're trying to have

6903
07:07:44,918 --> 07:07:49,118
them police, the federal law enforcement agencies.

6904
07:07:50,190 --> 07:07:54,127
by by recording who is being arrested and who is being asked

6905
07:07:54,127 --> 07:07:55,595
what questions. I mean, literally, I mean, they

6906
07:07:55,595 --> 07:07:56,730
would have to ask the information.

6907
07:07:56,730 --> 07:07:59,650
I mean, our officers have body worn cameras, so the

6908
07:07:59,650 --> 07:08:01,935
interactions are recorded. But again, that's not put into a

6909
07:08:01,935 --> 07:08:06,735
report somewhere. There is no report of that.

6910
07:08:07,273 --> 07:08:08,775
right. And I guess what I'm trying to

6911
07:08:08,775 --> 07:08:13,130
get at is why not. So they would make a report of

6912
07:08:13,130 --> 07:08:16,182
if there was other federal agencies that were on the scene.

6913
07:08:16,182 --> 07:08:18,419
I mean, again, I don't really see what the purpose of that

6914
07:08:18,419 --> 07:08:22,288
would be, the time it would take to do that, to provide that.

6915
07:08:22,288 --> 07:08:25,959
well, I think the purpose would be around transparency of which

6916
07:08:25,959 --> 07:08:29,428
agencies are here, where they're being deployed, how decisions

6917
07:08:29,428 --> 07:08:32,298
are being made. And then if there is an issue

6918
07:08:32,298 --> 07:08:36,503
with an arrest or a violation of the law or the spirit of the

6919
07:08:36,503 --> 07:08:41,174
law, then we could know how to track it down and follow up.

6920
07:08:41,174 --> 07:08:47,800
but right now, kind of flying blind with what exactly is going

6921
07:08:47,800 --> 07:08:50,717
on in our communities. When the federal agents are

6922
07:08:50,717 --> 07:08:53,153
present, because we're not tracking it.

6923
07:08:53,153 --> 07:08:54,387
I see, I see your point with that.

6924
07:08:54,387 --> 07:08:57,157
but again, it's very difficult to put our officers in that

6925
07:08:57,157 --> 07:08:59,259
situation where, you know, again, an officer is running a

6926
07:08:59,259 --> 07:09:01,394
driver's license over here. There's a federal agent doing

6927
07:09:01,394 --> 07:09:04,597
something else over there. I don't really know what they

6928
07:09:04,597 --> 07:09:07,000
would, what they would track or what they would put down that

6929
07:09:07,000 --> 07:09:09,336
someone's running somebody. I kind of get the idea of where

6930
07:09:09,336 --> 07:09:11,771
you're going with that, but I just don't know how that would

6931
07:09:11,771 --> 07:09:13,273
move forward and how practical that would be.

6932
07:09:13,273 --> 07:09:16,275
every single interaction, just in case later on there was

6933
07:09:16,275 --> 07:09:18,345
something they use information from that stop and they try to

6934
07:09:18,345 --> 07:09:20,546
go back to it. Like, I think we'd have to think

6935
07:09:20,546 --> 07:09:22,482
more about what that looked like.

6936
07:09:22,482 --> 07:09:25,618
okay, I guess you all track your own information, right?

6937
07:09:25,618 --> 07:09:30,290
you track what arrests you're making and how what else is in

6938
07:09:30,290 --> 07:09:34,661
the case report and who the responding officer was and what

6939
07:09:34,661 --> 07:09:38,310
other district they come from. So we have a records management

6940
07:09:38,310 --> 07:09:40,166
system that tracks that. We have no records management

6941
07:09:40,166 --> 07:09:42,350
system. So our records management system

6942
07:09:42,350 --> 07:09:43,971
tracks our officers, has their information in there.

6943
07:09:43,971 --> 07:09:47,240
we don't have that ability. We'd have to establish something

6944
07:09:47,240 --> 07:09:49,776
outside of what we have now to track what the federal

6945
07:09:49,776 --> 07:09:51,578
government agencies are doing outside of their own.

6946
07:09:51,578 --> 07:09:55,381
you know, like the, for example, the the secret service, the park

6947
07:09:55,381 --> 07:09:57,584
police, they have their own records management systems that

6948
07:09:57,584 --> 07:09:59,853
track their own reports and what they're doing.

6949
07:09:59,853 --> 07:10:03,591
we don't track what they're doing in general, and we never

6950
07:10:03,591 --> 07:10:07,293
have. But is it a different level of

6951
07:10:07,293 --> 07:10:12,640
presence that mpd has this year with those federal agents?

6952
07:10:12,640 --> 07:10:17,237
like in the past year, if secret service was doing something or

6953
07:10:17,237 --> 07:10:20,340
fbi or anyone else, it would have been very unlikely for mpd

6954
07:10:20,340 --> 07:10:22,608
to be there, right? It just depends.

6955
07:10:22,608 --> 07:10:24,944
I mean, we serve on task force with these agencies all the

6956
07:10:24,944 --> 07:10:26,880
time. I mean, what we're doing now is

6957
07:10:26,880 --> 07:10:28,881
different than what we've done in the past, but it's not new.

6958
07:10:28,881 --> 07:10:31,850
it's not new for us to work with other federal agencies.

6959
07:10:31,850 --> 07:10:34,487
it's not new for us to work on task force examples of violent

6960
07:10:34,487 --> 07:10:35,989
crimes. The carjacking task force.

6961
07:10:35,989 --> 07:10:38,124
that's something that we started when carjackings went up.

6962
07:10:38,124 --> 07:10:40,627
we've been on that task force with the fbi for many years.

6963
07:10:40,627 --> 07:10:43,764
it's there. So some aspects are different

6964
07:10:43,764 --> 07:10:46,306
new, but working with other agencies isn't really new.

6965
07:10:46,306 --> 07:10:48,400
and it's something that we never track.

6966
07:10:48,400 --> 07:10:50,576
and again, we'd have to establish our own records

6967
07:10:50,576 --> 07:10:52,778
management to track what the federal government is doing

6968
07:10:52,778 --> 07:10:55,647
outside of that. Well, I guess the carjacking

6969
07:10:55,647 --> 07:10:59,317
task force is a good example of how are you tracking

6970
07:10:59,317 --> 07:11:01,887
information? How have you been predating this

6971
07:11:01,887 --> 07:11:04,790
year tracking carjacking information as a result of that

6972
07:11:04,790 --> 07:11:05,657
task force? Sure.

6973
07:11:05,657 --> 07:11:08,894
so in the carjacking task force, all those cases are assigned to

6974
07:11:08,894 --> 07:11:10,396
mpd detectives. They're not assigned to fbi

6975
07:11:10,396 --> 07:11:12,932
agents. They provide support, maybe

6976
07:11:12,932 --> 07:11:15,135
assistance with warrants or technology and things like that,

6977
07:11:15,135 --> 07:11:17,669
but they're not actually assigned the cases to

6978
07:11:17,669 --> 07:11:19,405
investigate. Mpd members are assigned those

6979
07:11:19,405 --> 07:11:20,606
cases. So therefore it goes in our

6980
07:11:20,606 --> 07:11:23,600
records management system. Okay.

6981
07:11:24,843 --> 07:11:29,150
in terms of the daily deployment decisions, walk us through how

6982
07:11:29,150 --> 07:11:32,184
the crime suppression teams are working, where those are

6983
07:11:32,184 --> 07:11:36,155
located, and then who is making a determination as to which

6984
07:11:36,155 --> 07:11:39,240
federal agencies and agents are going out, with which officers,

6985
07:11:39,240 --> 07:11:40,825
and how those deployment decisions are working.

6986
07:11:40,825 --> 07:11:42,861
sure. So each district has a crime

6987
07:11:42,861 --> 07:11:44,830
suppression team. They've always had crime

6988
07:11:44,830 --> 07:11:45,831
suppression teams across the city.

6989
07:11:45,831 --> 07:11:49,680
they've always focused on violent crimes or issues that

6990
07:11:49,680 --> 07:11:51,403
that live within that district. And usually they're directed by

6991
07:11:51,403 --> 07:11:54,573
the commander and based on crime trends that are there.

6992
07:11:54,573 --> 07:11:57,409
so for the proactive teams, there's proactive teams and

6993
07:11:57,409 --> 07:11:59,579
there's investigative teams. We'll slide the investigative

6994
07:11:59,579 --> 07:12:03,182
teams to the side. For now, the proactive teams,

6995
07:12:03,182 --> 07:12:06,251
the federal agents that are on those teams, there's three teams

6996
07:12:06,251 --> 07:12:08,586
target enforcement, targeted enforcement, proactive.

6997
07:12:08,586 --> 07:12:11,623
and then there's high visibility of those teams.

6998
07:12:11,623 --> 07:12:15,861
so the marshal service imt are the ones who determines what the

6999
07:12:15,861 --> 07:12:18,960
federal makeup is of each one of those.

7000
07:12:18,960 --> 07:12:19,865
and then they come to the districts and pair up.

7001
07:12:19,865 --> 07:12:23,669
so they meet at the districts, and then they'll go out with the

7002
07:12:23,669 --> 07:12:26,204
mpd personnel as a lead. And again, there's a reason for

7003
07:12:26,204 --> 07:12:27,606
that. I mean, we don't want the

7004
07:12:27,606 --> 07:12:30,208
federal agents just going out doing whatever they want across

7005
07:12:30,208 --> 07:12:32,545
the city. I mean, we've seen in other

7006
07:12:32,545 --> 07:12:35,413
jurisdictions, when the federal agencies go out, they go in the

7007
07:12:35,413 --> 07:12:37,150
communities. They don't know the area.

7008
07:12:37,150 --> 07:12:39,352
they're not trained to do this. Some of the ramifications that

7009
07:12:39,352 --> 07:12:41,553
have happened from that. So although it's not a situation

7010
07:12:41,553 --> 07:12:44,623
that we particularly want to be in, I do believe for the

7011
07:12:44,623 --> 07:12:46,891
community, it's the best situation, for the situation

7012
07:12:46,891 --> 07:12:50,195
that we find ourselves in. So we don't have rogue federal

7013
07:12:50,195 --> 07:12:52,832
agents across just doing things that aren't in compliance or

7014
07:12:52,832 --> 07:12:55,299
aren't in competition with what we want to do or the issues that

7015
07:12:55,299 --> 07:12:58,102
we're seeing here in the city. Okay, well, thank you.

7016
07:12:58,102 --> 07:13:00,505
and we'll come back to this in a moment.

7017
07:13:00,505 --> 07:13:04,242
as a reminder for folks, our order is councilmember

7018
07:13:04,242 --> 07:13:06,845
henderson, then robert white, then louis george, then parker,

7019
07:13:06,845 --> 07:13:11,450
and then crawford. Council member henderson, please

7020
07:13:11,616 --> 07:13:17,160
go ahead for 15 minute round. Thank you, chair pinto.

7021
07:13:18,560 --> 07:13:20,559
and good afternoon. Almost evening.

7022
07:13:20,559 --> 07:13:22,728
afternoon, chief. I wasn't planning to start here,

7023
07:13:22,728 --> 07:13:26,980
but I do want to follow up on some of the questions that you

7024
07:13:26,980 --> 07:13:30,401
had with councilmember pinto in. Now, I'm paraphrasing, you tell

7025
07:13:30,401 --> 07:13:34,339
me if I'm incorrect, but it sounds like you're saying that

7026
07:13:34,339 --> 07:13:38,910
mpd does not track info when you're doing joint operations

7027
07:13:38,910 --> 07:13:41,800
with federal, with feds. It doesn't.

7028
07:13:41,800 --> 07:13:42,481
I'm not saying we don't track any information.

7029
07:13:42,481 --> 07:13:45,840
if we make an arrest with feds, there will be a report that was

7030
07:13:45,840 --> 07:13:45,951
taken. Right?

7031
07:13:45,951 --> 07:13:49,121
so if mpd and federal agencies are there and mpd makes an

7032
07:13:49,121 --> 07:13:50,356
arrest, then there would be report.

7033
07:13:50,356 --> 07:13:52,624
if an mpd officer makes a stop, then there would be a report

7034
07:13:52,624 --> 07:13:53,292
with that. Okay.

7035
07:13:53,292 --> 07:13:56,328
what we don't have is some sort of separate mechanism that

7036
07:13:56,328 --> 07:13:58,797
stands alone, where we can easily pull that information out

7037
07:13:58,797 --> 07:14:02,568
and say, hey, we had 15 stops, that there were federal agents

7038
07:14:02,568 --> 07:14:05,637
on the scene of if there's an arrest made, there's fellow

7039
07:14:05,637 --> 07:14:07,371
agents there, or they play an assisting role.

7040
07:14:07,371 --> 07:14:09,907
it would be documented in those police reports for prosecution

7041
07:14:09,907 --> 07:14:10,575
and things like that. Okay.

7042
07:14:10,575 --> 07:14:14,379
so how is the decision sort of made then, which agency is

7043
07:14:14,379 --> 07:14:16,948
taking the lead? Who who is the one who is making

7044
07:14:16,948 --> 07:14:18,750
the stop? Who is the one who is then

7045
07:14:18,750 --> 07:14:19,452
initiating the arrest? Yeah.

7046
07:14:19,452 --> 07:14:21,987
so so it just depends, right? Depends on how the teams go out.

7047
07:14:21,987 --> 07:14:24,524
because I think a lot of times people are thinking the teams.

7048
07:14:24,524 --> 07:14:26,158
it's kind of like everyone's together.

7049
07:14:26,158 --> 07:14:28,960
sometimes they are together, sometimes they'll be in the same

7050
07:14:28,960 --> 07:14:31,396
area together again. It's not mpd.

7051
07:14:31,396 --> 07:14:33,732
if we see something that we need to initiate, we can.

7052
07:14:33,732 --> 07:14:36,100
but they're all law enforcement officers, so they all have

7053
07:14:36,100 --> 07:14:38,837
training as far as stopping individuals requirements of

7054
07:14:38,837 --> 07:14:40,639
probable cause, reasonable suspicion.

7055
07:14:40,639 --> 07:14:45,410
so if a marshal is out there and sees an individual they believe

7056
07:14:45,410 --> 07:14:48,130
is is armed or whatever, right? And they have that reasonable

7057
07:14:48,130 --> 07:14:50,816
suspicion, they can make that stop now, more likely than not,

7058
07:14:50,816 --> 07:14:53,885
if there's other mpd officers or whoever else is there, they're

7059
07:14:53,885 --> 07:14:55,821
going to then respond and to assist them with that.

7060
07:14:55,821 --> 07:14:58,900
right, okay. But then again, it depends on

7061
07:14:58,900 --> 07:14:59,625
the situation and the outcome of that.

7062
07:14:59,625 --> 07:15:02,561
in that situation, although the marshal made the stop, it could

7063
07:15:02,561 --> 07:15:04,896
eventually end up that mpd member makes the arrest.

7064
07:15:04,896 --> 07:15:07,899
so in that case, the mpd member would still do the arrest

7065
07:15:07,899 --> 07:15:09,434
paperwork. And in the narrative they would

7066
07:15:09,434 --> 07:15:13,838
indicate, you know, us marshal smith made a stop based on xyz

7067
07:15:13,838 --> 07:15:15,574
officer. You know, carroll responded to

7068
07:15:15,574 --> 07:15:18,776
the scene and laid out that from the information based that came

7069
07:15:18,776 --> 07:15:20,712
from the us marshal. So again, a lot of these are

7070
07:15:20,712 --> 07:15:21,579
collaborative. It depends.

7071
07:15:21,579 --> 07:15:24,515
I know it doesn't sound like a clear answer, I get that, but it

7072
07:15:24,515 --> 07:15:27,586
depends on the situation because it may be an mpd member takes

7073
07:15:27,586 --> 07:15:31,223
the arrest or it could be a pa police officer takes the arrest

7074
07:15:31,223 --> 07:15:34,590
because generally mpd, park police and secret service, those

7075
07:15:34,590 --> 07:15:36,794
are folks that typically deal with the d.c. Superior court

7076
07:15:36,794 --> 07:15:38,598
system. They have the records management

7077
07:15:38,598 --> 07:15:41,633
systems to process those arrests, so usually they will be

7078
07:15:41,633 --> 07:15:44,803
the ones that will be making those arrests in a lot of the

7079
07:15:44,803 --> 07:15:48,306
cases, sure, but you can kind of see what the rub is here, right?

7080
07:15:48,306 --> 07:15:52,811
because we've had a couple of incidents that have occurred

7081
07:15:52,811 --> 07:15:56,810
where the council members of the public are learning about

7082
07:15:56,810 --> 07:15:58,517
something in the media of an incident that occurred.

7083
07:15:58,517 --> 07:16:01,353
federal agents are involved. And then you read down a couple

7084
07:16:01,353 --> 07:16:04,589
of paragraphs and you realize that mpd was there, but nobody

7085
07:16:04,589 --> 07:16:08,126
knew anything about it, when in fact, you guys have the body

7086
07:16:08,126 --> 07:16:09,561
worn cameras. They don't.

7087
07:16:09,561 --> 07:16:14,361
so from the level of transparency and oversight,

7088
07:16:14,566 --> 07:16:17,170
unfortunately y'all are the ones, but nobody's reporting it.

7089
07:16:17,170 --> 07:16:21,105
if you're not the one who is doing the arrest or initiating

7090
07:16:21,105 --> 07:16:23,809
the stop, that is true because we are not the ones and we do

7091
07:16:23,809 --> 07:16:26,111
have body worn cameras. There are other agencies that

7092
07:16:26,111 --> 07:16:27,479
have them too. Park police has them.

7093
07:16:27,479 --> 07:16:29,647
some of the marshals have them. There are some federal agencies

7094
07:16:29,647 --> 07:16:31,350
that have that. But absolutely.

7095
07:16:31,350 --> 07:16:34,719
but you know, I understand. And again, we don't like to be

7096
07:16:34,719 --> 07:16:37,789
in this situation because we get asked questions sometimes about

7097
07:16:37,789 --> 07:16:39,891
federal agencies or people that they believe are federal

7098
07:16:39,891 --> 07:16:42,427
agencies have stopped individuals most times from the

7099
07:16:42,427 --> 07:16:44,196
council or others. Those questions come to us.

7100
07:16:44,196 --> 07:16:46,365
right. So again, we're trying to to dig

7101
07:16:46,365 --> 07:16:47,800
through and look and find out what we can too.

7102
07:16:47,800 --> 07:16:50,569
so it's definitely not the situation we'd like to find

7103
07:16:50,569 --> 07:16:52,569
ourselves in. Okay.

7104
07:16:53,138 --> 07:16:57,744
there was a report from the washington post this afternoon.

7105
07:16:57,744 --> 07:17:01,614
jenny gathright did a story, and you said in your comments back

7106
07:17:01,614 --> 07:17:03,282
with councilmember pinto. And again, I haven't even gotten

7107
07:17:03,282 --> 07:17:07,482
to my own written questions yet that.

7108
07:17:08,755 --> 07:17:11,157
you all don't share immigration information.

7109
07:17:11,157 --> 07:17:14,394
there is an individual who alleges got a call from mpd.

7110
07:17:14,394 --> 07:17:17,290
hey, we found your stolen vehicle that you reported

7111
07:17:17,290 --> 07:17:18,832
stolen. Please come to this police

7112
07:17:18,832 --> 07:17:21,100
station in the district of columbia.

7113
07:17:21,100 --> 07:17:24,837
walked into the police station and he was arrested by

7114
07:17:24,837 --> 07:17:27,237
immigration and customs enforcement.

7115
07:17:27,707 --> 07:17:34,307
how did ice know? But for you all or someone in

7116
07:17:34,947 --> 07:17:37,317
the arena sharing the information that this individual

7117
07:17:37,317 --> 07:17:39,152
was coming in to get their vehicle?

7118
07:17:39,152 --> 07:17:41,120
yeah, obviously, I don't know the specific information related

7119
07:17:41,120 --> 07:17:44,900
to that, and I haven't read the washington post article, but

7120
07:17:44,900 --> 07:17:46,459
again, like for me to kind of sit here and try to think of

7121
07:17:46,459 --> 07:17:48,294
ways there are a variety of ways that could happen.

7122
07:17:48,294 --> 07:17:51,197
obviously it sounds not good, but we need to investigate that

7123
07:17:51,197 --> 07:17:53,899
to see, to find out what happened, because it also could

7124
07:17:53,899 --> 07:17:56,102
have been there could have been a federal agent on the scene

7125
07:17:56,102 --> 07:17:58,472
when the car was recovered, and they could have had the

7126
07:17:58,472 --> 07:17:59,672
information. I mean, there's lots of ways it

7127
07:17:59,672 --> 07:18:02,475
could have happened. So for me to sit here and try to

7128
07:18:02,475 --> 07:18:04,677
throw hypotheticals of how it could have happened without

7129
07:18:04,677 --> 07:18:07,847
having the details, it's, you know, here's the thing about

7130
07:18:07,847 --> 07:18:10,416
jenny's story is that this isn't a one off incident.

7131
07:18:10,416 --> 07:18:12,551
she names another incident that it occurred.

7132
07:18:12,551 --> 07:18:15,988
so now I'm starting to get to questions of pattern and

7133
07:18:15,988 --> 07:18:18,224
practice, which obviously we're not going to get to the bottom

7134
07:18:18,224 --> 07:18:21,761
of in this particular hearing. But there's some gaps in what's

7135
07:18:21,761 --> 07:18:24,697
happening here, because going from a stolen vehicle to being

7136
07:18:24,697 --> 07:18:28,567
arrested by ice, that's when only one agency supposedly had

7137
07:18:28,567 --> 07:18:30,237
the information. That's kind of the problem.

7138
07:18:30,237 --> 07:18:32,104
all right. I want to go to overtime really

7139
07:18:32,104 --> 07:18:35,241
quickly because there's a lot going on in overtime.

7140
07:18:35,241 --> 07:18:38,841
now. I know obviously what happened

7141
07:18:40,279 --> 07:18:44,817
in august was a a problem. I know what's going to happen

7142
07:18:44,817 --> 07:18:47,286
from memorial day to labor day is going to put up that.

7143
07:18:47,286 --> 07:18:50,323
but I'm trying to understand, in terms of npd's own policy on

7144
07:18:50,323 --> 07:18:53,693
overtime. So you have a policy that says

7145
07:18:53,693 --> 07:18:56,929
officers can work no more than 18 hours within a 24 hour

7146
07:18:56,929 --> 07:19:02,601
period, nor in excess of 98 hours per seven calendar days.

7147
07:19:02,601 --> 07:19:06,739
now, this limitations includes all kinds of police work, and

7148
07:19:06,739 --> 07:19:09,742
it's also police related outside employment.

7149
07:19:09,742 --> 07:19:13,120
that is part of that category. As my understanding.

7150
07:19:13,120 --> 07:19:14,130
correct. You're right.

7151
07:19:14,130 --> 07:19:15,815
okay. All right.

7152
07:19:15,815 --> 07:19:20,219
now, are there any instances in which exceptions are granted?

7153
07:19:20,219 --> 07:19:22,154
I mean, unfortunately there could be times there could be

7154
07:19:22,154 --> 07:19:24,390
times like presidential inauguration or times when

7155
07:19:24,390 --> 07:19:26,492
details run over, or there's someone who has a specialized

7156
07:19:26,492 --> 07:19:28,493
skill set that can't be filled by another officer.

7157
07:19:28,493 --> 07:19:29,795
okay. Who do I mean by that?

7158
07:19:29,795 --> 07:19:30,897
who has the authority to make those?

7159
07:19:30,897 --> 07:19:33,165
so they'd have to notify a supervisor if there was going to

7160
07:19:33,165 --> 07:19:35,435
be. So the policy also requires

7161
07:19:35,435 --> 07:19:37,970
notifications to supervisors as they approach the 18 hour rule.

7162
07:19:37,970 --> 07:19:39,772
yeah, that's what we refer to it as.

7163
07:19:39,772 --> 07:19:41,440
and the same thing with the 96 hour rule.

7164
07:19:41,440 --> 07:19:44,343
so they have to make those notifications to see is there

7165
07:19:44,343 --> 07:19:46,445
some way they can be relieved? Is there someone else that can

7166
07:19:46,445 --> 07:19:49,382
can take over that detail? If not, the supervisor will

7167
07:19:49,382 --> 07:19:52,918
should document that of why? Why that reason that that

7168
07:19:52,918 --> 07:19:54,687
officer had had to stay over. Okay.

7169
07:19:54,687 --> 07:19:56,856
who tracks police related outside employment?

7170
07:19:56,856 --> 07:19:58,791
sure. So police raid outside

7171
07:19:58,791 --> 07:20:00,793
employment. So members are required to track

7172
07:20:00,793 --> 07:20:03,662
that and report that as they work it.

7173
07:20:03,662 --> 07:20:07,767
so it's an honor system. I guess you could say it's an

7174
07:20:07,767 --> 07:20:09,335
honor system. I mean, yeah, it's an honor

7175
07:20:09,335 --> 07:20:10,569
system. You have to.

7176
07:20:10,569 --> 07:20:11,805
yeah, it's an honor system. Yeah.

7177
07:20:11,805 --> 07:20:15,141
there's a form you fill out that you have to document your your

7178
07:20:15,141 --> 07:20:17,210
thing. So like, we don't members get

7179
07:20:17,210 --> 07:20:20,212
paid by their own organizations. It's not like, for example, if

7180
07:20:20,212 --> 07:20:23,216
you work security at giant. Giant doesn't tell mpd you

7181
07:20:23,216 --> 07:20:25,351
don't. You're not getting your your

7182
07:20:25,351 --> 07:20:28,200
part time employment or police related employment through the

7183
07:20:28,200 --> 07:20:29,755
department. No, no, no, I understand that

7184
07:20:29,755 --> 07:20:31,157
part. But I'm saying for the purposes

7185
07:20:31,157 --> 07:20:34,193
of the policy, which includes both overtime initiated and

7186
07:20:34,193 --> 07:20:37,696
controlled by mpd and overtime from outside, somebody's got to

7187
07:20:37,696 --> 07:20:39,832
track to make sure somebody's numbers are.

7188
07:20:39,832 --> 07:20:42,401
and this is not there's two things.

7189
07:20:42,401 --> 07:20:45,805
one, look, I know I'm tired after a certain amount of time

7190
07:20:45,805 --> 07:20:49,709
of working, so mistakes happen when folks are tired and that

7191
07:20:49,709 --> 07:20:51,644
type of thing. So this is kind of important.

7192
07:20:51,644 --> 07:20:52,912
okay. Absolutely.

7193
07:20:52,912 --> 07:20:56,480
what percentage of mpd overtime reimbursements are currently

7194
07:20:56,480 --> 07:20:57,750
pending? I'm sorry, I don't have the

7195
07:20:57,750 --> 07:20:58,884
information right now. We can get back to you.

7196
07:20:58,884 --> 07:21:01,188
okay. And I'm referring to I know that

7197
07:21:01,188 --> 07:21:04,456
when there are special events that take place, we're

7198
07:21:04,456 --> 07:21:05,657
reimbursed by the federal. You're talking.

7199
07:21:05,657 --> 07:21:07,660
well, so there's in some cases, yes.

7200
07:21:07,660 --> 07:21:09,829
there's two types. There's a special event where an

7201
07:21:09,829 --> 07:21:12,932
event organizer has it think your your your rock and roll

7202
07:21:12,932 --> 07:21:14,200
marathon. Those are reimbursable overtimes

7203
07:21:14,200 --> 07:21:15,968
that are reimbursed by the organizer.

7204
07:21:15,968 --> 07:21:19,138
then there's other events like maybe july 4th where it's

7205
07:21:19,138 --> 07:21:22,375
charged back to the fund. Okay, so you don't know how much

7206
07:21:22,375 --> 07:21:24,945
money you're owed. I don't see this table right

7207
07:21:24,945 --> 07:21:26,245
here. I don't have that.

7208
07:21:26,245 --> 07:21:27,780
we definitely have the information.

7209
07:21:27,780 --> 07:21:29,181
the agency. I don't have it off the top of

7210
07:21:29,181 --> 07:21:31,617
my head. Okay, mpd, you'll never want to

7211
07:21:31,617 --> 07:21:33,819
phone a friend. Like we come to a performance

7212
07:21:33,819 --> 07:21:35,588
oversight hearing to talk about performance.

7213
07:21:35,588 --> 07:21:36,822
and nobody ever wants to be prepared.

7214
07:21:36,822 --> 07:21:39,792
I don't like to do post-hearing questions, but now we do.

7215
07:21:39,792 --> 07:21:41,827
I understand, but I don't want to sit here and misspeak at the

7216
07:21:41,827 --> 07:21:43,290
hearing. And then later on there's an

7217
07:21:43,290 --> 07:21:45,498
issue or concern about I misspoke.

7218
07:21:45,498 --> 07:21:48,568
sometimes there is the budget officer who is available

7219
07:21:48,568 --> 07:21:51,568
nonetheless. Okay, you guys budgeted $36.9

7220
07:21:52,505 --> 07:21:55,505
million for overtime. In fy 25.

7221
07:21:56,410 --> 07:21:59,311
we know you spent more than that, spent about 61 million.

7222
07:21:59,311 --> 07:22:03,449
yes, ma'am. We already know what you have

7223
07:22:03,449 --> 07:22:06,180
going on this year is going to be insufficient.

7224
07:22:06,180 --> 07:22:09,589
so how much has mpd spent on overtime to date for fy 26?

7225
07:22:09,589 --> 07:22:11,323
I don't have the exact information.

7226
07:22:11,323 --> 07:22:13,326
I do have miss campbell here. She may be able to speak to

7227
07:22:13,326 --> 07:22:16,128
that. Do you only have her come up so

7228
07:22:16,128 --> 07:22:18,531
she can speak to it? I'm sure this is not my hearing.

7229
07:22:18,531 --> 07:22:20,200
can can he phone a friend? Do you mind if I have?

7230
07:22:20,200 --> 07:22:21,802
miss? Director of resource

7231
07:22:21,802 --> 07:22:22,568
accountability. Oh, absolutely.

7232
07:22:22,568 --> 07:22:24,203
come on up. We just need to swear you in

7233
07:22:24,203 --> 07:22:27,540
quickly. Sure, we can pause the clock for

7234
07:22:27,540 --> 07:22:31,140
a second if you. Oh, yeah.

7235
07:22:31,711 --> 07:22:34,180
I didn't know we had bright lights.

7236
07:22:34,180 --> 07:22:37,717
bright lights, big city. All right.

7237
07:22:37,717 --> 07:22:39,518
welcome, akima. Will you stop the clock, please?

7238
07:22:39,518 --> 07:22:41,487
thank you so much. If you can state your name and

7239
07:22:41,487 --> 07:22:46,192
position for the record, you got to turn your mic on.

7240
07:22:46,192 --> 07:22:49,161
patricia campbell, director of resource accountability.

7241
07:22:49,161 --> 07:22:50,595
great. And I'm just going to swear you

7242
07:22:50,595 --> 07:22:52,431
in quickly if you can raise your right hand.

7243
07:22:52,431 --> 07:22:55,901
do you swear or affirm under penalty of law that the

7244
07:22:55,901 --> 07:22:58,370
testimony you're about to provide before this committee

7245
07:22:58,370 --> 07:23:00,940
and the council of the district of columbia is the truth, the

7246
07:23:00,940 --> 07:23:02,992
whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

7247
07:23:02,992 --> 07:23:03,760
yes, ma'am. Thank you.

7248
07:23:03,760 --> 07:23:06,996
go ahead. Okay, so the question was about

7249
07:23:06,996 --> 07:23:09,966
how much mpd has spent on overtime in fy 26.

7250
07:23:09,966 --> 07:23:14,766
to date. 26, if you give me one second.

7251
07:23:17,600 --> 07:23:21,806
and gross overtime. Yeah, gross overtime is at $41

7252
07:23:22,612 --> 07:23:25,612
million, 41.6 for fy 26. Yes, ma'am.

7253
07:23:26,215 --> 07:23:31,150
is february okay? So we're for fiscal year 26.

7254
07:23:31,254 --> 07:23:34,254
yes. 26.8 of that is local.

7255
07:23:35,240 --> 07:23:40,763
and oh okay. So 26.8 of that is local out of

7256
07:23:40,763 --> 07:23:44,363
the 60, 41.6, 41.6 and 14.8 of that is non-local.

7257
07:23:46,102 --> 07:23:48,638
okay. I'm gonna ask a clarifying

7258
07:23:48,638 --> 07:23:50,840
question, chief. So they were pre-hearing

7259
07:23:50,840 --> 07:23:53,710
responses that were provided. There's a chart that is attached

7260
07:23:53,710 --> 07:23:59,710
to question 47, and that is about the top overtime earners,

7261
07:23:59,749 --> 07:24:03,319
which listed, you know, several sergeants, lieutenants,

7262
07:24:03,319 --> 07:24:06,255
captains, etc. At that part. Not the problem.

7263
07:24:06,255 --> 07:24:12,255
the chart shows that the top overtime earner took home

7264
07:24:12,595 --> 07:24:17,300
103,000 in overtime, and that their base salary was 40, and

7265
07:24:17,300 --> 07:24:20,837
that the second earner took home $100,000 in overtime, and that

7266
07:24:20,837 --> 07:24:23,941
their base salary was 38. And I'm trying to understand

7267
07:24:23,941 --> 07:24:29,312
whether or not those numbers were reversed or is that chart

7268
07:24:29,312 --> 07:24:32,312
accurate? It is accurate, ma'am.

7269
07:24:33,116 --> 07:24:35,116
it's accurate. Okay.

7270
07:24:35,317 --> 07:24:40,717
she said it was accurate. So that seems that's.

7271
07:24:42,725 --> 07:24:44,426
what I'm gonna ask. I'm sorry.

7272
07:24:44,426 --> 07:24:44,894
no. Go ahead.

7273
07:24:44,894 --> 07:24:47,297
you're referring to fy 26, right?

7274
07:24:47,297 --> 07:24:48,898
no. I think the chart that was

7275
07:24:48,898 --> 07:24:52,498
attached was regarding fy 27 or fy 25.

7276
07:24:52,568 --> 07:24:55,405
I think we have both in there. I think we have 25 and 26.

7277
07:24:55,405 --> 07:24:59,500
the portion thereof inside the questions.

7278
07:24:59,342 --> 07:25:01,811
okay. But overall in general that

7279
07:25:01,811 --> 07:25:05,810
seems off that somebody has a base salary of $38,000, but is

7280
07:25:05,810 --> 07:25:06,917
able to earn $100,000 in overtime.

7281
07:25:06,917 --> 07:25:08,718
I don't see any. There's no sworn member that has

7282
07:25:08,718 --> 07:25:11,718
a base salary of $38,000. Okay.

7283
07:25:12,555 --> 07:25:15,425
that's why I asked if the chart is accurate.

7284
07:25:15,425 --> 07:25:16,859
no, I don't have the chart in front of me.

7285
07:25:16,859 --> 07:25:19,928
that's why again, that's okay. So we'll ask some follow up

7286
07:25:19,928 --> 07:25:21,999
questions on that. Yes I got three minutes.

7287
07:25:21,999 --> 07:25:26,199
so let me keep moving really quickly.

7288
07:25:26,502 --> 07:25:28,671
I recently got the department of insurance, securities and

7289
07:25:28,671 --> 07:25:30,406
banking as part of my committee, and I chair the committee on

7290
07:25:30,406 --> 07:25:34,344
health is the financial crimes unit at mpd still active?

7291
07:25:34,344 --> 07:25:36,146
so there is a financial and cyber crimes.

7292
07:25:36,146 --> 07:25:37,880
it's a very small unit compared to what it was.

7293
07:25:37,880 --> 07:25:40,450
I believe there's three people that are currently in there.

7294
07:25:40,450 --> 07:25:44,200
a lot of it is work with other federal agencies.

7295
07:25:44,200 --> 07:25:46,122
three people. Yeah, at this point for both

7296
07:25:46,122 --> 07:25:48,757
financial crimes and cybersecurity, it's all one

7297
07:25:48,757 --> 07:25:50,757
unit. Okay.

7298
07:25:50,760 --> 07:25:52,595
formerly it was called check and fraud years ago.

7299
07:25:52,595 --> 07:25:56,195
but yeah, okay. Is that sufficient?

7300
07:25:59,302 --> 07:26:02,505
a lot of the crimes that occur in that arena are federally

7301
07:26:02,505 --> 07:26:04,440
related crimes. So that's why the task.

7302
07:26:04,440 --> 07:26:06,775
so the challenge with that is, is working with the federal

7303
07:26:06,775 --> 07:26:09,512
agencies that really have the authorities to to further delve

7304
07:26:09,512 --> 07:26:11,114
into that, the fbi and other things.

7305
07:26:11,114 --> 07:26:13,982
so a lot of those investigations are joint investigations where

7306
07:26:13,982 --> 07:26:17,120
we work with them. Obviously, you know, as as we

7307
07:26:17,120 --> 07:26:18,721
talked about, we have a lot of staffing challenges.

7308
07:26:18,721 --> 07:26:21,257
so there's a competing interest. We would like to be able to put

7309
07:26:21,257 --> 07:26:23,926
more people in the unit for sure.

7310
07:26:23,926 --> 07:26:26,620
okay. I think that's one of those

7311
07:26:26,620 --> 07:26:29,799
questions too, of as we have all of these other sort of federal

7312
07:26:29,799 --> 07:26:33,169
responsibilities that occur, what's kind of being left behind

7313
07:26:33,169 --> 07:26:37,473
in terms of not necessarily getting the full attention in

7314
07:26:37,473 --> 07:26:40,344
terms of also, I think very important crimes?

7315
07:26:40,344 --> 07:26:41,744
no. And I think that's an area where

7316
07:26:41,744 --> 07:26:43,479
we're looking to have the federal government and some of

7317
07:26:43,479 --> 07:26:45,615
those agencies that really focus on that continue to support us

7318
07:26:45,615 --> 07:26:48,484
on that, because that is an area where they actually have some

7319
07:26:48,484 --> 07:26:50,220
expertise in as opposed to street patrol.

7320
07:26:50,220 --> 07:26:52,555
in terms of that overlap. I know that you talked about

7321
07:26:52,555 --> 07:26:56,627
like, oh, there are certain agencies for whom have a more

7322
07:26:56,627 --> 07:26:58,161
public facing interaction with the public.

7323
07:26:58,161 --> 07:27:00,763
I would say probably the secret service and park police are

7324
07:27:00,763 --> 07:27:02,431
amongst those. There's some other federal

7325
07:27:02,431 --> 07:27:05,368
agencies for whom they don't do traffic stops on a normal basis.

7326
07:27:05,368 --> 07:27:10,600
and we've seen some of the things in language that they

7327
07:27:10,600 --> 07:27:13,108
even I mean, last summer, last summer was like the wild, wild

7328
07:27:13,108 --> 07:27:15,778
west. But to be stopped at a traffic

7329
07:27:15,778 --> 07:27:18,915
stop and have a federal officer ask, what is your business in

7330
07:27:18,915 --> 07:27:21,117
the district as though the district is somehow closed?

7331
07:27:21,117 --> 07:27:25,922
like that tells me that person does not have training, but talk

7332
07:27:25,922 --> 07:27:29,392
to me a little bit about the scanner situation.

7333
07:27:29,392 --> 07:27:34,792
is it normal for. Is it normal for federal

7334
07:27:37,734 --> 07:27:41,104
agencies to have full access to our scanner?

7335
07:27:41,104 --> 07:27:43,206
what's this? I'm sorry, what's a scanner?

7336
07:27:43,206 --> 07:27:45,942
so, you know, I don't know. Police scanner.

7337
07:27:45,942 --> 07:27:46,809
oh. The radio.

7338
07:27:46,809 --> 07:27:47,811
yeah. For dispatch.

7339
07:27:47,811 --> 07:27:49,312
yeah. So our channels are encrypted.

7340
07:27:49,312 --> 07:27:51,281
they don't have access. Like there's no scanner that can

7341
07:27:51,281 --> 07:27:53,216
hear it. I think more so maybe you're

7342
07:27:53,216 --> 07:27:55,318
asking, are there federal agencies that have our channels?

7343
07:27:55,318 --> 07:27:57,787
there are some. Park police have our channels.

7344
07:27:57,787 --> 07:28:00,690
uniformed division, secret service have our channels like

7345
07:28:00,690 --> 07:28:03,930
our district channels. So there are some there are some

7346
07:28:03,930 --> 07:28:05,761
mutual aid or interagency channels that are federal

7347
07:28:05,761 --> 07:28:06,563
agencies have that are connected.

7348
07:28:06,563 --> 07:28:08,831
so when there's a situation, let's say that there's a call

7349
07:28:08,831 --> 07:28:10,968
that comes into ouc. And I want one call.

7350
07:28:10,968 --> 07:28:15,768
yes. How is it that a federal agent

7351
07:28:15,773 --> 07:28:18,741
would show up before you all? I think you're talking about a

7352
07:28:18,741 --> 07:28:20,810
specific case potentially to happen.

7353
07:28:20,810 --> 07:28:23,379
maybe there could be another agency like park police or

7354
07:28:23,379 --> 07:28:25,782
another agency that has the radio zone that can hear the

7355
07:28:25,782 --> 07:28:27,518
call come out, and they can arrive on the scene just by

7356
07:28:27,518 --> 07:28:31,254
listening to it, but they would have to call in back to dispatch

7357
07:28:31,254 --> 07:28:32,723
to say, we're going or no, no, they can just go.

7358
07:28:32,723 --> 07:28:35,580
they can just hear the run and they could just show up on the

7359
07:28:35,580 --> 07:28:36,926
scene, the runs not being assigned to them.

7360
07:28:36,926 --> 07:28:38,428
we wouldn't assign it to a federal agency.

7361
07:28:38,428 --> 07:28:41,197
they would assign it to mpd officers that would arrive on

7362
07:28:41,197 --> 07:28:42,832
the scene. But other agencies that can hear

7363
07:28:42,832 --> 07:28:47,320
those transmissions could come to the area.

7364
07:28:49,305 --> 07:28:55,378
where I'm over my time, but I know they got this.

7365
07:28:55,378 --> 07:29:00,178
I just because you. There's nothing new they've

7366
07:29:02,218 --> 07:29:04,620
they've had like park police and secret service, capitol police.

7367
07:29:04,620 --> 07:29:06,689
that's nothing new. I understand that I understand

7368
07:29:06,689 --> 07:29:09,525
we're in a different situation, but park police, I feel like

7369
07:29:09,525 --> 07:29:11,972
again, park police and secret service are very different in

7370
07:29:11,972 --> 07:29:15,276
terms of their interaction. They're they're dealing with

7371
07:29:15,276 --> 07:29:17,144
people, secret service. They deal with children.

7372
07:29:17,144 --> 07:29:18,578
right. Come up to the white house

7373
07:29:18,578 --> 07:29:21,782
around the federal enclave, etc. I'm just trying to understand,

7374
07:29:21,782 --> 07:29:25,520
and I think the public is trying to understand if I call 911, are

7375
07:29:25,520 --> 07:29:29,557
you showing up or or is femme showing up or is ice showing up?

7376
07:29:29,557 --> 07:29:31,593
yeah. And that part is real gray right

7377
07:29:31,593 --> 07:29:34,295
now. Well, I can say if you call 911

7378
07:29:34,295 --> 07:29:37,130
mpd showing up, can other agencies hear those calls that

7379
07:29:37,130 --> 07:29:39,567
have those radio channels? Absolutely they can.

7380
07:29:39,567 --> 07:29:42,103
but mpd is being dispatched to call on mpd is responding.

7381
07:29:42,103 --> 07:29:45,940
I think that makes it a little. You see now the uneasiness of

7382
07:29:45,940 --> 07:29:48,341
some people calling for help. No, I definitely understand.

7383
07:29:48,341 --> 07:29:50,644
I'm not saying it's a situation that we want to be in or where

7384
07:29:50,644 --> 07:29:52,547
we want to be, but I want to make sure that we're transparent

7385
07:29:52,547 --> 07:29:55,483
and clear on what can what the state is right now.

7386
07:29:55,483 --> 07:29:57,251
like that's what the state is. Thank you.

7387
07:29:57,251 --> 07:29:59,190
thank you for thank you, counselor henderson.

7388
07:29:59,190 --> 07:30:01,856
guys, I've got to ask you again, please.

7389
07:30:01,856 --> 07:30:05,359
you cannot respond in this way. It's not right.

7390
07:30:05,359 --> 07:30:08,229
we are trying to ask questions. We're going to treat everybody

7391
07:30:08,229 --> 07:30:13,290
with respect in this room, in this committee.

7392
07:30:13,134 --> 07:30:16,734
councilmember parker, thank you. Chief carol.

7393
07:30:17,905 --> 07:30:22,760
mayor bowser has denied collaboration between mpd and

7394
07:30:22,760 --> 07:30:25,913
ice, publicly stating, quote, ice is not patrolling with mpd.

7395
07:30:25,913 --> 07:30:29,517
end quote unquote. Mpd is not giving the federal

7396
07:30:29,517 --> 07:30:33,255
government anybody, end quote. This claim was repeated in your

7397
07:30:33,255 --> 07:30:35,890
letter to the council on january 10th.

7398
07:30:35,890 --> 07:30:39,459
yet there have been many videos. There is a lot of testimony

7399
07:30:39,459 --> 07:30:43,998
today. We then heard at a november anc

7400
07:30:43,998 --> 07:30:48,169
eight, a meeting that from lieutenant karen roberts, who

7401
07:30:48,169 --> 07:30:51,405
said, quote, we are working with ice.

7402
07:30:51,405 --> 07:30:56,477
what accounts for the gap in the executive's statements about

7403
07:30:56,477 --> 07:30:59,477
collaboration with federal immigration authorities?

7404
07:30:59,881 --> 07:31:02,417
yeah. So I can't speak to what

7405
07:31:02,417 --> 07:31:05,850
accounts for the discrepancy. What I can tell you is we're not

7406
07:31:05,850 --> 07:31:08,255
working with ice enforcement removal operations, which is

7407
07:31:08,255 --> 07:31:12,526
your what people refer to as ice that come out and remove and do

7408
07:31:12,526 --> 07:31:15,620
civil immigration enforcement. With that being said, there was

7409
07:31:15,620 --> 07:31:19,633
a time period during the the crime emergency when president

7410
07:31:19,633 --> 07:31:23,380
trump initiated the emergency, when we were you know, chief

7411
07:31:23,380 --> 07:31:26,730
smith spoke about that. Since that time frame, we have

7412
07:31:26,730 --> 07:31:29,543
not been patrolling with the they call themselves ero, but

7413
07:31:29,543 --> 07:31:31,312
the enforcement removal operations.

7414
07:31:31,312 --> 07:31:33,814
there are other agencies in the city that do patrol with them.

7415
07:31:33,814 --> 07:31:36,317
yeah. Ice is the ero is the common

7416
07:31:36,317 --> 07:31:38,985
term for that is ice. We are not patrolling with them.

7417
07:31:38,985 --> 07:31:40,921
there are other agencies that do patrol with them.

7418
07:31:40,921 --> 07:31:44,725
they are in the city. And how how do you define

7419
07:31:44,725 --> 07:31:48,325
collaboration? How do I define collaboration?

7420
07:31:48,496 --> 07:31:51,799
because maybe that explains the discrepancy, that there is some

7421
07:31:51,799 --> 07:31:55,536
way you're defining or the mayor is defining collaboration, that

7422
07:31:55,536 --> 07:31:56,804
the public is not? Yes.

7423
07:31:56,804 --> 07:31:59,273
I mean, I would define collaboration as like for

7424
07:31:59,273 --> 07:32:00,674
example, are we riding with them?

7425
07:32:00,674 --> 07:32:02,900
are we out on the scene with them?

7426
07:32:02,900 --> 07:32:05,545
we are not on any teams with the ice ero teams that are out

7427
07:32:05,545 --> 07:32:07,214
there. We have not been since the end

7428
07:32:07,214 --> 07:32:08,615
of the emergency that's out there.

7429
07:32:08,615 --> 07:32:12,190
we are not providing information to isauro once people are in

7430
07:32:12,190 --> 07:32:14,550
custody. Those are, as we talk about the

7431
07:32:14,550 --> 07:32:15,322
the d.c. Code. We're not allowed to do that.

7432
07:32:15,322 --> 07:32:18,125
we are not allowed to ask individuals about their

7433
07:32:18,125 --> 07:32:20,940
immigration status. We're not allowed to share that

7434
07:32:20,940 --> 07:32:22,230
information. So that's what I call

7435
07:32:22,230 --> 07:32:24,899
collaboration. We're not we're not going out

7436
07:32:24,899 --> 07:32:27,635
with ice. Ero ikaro is going out on their

7437
07:32:27,635 --> 07:32:28,970
own. They are going out with other

7438
07:32:28,970 --> 07:32:30,838
agencies. They are not on teams that we

7439
07:32:30,838 --> 07:32:33,974
are on. So that's what I would define

7440
07:32:33,974 --> 07:32:35,509
collaboration. I don't know if there's a

7441
07:32:35,509 --> 07:32:36,510
different interpretation. Maybe.

7442
07:32:36,510 --> 07:32:40,247
are you privy to the office of police complaints?

7443
07:32:40,247 --> 07:32:43,384
the formal complaints that have been made about collaboration?

7444
07:32:43,384 --> 07:32:45,853
I know there have been some. I had the opportunity to hear

7445
07:32:45,853 --> 07:32:48,522
the the earlier hearing. With that, the specifics of

7446
07:32:48,522 --> 07:32:50,557
them, I do not know. And obviously any complaint that

7447
07:32:50,557 --> 07:32:53,590
comes into opc, just like when they come to mpd and we refer

7448
07:32:53,590 --> 07:32:56,263
them to opc, I know they'll follow up and investigate those

7449
07:32:56,263 --> 07:32:58,990
complaints. A lot of times in these

7450
07:32:58,990 --> 07:33:00,340
situations, folks don't know who's out there.

7451
07:33:00,340 --> 07:33:02,270
I think we've been highlighted inside some of the community

7452
07:33:02,270 --> 07:33:03,938
comments. They see people in tactical

7453
07:33:03,938 --> 07:33:05,206
vest. They don't know what agency

7454
07:33:05,206 --> 07:33:08,175
they're with. So again, they refer those for

7455
07:33:08,175 --> 07:33:10,479
further investigation as they should if they believe it's

7456
07:33:10,479 --> 07:33:12,214
misconduct. Okay.

7457
07:33:12,214 --> 07:33:15,916
more to come on that I would just say it was unsatisfying.

7458
07:33:15,916 --> 07:33:20,121
we heard literally in a matter of ten minutes that there were

7459
07:33:20,121 --> 07:33:22,689
no formal complaints. There were three formal

7460
07:33:22,689 --> 07:33:24,559
complaints. There were less than a dozen,

7461
07:33:24,559 --> 07:33:27,940
but more than three. And then there was a number of

7462
07:33:27,940 --> 07:33:30,631
87 thrown out. So there's still a level of

7463
07:33:30,631 --> 07:33:33,702
ambiguity about how many formal complaints there actually have

7464
07:33:33,702 --> 07:33:35,970
been. Do you have a sense of how many

7465
07:33:35,970 --> 07:33:38,439
formal complaints have been made about collaboration?

7466
07:33:38,439 --> 07:33:41,408
I do not know what opc has received, any any complaint that

7467
07:33:41,408 --> 07:33:43,144
we receive. Citizen complaints were required

7468
07:33:43,144 --> 07:33:45,780
to refer them to opc for determination.

7469
07:33:45,780 --> 07:33:48,490
they determine if they're going to investigate it or they can

7470
07:33:48,490 --> 07:33:51,652
refer back to us if it doesn't meet their their mandated

7471
07:33:51,652 --> 07:33:53,540
requirements. But we have to give them to them

7472
07:33:53,540 --> 07:33:55,656
and then they would send it back or they handle it so they would

7473
07:33:55,656 --> 07:33:57,458
be the place to to provide you with those.

7474
07:33:57,458 --> 07:34:01,395
the full picture of that on october 17th, mpd was patrolling

7475
07:34:01,395 --> 07:34:05,166
in collaboration with five federal agencies, including

7476
07:34:05,166 --> 07:34:07,735
homeland security, and in the midst of a traffic stop for a

7477
07:34:07,735 --> 07:34:13,700
car missing a front tag, a homeland security member shot a

7478
07:34:13,700 --> 07:34:16,844
d.c. Resident, philip brown's car, leaving bullet holes in the

7479
07:34:16,844 --> 07:34:19,460
driver's side window and passenger seat.

7480
07:34:19,460 --> 07:34:24,180
mr. Brown was then arrested. No gunfire was recorded in the

7481
07:34:24,180 --> 07:34:27,180
initial mpd public incident report.

7482
07:34:27,870 --> 07:34:30,491
during court proceedings, however, mpd officer jason

7483
07:34:30,491 --> 07:34:34,695
sterling informed the court that a superior or unit team lead

7484
07:34:34,695 --> 07:34:39,333
advised him not to document the gunshots fired by a homeland

7485
07:34:39,333 --> 07:34:42,933
security officer. In response to pre-hearing

7486
07:34:44,710 --> 07:34:47,608
questions, 188 mpd did not explain the status of its

7487
07:34:47,608 --> 07:34:50,377
internal affairs investigation of this incident.

7488
07:34:50,377 --> 07:34:52,179
can you provide an update? Sure.

7489
07:34:52,179 --> 07:34:54,582
so internal affairs. So my understanding with that is

7490
07:34:54,582 --> 07:34:56,985
there were two reports that were taken, one which described the

7491
07:34:56,985 --> 07:34:59,190
incident and there was one for discharge of a firearm that was

7492
07:34:59,190 --> 07:35:02,589
taken by internal affairs. So I think that's where the

7493
07:35:02,589 --> 07:35:05,492
confusion came in with that. With that being said, my

7494
07:35:05,492 --> 07:35:08,595
understanding with that case is internal affairs gather the

7495
07:35:08,595 --> 07:35:09,730
information. They present it to the united

7496
07:35:09,730 --> 07:35:12,199
states attorney's office, who then decline the information.

7497
07:35:12,199 --> 07:35:14,935
once that's declined by the us attorney's office for

7498
07:35:14,935 --> 07:35:18,380
prosecution, then it's returned to the home agency for any

7499
07:35:18,380 --> 07:35:19,406
administrative investigations as it relates to that.

7500
07:35:19,406 --> 07:35:22,419
so at this point, since there is no there's been a criminal

7501
07:35:22,419 --> 07:35:24,621
declination by united states attorney's office, it's then

7502
07:35:24,621 --> 07:35:27,858
referred back to the home agency for their administrative agency

7503
07:35:27,858 --> 07:35:28,658
being phc. No.

7504
07:35:28,658 --> 07:35:30,827
the home agency is where the officer is assigned to.

7505
07:35:30,827 --> 07:35:34,640
so in this case, it's an. Officer.

7506
07:35:34,640 --> 07:35:37,934
so see, because their policies and their procedures of how they

7507
07:35:37,934 --> 07:35:41,370
report use of force, their policies about how they they do

7508
07:35:41,370 --> 07:35:44,107
is not the same as mpd. They have their own policies

7509
07:35:44,107 --> 07:35:46,510
that that are guided by their own internal investigation.

7510
07:35:46,510 --> 07:35:50,981
has there been to the allegation that jason sterling was told by

7511
07:35:50,981 --> 07:35:54,251
a unit lead not to record what happened at the scene?

7512
07:35:54,251 --> 07:35:56,853
I can't speak to that. I don't know, that's something I

7513
07:35:56,853 --> 07:35:58,789
have to follow up with you. I do know there was a report

7514
07:35:58,789 --> 07:36:01,458
that did discharge that did complete that for discharge of a

7515
07:36:01,458 --> 07:36:03,193
firearm. I know we put out a press

7516
07:36:03,193 --> 07:36:06,263
release saying the mpd internal affairs was investigating that.

7517
07:36:06,263 --> 07:36:08,799
so I know publicly we acknowledge that we were

7518
07:36:08,799 --> 07:36:10,133
investigating that. I can't speak right now.

7519
07:36:10,133 --> 07:36:11,902
I have to follow up with you on that.

7520
07:36:11,902 --> 07:36:15,502
okay. So because the us attorney's

7521
07:36:16,540 --> 07:36:19,843
office declined to take up the matter, it was referred back to

7522
07:36:19,843 --> 07:36:22,130
the home agency. And what I'm also hearing you

7523
07:36:22,130 --> 07:36:25,749
say is mpd is doing its own internal investigation.

7524
07:36:25,749 --> 07:36:28,185
no. So when it comes to outside law

7525
07:36:28,185 --> 07:36:31,880
enforcement agencies, mpd's role in the investigation is just

7526
07:36:31,880 --> 07:36:32,122
that. No, I get that.

7527
07:36:32,122 --> 07:36:35,659
but we have and I have the reference here.

7528
07:36:35,659 --> 07:36:40,630
so according to mpd police academy guidance on basic report

7529
07:36:40,630 --> 07:36:43,433
writing, incident reports must include factual details of the

7530
07:36:43,433 --> 07:36:46,803
incident, including who, what, when, where, how and why.

7531
07:36:46,803 --> 07:36:51,300
mpd executive order 19 009 states that arrest information

7532
07:36:51,341 --> 07:36:54,578
is automatically uploaded to the force incident report,

7533
07:36:54,578 --> 07:36:59,249
indicating the documentation of a use of force is suffused with

7534
07:36:59,249 --> 07:37:01,518
arrest information and as well as d.c. Law.

7535
07:37:01,518 --> 07:37:07,240
so we know that according to the allegations by this officer, not

7536
07:37:07,240 --> 07:37:11,428
only was dc law broken, but mpd protocol was broken.

7537
07:37:11,428 --> 07:37:12,864
so you're talking two different things.

7538
07:37:12,864 --> 07:37:15,465
so the force investigative reporting system is if an mpd

7539
07:37:15,465 --> 07:37:18,202
member uses force, then there's a report that they have to

7540
07:37:18,202 --> 07:37:21,972
complete. Know what I'm talking about is

7541
07:37:21,972 --> 07:37:24,841
the requirement to record what happened at the scene.

7542
07:37:24,841 --> 07:37:27,610
so that so yeah. So I'm trying to make sure that

7543
07:37:27,610 --> 07:37:28,811
we're we're on the same path here.

7544
07:37:28,811 --> 07:37:32,149
I guess maybe if we push it, push apart the side about the

7545
07:37:32,149 --> 07:37:35,351
actual shooting, if there's an allegation of misconduct on the

7546
07:37:35,351 --> 07:37:37,387
officer. Now I want to be clear.

7547
07:37:37,387 --> 07:37:38,956
so like that's let's be clear about this.

7548
07:37:38,956 --> 07:37:41,492
so if we push it aside and we address that, if we're talking

7549
07:37:41,492 --> 07:37:44,260
about did the officer engage in misconduct by not including in

7550
07:37:44,260 --> 07:37:45,762
the report. That would be a separate

7551
07:37:45,762 --> 07:37:49,300
investigation by mpd internal. So that's what I'm asking you

7552
07:37:49,300 --> 07:37:50,767
about. And you're saying and I'm saying

7553
07:37:50,767 --> 07:37:52,569
I'm not insight. I'm saying I can't tell you

7554
07:37:52,569 --> 07:37:54,338
right now. Again, I don't want to sit here

7555
07:37:54,338 --> 07:37:55,706
and misspeak and tell you there is or isn't.

7556
07:37:55,706 --> 07:37:57,574
I want to give you the correct answer to that.

7557
07:37:57,574 --> 07:38:00,377
is there anybody here today that can give us an update on that?

7558
07:38:00,377 --> 07:38:01,911
no, I don't think there is. At this point.

7559
07:38:01,911 --> 07:38:03,781
we would need to make sure again, I want to make sure that

7560
07:38:03,781 --> 07:38:05,915
we can give you the actual information.

7561
07:38:05,915 --> 07:38:10,870
so I imagine there is no update on whether disciplinary action

7562
07:38:10,870 --> 07:38:11,988
has been taken. I guess.

7563
07:38:11,988 --> 07:38:14,992
I don't know at this point what where the status is with that.

7564
07:38:14,992 --> 07:38:17,595
so I need to get back to you. If the investigation has been

7565
07:38:17,595 --> 07:38:19,396
completed or not. Obviously that would drive

7566
07:38:19,396 --> 07:38:22,598
forward, but you would agree that would be a breach of mpd

7567
07:38:22,598 --> 07:38:23,734
protocol. I would agree that it would need

7568
07:38:23,734 --> 07:38:26,536
to be investigated to determine was there a breach of policy or

7569
07:38:26,536 --> 07:38:29,740
not. If a unit officer told another

7570
07:38:29,740 --> 07:38:32,976
officer not to record something that happened, that is a breach

7571
07:38:32,976 --> 07:38:35,450
of mpd protocol, is that not right?

7572
07:38:35,450 --> 07:38:37,514
it sounds like it, yes, it does, but what I'm going to say is

7573
07:38:37,514 --> 07:38:39,949
every member has the right to an investigation of potential

7574
07:38:39,949 --> 07:38:41,718
misconduct. So I don't want to sit here and

7575
07:38:41,718 --> 07:38:45,288
prejudge without investigation being done because they do have

7576
07:38:45,288 --> 07:38:46,723
procedural rights. And I want to make sure that

7577
07:38:46,723 --> 07:38:48,125
it's accurate information. Okay.

7578
07:38:48,125 --> 07:38:51,995
but yes, on their commitment to provide a timeline to the

7579
07:38:51,995 --> 07:38:56,300
council, how long we should wait for this investigation and

7580
07:38:56,300 --> 07:38:57,000
follow up. Sure.

7581
07:38:57,000 --> 07:39:00,170
so I think within a week we can give you a response of where

7582
07:39:00,170 --> 07:39:00,771
we're at with it. Okay.

7583
07:39:00,771 --> 07:39:04,408
if not, I appreciate that. I appreciate it is full body

7584
07:39:04,408 --> 07:39:08,378
police body camera footage of this incident available?

7585
07:39:08,378 --> 07:39:11,515
I believe they're I'm not sure. Again, I don't want to misspeak

7586
07:39:11,515 --> 07:39:12,915
on this. My understanding on this

7587
07:39:12,915 --> 07:39:14,785
incident because there was two different situations.

7588
07:39:14,785 --> 07:39:16,987
and that's why I want to make sure that we're on the right

7589
07:39:16,987 --> 07:39:18,922
one. The officers weren't there when

7590
07:39:18,922 --> 07:39:20,590
it actually happened. They got these shortly

7591
07:39:20,590 --> 07:39:22,590
thereafter. However, d.c. Code does not

7592
07:39:22,590 --> 07:39:25,562
allow for us to release mpd members bwcs if they're not

7593
07:39:25,562 --> 07:39:28,198
involved in the serious use of force.

7594
07:39:28,198 --> 07:39:32,736
okay, I am privy to the fact that some council members have

7595
07:39:32,736 --> 07:39:36,406
seen the footage. I am also told that community

7596
07:39:36,406 --> 07:39:38,942
members want to see the footage, but they haven't been able to

7597
07:39:38,942 --> 07:39:40,711
access it. Is there a reason why the

7598
07:39:40,711 --> 07:39:42,479
community may not be able to access the footage?

7599
07:39:42,479 --> 07:39:45,820
because the law does not provide for that.

7600
07:39:45,820 --> 07:39:47,851
the law provides that mpd member has to be involved in the

7601
07:39:47,851 --> 07:39:49,619
serious use of force for it to be released.

7602
07:39:49,619 --> 07:39:51,689
the process. There has to be a great public

7603
07:39:51,689 --> 07:39:53,557
interest. The only other way underneath

7604
07:39:53,557 --> 07:39:55,692
the law. Again, this this is the law, not

7605
07:39:55,692 --> 07:39:58,940
mpd policy is there has to be a great public interest.

7606
07:39:58,940 --> 07:40:02,465
then I think council member pinto introduced emergency

7607
07:40:02,465 --> 07:40:05,568
legislation yesterday that would make that would change that

7608
07:40:05,568 --> 07:40:08,905
policy. Does mpd support that change?

7609
07:40:08,905 --> 07:40:11,308
I haven't I've heard tangentially of what that looks

7610
07:40:11,308 --> 07:40:12,942
like. I haven't had the time to delve

7611
07:40:12,942 --> 07:40:14,911
into it completely. I don't know what the impacts

7612
07:40:14,911 --> 07:40:17,913
would be for that specifically. I do know that that was that was

7613
07:40:17,913 --> 07:40:18,982
introduced by the council member.

7614
07:40:18,982 --> 07:40:21,184
maybe somebody else also introduced something similar.

7615
07:40:21,184 --> 07:40:21,818
the chairman? The chair?

7616
07:40:21,818 --> 07:40:24,453
yes. Again, I don't have the

7617
07:40:24,453 --> 07:40:26,322
specifics of that. Okay.

7618
07:40:26,322 --> 07:40:28,425
I'm going to move on for the sake of time.

7619
07:40:28,425 --> 07:40:32,362
but I needless to say, it's unsatisfying.

7620
07:40:32,362 --> 07:40:36,199
and I think for your credibility and the credibility of the

7621
07:40:36,199 --> 07:40:39,769
agency, we need to get to the bottom of what happened and to

7622
07:40:39,769 --> 07:40:43,390
repair trust, because trust is broken not only within the

7623
07:40:43,390 --> 07:40:45,442
community and the family that is heartbroken about what happened,

7624
07:40:45,442 --> 07:40:47,610
but the council, which is why we're moving.

7625
07:40:47,610 --> 07:40:50,480
I understand, I understand, but right now mpd is complying with

7626
07:40:50,480 --> 07:40:52,949
the law. We're bound by the law.

7627
07:40:52,949 --> 07:40:55,818
okay. At the february 11th performance

7628
07:40:55,818 --> 07:40:57,854
oversight hearing for the deputy mayor of public safety and

7629
07:40:57,854 --> 07:41:01,910
justice, deputy mayor pia suggested that incidents of

7630
07:41:01,910 --> 07:41:04,327
illicit collaboration between mpd and federal agents, such as

7631
07:41:04,327 --> 07:41:10,330
what occurred at d.c. Bilingual on september 25th, 2025, are

7632
07:41:10,330 --> 07:41:13,636
isolated and not systemic. Deputy mayor appiah noted that

7633
07:41:13,636 --> 07:41:17,107
there is, quote, not the level of immigration enforcement in

7634
07:41:17,107 --> 07:41:18,976
the district that people think is happening.

7635
07:41:18,976 --> 07:41:21,178
end quote. She seemed to suggest that the

7636
07:41:21,178 --> 07:41:25,181
evidence of collaboration was slim and didn't hold up to mpd

7637
07:41:25,181 --> 07:41:27,784
scrutiny. Do you agree with this

7638
07:41:27,784 --> 07:41:31,959
impression? And what what what evidence do

7639
07:41:31,959 --> 07:41:34,829
you have to support such a claim?

7640
07:41:34,829 --> 07:41:39,500
yeah, and if I can say one additional thing, where we are

7641
07:41:39,500 --> 07:41:44,405
sitting, we see videos, we hear anecdotes, we hear day long

7642
07:41:44,405 --> 07:41:46,640
testimony where people are saying, this is what we're

7643
07:41:46,640 --> 07:41:50,611
seeing, seeing and hearing. And we hear the deputy mayor, we

7644
07:41:50,611 --> 07:41:52,347
hear mpd say, oh, that's not happening.

7645
07:41:52,347 --> 07:41:57,251
so my question is, prove it. How do you assure us that it's

7646
07:41:57,251 --> 07:41:58,820
not happening? What are you looking at to prove

7647
07:41:58,820 --> 07:42:00,540
that? It's not sure.

7648
07:42:00,540 --> 07:42:02,256
so obviously, it'd be great if we could come in here and have

7649
07:42:02,256 --> 07:42:04,325
some empirical data. Some numbers say, hey, x, y, z.

7650
07:42:04,325 --> 07:42:06,394
and I know that's what people like to have.

7651
07:42:06,394 --> 07:42:09,563
with that being said, if this was happening on such a large

7652
07:42:09,563 --> 07:42:13,234
scale as it is, there are 2 or 3 isolated incidents that have

7653
07:42:13,234 --> 07:42:15,703
received a lot of attention that's out there, and one of

7654
07:42:15,703 --> 07:42:18,472
which you spoke about that's out there, but you're not seeing

7655
07:42:18,472 --> 07:42:21,275
this on social media. It's not out here publicly.

7656
07:42:21,275 --> 07:42:25,113
there are there are individuals, obviously, that continue to push

7657
07:42:25,113 --> 07:42:26,380
that out there, but we're not seeing that.

7658
07:42:26,380 --> 07:42:28,715
so again, that's anecdotal and that's what the deputy mayor

7659
07:42:28,715 --> 07:42:30,184
said. We are not seeing it.

7660
07:42:30,184 --> 07:42:35,123
so then again today with the office of police complaints, I'm

7661
07:42:35,123 --> 07:42:35,723
asking. All right.

7662
07:42:35,723 --> 07:42:38,593
here are the formal complaints. They couldn't give me a concrete

7663
07:42:38,593 --> 07:42:40,695
number. You can't give me a concrete

7664
07:42:40,695 --> 07:42:42,997
number. So, you know, it feels like

7665
07:42:42,997 --> 07:42:44,464
gaslighting. You're like, yeah, file a

7666
07:42:44,464 --> 07:42:45,866
complaint if you see it happening.

7667
07:42:45,866 --> 07:42:49,570
but yet you don't have the data even there to back up how many

7668
07:42:49,570 --> 07:42:53,808
complaints we've received. Well, opc is not mpd, so I can't

7669
07:42:53,808 --> 07:42:55,676
provide their data and I don't have that information.

7670
07:42:55,676 --> 07:42:58,346
what I do have is the information that we do have.

7671
07:42:58,346 --> 07:43:01,148
and like I said again, it's anecdotal, but if this was

7672
07:43:01,148 --> 07:43:03,350
happening at some large scale prevalence, it would be all

7673
07:43:03,350 --> 07:43:04,985
over. Social media, we know, is all

7674
07:43:04,985 --> 07:43:06,687
over social media. We know there are a few.

7675
07:43:06,687 --> 07:43:09,424
there are a few incidents that are out there, right, that

7676
07:43:09,424 --> 07:43:12,561
continue to circle around there. So again, I can't provide opc's

7677
07:43:12,561 --> 07:43:14,829
data with that. I wish I could provide something

7678
07:43:14,829 --> 07:43:17,310
more more formal. If there is information out

7679
07:43:17,310 --> 07:43:19,767
there, we would ask that people provide that.

7680
07:43:19,767 --> 07:43:21,702
so that way we can investigate if members are violating the

7681
07:43:21,702 --> 07:43:24,338
policy or violating the law, then they'll be held and

7682
07:43:24,338 --> 07:43:26,842
addressed accountable. Okay, that's that's how that is.

7683
07:43:26,842 --> 07:43:28,509
good to hear that. We will hold that is good to

7684
07:43:28,509 --> 07:43:30,244
hear. So then my follow up question is

7685
07:43:30,244 --> 07:43:33,648
how many officers have been held accountable to date for

7686
07:43:33,648 --> 07:43:36,984
collaboration or stepping outside of mpd policy as it

7687
07:43:36,984 --> 07:43:38,119
relates to federal authorities? Sure.

7688
07:43:38,119 --> 07:43:39,921
and so at this point, like we talked about before, I don't

7689
07:43:39,921 --> 07:43:43,891
have that information, just like you said with opc.

7690
07:43:43,891 --> 07:43:46,610
again, again, we can go back and look at the cases and make sure

7691
07:43:46,610 --> 07:43:47,928
that we're clear. I don't want to sit here and I

7692
07:43:47,928 --> 07:43:49,163
understand there's a lot of pressure.

7693
07:43:49,163 --> 07:43:51,465
today is an oversight hearing. You had to know we were going to

7694
07:43:51,465 --> 07:43:54,135
ask you about this. You had to know that I would

7695
07:43:54,135 --> 07:43:57,538
think you would come in here to say I'm my fight is to rebuild

7696
07:43:57,538 --> 07:43:59,707
trust. And let me assure you that the

7697
07:43:59,707 --> 07:44:02,809
buck stops here. I'm glad to hear you say we're

7698
07:44:02,809 --> 07:44:05,913
going to hold officers accountable, but then it just

7699
07:44:05,913 --> 07:44:08,849
strikes me as odd that you would then say, oh, but we don't have

7700
07:44:08,849 --> 07:44:11,685
any numbers to back up. Okay, I have one more minute.

7701
07:44:11,685 --> 07:44:15,122
and then I know lewis george, councilmember lewis george is

7702
07:44:15,122 --> 07:44:20,940
ready to jump in. In your response to pre-hearing

7703
07:44:20,940 --> 07:44:25,494
question 115, mpd notes that mpd executive order 25 005 is still

7704
07:44:26,200 --> 07:44:30,438
in effect while the executive order clarifies the mpd officers

7705
07:44:30,438 --> 07:44:35,109
may not share information about individuals, mpd custody with

7706
07:44:35,109 --> 07:44:38,913
federal immigration officers or agencies, rather, mpd notes in

7707
07:44:38,913 --> 07:44:43,451
its answer to question 115 that officers are free to share

7708
07:44:43,451 --> 07:44:46,655
information about individuals involved in traffic stops and

7709
07:44:46,655 --> 07:44:50,457
can give federal immigration agents or detained subjects

7710
07:44:50,457 --> 07:44:53,794
rights. Yet mpd insists that this does

7711
07:44:53,794 --> 07:44:58,866
not amount to civil immigration enforcement, so that comes back

7712
07:44:58,866 --> 07:45:02,870
to what I was asking earlier how you define collaboration.

7713
07:45:02,870 --> 07:45:07,141
how is mpd coming to the conclusion that this is not

7714
07:45:07,141 --> 07:45:09,543
effectively engaging in civil immigration enforcement?

7715
07:45:09,543 --> 07:45:13,114
if you are sharing names and information of people that you

7716
07:45:13,114 --> 07:45:16,818
are engaging with in your line of duty, we're following the

7717
07:45:16,818 --> 07:45:18,552
law. The law is very specific, as we

7718
07:45:18,552 --> 07:45:21,355
talked about earlier, about when information can and cannot be

7719
07:45:21,355 --> 07:45:22,423
provided. Once an individual is in

7720
07:45:22,423 --> 07:45:25,894
custody, based on the law passed by the council, that information

7721
07:45:25,894 --> 07:45:27,961
cannot be shared. We didn't want to put our

7722
07:45:27,961 --> 07:45:30,798
officers in a situation where there was once the person is in

7723
07:45:30,798 --> 07:45:31,765
custody, that's what the law says.

7724
07:45:31,765 --> 07:45:33,701
absolutely. And we cite the law inside of

7725
07:45:33,701 --> 07:45:36,670
the executive order. Okay, walk with me.

7726
07:45:36,670 --> 07:45:41,475
if mpd officer pulls someone over, you're not in custody.

7727
07:45:41,475 --> 07:45:44,446
yet. You can't share their

7728
07:45:44,446 --> 07:45:45,647
information. We can share their information.

7729
07:45:45,647 --> 07:45:49,850
with that being said, we're not on patrol with ice, ero or civil

7730
07:45:49,850 --> 07:45:53,287
immigration authority folks that are out there, but there are

7731
07:45:53,287 --> 07:45:55,489
other agencies that have that authority that have not had in

7732
07:45:55,489 --> 07:45:57,858
the past the us marshals, the park police.

7733
07:45:57,858 --> 07:46:00,528
so if there's a park police officer that's there and they

7734
07:46:00,528 --> 07:46:03,831
decide to then flip that and do something and check that through

7735
07:46:03,831 --> 07:46:06,500
some database or whatever they may have have access to, they

7736
07:46:06,500 --> 07:46:09,603
have that ability to do that. So under oath, your testimony

7737
07:46:09,603 --> 07:46:14,274
today is mpd is not sharing the name or information of any

7738
07:46:14,274 --> 07:46:18,790
individuals prior to being taken into custody with any federal

7739
07:46:18,790 --> 07:46:20,147
agency. No, that's not what I'm saying,

7740
07:46:20,147 --> 07:46:21,549
okay? I'm not saying they were not

7741
07:46:21,549 --> 07:46:24,218
providing their information. No, the law is specific.

7742
07:46:24,218 --> 07:46:25,954
it says that once an individual is in custody.

7743
07:46:25,954 --> 07:46:27,554
so now I'm asking about the practice.

7744
07:46:27,554 --> 07:46:29,123
so we're clear. That was helpful.

7745
07:46:29,123 --> 07:46:31,891
so yes, prior to being taken into custody you can share

7746
07:46:31,891 --> 07:46:32,693
information. That's correct.

7747
07:46:32,693 --> 07:46:35,195
once they're in custody, you're saying mpd cannot share.

7748
07:46:35,195 --> 07:46:37,898
you cannot. So what we routinely hear about

7749
07:46:37,898 --> 07:46:41,902
are these pretextual traffic stops where all of a sudden now

7750
07:46:41,902 --> 07:46:46,206
people are seemingly being handed over to immigration

7751
07:46:46,206 --> 07:46:48,709
enforcement authorities. And what I'm asking you under

7752
07:46:48,709 --> 07:46:54,315
oath is you are assuring us that mpd is not authorizing that

7753
07:46:54,315 --> 07:46:55,316
behavior within the force. No.

7754
07:46:55,316 --> 07:46:58,118
and we're not sending officers out to do immigration

7755
07:46:58,118 --> 07:46:59,453
enforcement. We're not actually sending

7756
07:46:59,453 --> 07:47:03,457
officers out to take people to areas to do civil immigration

7757
07:47:03,457 --> 07:47:04,458
enforcement. That is not what we want to do.

7758
07:47:04,458 --> 07:47:06,894
that is not an area that we want to be in.

7759
07:47:06,894 --> 07:47:09,563
this is a situation that the city itself is in.

7760
07:47:09,563 --> 07:47:11,397
we don't want to be in these situations.

7761
07:47:11,397 --> 07:47:15,536
we are not going to violate the law.

7762
07:47:15,536 --> 07:47:19,140
okay, I am over time, I'm going to respect the clock and my

7763
07:47:19,140 --> 07:47:22,740
colleagues. Next on this list is

7764
07:47:23,745 --> 07:47:27,514
councilmember lewis george, council member white, I believe

7765
07:47:27,514 --> 07:47:29,283
is after that. So councilmember lewis george,

7766
07:47:29,283 --> 07:47:30,718
I'm going to turn to you. Yeah.

7767
07:47:30,718 --> 07:47:32,686
thank you. Good evening.

7768
07:47:32,686 --> 07:47:36,390
I want to start on february 11th.

7769
07:47:36,390 --> 07:47:41,480
julian bailey, a 43 year old father and son and a neighbor,

7770
07:47:41,480 --> 07:47:44,485
was shot and killed by u.s. Marshals.

7771
07:47:44,485 --> 07:47:48,121
I understand that mpd was originally called out to respond

7772
07:47:48,121 --> 07:47:52,960
to this incident, and that mr. Bailey was allegedly initially

7773
07:47:52,960 --> 07:47:56,964
involved in, and you all were there and now, and that mpd is

7774
07:47:56,964 --> 07:47:59,666
now conducting an investigation into what happened.

7775
07:47:59,666 --> 07:48:02,236
but I do believe our community deserves some answers right now.

7776
07:48:02,236 --> 07:48:06,540
and so I want to understand what happened at the convenience

7777
07:48:06,540 --> 07:48:10,345
store when mpd was still on the scene.

7778
07:48:10,345 --> 07:48:11,845
sure. Excuse me.

7779
07:48:11,845 --> 07:48:14,348
so some preliminary information that I have, and obviously this

7780
07:48:14,348 --> 07:48:16,830
is under investigation. So there's going to be a limit

7781
07:48:16,830 --> 07:48:19,154
to to what I can say about the actual officer involved shooting

7782
07:48:19,154 --> 07:48:22,690
portion of it, because internal affairs is investigating that

7783
07:48:22,690 --> 07:48:24,492
portion. Again, just like we talked about

7784
07:48:24,492 --> 07:48:26,227
earlier. They'll refer the information to

7785
07:48:26,227 --> 07:48:29,362
the u.s. Attorney's office for determination on prosecution

7786
07:48:29,362 --> 07:48:31,565
with that. Outside of that, as it relates

7787
07:48:31,565 --> 07:48:33,834
to the convenience store, a call came out.

7788
07:48:33,834 --> 07:48:35,703
officers responded to the convenience store.

7789
07:48:35,703 --> 07:48:38,506
mpd officers responded to the convenience store to

7790
07:48:38,506 --> 07:48:39,773
investigate. That call, I believe was an

7791
07:48:39,773 --> 07:48:41,575
individual. The call was for an individual I

7792
07:48:41,575 --> 07:48:43,110
believe that was armed with a gun.

7793
07:48:43,110 --> 07:48:46,460
when those officers were on the scene investigating that, that's

7794
07:48:46,460 --> 07:48:49,483
when other agencies, park police and marshals arrived on the

7795
07:48:49,483 --> 07:48:53,187
scene because they overheard those transmissions on the over

7796
07:48:53,187 --> 07:48:55,155
the radio. Okay.

7797
07:48:55,155 --> 07:48:58,959
and so at what point did mpd leave the scene at the

7798
07:48:58,959 --> 07:49:03,759
convenience store? My understanding is so after and

7799
07:49:04,398 --> 07:49:07,133
again, we can only go so far kind of into it so we don't

7800
07:49:07,133 --> 07:49:09,936
impede the investigations there. My understanding is the marshals

7801
07:49:09,936 --> 07:49:13,406
and the park police were there. They then left looking for the

7802
07:49:13,406 --> 07:49:15,943
individual. Shortly thereafter, mpd officers

7803
07:49:15,943 --> 07:49:18,112
left as well. I do know when the officer

7804
07:49:18,112 --> 07:49:20,314
involved shooting did occur. Mpd officers were not on the

7805
07:49:20,314 --> 07:49:22,416
scene of that. They arrived shortly thereafter.

7806
07:49:22,416 --> 07:49:29,723
and I guess I want to know why. Why did u.s. Marshals and park

7807
07:49:29,723 --> 07:49:33,427
police apprehend mr. Bailey without mpd present after the

7808
07:49:33,427 --> 07:49:36,970
fact? Because if you arrived on scene

7809
07:49:36,970 --> 07:49:38,298
and he was at the convenience store, I'm just trying to figure

7810
07:49:38,298 --> 07:49:43,103
out how he ended up. Then alone without metropolitan

7811
07:49:43,103 --> 07:49:46,400
police there with then park police and u.s. Marshals and

7812
07:49:46,400 --> 07:49:51,879
then being murdered. How did how did mpd leave this

7813
07:49:51,879 --> 07:49:54,715
scene and allow him to be left with u.s. Marshals and park

7814
07:49:54,715 --> 07:49:55,349
police? So, no.

7815
07:49:55,349 --> 07:49:58,319
so it didn't happen there. So the mpd officers were still

7816
07:49:58,319 --> 07:49:59,452
on the scene of the convenience store.

7817
07:49:59,452 --> 07:50:02,522
and this is my understanding, the situation when the marshals

7818
07:50:02,522 --> 07:50:06,127
and park police left looking for the individual.

7819
07:50:06,127 --> 07:50:09,129
so mpd was still at the at the convenience store when that

7820
07:50:09,129 --> 07:50:10,263
happened. When that happened, canvasing

7821
07:50:10,263 --> 07:50:13,901
for the individual. And let me ask you, why were the

7822
07:50:13,901 --> 07:50:17,404
u.s. Marshals and park police authorized to respond to this

7823
07:50:17,404 --> 07:50:21,842
call without mpd being present? So mpd was present at the

7824
07:50:21,842 --> 07:50:22,843
convenience store when the call came in.

7825
07:50:22,843 --> 07:50:24,345
they got the call, was dispatched.

7826
07:50:24,345 --> 07:50:26,447
I know what I mean. When they decided to leave, I

7827
07:50:26,447 --> 07:50:29,417
guess there were they responding to a lookout when they went to

7828
07:50:29,417 --> 07:50:30,284
go? Yeah.

7829
07:50:30,284 --> 07:50:32,586
and again, some of this is going to be a bit of assumption.

7830
07:50:32,586 --> 07:50:34,756
my assumption is that there is a lookout or some information that

7831
07:50:34,756 --> 07:50:36,824
was shared about the person that we're looking for.

7832
07:50:36,824 --> 07:50:39,593
I don't know if it was over the radio or if it was on the scene.

7833
07:50:39,593 --> 07:50:42,290
those are things that the investigation will ferret out

7834
07:50:42,290 --> 07:50:45,566
with that. But park police has the

7835
07:50:45,566 --> 07:50:47,735
authority. Park police has has the same as

7836
07:50:47,735 --> 07:50:49,103
the metropolitan police department across the city.

7837
07:50:49,103 --> 07:50:52,740
so they they don't need us to take police action.

7838
07:50:52,740 --> 07:50:54,975
they don't need us to take police action anywhere in the

7839
07:50:54,975 --> 07:50:57,177
city. They can do that unilaterally

7840
07:50:57,177 --> 07:50:58,378
without us. Why they chose to do that and

7841
07:50:58,378 --> 07:51:00,481
what they chose to do. I don't have that information.

7842
07:51:00,481 --> 07:51:03,249
obviously, part of the actual investigation into that

7843
07:51:03,249 --> 07:51:06,453
shooting, those types of questions will be will be asked.

7844
07:51:06,453 --> 07:51:11,557
and so if my thing is, if they responded to the original scene

7845
07:51:11,557 --> 07:51:15,362
at convenience store and they were further investigating, and

7846
07:51:15,362 --> 07:51:18,399
that's further investigation led them to looking for the

7847
07:51:18,399 --> 07:51:21,702
individual. Wouldn't mpd also be looking for

7848
07:51:21,702 --> 07:51:24,700
whatever individual they were looking for, and why would they

7849
07:51:24,700 --> 07:51:27,940
not be accompanying the other entities in looking for that

7850
07:51:27,940 --> 07:51:29,676
individual? I just I don't understand how

7851
07:51:29,676 --> 07:51:32,345
mpd was not on the scene of the shooting, you mean.

7852
07:51:32,345 --> 07:51:34,480
yes, of the shooting. My understanding is they were

7853
07:51:34,480 --> 07:51:36,551
still on scene gathering information from the initial

7854
07:51:36,551 --> 07:51:39,419
complainant. So the victim that called 911

7855
07:51:39,419 --> 07:51:42,622
about the the firearm or whatever the initial police call

7856
07:51:42,622 --> 07:51:45,158
was, they were still on the scene interviewing that that

7857
07:51:45,158 --> 07:51:47,961
that complainant when the other when the park police and the

7858
07:51:47,961 --> 07:51:50,310
marshals went to look. So what normally would happen in

7859
07:51:50,310 --> 07:51:53,500
a case like that, if it was mpd officers and another officer

7860
07:51:53,500 --> 07:51:56,102
from mpd had come to the scene and they went to canvass, is you

7861
07:51:56,102 --> 07:51:58,772
would make sure the officers that are on the scene of the

7862
07:51:58,772 --> 07:52:00,575
convenience store, they would obtain all the information

7863
07:52:00,575 --> 07:52:03,644
needed for the police report. If an individual was identified

7864
07:52:03,644 --> 07:52:06,146
and there needed to be a show up or have a detective come to the

7865
07:52:06,146 --> 07:52:08,115
scene, they would then coordinate with getting that

7866
07:52:08,115 --> 07:52:10,817
complaint or that victim to that location.

7867
07:52:10,817 --> 07:52:12,252
right? So that's what I mean.

7868
07:52:12,252 --> 07:52:16,590
I'm just trying to understand why they would be I'm trying to

7869
07:52:16,590 --> 07:52:18,959
make sure why would they be canvasing?

7870
07:52:18,959 --> 07:52:23,897
this is a this originated from a 911 call, which means mpd would

7871
07:52:23,897 --> 07:52:26,800
be responding, as you all do, to 911 calls.

7872
07:52:26,800 --> 07:52:29,869
and if you all were in investigation and there was a

7873
07:52:29,869 --> 07:52:33,173
canvass, usually there's officers who stay on scene,

7874
07:52:33,173 --> 07:52:37,144
collect information, and then their officers who go canvass.

7875
07:52:37,144 --> 07:52:40,313
was mpd not instructed to canvass.

7876
07:52:40,313 --> 07:52:42,149
and holly, that's what I'm trying to figure out.

7877
07:52:42,149 --> 07:52:46,720
it would be that mpd would have been canvasing for an individual

7878
07:52:46,720 --> 07:52:49,156
alongside these officers. So I'm saying, were they

7879
07:52:49,156 --> 07:52:52,826
canvasing for mpd? I don't know, specifically mpd

7880
07:52:52,826 --> 07:52:55,296
directed them or they just heard it and went canvasing again.

7881
07:52:55,296 --> 07:52:57,297
that'll be something. The investigation has.

7882
07:52:57,297 --> 07:52:59,700
it wouldn't be out of the realm for possibility if they heard

7883
07:52:59,700 --> 07:53:02,502
the lookout to go look for it, or if the officers on the scene

7884
07:53:02,502 --> 07:53:05,305
said, hey, we're looking for an individual x, y, z related to

7885
07:53:05,305 --> 07:53:07,574
this. Like those details I don't have.

7886
07:53:07,574 --> 07:53:10,430
it would not be unusual though, for either way they could have

7887
07:53:10,430 --> 07:53:13,180
just heard it and went. I do know that they did come by

7888
07:53:13,180 --> 07:53:16,717
the convenience store before they they later located the

7889
07:53:16,717 --> 07:53:18,920
individual, but what that exact conversation, what it looks

7890
07:53:18,920 --> 07:53:21,387
like, I don't know, that'll be part of the investigation

7891
07:53:21,387 --> 07:53:26,560
because my fear in the public fear is that mpd can then use

7892
07:53:26,560 --> 07:53:30,897
federal agents to do canvasing and follow up, and in doing so,

7893
07:53:30,897 --> 07:53:35,202
then you all those individuals are not accountable to d.c.

7894
07:53:35,202 --> 07:53:37,671
government d.c. Council. But in in addition, they're not

7895
07:53:37,671 --> 07:53:42,175
going to have body worn camera. And so now we will be left

7896
07:53:42,175 --> 07:53:45,612
without evidence and information if you all are in fact using

7897
07:53:45,612 --> 07:53:49,634
federal agents to do canvasing work of metropolitan police

7898
07:53:49,634 --> 07:53:51,770
officers. So my real question is, is that

7899
07:53:51,770 --> 07:53:55,140
the case? Are we using hpsci and us

7900
07:53:55,140 --> 07:53:59,210
marshals and park police to do canvasing work in cases?

7901
07:53:59,210 --> 07:54:02,914
because if so, then future residents are at risk of being

7902
07:54:02,914 --> 07:54:06,584
at home and being killed without any body worn camera being

7903
07:54:06,584 --> 07:54:07,252
present. Yeah.

7904
07:54:07,252 --> 07:54:09,721
so so two things with that. So it's definitely not out of

7905
07:54:09,721 --> 07:54:12,691
the realm of possibility for other agencies to be out there.

7906
07:54:12,691 --> 07:54:15,527
for example, if ebola comes out for a robbery.

7907
07:54:15,527 --> 07:54:17,995
no. If they go out, they if they do

7908
07:54:17,995 --> 07:54:20,899
it. But if I want to make sure our

7909
07:54:20,899 --> 07:54:24,836
officers mpd is not directing federal officers to do

7910
07:54:24,836 --> 07:54:28,600
canvasing, do work that they are either not on scene,

7911
07:54:28,600 --> 07:54:31,276
accompanying them and allowing them to go out and do

7912
07:54:31,276 --> 07:54:34,812
investigations alone because that creates a very real threat

7913
07:54:34,812 --> 07:54:39,840
to our community, because there is no there is no accountability

7914
07:54:39,840 --> 07:54:41,953
if if our officers are not present, there's no body worn

7915
07:54:41,953 --> 07:54:43,688
camera evidence. If our officers are not present.

7916
07:54:43,688 --> 07:54:49,600
and that is a way to impede the transparency that we we require

7917
07:54:49,600 --> 07:54:50,895
as district residents. No, no, I understand.

7918
07:54:50,895 --> 07:54:53,698
I just don't want to make sure that I'm clear that it is

7919
07:54:53,698 --> 07:54:55,133
possible. For example, if a robbery came

7920
07:54:55,133 --> 07:54:58,269
out and we broadcast a lookout, or we send out a bolo or be on

7921
07:54:58,269 --> 07:55:01,639
the lookout, that capital police park police would not get that.

7922
07:55:01,639 --> 07:55:04,420
and they could then be canvasing or looking for that person.

7923
07:55:04,420 --> 07:55:06,577
that happens all the time where they may have an individual

7924
07:55:06,577 --> 07:55:08,380
they're looking for, they send to us and they're officers

7925
07:55:08,380 --> 07:55:11,820
looking for or we have one. We push out to the regional law

7926
07:55:11,820 --> 07:55:13,451
enforcement, metro transit park police.

7927
07:55:13,451 --> 07:55:15,921
once that gets there, there could be federal agents or

7928
07:55:15,921 --> 07:55:18,923
others that get those things. Second part of that is there are

7929
07:55:18,923 --> 07:55:22,761
other agencies like park police that do have body worn cameras.

7930
07:55:22,761 --> 07:55:24,996
again, not the same controls from the council like we have.

7931
07:55:24,996 --> 07:55:27,264
so that I definitely understand that concern.

7932
07:55:27,264 --> 07:55:29,901
but there are there are other agencies that do have body worn

7933
07:55:29,901 --> 07:55:32,271
cameras that would provide information potentially in this

7934
07:55:32,271 --> 07:55:34,806
incident. Do we know if there is body worn

7935
07:55:34,806 --> 07:55:37,943
camera available for this? The incident involving mr.

7936
07:55:37,943 --> 07:55:39,770
bailey? My understanding there is some

7937
07:55:39,770 --> 07:55:41,477
from park police. Okay.

7938
07:55:42,414 --> 07:55:46,851
and is that information? Is that evidence going to be

7939
07:55:46,851 --> 07:55:50,756
shared with the dc council. That's not again, that's not mpd

7940
07:55:50,756 --> 07:55:53,224
was not on the scene of that. That's not our information to

7941
07:55:53,224 --> 07:55:55,460
share with anybody. That's information that internal

7942
07:55:55,460 --> 07:55:57,495
affairs would get. They would share with the u.s.

7943
07:55:57,495 --> 07:55:59,698
attorney's office how park police and what their procedures

7944
07:55:59,698 --> 07:56:01,500
are as far as body worn camera release.

7945
07:56:01,500 --> 07:56:04,502
that's that's up to them. I don't specifically know what

7946
07:56:04,502 --> 07:56:07,238
they are because they did not discharge that situation.

7947
07:56:07,238 --> 07:56:10,442
they were on the scene, though, as my understanding.

7948
07:56:10,442 --> 07:56:14,846
and how long after they responded to the scene, how long

7949
07:56:14,846 --> 07:56:18,616
did it take for mpd to get to the scene of the shooting or of

7950
07:56:18,616 --> 07:56:21,853
of the not the convenience store, but the subsequent murder

7951
07:56:21,853 --> 07:56:23,321
that occurred? I don't know the exact time.

7952
07:56:23,321 --> 07:56:27,792
it was a short time thereafter. I would say within minutes or a

7953
07:56:27,792 --> 07:56:31,730
minute or two, but I can't say exactly.

7954
07:56:31,730 --> 07:56:34,467
okay, as soon as the shooting happened, they went over the

7955
07:56:34,467 --> 07:56:36,335
radio. So I think the officers that

7956
07:56:36,335 --> 07:56:39,337
were in the area actually heard gunshots.

7957
07:56:39,337 --> 07:56:43,740
okay, mpd officers that were in the area, okay.

7958
07:56:43,740 --> 07:56:45,477
I just want to make sure and I think you understand and

7959
07:56:45,477 --> 07:56:49,147
appreciate what I'm saying about making sure, given that the the

7960
07:56:49,147 --> 07:56:52,784
radios are open and given the lack of transparency and

7961
07:56:52,784 --> 07:56:56,387
accountability that comes from mpd not being on scene, that

7962
07:56:56,387 --> 07:57:01,392
this is some this is why we need to make sure that we are not

7963
07:57:01,392 --> 07:57:04,195
utilizing federal law enforcement for any of our

7964
07:57:04,195 --> 07:57:06,798
investigations, because it puts our community at risk.

7965
07:57:06,798 --> 07:57:08,766
no. And I and I think to the point

7966
07:57:08,766 --> 07:57:11,200
that was made earlier by some other council members and to

7967
07:57:11,200 --> 07:57:14,505
your point, like, you know, the reason why mpd is going out with

7968
07:57:14,505 --> 07:57:17,242
them is to try to mitigate issues like this, because we

7969
07:57:17,242 --> 07:57:20,311
have seen in other places, when they go out on their own, there

7970
07:57:20,311 --> 07:57:21,120
are challenges. Now.

7971
07:57:21,120 --> 07:57:23,113
park police, does police in the city on their own.

7972
07:57:23,113 --> 07:57:25,116
but I think to your point, you're absolutely right.

7973
07:57:25,116 --> 07:57:27,251
when you have federal agencies going on their own and doing

7974
07:57:27,251 --> 07:57:29,587
their own thing, there's challenges.

7975
07:57:29,587 --> 07:57:31,322
the marshals do not normally respond to.

7976
07:57:31,322 --> 07:57:33,458
nine one calls. Park police do.

7977
07:57:33,458 --> 07:57:35,393
but with that being said, there are challenges.

7978
07:57:35,393 --> 07:57:38,196
so that's why I think, you know, trying to work with them to to

7979
07:57:38,196 --> 07:57:41,467
make sure we can do our best within the confines to keep the

7980
07:57:41,467 --> 07:57:44,501
community safe as possible and drive the areas is better than

7981
07:57:44,501 --> 07:57:45,804
just letting them do their own thing.

7982
07:57:45,804 --> 07:57:48,804
correct? Ward 4 school communities have

7983
07:57:49,374 --> 07:57:52,610
reported mpd officers accompanying federal immigration

7984
07:57:52,610 --> 07:57:55,813
agents near schools. We have had incidents

7985
07:57:55,813 --> 07:57:57,810
throughout, including e.l. Haynes.

7986
07:57:57,810 --> 07:58:00,351
we've had incidents outside of many of our child care centers,

7987
07:58:00,351 --> 07:58:04,956
including estrellita and d.c., bilingual, as well.

7988
07:58:04,956 --> 07:58:09,159
you all are creating lifelong in addition to trauma that's being

7989
07:58:09,159 --> 07:58:13,164
created for our young people, you all are also creating

7990
07:58:13,164 --> 07:58:16,367
lifelong distrust of an entire generation.

7991
07:58:16,367 --> 07:58:21,239
in doing so, what is the current controlling written mpd policy

7992
07:58:21,239 --> 07:58:25,343
governing mpd officers activity during federal immigration law

7993
07:58:25,343 --> 07:58:29,580
enforcement near schools and daycare centers and other

7994
07:58:29,580 --> 07:58:31,482
sensitive locations of that nature?

7995
07:58:31,482 --> 07:58:34,285
yes, mpd is our policy is, as I spoke of earlier, it's

7996
07:58:34,285 --> 07:58:37,455
controlled by the law. We are not engaged in civil

7997
07:58:37,455 --> 07:58:39,724
immigration enforcement. We are not asking people what

7998
07:58:39,724 --> 07:58:43,127
their immigration status is. With that being said, there

7999
07:58:43,127 --> 07:58:45,664
could be ice people that are on their own, or they could be with

8000
07:58:45,664 --> 07:58:49,670
other law enforcement agencies. We are not in joint patrols with

8001
07:58:49,670 --> 07:58:51,690
ice ero. We have not been since the end

8002
07:58:51,690 --> 07:58:53,400
of the emergency. As we talked about.

8003
07:58:53,400 --> 07:58:55,730
with that being said, I know there's a lot of federal

8004
07:58:55,730 --> 07:58:56,940
agencies that are out there. They wear tactical vest and

8005
07:58:56,940 --> 07:58:59,310
things like that, and sometimes there's confusion or lack of

8006
07:58:59,310 --> 07:59:02,347
clarity of of who some of these agencies are, which obviously is

8007
07:59:02,347 --> 07:59:05,383
a concern to us, too, because the incident that occurred

8008
07:59:05,383 --> 07:59:08,886
outside of d.c. Bilingual was that an incident that was a

8009
07:59:08,886 --> 07:59:12,490
traffic stop, or was that an incident where federal federal

8010
07:59:12,490 --> 07:59:14,192
immigration law enforcement was happening?

8011
07:59:14,192 --> 07:59:16,394
my understanding is that was a traffic stop.

8012
07:59:16,394 --> 07:59:20,732
where then other individuals came in there and turned it into

8013
07:59:20,732 --> 07:59:23,367
a immigration incident. How did it get turned into that

8014
07:59:23,367 --> 07:59:26,571
from a traffic stop, much like we talked about before, as far

8015
07:59:26,571 --> 07:59:29,400
as the information sharing that the officers on the scene do

8016
07:59:29,400 --> 07:59:33,312
what they do, and then other agencies use their own

8017
07:59:33,312 --> 07:59:35,646
authorities to do what they whatever federal authorities

8018
07:59:35,646 --> 07:59:38,783
they have as far as immigration, that's my understanding of it.

8019
07:59:38,783 --> 07:59:42,987
I do know it is a subject of, I believe, an investigation within

8020
07:59:42,987 --> 07:59:44,322
the department still. Yeah.

8021
07:59:44,322 --> 07:59:48,693
you do understand the that these things happening near schools,

8022
07:59:48,693 --> 07:59:51,330
the impact that it has on our young children, not only the

8023
07:59:51,330 --> 07:59:54,465
trauma but that lifelong distrust of an entire generation

8024
07:59:54,465 --> 07:59:56,567
that is occurring as a result of this.

8025
07:59:56,567 --> 07:59:58,686
no, absolutely. I mean, I think some of it is

8026
07:59:58,686 --> 08:00:01,155
perception, if it's true or not. I think the perception that's

8027
08:00:01,155 --> 08:00:03,324
out there does its damage in and of itself.

8028
08:00:03,324 --> 08:00:06,930
so we're keenly, keenly aware, like I said this, this is not a

8029
08:00:06,930 --> 08:00:09,229
situation where the police department wants to be in a

8030
08:00:09,229 --> 08:00:12,266
situation we find ourselves. We also had a conversation

8031
08:00:12,266 --> 08:00:15,436
because there is a the warrant. What's the task force that does

8032
08:00:15,436 --> 08:00:17,138
the warrants? So there's a couple, but the

8033
08:00:17,138 --> 08:00:20,441
capital area regional fugitive task force cardiff, you're the

8034
08:00:20,441 --> 08:00:23,844
ones that usually look for very. We had a conversation earlier in

8035
08:00:23,844 --> 08:00:27,782
the year where they were doing warrants and the really early

8036
08:00:27,782 --> 08:00:31,919
morning hours, and specifically during the time parents and

8037
08:00:31,919 --> 08:00:33,621
families were going to and from school.

8038
08:00:33,621 --> 08:00:38,993
I was told that you all would inform the the warrant task

8039
08:00:38,993 --> 08:00:42,530
force to stop doing executing warrants on and around schools,

8040
08:00:42,530 --> 08:00:44,932
especially during morning drop off and pick up.

8041
08:00:44,932 --> 08:00:48,869
but we still have heard incidents of that happening.

8042
08:00:48,869 --> 08:00:54,869
have you instructed them to not do those warrants during

8043
08:00:54,942 --> 08:00:58,579
literally pick up and drop off near our schools?

8044
08:00:58,579 --> 08:01:00,148
and and why is it still occurring?

8045
08:01:00,148 --> 08:01:02,149
yes. So I do know we have shared

8046
08:01:02,149 --> 08:01:04,500
those concerns. Again, we don't control what

8047
08:01:04,500 --> 08:01:06,870
they do. We're not in charge of the

8048
08:01:06,870 --> 08:01:07,455
federal agencies out there and there are others.

8049
08:01:07,455 --> 08:01:10,290
so there's there's cardiff, but there are other superior court

8050
08:01:10,290 --> 08:01:11,920
martials groups that are out there too.

8051
08:01:11,920 --> 08:01:13,940
and then sometimes there's tactical groups that go out

8052
08:01:13,940 --> 08:01:14,896
there. With that being said, we have

8053
08:01:14,896 --> 08:01:17,497
shared the concerns with the task force, especially about in

8054
08:01:17,497 --> 08:01:20,735
the area of schools in general. We've also seen concerns like

8055
08:01:20,735 --> 08:01:23,904
that from just national guard deployments that sometimes go

8056
08:01:23,904 --> 08:01:26,306
past schools and citizens that raise concerns about that.

8057
08:01:26,306 --> 08:01:29,578
so we realize those concerns that people see that and they

8058
08:01:29,578 --> 08:01:31,847
assume certain things are happening, why they continue to

8059
08:01:31,847 --> 08:01:35,382
do or why there's instances that pop up that's not mpd deploying

8060
08:01:35,382 --> 08:01:37,853
that or so I can't give you an answer to that, but I do know we

8061
08:01:37,853 --> 08:01:42,723
have shared those concerns. Are our ice and homeland

8062
08:01:42,723 --> 08:01:45,723
security investigations participating directly or

8063
08:01:45,860 --> 08:01:51,132
indirectly in the sboe or task force work streams.

8064
08:01:51,132 --> 08:01:56,203
the task force so twofold hsc is in the task force.

8065
08:01:56,203 --> 08:01:59,139
there is esro. They are on the task force.

8066
08:01:59,139 --> 08:02:02,576
we are not in any groups with the ice ero, and we have not

8067
08:02:02,576 --> 08:02:04,779
been since the end of the emergency.

8068
08:02:04,779 --> 08:02:07,481
so but they are still out there. They are working with other

8069
08:02:07,481 --> 08:02:09,616
agencies that are out there in the city.

8070
08:02:09,616 --> 08:02:13,487
we are not part of those groups. Hsc is out there also as well,

8071
08:02:13,487 --> 08:02:17,124
and my understanding is hsc is also ice.

8072
08:02:17,124 --> 08:02:18,559
yes, hsc is the homeland security.

8073
08:02:18,559 --> 08:02:20,761
so there's kind of two portions of that agency.

8074
08:02:20,761 --> 08:02:23,530
one is homeland security investigations.

8075
08:02:23,530 --> 08:02:26,333
they focus on investigations, different criminal matters.

8076
08:02:26,333 --> 08:02:28,635
the ice enforcement removal operations.

8077
08:02:28,635 --> 08:02:31,839
those are the folks that people locally say call ice or their

8078
08:02:31,839 --> 08:02:35,175
job is to go out and do immigration enforcement and

8079
08:02:35,175 --> 08:02:39,513
removal operations. So then you all are cooperating

8080
08:02:39,513 --> 08:02:45,919
then with federal immigration. If hsc is ice, you all, then you

8081
08:02:45,919 --> 08:02:47,387
all are cooperating. No.

8082
08:02:47,387 --> 08:02:49,456
and we've been very clear that we've been working with ice.

8083
08:02:49,456 --> 08:02:51,725
we've been very clear from the officer involved shootings that

8084
08:02:51,725 --> 08:02:52,393
we talked. Wait a minute.

8085
08:02:52,393 --> 08:02:53,993
you just told councilmember parker.

8086
08:02:53,993 --> 08:02:55,596
no, no, no, no, let's be clear on this.

8087
08:02:55,596 --> 08:02:58,265
we've talked about officer involved shootings with hsc and

8088
08:02:58,265 --> 08:03:00,467
our responses. We've been very clear.

8089
08:03:00,467 --> 08:03:05,473
we are working with sai. Sai is not out doing immigration

8090
08:03:05,473 --> 08:03:07,740
enforcement. We are not going out with them

8091
08:03:07,740 --> 08:03:10,577
for that purpose. Ikaros job is to go out and do

8092
08:03:10,577 --> 08:03:13,447
immigration enforcement. They are the civil immigration

8093
08:03:13,447 --> 08:03:14,682
enforcement and we are not on teams with them.

8094
08:03:14,682 --> 08:03:16,283
and we've been very clear about that.

8095
08:03:16,283 --> 08:03:18,752
and there are other agencies, and I've said this before

8096
08:03:18,752 --> 08:03:20,487
because I don't want there to be confusion.

8097
08:03:20,487 --> 08:03:21,855
this question seems to come up a lot.

8098
08:03:21,855 --> 08:03:24,893
there are other agencies, the marshals, the park police that

8099
08:03:24,893 --> 08:03:27,294
do have the legal authority to do those things.

8100
08:03:27,294 --> 08:03:31,498
we are not going out with the intention of them to go do civil

8101
08:03:31,498 --> 08:03:33,233
immigration enforcement. But could they do that while

8102
08:03:33,233 --> 08:03:34,401
they're there? They could.

8103
08:03:34,401 --> 08:03:35,636
we cannot stop them from doing so.

8104
08:03:35,636 --> 08:03:39,206
can you all stop working with sai right now?

8105
08:03:39,206 --> 08:03:41,308
we are still on task force with sai.

8106
08:03:41,308 --> 08:03:44,311
I'm saying at this point, moving forward, since there is an

8107
08:03:44,311 --> 08:03:48,181
intention to not be cooperating with federal law enforcement,

8108
08:03:48,181 --> 08:03:53,787
immigration, and that is our policy as a city, as our laws

8109
08:03:53,787 --> 08:03:56,690
respect it. Can we end at least can we agree

8110
08:03:56,690 --> 08:04:00,227
for you all to end the coordination you currently have

8111
08:04:00,227 --> 08:04:05,650
with sai, who is acting as ice, whether named directly ice or

8112
08:04:05,650 --> 08:04:06,934
not. Sai has that ability.

8113
08:04:06,934 --> 08:04:10,204
will you all agree to end the cooperation with sai moving

8114
08:04:10,204 --> 08:04:15,442
forward so that we don't have you all participating and

8115
08:04:15,442 --> 08:04:17,545
coordinating with federal immigration law enforcement,

8116
08:04:17,545 --> 08:04:20,280
which sai is? We have been working with sai

8117
08:04:20,280 --> 08:04:23,618
before this on investigation. No, I know, but so I don't think

8118
08:04:23,618 --> 08:04:26,754
that people are trying to push that into the same, same vein at

8119
08:04:26,754 --> 08:04:28,355
this point. Sai is not going out there and

8120
08:04:28,355 --> 08:04:29,900
doing it. Could they?

8121
08:04:29,900 --> 08:04:31,358
there is a possibility. There is a possibility the park

8122
08:04:31,358 --> 08:04:32,726
police could. There is the possibility of

8123
08:04:32,726 --> 08:04:34,561
marshals could. So again, we're always

8124
08:04:34,561 --> 08:04:37,498
evaluating what we're doing and where we can be at and what's

8125
08:04:37,498 --> 08:04:39,432
best overall. As far as part of the task

8126
08:04:39,432 --> 08:04:41,340
force, we do not want to be in a situation.

8127
08:04:41,340 --> 08:04:44,705
as I've said before, okay. Thank you.

8128
08:04:44,705 --> 08:04:48,305
councilmember pinto. Thank you, councilor lewis

8129
08:04:49,343 --> 08:04:52,579
george, councilmember robert white, thank you so much.

8130
08:04:52,579 --> 08:04:55,115
councilmember pinto. Thank you, chief carroll.

8131
08:04:55,115 --> 08:04:59,319
yes, I apologize, I've been chairing a hearing on public

8132
08:04:59,319 --> 08:05:03,190
housing since 9:30 a.m. Got to run right back to that

8133
08:05:03,190 --> 08:05:07,528
after I finished. I'm now more confused about who

8134
08:05:07,528 --> 08:05:11,310
we are and are not cooperating with.

8135
08:05:11,310 --> 08:05:13,600
but let me start here. There was a washington post

8136
08:05:13,600 --> 08:05:19,000
article today identifying two separate issues where a latino

8137
08:05:21,709 --> 08:05:28,148
immigrant was arrested by ice or inside of mpd stations after

8138
08:05:28,148 --> 08:05:31,652
routine interactions with mpd. One was a gentleman who had a

8139
08:05:31,652 --> 08:05:36,990
car stolen, was apparently told, come to the station and pick up

8140
08:05:36,990 --> 08:05:41,696
your car, only to be arrested there by a team that included an

8141
08:05:41,696 --> 08:05:45,365
officer with an ice shirt, and then another man who was stopped

8142
08:05:45,365 --> 08:05:51,138
for an expired license process, told he was free to go, and then

8143
08:05:51,138 --> 08:05:53,273
immediately re-arrested in the station.

8144
08:05:53,273 --> 08:05:59,273
by hpsci both accounts, you know, are documented in sworn

8145
08:05:59,848 --> 08:06:03,817
declarations. How would federal agents know to

8146
08:06:03,817 --> 08:06:09,817
come to mpd station if not through communication from mpd?

8147
08:06:09,904 --> 08:06:11,673
yeah. So I'm sorry this question did

8148
08:06:11,673 --> 08:06:14,476
come up a little bit, kind of this similar question earlier.

8149
08:06:14,476 --> 08:06:16,277
with that. Again, these two specific

8150
08:06:16,277 --> 08:06:17,480
situations, I don't have the answer.

8151
08:06:17,480 --> 08:06:19,481
I don't have the specific knowledge of them.

8152
08:06:19,481 --> 08:06:21,950
I do know was referenced that there is an article came out

8153
08:06:21,950 --> 08:06:24,853
this afternoon about that. With that being said, and again,

8154
08:06:24,853 --> 08:06:27,455
anything that I give, it would be conjecture of what it could

8155
08:06:27,455 --> 08:06:29,758
be, right? Obviously, it could be that

8156
08:06:29,758 --> 08:06:31,826
there were members of federal law enforcement that were on the

8157
08:06:31,826 --> 08:06:33,661
scene when the arrests were made, and they would know that

8158
08:06:33,661 --> 08:06:34,829
they would be leaving the station.

8159
08:06:34,829 --> 08:06:36,966
right. There are several things that

8160
08:06:36,966 --> 08:06:39,701
could happen to lead to that. What needs to happen to have a

8161
08:06:39,701 --> 08:06:42,360
definitive answer is needs to be an investigation to determine

8162
08:06:42,360 --> 08:06:44,606
what are the nuances of this and how did this happen?

8163
08:06:44,606 --> 08:06:48,576
anything I give is going to be conjecture.

8164
08:06:48,576 --> 08:06:53,381
so has ice. I'd say since august of 25 has

8165
08:06:53,381 --> 08:06:57,118
ice or any other federal immigration enforcement agency

8166
08:06:57,118 --> 08:07:01,756
conducted any civil immigration arrests when the premises of an

8167
08:07:01,756 --> 08:07:03,457
mpd station? Not to my knowledge, they

8168
08:07:03,457 --> 08:07:04,559
haven't. Okay.

8169
08:07:04,559 --> 08:07:06,728
and again, I'm not at every station, but I have no knowledge

8170
08:07:06,728 --> 08:07:09,998
of that happening. Since august 25th.

8171
08:07:09,998 --> 08:07:13,869
has mpd ever shared with the personally identifying

8172
08:07:13,869 --> 08:07:16,671
information of an individual with ice or any other federal

8173
08:07:16,671 --> 08:07:20,241
immigration enforcement agency? Not to my knowledge, we have not

8174
08:07:20,241 --> 08:07:22,344
since they've been in custody, obviously.

8175
08:07:22,344 --> 08:07:24,212
and again, I want to make sure we're clear because I know

8176
08:07:24,212 --> 08:07:26,814
questions come up during the emergency.

8177
08:07:26,814 --> 08:07:30,218
there were ice individuals, ice ero that we were working with.

8178
08:07:30,218 --> 08:07:33,188
since that time, we have not been working with ice.

8179
08:07:33,188 --> 08:07:36,691
ero to your question about other other organizations that conduct

8180
08:07:36,691 --> 08:07:38,860
civil immigration authority, I think that's where it gets a

8181
08:07:38,860 --> 08:07:41,696
little confusing, because there are agencies like I've spoken

8182
08:07:41,696 --> 08:07:45,567
about park police, marshals, to name a few, that can, if they

8183
08:07:45,567 --> 08:07:47,735
choose to do civil immigration enforcement.

8184
08:07:47,735 --> 08:07:50,371
our goal by being deployed and going out with any of those

8185
08:07:50,371 --> 08:07:53,410
agencies, many of which we've worked with for many years prior

8186
08:07:53,410 --> 08:07:56,845
to this, is not to go out and do civil immigration enforcement,

8187
08:07:56,845 --> 08:08:00,581
but could someone of that group then take and switch on that?

8188
08:08:00,581 --> 08:08:01,883
absolutely. Could.

8189
08:08:01,883 --> 08:08:05,186
the law is specific that we are not allowed to share information

8190
08:08:05,186 --> 08:08:07,255
once an individual is in custody.

8191
08:08:07,255 --> 08:08:11,526
our custody and we are not allowed to ask about a person's

8192
08:08:11,526 --> 08:08:13,561
immigration status and what is in custody.

8193
08:08:13,561 --> 08:08:17,799
mean in custody means under arrest in police custody.

8194
08:08:17,799 --> 08:08:21,736
okay, so if someone had a car stolen and they went to mpd to

8195
08:08:21,736 --> 08:08:23,938
pick up their car, they would not be in custody.

8196
08:08:23,938 --> 08:08:26,700
that's correct. They're not in custody.

8197
08:08:26,700 --> 08:08:30,211
and so they're not in custody. Would you or could you share

8198
08:08:30,211 --> 08:08:33,681
their information with civil immigration enforcement?

8199
08:08:33,681 --> 08:08:35,751
legally we could. But again, I don't want you to

8200
08:08:35,751 --> 08:08:38,353
take in or anyone to take that and extract back that we did

8201
08:08:38,353 --> 08:08:40,588
that. We have to investigate it to see

8202
08:08:40,588 --> 08:08:42,423
exactly what happened. That's in there, because there's

8203
08:08:42,423 --> 08:08:46,227
lots of ways there could have been a marshal on the scene when

8204
08:08:46,227 --> 08:08:47,695
the report was taken, and they know that.

8205
08:08:47,695 --> 08:08:49,830
and then they did their own investigation to do that.

8206
08:08:49,830 --> 08:08:51,866
so there's there's several ways it could happen.

8207
08:08:51,866 --> 08:08:54,680
I just want to make sure that I'm not trying to give the

8208
08:08:54,680 --> 08:08:57,205
appearance of something that it's not.

8209
08:08:57,205 --> 08:09:01,405
does hsv ii do civil immigration enforcement?

8210
08:09:02,877 --> 08:09:04,746
my understanding is that no, they don't.

8211
08:09:04,746 --> 08:09:06,380
they're general. No, I want to be clear.

8212
08:09:06,380 --> 08:09:09,918
my their general response has always been homeland security

8213
08:09:09,918 --> 08:09:10,986
investigations. Could they do it?

8214
08:09:10,986 --> 08:09:11,786
absolutely. They could.

8215
08:09:11,786 --> 08:09:13,587
could the marshals do it? Absolutely.

8216
08:09:13,587 --> 08:09:15,757
they could. Could the park police do it?

8217
08:09:15,757 --> 08:09:18,260
they have the legal authority. There are agencies.

8218
08:09:18,260 --> 08:09:21,328
if you asked this question about hhc six years ago, we wouldn't

8219
08:09:21,328 --> 08:09:24,333
be having this conversation because there was never any

8220
08:09:24,333 --> 08:09:27,201
blurring of the lines. But at this point they could

8221
08:09:27,201 --> 08:09:30,138
they don't do it. Generally, but could.

8222
08:09:30,138 --> 08:09:36,738
but to your to, to your knowledge, see is not currently

8223
08:09:37,120 --> 08:09:38,346
doing civil immigration enforcement.

8224
08:09:38,346 --> 08:09:40,346
that's correct. Okay.

8225
08:09:46,120 --> 08:09:51,920
let me let me move to a different issue.

8226
08:09:51,920 --> 08:09:56,965
we have had in the past year. Many advocates have shared that

8227
08:09:56,965 --> 08:10:00,968
there have been several incidences, incidents where

8228
08:10:00,968 --> 08:10:05,306
federal agents have used force in dc neighborhoods, including

8229
08:10:05,306 --> 08:10:09,778
shootings at drivers who turned out to be an unarmed flash bangs

8230
08:10:09,778 --> 08:10:11,713
used in residential neighborhoods.

8231
08:10:11,713 --> 08:10:16,784
in the case of philip brown, mpd officers were on the scene.

8232
08:10:16,784 --> 08:10:20,588
from the community's perspective, they see mpd

8233
08:10:20,588 --> 08:10:23,791
uniforms and they reasonably expect district officials to be

8234
08:10:23,791 --> 08:10:28,729
able to explain who used force, what police policies applied,

8235
08:10:28,729 --> 08:10:31,129
and what accountability followed.

8236
08:10:32,200 --> 08:10:37,605
but in that incident, the police report did not include details

8237
08:10:37,605 --> 08:10:41,142
about the shooting. Is that correct?

8238
08:10:41,142 --> 08:10:43,277
I just want to make sure. Which incident are we talking

8239
08:10:43,277 --> 08:10:46,810
about? This is the one shooting, this

8240
08:10:46,810 --> 08:10:47,615
shooting of philip brown. Yeah.

8241
08:10:47,615 --> 08:10:50,351
I'm sorry this came up. I think councilwoman parker

8242
08:10:50,351 --> 08:10:52,219
asked a similar question about the report.

8243
08:10:52,219 --> 08:10:54,822
and then there's a second report that was taken by internal

8244
08:10:54,822 --> 08:10:58,493
affairs about a discharge of a firearm.

8245
08:10:58,493 --> 08:11:04,766
so the the initial police report did not include mention of of a

8246
08:11:04,766 --> 08:11:06,300
shooting. So that's my understanding.

8247
08:11:06,300 --> 08:11:08,503
we had a conversation about this a little bit ago.

8248
08:11:08,503 --> 08:11:12,107
so the initial report, based on the conversation we had did not

8249
08:11:12,107 --> 08:11:15,643
reference the shooting. There was mpd, internal affairs

8250
08:11:15,643 --> 08:11:17,812
did respond to the officer involved shooting.

8251
08:11:17,812 --> 08:11:20,948
there was a report taken for discharge of a firearm of a

8252
08:11:20,948 --> 08:11:23,450
service weapon that's out there. A press release was done about

8253
08:11:23,450 --> 08:11:25,788
the officer involved shooting as we do, even though it's not

8254
08:11:25,788 --> 08:11:28,220
ours. Saying that we are investigating

8255
08:11:28,220 --> 08:11:30,580
that that's that's the case. I think that you're talking

8256
08:11:30,580 --> 08:11:32,580
about. And so.

8257
08:11:33,428 --> 08:11:36,564
there is an investigation. So the follow up for the council

8258
08:11:36,564 --> 08:11:39,400
member was clarity on is there an investigation and what the

8259
08:11:39,400 --> 08:11:40,501
status of that was. He had asked.

8260
08:11:40,501 --> 08:11:42,536
so that's that's a follow up that due back to him within the

8261
08:11:42,536 --> 08:11:43,571
next week or so. Okay.

8262
08:11:43,571 --> 08:11:46,607
but right now you don't know whether I again, I don't I don't

8263
08:11:46,607 --> 08:11:48,943
want to misspeak and say one way or the other.

8264
08:11:48,943 --> 08:11:50,745
I'm not sure on that. So I'd rather make sure we give

8265
08:11:50,745 --> 08:11:53,614
you accurate information. So if somebody was shot at in

8266
08:11:53,614 --> 08:11:59,354
the district of columbia, would you be concerned if there is not

8267
08:11:59,354 --> 08:12:00,254
an investigation? No.

8268
08:12:00,254 --> 08:12:02,423
so there is an investigation. I'm sorry.

8269
08:12:02,423 --> 08:12:04,159
so there is an investigation into the shooting.

8270
08:12:04,159 --> 08:12:06,228
so a little bit about that. So the shooting, the discharge

8271
08:12:06,228 --> 08:12:10,431
of the firearm, internal affairs for any agency, mpd or not,

8272
08:12:10,431 --> 08:12:13,968
they'll respond to the scene and do an initial investigation when

8273
08:12:13,968 --> 08:12:18,751
it's a non mpd agency. Hpsci the marshall's, the fbi,

8274
08:12:18,751 --> 08:12:21,454
park police, whoever it is, they'll go, they'll gather the

8275
08:12:21,454 --> 08:12:22,922
information. They'll then present that

8276
08:12:22,922 --> 08:12:25,725
information to the united states attorney's office, united states

8277
08:12:25,725 --> 08:12:27,694
attorney's office will make a charging decision.

8278
08:12:27,694 --> 08:12:29,928
or are they going to charge the individual criminally, or are

8279
08:12:29,928 --> 08:12:31,864
they going to issue a declination?

8280
08:12:31,864 --> 08:12:34,767
if declination is issued and relates that incident, then that

8281
08:12:34,767 --> 08:12:36,502
is then turned over to the home agency.

8282
08:12:36,502 --> 08:12:39,606
when I say home agency, that's the agency that the the officer

8283
08:12:39,606 --> 08:12:42,475
or the agent is assigned to for them to conduct an

8284
08:12:42,475 --> 08:12:45,211
administrative investigation to determine was the discharge of

8285
08:12:45,211 --> 08:12:48,481
firearm in violation or in compliance with their

8286
08:12:48,481 --> 08:12:50,917
administrative policies. So in this case, a declaration

8287
08:12:50,917 --> 08:12:54,520
was issued by the united states attorney's office based on the

8288
08:12:54,520 --> 08:12:56,690
initial information gathered by internal affairs that has been

8289
08:12:56,690 --> 08:13:00,260
turned over to c for their administrative investigation

8290
08:13:00,260 --> 08:13:03,996
into was there a policy or procedure violation with that?

8291
08:13:03,996 --> 08:13:05,798
but thank you for for all of that.

8292
08:13:05,798 --> 08:13:10,304
but I'm still not clear on whether you are concerned about

8293
08:13:10,304 --> 08:13:14,674
whether or not there is a d.c. Investigation about someone

8294
08:13:14,674 --> 08:13:19,913
being shot at in dc. No, I'm I'm sorry, I'm not clear

8295
08:13:19,913 --> 08:13:23,616
on what your question is. If someone is shot at in dc,

8296
08:13:23,616 --> 08:13:25,252
should there be an investigation?

8297
08:13:25,252 --> 08:13:27,587
yes, there should be. If a police officer shoots

8298
08:13:27,587 --> 08:13:29,855
agencies. So if a government if a police

8299
08:13:29,855 --> 08:13:31,524
officer shoots at, there should be an investigation.

8300
08:13:31,524 --> 08:13:33,259
in this case, there was an investigation.

8301
08:13:33,259 --> 08:13:35,628
there was a criminal investigation that a declination

8302
08:13:35,628 --> 08:13:37,264
was issued. That investigation was done by

8303
08:13:37,264 --> 08:13:39,131
mpd. A declination was issued.

8304
08:13:39,131 --> 08:13:41,000
so that criminal investigation is now over.

8305
08:13:41,000 --> 08:13:44,603
and now there's administrative investigation that will be done

8306
08:13:44,603 --> 08:13:47,707
by in this case, c. So there was a criminal

8307
08:13:47,707 --> 08:13:49,975
investigation completed. It was presented to the united

8308
08:13:49,975 --> 08:13:51,744
states attorney's office here in the district of columbia.

8309
08:13:51,744 --> 08:13:54,748
and they issued a declaration to that criminal investigation.

8310
08:13:54,748 --> 08:13:57,284
what's the declination? A declination is declination to

8311
08:13:57,284 --> 08:13:58,851
prosecute. It's a determination by the

8312
08:13:58,851 --> 08:14:01,870
united states attorney's office that they will not prosecute in

8313
08:14:01,870 --> 08:14:03,870
this case. Okay.

8314
08:14:03,155 --> 08:14:10,229
so if someone civilian is in dc, unarmed, get shot at and is not

8315
08:14:10,229 --> 08:14:13,432
prosecuted, does that cause you concern?

8316
08:14:13,432 --> 08:14:15,301
I mean, I'm sorry. Say that again.

8317
08:14:15,301 --> 08:14:18,738
if someone is in dc, they get shot at.

8318
08:14:18,738 --> 08:14:22,375
the shooter is not prosecuted. Does that cause you concern?

8319
08:14:22,375 --> 08:14:25,144
yeah, I think in general it would cause me concern.

8320
08:14:25,144 --> 08:14:28,248
I know where you're going with this line of questioning, but

8321
08:14:28,248 --> 08:14:31,510
our our position, our job is to gather the facts and present it

8322
08:14:31,510 --> 08:14:32,584
to the united states attorney's office.

8323
08:14:32,584 --> 08:14:36,122
we do not make charging decisions if they want to charge

8324
08:14:36,122 --> 08:14:39,392
individuals criminally or not. Our job is to gather facts to

8325
08:14:39,392 --> 08:14:41,527
date that information to present it to them.

8326
08:14:41,527 --> 08:14:43,996
well, I got to challenge that because I've heard a lot of

8327
08:14:43,996 --> 08:14:48,670
opinions about declining to charge d.c. Residents from mpd

8328
08:14:48,670 --> 08:14:52,139
over the years, and now you're telling me, well, we don't opine

8329
08:14:52,139 --> 08:14:53,439
on that, but that's just not true.

8330
08:14:53,439 --> 08:14:56,209
well, sir, I'm not saying I've never, never brought that to

8331
08:14:56,209 --> 08:14:57,276
you. I'm not saying that no police

8332
08:14:57,276 --> 08:14:59,212
officer ever does. I think that'd be disingenuous.

8333
08:14:59,212 --> 08:15:01,881
with that being said, I definitely think there's always

8334
08:15:01,881 --> 08:15:04,616
concerns. But again, the nuances of the

8335
08:15:04,616 --> 08:15:06,152
investigation, that's the facts that are presented.

8336
08:15:06,152 --> 08:15:09,422
united states attorney's office, there are cases that happen in

8337
08:15:09,422 --> 08:15:11,557
homicide cases where individuals are not prosecuted.

8338
08:15:11,557 --> 08:15:14,226
that's the determination of the facts being brought to the u.s.

8339
08:15:14,226 --> 08:15:16,295
attorney's office. And that's their determination

8340
08:15:16,295 --> 08:15:17,430
if they're going to prosecute or not.

8341
08:15:17,430 --> 08:15:22,340
well, we have heard I mean, hearing after hearing over the

8342
08:15:22,340 --> 08:15:26,234
years criticism from mpd leadership about federal

8343
08:15:26,939 --> 08:15:30,776
prosecutors, not prosecuting people who commit crimes in d.c.

8344
08:15:30,776 --> 08:15:35,214
and I'm not hearing that here. And this is serious.

8345
08:15:35,214 --> 08:15:37,182
no, 100%. I'm not going to sit here and

8346
08:15:37,182 --> 08:15:38,818
criticize the prosecutor about their decisions.

8347
08:15:38,818 --> 08:15:41,454
I don't have the insight to know exactly what was presented to

8348
08:15:41,454 --> 08:15:44,790
them, but the information was presented to them, and they had

8349
08:15:44,790 --> 08:15:47,592
that determination to determine, do they want to charge

8350
08:15:47,592 --> 08:15:49,395
criminally or not? I definitely understand your

8351
08:15:49,395 --> 08:15:52,265
position with that, but our position is we have to gather

8352
08:15:52,265 --> 08:15:55,868
the information just like we do. In any case, there are cases

8353
08:15:55,868 --> 08:15:58,104
where of all kinds of things that are presented to the us

8354
08:15:58,104 --> 08:16:00,600
attorney's office and for a variety of reasons, the

8355
08:16:00,600 --> 08:16:02,274
decisions are made not to pursue charges.

8356
08:16:02,274 --> 08:16:09,482
so as far as I understand, an unarmed man was shot at in d.c.

8357
08:16:09,482 --> 08:16:12,417
that man was a father. He is traumatized.

8358
08:16:12,417 --> 08:16:18,417
his mother cried in my office, and the prosecutors, federal

8359
08:16:18,424 --> 08:16:21,160
prosecutors have determined that they are that the federal

8360
08:16:21,160 --> 08:16:25,431
officer who shot at this man in d.c.

8361
08:16:25,431 --> 08:16:31,671
did not commit a crime. I can't even make sense of that.

8362
08:16:31,671 --> 08:16:36,243
and there seems to be no outrage from the government officials.

8363
08:16:36,243 --> 08:16:39,512
I mean, that that is concerning. No, I mean, it's not lack of

8364
08:16:39,512 --> 08:16:43,490
empathy on our part. But again, we we have a job to

8365
08:16:43,490 --> 08:16:45,917
do and we have to present that to the u.s. Attorney's office.

8366
08:16:45,917 --> 08:16:48,186
they have that information. I don't have all the specific

8367
08:16:48,186 --> 08:16:50,455
information that's out there. I didn't do the investigation.

8368
08:16:50,455 --> 08:16:52,592
regardless, we do need consistency.

8369
08:16:52,592 --> 08:16:56,530
if this was if I shot at somebody in the street and they

8370
08:16:56,530 --> 08:16:58,564
determined they weren't going to prosecute me, I think you'd have

8371
08:16:58,564 --> 08:17:01,567
something to say about it. It does happen.

8372
08:17:01,567 --> 08:17:03,936
and again, that's up to us. And we go back to u.s.

8373
08:17:03,936 --> 08:17:05,937
attorney's office when we have cases and we present the

8374
08:17:05,937 --> 08:17:08,741
information, but it's not for us to go out and to make that

8375
08:17:08,741 --> 08:17:10,877
determination. It is their right and

8376
08:17:10,877 --> 08:17:13,346
responsibility to do that. I definitely understand the

8377
08:17:13,346 --> 08:17:17,149
concern, but it's a big concern. This inconsistency is is scary.

8378
08:17:17,149 --> 08:17:18,285
we don't want to be in this situation.

8379
08:17:18,285 --> 08:17:20,620
and I've said it before, we don't want to be in this

8380
08:17:20,620 --> 08:17:23,356
situation that we're in as far as a city, but we're there.

8381
08:17:23,356 --> 08:17:25,557
so, you know, on the mpd perspective, we're trying to do

8382
08:17:25,557 --> 08:17:28,895
as much as we can to try to mitigate as we're out there.

8383
08:17:28,895 --> 08:17:30,696
right. So being with the federal

8384
08:17:30,696 --> 08:17:34,300
agencies and trying to mitigate and put them in areas where we

8385
08:17:34,300 --> 08:17:36,903
need the assistance, where we're having issues and challenges and

8386
08:17:36,903 --> 08:17:40,503
having to work within those confines.

8387
08:17:40,673 --> 08:17:42,673
okay. So.

8388
08:17:43,943 --> 08:17:48,780
no note, no opinion on federal prosecutors declining to

8389
08:17:48,780 --> 08:17:51,417
prosecute. What about the flashbangs used

8390
08:17:51,417 --> 08:17:54,720
in the residential neighborhood? Is is that a concern?

8391
08:17:54,720 --> 08:17:57,456
are we investigating that? What's the status?

8392
08:17:57,456 --> 08:18:00,993
mpd is not investigating that. That's I believe the fbi had

8393
08:18:00,993 --> 08:18:03,496
some sort of an operation that they were conducting there.

8394
08:18:03,496 --> 08:18:05,864
I'm not sure if the fbi is investigating that.

8395
08:18:05,864 --> 08:18:07,466
there was some sort of an arrest that was made.

8396
08:18:07,466 --> 08:18:11,660
is my understanding related to that?

8397
08:18:12,304 --> 08:18:18,778
so when when there's a use of force by, let's say, federal law

8398
08:18:18,778 --> 08:18:23,616
enforcement, should there be a use of force report done by mpd,

8399
08:18:23,616 --> 08:18:25,751
not by mpd? No, we don't have the

8400
08:18:25,751 --> 08:18:28,160
information. I mean, again, different federal

8401
08:18:28,160 --> 08:18:30,960
law enforcement agencies have different policies.

8402
08:18:30,960 --> 08:18:32,766
my understanding is that some of them do use of force reports.

8403
08:18:32,766 --> 08:18:33,967
I don't know what that looks like.

8404
08:18:33,967 --> 08:18:36,569
I would imagine there's probably differences between the

8405
08:18:36,569 --> 08:18:39,237
different agencies, but what their administrative process is,

8406
08:18:39,237 --> 08:18:40,907
I don't know. So I can't really speak to it.

8407
08:18:40,907 --> 08:18:44,477
we do what I can tell you that what this sounds like there was

8408
08:18:44,477 --> 08:18:49,514
the wild west, because if if I use force in the street, there's

8409
08:18:49,514 --> 08:18:52,318
going to be an investigation and arrest and prosecution.

8410
08:18:52,318 --> 08:18:55,621
if you or your officers use force, there should be a use of

8411
08:18:55,621 --> 08:18:57,589
force report. But if federal officers can do

8412
08:18:57,589 --> 08:19:00,192
whatever they want, and we're not going to take a position on

8413
08:19:00,192 --> 08:19:02,994
that, that's not what I said. I said we would investigate

8414
08:19:02,994 --> 08:19:04,496
this. I don't know, I can't say if the

8415
08:19:04,496 --> 08:19:05,798
fbi does an investigation or not.

8416
08:19:05,798 --> 08:19:07,932
I don't know the answer to that. They shouldn't.

8417
08:19:07,932 --> 08:19:10,300
you know the answer and shouldn't I know the answer?

8418
08:19:10,300 --> 08:19:12,871
I mean, I don't work for the fbi.

8419
08:19:12,871 --> 08:19:15,674
I don't know that I don't know if the fbi has been asked about

8420
08:19:15,674 --> 08:19:17,443
what they're how they investigate their things.

8421
08:19:17,443 --> 08:19:21,347
I don't have that answer. So I can't really speak to it.

8422
08:19:21,347 --> 08:19:26,285
so if if a d.c. Resident gets shot and their family comes to

8423
08:19:26,285 --> 08:19:30,622
me and they get shot by a federal officer, could I say it

8424
08:19:30,622 --> 08:19:33,425
was shot by federal officer, not a local officer.

8425
08:19:33,425 --> 08:19:35,294
so nothing I can do there? No.

8426
08:19:35,294 --> 08:19:38,330
but you also wouldn't say go to mpd and ask them why the federal

8427
08:19:38,330 --> 08:19:40,900
agency shot them. I don't have that information.

8428
08:19:40,900 --> 08:19:42,835
they don't follow the same training that we have.

8429
08:19:42,835 --> 08:19:45,370
they don't follow the same policies and procedures that we

8430
08:19:45,370 --> 08:19:46,705
have. They don't have the same

8431
08:19:46,705 --> 08:19:49,308
requirements that we have. So I can't speak to that.

8432
08:19:49,308 --> 08:19:52,144
are you prohibited from investigating?

8433
08:19:52,144 --> 08:19:54,460
would there be nothing to investigate?

8434
08:19:54,460 --> 08:19:56,849
you're allowed to use force under the color of law.

8435
08:19:56,849 --> 08:19:59,385
so again, in the serious use of force aspect, we do, but we have

8436
08:19:59,385 --> 08:20:03,489
nothing to investigate. Mpd is down almost 800 officers

8437
08:20:03,489 --> 08:20:05,224
from compared to where I'm at now.

8438
08:20:05,224 --> 08:20:08,394
their job is not to go back into reinvestigate in cases of

8439
08:20:08,394 --> 08:20:10,963
serious use of force, where there's a loss of life, an

8440
08:20:10,963 --> 08:20:13,198
officer involved shooting. We definitely do investigate and

8441
08:20:13,198 --> 08:20:14,601
that's to bring that criminal forward.

8442
08:20:14,601 --> 08:20:16,969
that's the same that we would do for any sort of situation.

8443
08:20:16,969 --> 08:20:20,873
if it was mpd member or not, but every single use of force that

8444
08:20:20,873 --> 08:20:22,307
any federal law enforcement agency does.

8445
08:20:22,307 --> 08:20:25,144
how we define a serious use of force and how they define a

8446
08:20:25,144 --> 08:20:27,120
serious use of force will be different.

8447
08:20:27,120 --> 08:20:29,648
what's reportable under mpd policies and is reported on any

8448
08:20:29,648 --> 08:20:31,850
other agencies policies will be different.

8449
08:20:31,850 --> 08:20:34,319
so again, those are things that we have no control over.

8450
08:20:34,319 --> 08:20:37,222
you know, we can't say what their policies are.

8451
08:20:37,222 --> 08:20:38,991
I definitely understand the concern, but I'm asking we've

8452
08:20:38,991 --> 08:20:44,329
handled it that way. No federal officers fire a

8453
08:20:44,329 --> 08:20:48,700
weapon at someone in d.c. Are you prohibited from

8454
08:20:48,700 --> 08:20:50,335
investigating? If they shoot a gun at someone?

8455
08:20:50,335 --> 08:20:54,373
we do investigate those things. All officer involved shootings,

8456
08:20:54,373 --> 08:20:56,175
all discharges of a firearm in the district of columbia.

8457
08:20:56,175 --> 08:20:59,411
we do investigate, and we present them to the u.s.

8458
08:20:59,411 --> 08:21:02,648
attorney's office. There's other types of force

8459
08:21:02,648 --> 08:21:03,648
that are out there. There's lots of other force

8460
08:21:03,648 --> 08:21:05,617
that's out there besides the discharge of a firearm.

8461
08:21:05,617 --> 08:21:08,887
that's what did your investigation show when the

8462
08:21:08,887 --> 08:21:11,230
shooting, when the officer shot at phillip brown?

8463
08:21:11,230 --> 08:21:12,525
that's the case we just talked about.

8464
08:21:12,525 --> 08:21:14,459
that's the one where the information was presented to the

8465
08:21:14,459 --> 08:21:16,795
united states attorney's office. They issued a declination.

8466
08:21:16,795 --> 08:21:20,666
in that case, we don't do an administrative investigation.

8467
08:21:20,666 --> 08:21:23,135
we do a criminal investigation that's presented to the united

8468
08:21:23,135 --> 08:21:25,737
states attorney's office, just as we do inside homicide cases

8469
08:21:25,737 --> 08:21:28,700
in any criminal case. And they then have the right to

8470
08:21:28,700 --> 08:21:31,477
make that determination of are they going to pursue charges or

8471
08:21:31,477 --> 08:21:33,613
not? If they don't pursue charges,

8472
08:21:33,613 --> 08:21:35,414
then it goes back to agency, just like an mpd.

8473
08:21:35,414 --> 08:21:38,216
if we have an officer that's involved in an officer involved

8474
08:21:38,216 --> 08:21:40,386
shooting, we're going to present that to the united states

8475
08:21:40,386 --> 08:21:41,888
attorney's office. If they issue a declination,

8476
08:21:41,888 --> 08:21:44,690
then we're going to do an administrative investigation to

8477
08:21:44,690 --> 08:21:46,625
determine is there a policy violation?

8478
08:21:46,625 --> 08:21:48,894
what do we need to do that's going to go to our use of force

8479
08:21:48,894 --> 08:21:50,964
review board? Who's going to make a final

8480
08:21:50,964 --> 08:21:51,630
determination. All right.

8481
08:21:51,630 --> 08:21:53,965
I don't know what the different federal agencies, how they

8482
08:21:53,965 --> 08:21:56,436
handle that administratively. They may have boards.

8483
08:21:56,436 --> 08:21:58,570
they may have things like that. I just don't know.

8484
08:21:58,570 --> 08:22:01,674
so I can't speak to it. My last question, if there is a

8485
08:22:01,674 --> 08:22:04,943
federal threat to d.c. Residents, do you and your

8486
08:22:04,943 --> 08:22:07,413
officers have a duty to protect d.c. Residents?

8487
08:22:07,413 --> 08:22:09,114
absolutely. If there's a threat to the

8488
08:22:09,114 --> 08:22:10,516
residents, we do. Okay.

8489
08:22:10,516 --> 08:22:11,316
thank you. Chief.

8490
08:22:11,316 --> 08:22:12,500
yes, sir. Thank you.

8491
08:22:12,500 --> 08:22:14,854
thank you, councilmember pinto. Great.

8492
08:22:14,854 --> 08:22:20,192
thank you, councilmember white. I'm going to turn to

8493
08:22:20,192 --> 08:22:24,392
councilmember crawford now for a 15 minute round.

8494
08:22:32,971 --> 08:22:37,643
for the past month, including free d.c. Black swan academy,

8495
08:22:37,643 --> 08:22:40,747
trigger project and harriet's wildest dreams, I admire the

8496
08:22:40,747 --> 08:22:42,948
work that you do. And again, thank you all for

8497
08:22:42,948 --> 08:22:46,351
your service and commitment. I want to start by following up

8498
08:22:46,351 --> 08:22:48,721
on some of the testimonies that we heard today.

8499
08:22:48,721 --> 08:22:52,324
so, chief carroll, several public witnesses raised concerns

8500
08:22:52,324 --> 08:22:54,960
about your perceived associations with the proud

8501
08:22:54,960 --> 08:22:57,960
boys. This is not the first time or

8502
08:22:57,960 --> 08:22:59,432
even the second or third time that I've heard this.

8503
08:22:59,432 --> 08:23:02,668
so I just want to provide you with the opportunity to address

8504
08:23:02,668 --> 08:23:05,504
those concerns directly. For the record, can you clarify

8505
08:23:05,504 --> 08:23:09,475
the nature of those claims and state whether you have ever had

8506
08:23:09,475 --> 08:23:12,440
any affiliation or association with that organization?

8507
08:23:12,440 --> 08:23:13,379
no. I appreciate you asking the

8508
08:23:13,379 --> 08:23:15,681
question because I don't know where this comes from.

8509
08:23:15,681 --> 08:23:18,383
I'm not associated with the proud boys, nor have I ever been

8510
08:23:18,383 --> 08:23:20,886
or any other group or organization that's related to

8511
08:23:20,886 --> 08:23:23,389
white supremacy or anything else.

8512
08:23:23,389 --> 08:23:26,325
there was an incident that occurred in there was an

8513
08:23:26,325 --> 08:23:29,828
incident that occurred in 2020, a demonstration where there were

8514
08:23:29,828 --> 08:23:32,264
individuals of the proud boys that were attempting to get to

8515
08:23:32,264 --> 08:23:35,901
other protest groups that were there, and they actually began

8516
08:23:35,901 --> 08:23:38,704
assaulting 3 or 4 female individuals that were there.

8517
08:23:38,704 --> 08:23:41,674
I interceded in that. I deployed oc spray to stop the

8518
08:23:41,674 --> 08:23:44,476
proud boys from assaulting those individuals, and I arrested one

8519
08:23:44,476 --> 08:23:46,878
of those individuals. Additionally, outside of that,

8520
08:23:46,878 --> 08:23:50,515
one of our members was charged as relates to the proud boys.

8521
08:23:50,515 --> 08:23:52,617
I went to court and I testified against that member.

8522
08:23:52,617 --> 08:23:55,487
so I don't know where this, this, this thought that I'm

8523
08:23:55,487 --> 08:23:58,290
associated with the proud boys come from, but I am not.

8524
08:23:58,290 --> 08:24:01,927
so I thank you for asking that. I want to be clear on that.

8525
08:24:01,927 --> 08:24:05,970
and can you just explain also how you're working to maintain

8526
08:24:05,970 --> 08:24:08,701
public trust and confidence in your leadership of mpd?

8527
08:24:08,701 --> 08:24:11,570
no, absolutely. And again, you know, I know the

8528
08:24:11,570 --> 08:24:13,773
performance hearings can always be be be challenging.

8529
08:24:13,773 --> 08:24:16,842
I know there's a variety of views across the community about

8530
08:24:16,842 --> 08:24:18,377
what we should do and how we should do.

8531
08:24:18,377 --> 08:24:21,514
and I know there's a general concern about the federal

8532
08:24:21,514 --> 08:24:22,981
authorities that are here and the things they're doing, and we

8533
08:24:22,981 --> 08:24:26,452
share those concerns with mpd. You know, my goal and what we've

8534
08:24:26,452 --> 08:24:28,588
done in this department for many, many years is try to work

8535
08:24:28,588 --> 08:24:32,357
with the community to see where the issues at, how can we make

8536
08:24:32,357 --> 08:24:33,926
things better? Obviously, there's concerns.

8537
08:24:33,926 --> 08:24:36,194
it's been raised here by many council members about the trust

8538
08:24:36,194 --> 08:24:38,735
and the damage that this is doing, and we definitely are

8539
08:24:38,735 --> 08:24:40,404
concerned about that. And one of our things is ways

8540
08:24:40,404 --> 08:24:43,474
that we can work to try to build that trust back up, because one

8541
08:24:43,474 --> 08:24:47,440
day the federal task force will be gone, whatever it is, and mpd

8542
08:24:47,440 --> 08:24:49,179
will still be here, and we're the ones that are going to be

8543
08:24:49,179 --> 08:24:50,680
left behind. Their officers that have been

8544
08:24:50,680 --> 08:24:53,883
out here every single day trying to deal with the situation and

8545
08:24:53,883 --> 08:24:56,687
to deal with it as tactfully as possible, that are now going to

8546
08:24:56,687 --> 08:24:59,823
be left to after this very challenging situation, to then

8547
08:24:59,823 --> 08:25:01,959
rebuild that trust. So trying to do what we can now

8548
08:25:01,959 --> 08:25:04,895
to continue to build trust. And I understand it's

8549
08:25:04,895 --> 08:25:06,730
challenging. Our officers don't want to be in

8550
08:25:06,730 --> 08:25:09,330
these situations, but they are. And I keep saying that because

8551
08:25:09,330 --> 08:25:12,636
it's so important that people realize that, you know, for me,

8552
08:25:12,636 --> 08:25:15,272
things like doing the community walks, engaging the agencies

8553
08:25:15,272 --> 08:25:18,442
across the city, our citizens advisory council, we have a

8554
08:25:18,442 --> 08:25:21,712
chiefs advisory council, all the districts have advisory councils

8555
08:25:21,712 --> 08:25:23,180
just getting out, talking to them.

8556
08:25:23,180 --> 08:25:25,282
one of the other things is talking to our officers.

8557
08:25:25,282 --> 08:25:27,852
you know, our officers are the ones that are out in the

8558
08:25:27,852 --> 08:25:30,855
community day in and day out, engaging with folks, getting

8559
08:25:30,855 --> 08:25:32,256
ideas. What are things that we can do

8560
08:25:32,256 --> 08:25:33,390
better? What are areas that we can

8561
08:25:33,390 --> 08:25:35,859
improve that we're not going to be perfect always.

8562
08:25:35,859 --> 08:25:38,280
there's always room and things that we can do better.

8563
08:25:38,280 --> 08:25:40,197
and it's our goal to try to do those things.

8564
08:25:40,197 --> 08:25:42,866
so, you know, taking the feedback, doing different war

8565
08:25:42,866 --> 08:25:45,869
walks in different events just to really try to connect and get

8566
08:25:45,869 --> 08:25:47,738
that information. So I look forward in this role.

8567
08:25:47,738 --> 08:25:51,750
I'm here to to doing that, to continue to move those things

8568
08:25:51,750 --> 08:25:54,144
forward and doing our best to continue to strengthen the

8569
08:25:54,144 --> 08:25:56,547
relationship that we have with the community.

8570
08:25:56,547 --> 08:25:58,449
thank you. I appreciate that, and I'll just

8571
08:25:58,449 --> 08:26:02,119
say I've been working with the organizations I named, as well

8572
08:26:02,119 --> 08:26:06,156
as with my colleagues on legislation for next week.

8573
08:26:06,156 --> 08:26:11,610
and I know in the past there's been a perception that no matter

8574
08:26:11,610 --> 08:26:13,564
law enforcement, no matter who they are, supports blue.

8575
08:26:13,564 --> 08:26:19,169
you know, blue supports blue. And I think that is part of the

8576
08:26:19,169 --> 08:26:22,706
perception that people may have when it comes to wanting to

8577
08:26:22,706 --> 08:26:27,478
trust that mpd is there to protect and serve district

8578
08:26:27,478 --> 08:26:31,648
residents, and not just fully cooperate with the federal law

8579
08:26:31,648 --> 08:26:32,984
enforcement. And I don't know if you have any

8580
08:26:32,984 --> 08:26:37,788
thoughts on that, but it's something I've also had to.

8581
08:26:37,788 --> 08:26:40,657
struggle with. I guess, when it comes to like

8582
08:26:40,657 --> 08:26:44,729
fully trusting mpd and making sure that they are there to

8583
08:26:44,729 --> 08:26:49,660
serve our district residents. No, I mean, it's it's it's a

8584
08:26:49,660 --> 08:26:50,934
challenging situation, like law enforcement is law enforcement.

8585
08:26:50,934 --> 08:26:52,703
and we have to cooperate with other agencies.

8586
08:26:52,703 --> 08:26:55,439
we have to work with them. There's agencies that have

8587
08:26:55,439 --> 08:26:57,574
specialized missions. We are a federal district.

8588
08:26:57,574 --> 08:27:00,444
the fbi investigates certain types of crimes.

8589
08:27:00,444 --> 08:27:02,146
the atf investigates certain types of crimes.

8590
08:27:02,146 --> 08:27:05,150
we need their resources and support in those areas.

8591
08:27:05,150 --> 08:27:06,417
where the challenge has really come in.

8592
08:27:06,417 --> 08:27:09,953
is this this proactive, forward facing, street level

8593
08:27:09,953 --> 08:27:12,288
interactions that's really caused the challenge in the

8594
08:27:12,288 --> 08:27:15,910
communities out there. And you hear it here in the

8595
08:27:15,910 --> 08:27:17,961
testimony of the different citizens and community members

8596
08:27:17,961 --> 08:27:20,563
that have testified today. And you hear within the

8597
08:27:20,563 --> 08:27:23,300
department, you know, as far as mpd, we're going to continue to

8598
08:27:23,300 --> 08:27:26,700
work with the community. We have to work with other law

8599
08:27:26,700 --> 08:27:27,371
enforcement agencies collaboratively.

8600
08:27:27,371 --> 08:27:31,708
we don't have to work with ice. Ero and do civil immigration

8601
08:27:31,708 --> 08:27:33,440
enforcement. There's a law that specifically

8602
08:27:33,440 --> 08:27:34,645
prohibits that. That's not an area we want to be

8603
08:27:34,645 --> 08:27:36,847
in. It was much simpler four years

8604
08:27:36,847 --> 08:27:39,783
ago, three years ago, two years ago, when we didn't even have to

8605
08:27:39,783 --> 08:27:43,420
delve in that area at all. But now with these other

8606
08:27:43,420 --> 08:27:45,857
agencies that are out there, it puts us in a situation and

8607
08:27:45,857 --> 08:27:48,325
trying to make sure that our officers have the appropriate

8608
08:27:48,325 --> 08:27:50,494
tools and the appropriate training to keep them to make

8609
08:27:50,494 --> 08:27:53,300
sure they're in compliance with the law, but also make sure that

8610
08:27:53,300 --> 08:27:56,934
people in the community are able to trust mpd.

8611
08:27:56,934 --> 08:27:59,136
thank you. I want to switch to juvenile

8612
08:27:59,136 --> 08:28:03,207
curfew now. So of the 15 curfew zones that

8613
08:28:03,207 --> 08:28:07,244
have been implemented, mpd reports encountering 18 youth

8614
08:28:07,244 --> 08:28:10,748
who would not come into compliance, but zero arrests

8615
08:28:10,748 --> 08:28:13,317
during extended hours if not arrested.

8616
08:28:13,317 --> 08:28:16,530
what actions did mpd take with these young people when they

8617
08:28:16,530 --> 08:28:18,655
refused to come into compliance? Sure.

8618
08:28:18,655 --> 08:28:21,692
so they were either taking home or they're taken to.

8619
08:28:21,692 --> 08:28:24,294
diaries where there's resources there to connect them with for

8620
08:28:24,294 --> 08:28:26,630
at risk behavior. So they weren't they were not

8621
08:28:26,630 --> 08:28:28,833
arrested and there were no arrests in those enhanced hours.

8622
08:28:28,833 --> 08:28:31,669
I believe it's from 8 to 11. Okay.

8623
08:28:31,669 --> 08:28:34,405
so when you say no arrests, because what I heard from some

8624
08:28:34,405 --> 08:28:39,643
youth is that there may be times when youth at the time of a

8625
08:28:39,643 --> 08:28:43,247
curfew violation, are arrested for other offenses that aren't

8626
08:28:43,247 --> 08:28:45,983
the curfew violation. Is that true?

8627
08:28:45,983 --> 08:28:49,219
so, in other words, are you being arrested for other

8628
08:28:49,219 --> 08:28:51,454
offenses during the curfew hours?

8629
08:28:51,454 --> 08:28:53,123
so we didn't have anyone that was arrested.

8630
08:28:53,123 --> 08:28:56,727
we didn't have any juveniles that were arrested during the

8631
08:28:56,727 --> 08:28:58,595
curfew hours for anything else outside of that.

8632
08:28:58,595 --> 08:29:01,532
we did not have that. We did have the juveniles that

8633
08:29:01,532 --> 08:29:03,733
you mentioned that were in violation of the curfew, that

8634
08:29:03,733 --> 08:29:06,670
were either taken home or to doctors to be connected with

8635
08:29:06,670 --> 08:29:08,672
resources, but there were not arrests for other things during

8636
08:29:08,672 --> 08:29:11,720
those time frames. Okay.

8637
08:29:11,342 --> 08:29:13,911
and then similar to council member lewis george, I've heard

8638
08:29:13,911 --> 08:29:16,947
from youth advocacy organizations that negative

8639
08:29:16,947 --> 08:29:19,149
interactions with law enforcement are proven to

8640
08:29:19,149 --> 08:29:22,820
increase a young person's chances of deeper justice system

8641
08:29:22,820 --> 08:29:24,687
involvement. I want to get your thoughts on

8642
08:29:24,687 --> 08:29:30,194
that, and whether you see curfew as a short term stabilization

8643
08:29:30,194 --> 08:29:34,298
tool, a long term use safety strategy, or something else.

8644
08:29:34,298 --> 08:29:37,501
sure. So I see the enhanced curfew as

8645
08:29:37,501 --> 08:29:41,306
a tool, just one tool. It's not the solution to all

8646
08:29:41,306 --> 08:29:43,173
issues. There's a lot of underlying

8647
08:29:43,173 --> 08:29:45,709
issues that we need to we as a city, not the police department,

8648
08:29:45,709 --> 08:29:48,579
necessarily need to address. But of course mpd will be a

8649
08:29:48,579 --> 08:29:50,647
partner like we need to. You know, I have a youth

8650
08:29:50,647 --> 08:29:53,184
advisory council, the chief's youth advisory council, and I've

8651
08:29:53,184 --> 08:29:56,530
met with them a couple of times. One was actually yesterday and

8652
08:29:56,530 --> 08:29:58,789
this issue kind of came up, you know, with juveniles and, you

8653
08:29:58,789 --> 08:30:00,924
know, hanging out and the different meet ups and things

8654
08:30:00,924 --> 08:30:03,493
like that, and, you know, making sure that there's places for

8655
08:30:03,493 --> 08:30:06,596
young people to go where there's, you know, a variety of

8656
08:30:06,596 --> 08:30:09,533
options across the city is one of the things when there's

8657
08:30:09,533 --> 08:30:11,301
nowhere for them to go and things that they feel either

8658
08:30:11,301 --> 08:30:14,471
there's nowhere for them to go or things that they, they don't

8659
08:30:14,471 --> 08:30:18,108
want to do that are available. Then they make these on their

8660
08:30:18,108 --> 08:30:19,542
own kind of events that are out there.

8661
08:30:19,542 --> 08:30:22,279
so I think providing more programing in a variety across

8662
08:30:22,279 --> 08:30:25,820
the city is a way. And I know those are areas that

8663
08:30:25,820 --> 08:30:27,818
when chief smith was here, she was working closely to try to

8664
08:30:27,818 --> 08:30:30,787
think of those things. Those are strategies that myself

8665
08:30:30,787 --> 08:30:33,289
and executive assistant, right. And our youth and family

8666
08:30:33,289 --> 08:30:34,158
engagement division are thinking about.

8667
08:30:34,158 --> 08:30:36,827
what can we do as we get closer to warmer times, because we know

8668
08:30:36,827 --> 08:30:40,630
there's going to be issues. So I look at the enhanced curfew

8669
08:30:40,630 --> 08:30:42,899
as a tool in the toolbox. I don't look at it as the

8670
08:30:42,899 --> 08:30:44,868
overall solution, but it is something that we want to have

8671
08:30:44,868 --> 08:30:46,970
that ability to do when it's needed.

8672
08:30:46,970 --> 08:30:50,760
it is very limited and tailored to the areas that it's in.

8673
08:30:50,760 --> 08:30:52,512
even, you know, if there's five people that are in those areas

8674
08:30:52,512 --> 08:30:54,147
during that time frame, they're not in violation.

8675
08:30:54,147 --> 08:30:57,349
and there are a number of exceptions, but it is a tool

8676
08:30:57,349 --> 08:30:59,719
that does allow us to address some of those issues that are

8677
08:30:59,719 --> 08:31:01,719
out there. Okay.

8678
08:31:01,921 --> 08:31:05,259
and then is this council mandated by law or is this

8679
08:31:05,259 --> 08:31:08,600
something you just do? No, it's something that it's

8680
08:31:08,600 --> 08:31:10,596
something that actually I believe I'm not sure if chief

8681
08:31:10,596 --> 08:31:12,398
conti started or chief smith started, but something that's

8682
08:31:12,398 --> 08:31:15,802
been going on for a while, mpd. So we have members across the

8683
08:31:15,802 --> 08:31:18,371
city that's on there, and we also have some of our high

8684
08:31:18,371 --> 08:31:20,173
school police cadets that's on there as well.

8685
08:31:20,173 --> 08:31:23,309
so it's actually a it's actually a good cross section of young

8686
08:31:23,309 --> 08:31:25,345
people across the city. And they really have some good

8687
08:31:25,345 --> 08:31:27,980
ideas. And, you know, trying to task

8688
08:31:27,980 --> 08:31:30,383
them and leverage them of what we can do.

8689
08:31:30,383 --> 08:31:32,952
because I come to meetings like this and other meetings where

8690
08:31:32,952 --> 08:31:35,880
people ask, what can we do for young people?

8691
08:31:35,880 --> 08:31:37,691
and the conversation I have with them is like, you know, people

8692
08:31:37,691 --> 08:31:40,930
want to do things to help you, to try to mitigate these.

8693
08:31:40,930 --> 08:31:42,229
so, you know, what are the types of things that you would like to

8694
08:31:42,229 --> 08:31:44,296
do. And then also on that, even on

8695
08:31:44,296 --> 08:31:47,633
our side, trying to have them develop a an event or something

8696
08:31:47,633 --> 08:31:52,500
for young people to try to help towards that goal overall.

8697
08:31:52,500 --> 08:31:54,306
so this is my my second month that we've met with them since

8698
08:31:54,306 --> 08:31:56,309
I've been in this seat. But it's, it's it's really good.

8699
08:31:56,309 --> 08:31:59,379
and again, we're trying to not only build the relationship

8700
08:31:59,379 --> 08:32:01,381
between young people and law enforcement because there's a

8701
08:32:01,381 --> 08:32:03,716
lot of misnomers, there's a lot of misnomers in the community

8702
08:32:03,716 --> 08:32:06,152
about law enforcement. So just interacting like police

8703
08:32:06,152 --> 08:32:08,654
officers or people just like everybody else.

8704
08:32:08,654 --> 08:32:11,725
and, you know, we put on these uniforms and we do a job and it

8705
08:32:11,725 --> 08:32:14,993
is our job, but we're people and we have families and we have

8706
08:32:14,993 --> 08:32:16,529
lives and we have interests outside of this.

8707
08:32:16,529 --> 08:32:19,599
and I think having that connection on the human level

8708
08:32:19,599 --> 08:32:22,402
helps people understand each other better.

8709
08:32:22,402 --> 08:32:28,740
and since you mentioned this, I'm also curious about how you

8710
08:32:28,740 --> 08:32:31,780
see the interventions outside of law enforcement.

8711
08:32:31,780 --> 08:32:35,848
like we've heard a lot about dpr's late night hike, violence

8712
08:32:35,848 --> 08:32:39,519
interruption, family support. Like how would you prioritize or

8713
08:32:39,519 --> 08:32:44,257
rank what you would see as interventions that could be

8714
08:32:44,257 --> 08:32:46,993
successful to preventing contact with mpd?

8715
08:32:46,993 --> 08:32:50,300
I mean, honestly, I think all those are I think that different

8716
08:32:50,300 --> 08:32:51,698
young people have different things that they kind of

8717
08:32:51,698 --> 08:32:53,367
gravitate to. There is no like one solution.

8718
08:32:53,367 --> 08:32:55,168
I think that's the challenge. You know, I have I have a

8719
08:32:55,168 --> 08:32:58,438
teenager or two at home myself and completely different things.

8720
08:32:58,438 --> 08:33:01,174
some people want to go out and play basketball.

8721
08:33:01,174 --> 08:33:03,377
some people want to go, you know, just hang out with their

8722
08:33:03,377 --> 08:33:04,377
friends. So there's a variety of things.

8723
08:33:04,377 --> 08:33:06,513
so we have to have a variety of options.

8724
08:33:06,513 --> 08:33:09,820
I think late night hype has been good.

8725
08:33:09,820 --> 08:33:10,716
but again, looking at how can we change that?

8726
08:33:10,716 --> 08:33:12,752
because when we have one location in the city, we get

8727
08:33:12,752 --> 08:33:15,988
these huge numbers of kids that go there and then we have

8728
08:33:15,988 --> 08:33:17,357
challenges. So what can we do to have

8729
08:33:17,357 --> 08:33:20,393
multiple options for children or for young people, not children,

8730
08:33:20,393 --> 08:33:23,663
young people across the city to go to that, maybe it sparks

8731
08:33:23,663 --> 08:33:25,198
their interest or is closer to their neighborhood.

8732
08:33:25,198 --> 08:33:28,301
instead of having to go all the way across the city to to go to

8733
08:33:28,301 --> 08:33:30,603
an event. So again, having more, having

8734
08:33:30,603 --> 08:33:32,938
them spread out, I think it just gives different options for

8735
08:33:32,938 --> 08:33:35,741
different young people. So something that may not grab

8736
08:33:35,741 --> 08:33:38,212
this, this young person may grab the attention of the other one.

8737
08:33:38,212 --> 08:33:41,470
they want to do something. Okay.

8738
08:33:41,470 --> 08:33:44,550
and then shifting back to transparency with federal law

8739
08:33:44,550 --> 08:33:48,288
enforcement, I understand that we can't compel federal officers

8740
08:33:48,288 --> 08:33:53,826
to provide their name and badge number to the public, and when

8741
08:33:53,826 --> 08:33:56,862
residents, my understanding is when residents ask mpd officers

8742
08:33:56,862 --> 08:34:00,330
for the name and badge of federal agents, officers

8743
08:34:00,330 --> 08:34:03,870
typically instruct to for the residents to defer to the

8744
08:34:03,870 --> 08:34:08,508
federal agency for their policy. Have you raised has mpd raised

8745
08:34:08,508 --> 08:34:12,450
concerns with federal partners about public identification

8746
08:34:12,450 --> 08:34:14,180
practices? It has come up as well.

8747
08:34:14,180 --> 08:34:18,484
the concerns about that. There is a concern that we've

8748
08:34:18,484 --> 08:34:20,920
raised, obviously, the covering of the face, the providing the

8749
08:34:20,920 --> 08:34:23,322
information, the vehicles, because most of these concerns

8750
08:34:23,322 --> 08:34:24,924
that come up are when people have things.

8751
08:34:24,924 --> 08:34:28,261
it comes to mpd because people come to us asking questions and

8752
08:34:28,261 --> 08:34:30,463
then we spend a lot of time trying to run down.

8753
08:34:30,463 --> 08:34:33,599
they see a vehicle in the area. They assume it's this

8754
08:34:33,599 --> 08:34:35,468
organization or that even though we're not involved, we do our

8755
08:34:35,468 --> 08:34:39,339
best to try to mediate that and try to share information, share

8756
08:34:39,339 --> 08:34:41,808
concerns with the the federal authorities say no because at

8757
08:34:41,808 --> 08:34:44,100
the end of the day, the same thing, like they're having an

8758
08:34:44,100 --> 08:34:46,412
impact in the community, right. And if they want to be part of

8759
08:34:46,412 --> 08:34:49,449
the task force and work here in the district and like those two

8760
08:34:49,449 --> 08:34:53,986
should be concerns of theirs, just like they are for mpd.

8761
08:34:53,986 --> 08:34:57,556
thank you. And then on, I believe you've

8762
08:34:57,556 --> 08:35:02,929
already been asked on sanctuary act, but have you sought well

8763
08:35:02,929 --> 08:35:05,964
one how is mpd currently interpreting and putting it in

8764
08:35:05,964 --> 08:35:07,900
practice? The district sanctuary values

8765
08:35:07,900 --> 08:35:09,301
act. I'll start there because I

8766
08:35:09,301 --> 08:35:10,803
didn't hear the full round. Sure.

8767
08:35:10,803 --> 08:35:12,171
you already answered this. Yeah.

8768
08:35:12,171 --> 08:35:16,442
so so the law is very specific about mpd coordination.

8769
08:35:16,442 --> 08:35:19,345
once individuals in custody, there can be no coordination, no

8770
08:35:19,345 --> 08:35:22,215
information sharing with civil immigration authorities.

8771
08:35:22,215 --> 08:35:25,785
we cannot ask about individual's immigration status at all.

8772
08:35:25,785 --> 08:35:28,921
so any any sharing of any level information can only happen by

8773
08:35:28,921 --> 08:35:31,357
the law. Before that, we don't turn

8774
08:35:31,357 --> 08:35:36,157
people over from mpd custody into other organizations.

8775
08:35:36,195 --> 08:35:38,864
I know there were some some questions that were raised by

8776
08:35:38,864 --> 08:35:40,566
both councilman white and councilman parker that obviously

8777
08:35:40,566 --> 08:35:44,690
will have to look into that were subject of a washington post

8778
08:35:44,690 --> 08:35:46,138
article. Again, I don't have the

8779
08:35:46,138 --> 08:35:47,941
specifics on those. I you know, there's lots of

8780
08:35:47,941 --> 08:35:52,611
things or reasons that could be. I don't have the answer to that

8781
08:35:52,611 --> 08:35:55,549
specifically. And then has mpd ever sought

8782
08:35:55,549 --> 08:35:59,518
just a legal opinion on the current status of the sanctuary

8783
08:35:59,518 --> 08:36:03,489
act from oag? We haven't I I'm not sure that

8784
08:36:03,489 --> 08:36:05,558
we've asked for their their opinion of the act.

8785
08:36:05,558 --> 08:36:08,600
I don't know what specifically we would ask them.

8786
08:36:08,600 --> 08:36:10,963
I mean, I think the act is legal.

8787
08:36:10,963 --> 08:36:14,467
we have policies that since it came into play that we've put in

8788
08:36:14,467 --> 08:36:17,603
as far as how we make sure that we're in compliance with it.

8789
08:36:17,603 --> 08:36:21,240
obviously, we have our general counsel that also reviews it and

8790
08:36:21,240 --> 08:36:23,442
provides guidance to the agency outside of that as well.

8791
08:36:23,442 --> 08:36:25,778
and they coordinate usually with the oig and other other

8792
08:36:25,778 --> 08:36:27,313
organizations. But we have our own general

8793
08:36:27,313 --> 08:36:29,313
counsel office. Okay.

8794
08:36:30,182 --> 08:36:33,919
most of my questions, I think I was last in this first round

8795
08:36:33,919 --> 08:36:37,556
have been answered. So I will actually yield my

8796
08:36:37,556 --> 08:36:40,726
final 45 seconds back to the chair.

8797
08:36:40,726 --> 08:36:42,861
okay. Thank you so much, councilor

8798
08:36:42,861 --> 08:36:45,398
crawford. Chief carol, I want to give you

8799
08:36:45,398 --> 08:36:47,433
an opportunity. If you want to take a five

8800
08:36:47,433 --> 08:36:52,710
minute bio break, are you sure? Yes, ma'am.

8801
08:36:52,710 --> 08:36:56,995
all right, well, thank you. I'm going to turn back to

8802
08:36:56,995 --> 08:36:58,564
councilmember parker for another round.

8803
08:36:58,564 --> 08:37:01,564
okay. In response to pre-hearing

8804
08:37:01,666 --> 08:37:06,400
question 110, which requested weekly arrest data from joint

8805
08:37:06,400 --> 08:37:11,343
federal mpd patrols, mpd notes that, quote, mpd data does not

8806
08:37:11,343 --> 08:37:13,912
specifically capture the subset of arrests that occurred while a

8807
08:37:13,912 --> 08:37:17,615
task force member was on the scene or on a joint patrol.

8808
08:37:17,615 --> 08:37:20,151
end quote. What was the thinking behind the

8809
08:37:20,151 --> 08:37:24,722
choice not to capture this data? It's we can't we don't have that

8810
08:37:24,722 --> 08:37:26,291
information. It's the same kind of the same

8811
08:37:26,291 --> 08:37:28,326
conversation we had. We don't document when we're on

8812
08:37:28,326 --> 08:37:30,928
the scene with the task force, when we're not on the scene with

8813
08:37:30,928 --> 08:37:34,650
the task force, we document our records management systems,

8814
08:37:34,650 --> 08:37:37,535
arrests, stops, incidents that mpd members take reports for.

8815
08:37:37,535 --> 08:37:40,872
so again, depending on who's there depends on who may take

8816
08:37:40,872 --> 08:37:43,608
that report. This has never been an issue

8817
08:37:43,608 --> 08:37:45,760
obviously before this time frame now.

8818
08:37:45,760 --> 08:37:47,912
so the system was not built for that.

8819
08:37:47,912 --> 08:37:51,160
and I know this is getting at what councilmember pinto was

8820
08:37:51,160 --> 08:37:55,754
asking earlier, what type of lift might it require for mpd

8821
08:37:55,754 --> 08:37:57,922
officers to document those types of.

8822
08:37:57,922 --> 08:38:00,692
we probably have to develop a separate it system to document

8823
08:38:00,692 --> 08:38:02,760
it. Why would it need to be

8824
08:38:02,760 --> 08:38:04,290
separate? Because it either has to be

8825
08:38:04,290 --> 08:38:06,865
separate or have to be billed out somehow.

8826
08:38:06,865 --> 08:38:10,680
anything that generally requires modifications of a records

8827
08:38:10,680 --> 08:38:12,638
management system costs a lot of money and takes a lot of time.

8828
08:38:12,638 --> 08:38:15,907
so there's obviously an input to that to to see what that looks

8829
08:38:15,907 --> 08:38:18,810
like. But whatever the system is now,

8830
08:38:18,810 --> 08:38:22,347
why can't we just record? The x district resident was

8831
08:38:22,347 --> 08:38:27,719
arrested by this partner agency because right now there there

8832
08:38:27,719 --> 08:38:30,255
would be there would be no report that was taken.

8833
08:38:30,255 --> 08:38:32,390
there would be nothing for mpd officer to report.

8834
08:38:32,390 --> 08:38:33,525
there was no crime that occurred.

8835
08:38:33,525 --> 08:38:36,610
there's no information that's there.

8836
08:38:36,610 --> 08:38:38,729
so, for example, if we made that arrest, we would have that

8837
08:38:38,729 --> 08:38:39,864
information. We would have the full

8838
08:38:39,864 --> 08:38:41,800
information of the individual. It almost sounds like what

8839
08:38:41,800 --> 08:38:44,469
you're talking about is us just taking a report and trying to

8840
08:38:44,469 --> 08:38:47,872
get information from a federal agency about the person that

8841
08:38:47,872 --> 08:38:52,477
they arrested, especially if a district resident is being

8842
08:38:52,477 --> 08:38:55,130
detained. It would provide data to us that

8843
08:38:55,130 --> 08:38:56,781
we otherwise don't have right now.

8844
08:38:56,781 --> 08:39:00,419
but again, I mean, mpd role is to really I mean, and again, I'm

8845
08:39:00,419 --> 08:39:02,353
not trying to be facetious, but it sounds like you're saying we

8846
08:39:02,353 --> 08:39:04,488
should go back and reinvestigate what the federal government is

8847
08:39:04,488 --> 08:39:06,624
doing to report that information.

8848
08:39:06,624 --> 08:39:08,827
potentially, we don't have the information about why they had

8849
08:39:08,827 --> 08:39:10,261
the stop, why they didn't have the stop.

8850
08:39:10,261 --> 08:39:12,898
and many of these instances, when we do, we are taking the

8851
08:39:12,898 --> 08:39:14,132
arrest. But again, it's almost like

8852
08:39:14,132 --> 08:39:17,169
we're trying to go back and then get information to take a report

8853
08:39:17,169 --> 08:39:19,771
potentially to say what they said, which we may or may not

8854
08:39:19,771 --> 08:39:21,306
have all the facts and information for.

8855
08:39:21,306 --> 08:39:24,577
I don't think that's a really good idea for us to try to do

8856
08:39:24,577 --> 08:39:26,811
that. I understand the want for the

8857
08:39:26,811 --> 08:39:29,280
information, but I don't know if trying to take a report to try

8858
08:39:29,280 --> 08:39:32,117
to figure out what we think that we observed happening is the

8859
08:39:32,117 --> 08:39:34,986
best way, I think more so to get it from the federal law

8860
08:39:34,986 --> 08:39:36,187
enforcement agencies would be the cleanest way.

8861
08:39:36,187 --> 08:39:40,987
I know there may be challenges to that.

8862
08:39:42,600 --> 08:39:45,730
okay. I'm jumping around a little bit

8863
08:39:45,730 --> 08:39:48,399
in response to pre-hearing question 37, you noted that

8864
08:39:48,399 --> 08:39:53,710
there has been an uptick in juvenile arrests in 2025 by 5%,

8865
08:39:53,710 --> 08:39:57,776
despite the launch of the 2025 mpd juvenile investigative

8866
08:39:57,776 --> 08:40:00,879
response unit. You note in your response that

8867
08:40:00,879 --> 08:40:04,482
teen takeovers are likely responsible for this uptick.

8868
08:40:04,482 --> 08:40:10,955
how are how are these takeovers being addressed through that jr

8869
08:40:10,955 --> 08:40:14,993
unit or other strategies that so so there's a few strategies.

8870
08:40:14,993 --> 08:40:17,763
so some of it a lot of these takeovers that are happening,

8871
08:40:17,763 --> 08:40:20,165
and I think I mentioned in one of the questions is young people

8872
08:40:20,165 --> 08:40:22,701
are going young or others not always young people are going on

8873
08:40:22,701 --> 08:40:26,972
social media and they're putting out teen takeover, navy yard,

8874
08:40:26,972 --> 08:40:28,773
union station, wherever it may be.

8875
08:40:28,773 --> 08:40:31,108
so we're working with our investigative services bureau to

8876
08:40:31,108 --> 08:40:32,644
try to go out and locate those posts.

8877
08:40:32,644 --> 08:40:35,480
so we know potentially is happening, depending on where it

8878
08:40:35,480 --> 08:40:37,715
is, like, what's the appropriate mitigation strategy?

8879
08:40:37,715 --> 08:40:40,952
step one usually is trying to identify the poster and then

8880
08:40:40,952 --> 08:40:42,854
reach out to them to see, you know, what's going on.

8881
08:40:42,854 --> 08:40:45,656
can we get them to take it down? Do they realize the

8882
08:40:45,656 --> 08:40:47,525
repercussions of putting this post up?

8883
08:40:47,525 --> 08:40:50,462
step 2nd may be whatever location they're going to.

8884
08:40:50,462 --> 08:40:52,497
if they're going to union station, do the other law

8885
08:40:52,497 --> 08:40:55,834
enforcement agencies, amtrak, police, for example, they handle

8886
08:40:55,834 --> 08:40:57,269
union station or metro transit police.

8887
08:40:57,269 --> 08:40:58,737
they handle parts of union station.

8888
08:40:58,737 --> 08:41:01,720
are they aware that this is coming so they can make sure

8889
08:41:01,720 --> 08:41:03,108
they have the appropriate deployment and strategies that

8890
08:41:03,108 --> 08:41:05,710
are there to mitigate any issues that may be there?

8891
08:41:05,710 --> 08:41:07,544
so really just trying to work through that.

8892
08:41:07,544 --> 08:41:10,214
the goal is to mitigate on the front end versus trying to

8893
08:41:10,214 --> 08:41:13,417
respond on the back end. We've seen some of the responses

8894
08:41:13,417 --> 08:41:14,486
that have happened on the back end.

8895
08:41:14,486 --> 08:41:16,888
the one that comes to mind is the one where the national guard

8896
08:41:16,888 --> 08:41:18,623
was chasing young people around the navy yard.

8897
08:41:18,623 --> 08:41:22,160
that's not what I want to see. Overall with that.

8898
08:41:22,160 --> 08:41:24,228
so whatever we can do to mitigate that on the front end

8899
08:41:24,228 --> 08:41:26,530
is the preferred method to try to address that.

8900
08:41:26,530 --> 08:41:30,435
I think long term, it's kind of the conversations I was having

8901
08:41:30,435 --> 08:41:32,704
with councilwoman crawford was is really we need some

8902
08:41:32,704 --> 08:41:36,410
strategies to try to give young people other things to do

8903
08:41:36,410 --> 08:41:39,243
besides these these takeovers. Some are saying, bring your

8904
08:41:39,243 --> 08:41:40,911
marijuana, bring your alcohol, those kinds of things.

8905
08:41:40,911 --> 08:41:44,490
so just trying to negate those, and I would agree with you

8906
08:41:44,490 --> 08:41:46,818
fully. And while I don't think this is

8907
08:41:46,818 --> 08:41:49,253
your responsibility, that's the charge I've provided to the

8908
08:41:49,253 --> 08:41:52,122
deputy mayor. Like we're being asked

8909
08:41:52,122 --> 08:41:56,361
authorized or extend a curfew, but we're not being asked to

8910
08:41:56,361 --> 08:41:58,996
expand options for young people. So I agree fully.

8911
08:41:58,996 --> 08:42:03,468
we need to be thinking about more options for them to do

8912
08:42:03,468 --> 08:42:07,739
things responsibly in response to pre-hearing question 180, mpd

8913
08:42:07,739 --> 08:42:13,139
notes that 24 members were arrested in fiscal year 25 and

8914
08:42:14,450 --> 08:42:18,750
26 to date, there were 21 in fiscal year 25, and it seems

8915
08:42:18,750 --> 08:42:23,688
like three so far in 26. What type of adverse actions are

8916
08:42:23,688 --> 08:42:25,757
taken against members who are arrested?

8917
08:42:25,757 --> 08:42:28,959
yes. So it depends on the type of the

8918
08:42:28,959 --> 08:42:30,828
crime. So again, just like anybody

8919
08:42:30,828 --> 08:42:32,363
else. So when the when they're

8920
08:42:32,363 --> 08:42:35,567
arrested for a crime, administrative investigation

8921
08:42:35,567 --> 08:42:38,637
will be begun, once the criminal investigation has completed,

8922
08:42:38,637 --> 08:42:41,238
similar to some of the other officer involved shooting and

8923
08:42:41,238 --> 08:42:42,540
things like that. If you get arrested, the

8924
08:42:42,540 --> 08:42:45,109
criminal part, once it's done, then the administrative part

8925
08:42:45,109 --> 08:42:47,912
will begin. Depending on what the the

8926
08:42:47,912 --> 08:42:51,490
incident is, it could be everything from, you know,

8927
08:42:51,490 --> 08:42:53,250
suspension to termination. Again, you have to weigh the

8928
08:42:53,250 --> 08:42:55,787
douglas factors, obviously through the, you know, through

8929
08:42:55,787 --> 08:42:59,123
the labor relations regulations and laws, but the information is

8930
08:42:59,123 --> 08:43:01,793
presented if there's sustained allegation of misconduct,

8931
08:43:01,793 --> 08:43:05,197
whatever that may be, depending on what is sustained or which

8932
08:43:05,197 --> 08:43:08,830
charges they may be, multiple charges that are sustained

8933
08:43:08,830 --> 08:43:10,351
depends on the outcome. And of course, they have they're

8934
08:43:10,351 --> 08:43:11,453
depending on if they're in the union or not.

8935
08:43:11,453 --> 08:43:14,289
they have kind of their their protections that are built in

8936
08:43:14,289 --> 08:43:17,425
from the go through that. But it could be everything from

8937
08:43:17,425 --> 08:43:20,261
termination to suspension. Our officers are allowed to

8938
08:43:20,261 --> 08:43:23,164
remain on active duty while under investigation.

8939
08:43:23,164 --> 08:43:25,300
so generally as soon as you're arrested, you're placed on

8940
08:43:25,300 --> 08:43:27,701
what's called non contact. Your police powers are taken

8941
08:43:27,701 --> 08:43:29,570
away. You know, obviously you don't

8942
08:43:29,570 --> 08:43:31,306
have a firearm or anything like that.

8943
08:43:31,306 --> 08:43:33,708
and until such time as is determined that you can return

8944
08:43:33,708 --> 08:43:41,182
to a full duty status, where is the force size as of today, I

8945
08:43:41,182 --> 08:43:45,382
believe it's 3144 47 as of earlier this week.

8946
08:43:51,590 --> 08:43:54,590
and. Obviously that poses challenges

8947
08:43:54,295 --> 08:43:57,432
in terms of capacity for the agency.

8948
08:43:57,432 --> 08:44:02,103
how how is mpd thinking about the size of our force and

8949
08:44:02,103 --> 08:44:05,340
accommodating based on dispatch and or coverage of the district?

8950
08:44:05,340 --> 08:44:08,243
so, I mean, a couple of things is we need to get the numbers

8951
08:44:08,243 --> 08:44:09,643
back up. A lot of the concerns we have

8952
08:44:09,643 --> 08:44:12,981
with these federal folks that are here in the city, if we had

8953
08:44:12,981 --> 08:44:14,548
higher numbers, maybe they wouldn't be here.

8954
08:44:14,548 --> 08:44:19,540
so so it's it's a true priority to try to get more officers into

8955
08:44:19,540 --> 08:44:20,422
the agency. With that being said, there's a

8956
08:44:20,422 --> 08:44:24,626
lot of challenges as far as the hiring bonuses, some of the

8957
08:44:24,626 --> 08:44:28,196
educational requirements, things that I've talked about with

8958
08:44:28,196 --> 08:44:31,299
that, along with that, what needs to happen is we need to

8959
08:44:31,299 --> 08:44:34,302
look at doing a redistricting to look at the overall every so

8960
08:44:34,302 --> 08:44:37,905
many years within the agency, we do what's called a redistricting

8961
08:44:37,905 --> 08:44:41,576
process, where we look at calls for service density and economic

8962
08:44:41,576 --> 08:44:42,877
development and things that may have happened.

8963
08:44:42,877 --> 08:44:46,810
for example, did a new did the wharf get built since the last

8964
08:44:46,810 --> 08:44:49,651
time that we we did redistricting for a realignment

8965
08:44:49,651 --> 08:44:53,521
of patrol districts within there to make sure that the resources

8966
08:44:53,521 --> 08:44:57,726
are allocated appropriately? It's a very long process,

8967
08:44:57,726 --> 08:45:00,862
usually a year plus process to do all that, to make sure that

8968
08:45:00,862 --> 08:45:05,330
we're ready to go on january 1st of the prior year.

8969
08:45:05,330 --> 08:45:07,135
so that's a conversation that has come up with something to

8970
08:45:07,135 --> 08:45:08,970
look forward to at this point in this year.

8971
08:45:08,970 --> 08:45:12,400
it's probably too late to have it in play for next year, but

8972
08:45:12,400 --> 08:45:15,243
again, moving forward so we can have that for january 1st.

8973
08:45:15,243 --> 08:45:17,110
the following year to have everything in play, because

8974
08:45:17,110 --> 08:45:20,215
there's things that have to happen as far as reallocation of

8975
08:45:20,215 --> 08:45:24,618
the ms., the master address repository, the ouc dispatching

8976
08:45:24,618 --> 08:45:26,870
and how they do it and where the locations.

8977
08:45:26,870 --> 08:45:29,657
so there's a lot that goes into it after the analysis is done.

8978
08:45:29,657 --> 08:45:32,657
okay. According to figures between

8979
08:45:34,228 --> 08:45:40,228
january 2018 and january of this year, mpd lost 658 officers, or

8980
08:45:40,569 --> 08:45:45,273
18% of the force. What is particularly notable is

8981
08:45:45,273 --> 08:45:49,176
that the amount of officers on the streets or on patrol, or

8982
08:45:49,176 --> 08:45:54,116
responding to 911 calls has been reduced by 32% over the same

8983
08:45:54,116 --> 08:45:55,583
period. That means that almost a third

8984
08:45:55,583 --> 08:45:59,453
of all officers and police service areas have been

8985
08:45:59,453 --> 08:46:02,570
reassigned to headquarters or administrative work.

8986
08:46:02,570 --> 08:46:03,925
is that that doesn't sound accurate?

8987
08:46:03,925 --> 08:46:05,660
that does not sound that doesn't sound accurate.

8988
08:46:05,660 --> 08:46:08,396
we we have less administrative people now probably than we've

8989
08:46:08,396 --> 08:46:11,266
ever had. We've also worked to

8990
08:46:11,266 --> 08:46:13,869
civilianized certain areas. So we're not heavy on on that

8991
08:46:13,869 --> 08:46:16,710
aspect. As far as patrol officers and

8992
08:46:16,710 --> 08:46:17,339
personnel. So I'd like to dig into that a

8993
08:46:17,339 --> 08:46:19,739
little bit more. Okay.

8994
08:46:24,479 --> 08:46:27,549
are you able to follow up? Yeah, we'll follow up in a week.

8995
08:46:27,549 --> 08:46:28,950
yeah. On that as well.

8996
08:46:28,950 --> 08:46:31,520
I think that sounds reasonable. If we have any issues.

8997
08:46:31,520 --> 08:46:35,724
and the question there is, if you can speak to the decline in

8998
08:46:35,724 --> 08:46:41,124
the force and the coverage of street patrolling versus

8999
08:46:41,129 --> 08:46:43,529
administrative coverage. Yes, sir.

9000
08:46:49,303 --> 08:46:53,274
my colleague, councilmember henderson, touched on the

9001
08:46:53,274 --> 08:46:56,377
overtime requirements. But let me just generally ask,

9002
08:46:56,377 --> 08:47:00,314
is there a ceiling or what is the guidance around overtime?

9003
08:47:00,314 --> 08:47:04,352
I totally get why you're paying officers overtime, but is there

9004
08:47:04,352 --> 08:47:10,258
any guidance or parameters that inform how much officer can make

9005
08:47:10,258 --> 08:47:12,360
overtime? Not necessarily how much an

9006
08:47:12,360 --> 08:47:14,896
officer can make, but over time, it's not like an open thing,

9007
08:47:14,896 --> 08:47:16,898
like, hey, I want to work overtime, so I do.

9008
08:47:16,898 --> 08:47:20,802
so there's specific initiatives and reasons why officers work

9009
08:47:20,802 --> 08:47:22,937
overtime. You know, a lot of overtime that

9010
08:47:22,937 --> 08:47:24,939
we have are related to special events.

9011
08:47:24,939 --> 08:47:27,942
may they be the rock and roll marathon kind of thing, or

9012
08:47:27,942 --> 08:47:29,877
federal special events that are out there.

9013
08:47:29,877 --> 08:47:32,213
think of things like potus movements and things like that,

9014
08:47:32,213 --> 08:47:33,814
where traffic posts have to be staffed.

9015
08:47:33,814 --> 08:47:37,840
so you have those things. Any sort of overtime, the

9016
08:47:37,840 --> 08:47:39,221
officers have to there's there's a need that's developed through

9017
08:47:39,221 --> 08:47:41,622
in those cases, usually the special operations division of

9018
08:47:41,622 --> 08:47:43,558
whatever that operational plan looks like.

9019
08:47:43,558 --> 08:47:47,280
and then it's put out to to the force for them to staff those

9020
08:47:47,280 --> 08:47:48,496
overtime spots that are out there.

9021
08:47:48,496 --> 08:47:51,565
there's other overtime like patrol districts are short for a

9022
08:47:51,565 --> 08:47:54,202
variety of reasons. Maybe it's the fact that, you

9023
08:47:54,202 --> 08:47:57,138
know, there's eight people that are out on sick leave and

9024
08:47:57,138 --> 08:47:59,640
there's people that were already approved for annual leave.

9025
08:47:59,640 --> 08:48:02,510
so staffing on a shift is down a few people.

9026
08:48:02,510 --> 08:48:05,213
so then they would need to use overtime to to fill those open

9027
08:48:05,213 --> 08:48:07,715
shifts, because individuals that are on sick leave or things like

9028
08:48:07,715 --> 08:48:11,318
that, if the numbers are below the staffing spikes in crime, if

9029
08:48:11,318 --> 08:48:14,550
we have a spike, if we have a rash of burglaries in the area,

9030
08:48:14,550 --> 08:48:17,580
we may develop an operational plan to address those burglaries

9031
08:48:17,580 --> 08:48:20,561
in the area, using overtime personnel to be able to focus on

9032
08:48:20,561 --> 08:48:23,331
that while we still maintain operations across the city.

9033
08:48:23,331 --> 08:48:26,200
in those cases, there have been operational plan that's

9034
08:48:26,200 --> 08:48:28,436
developed within the patrol operations side.

9035
08:48:28,436 --> 08:48:31,305
it would be approved for a specific time frame to address

9036
08:48:31,305 --> 08:48:33,374
that issue. And then once that issue goes

9037
08:48:33,374 --> 08:48:36,678
away again, continually reevaluating how we're using the

9038
08:48:36,678 --> 08:48:39,347
resources and what the plan is with that.

9039
08:48:39,347 --> 08:48:43,718
so there's a few different ways that that happens as far as

9040
08:48:43,718 --> 08:48:44,953
overtime with that. It's not just you can come in

9041
08:48:44,953 --> 08:48:47,288
and work overtime. And do you have the figure of

9042
08:48:47,288 --> 08:48:50,391
where we are as of today? In overtime?

9043
08:48:50,391 --> 08:48:53,728
I do. Miss campbell can give it to you

9044
08:48:53,728 --> 08:48:57,165
again. Are we referring to the overtime

9045
08:48:57,165 --> 08:48:59,565
for fiscal 26? Yes, yes.

9046
08:49:00,134 --> 08:49:04,334
for fiscal year 26. Our local overtime is $26.8

9047
08:49:06,240 --> 08:49:08,240
million. How much?

9048
08:49:09,444 --> 08:49:12,714
just making sure. I heard that was 26.8 million.

9049
08:49:12,714 --> 08:49:14,314
26.8. And what was the total for

9050
08:49:14,314 --> 08:49:17,914
fiscal year? 25 mogle overtime for fiscal

9051
08:49:18,434 --> 08:49:22,634
year 25. What what I'm showing here is

9052
08:49:25,475 --> 08:49:27,875
76.7. That came through, right?

9053
08:49:28,344 --> 08:49:33,744
that can't be right. 76.7 for the entire fiscal year

9054
08:49:33,883 --> 08:49:35,883
for overtime. Okay.

9055
08:49:36,419 --> 08:49:41,758
how are you differentiating local versus any other overtime.

9056
08:49:41,758 --> 08:49:46,629
so anything that is non-local is funded through either epsf or

9057
08:49:46,629 --> 08:49:48,629
reimbursed or. Sorry.

9058
08:49:50,767 --> 08:49:56,572
so in other words, $26.8 million so far of our local dollars have

9059
08:49:56,572 --> 08:49:58,341
gone to overtime. Yes, sir.

9060
08:49:58,341 --> 08:50:04,341
what was the total amount for fiscal year 26 so far?

9061
08:50:04,947 --> 08:50:08,547
of all funded? Yes, it is.

9062
08:50:10,953 --> 08:50:12,953
sorry. Sorry.

9063
08:50:25,368 --> 08:50:28,968
41.6. And what about for the entire

9064
08:50:30,139 --> 08:50:32,139
fiscal year? 25?

9065
08:50:35,812 --> 08:50:37,812
130 3.8? That sounds right.

9066
08:50:41,500 --> 08:50:44,650
okay. What internal controls, if any,

9067
08:50:45,688 --> 08:50:49,258
has mpd placed on overtime spending?

9068
08:50:49,258 --> 08:50:51,894
yeah. So we have a biweekly overtime

9069
08:50:51,894 --> 08:50:54,230
report that goes out to to judge where we're at.

9070
08:50:54,230 --> 08:50:57,232
as I said, anytime overtime is used, there's an operational

9071
08:50:57,232 --> 08:51:00,570
plan that's approved or deployed for that outside of things like

9072
08:51:00,570 --> 08:51:04,374
like a staffing shortage, for example, I gave you the earlier.

9073
08:51:04,374 --> 08:51:07,176
so there's not overtime that's just out there that commanders

9074
08:51:07,176 --> 08:51:09,120
can just hey, we want to put people out there.

9075
08:51:09,120 --> 08:51:12,115
there's got to be a need for a plan of how we're going to

9076
08:51:12,115 --> 08:51:14,350
deploy those resources and how we're going to try to address

9077
08:51:14,350 --> 08:51:17,487
the underlying issue. And then a reevaluation of that

9078
08:51:17,487 --> 08:51:21,325
to see, you know, has the issue been addressed, resolved?

9079
08:51:21,325 --> 08:51:24,928
is there a way we can minimize that so we can use less

9080
08:51:24,928 --> 08:51:26,462
resources? You know, if it's a if it's a

9081
08:51:26,462 --> 08:51:28,465
robbery pattern in a certain area and that we make an arrest

9082
08:51:28,465 --> 08:51:31,534
in the pattern goes away, then obviously we wouldn't need that.

9083
08:51:31,534 --> 08:51:34,537
so it's really looking at the effects of that and how we're

9084
08:51:34,537 --> 08:51:37,272
how we're impacting crime or whatever the underlying issue

9085
08:51:37,272 --> 08:51:39,242
is. If it's potus or special events,

9086
08:51:39,242 --> 08:51:41,377
obviously that's built on whatever that event is, whatever

9087
08:51:41,377 --> 08:51:44,881
the staffing is needed for that, including crowd control and

9088
08:51:44,881 --> 08:51:47,383
traffic posts and all the other assets that may be associated

9089
08:51:47,383 --> 08:51:51,587
with that tactical assets. Okay, I will leave it there for

9090
08:51:51,587 --> 08:51:55,625
the sake of time, but obviously we're talking a lot as a

9091
08:51:55,625 --> 08:52:00,196
district about financial pressures and the the state of

9092
08:52:00,196 --> 08:52:03,298
our budget. And routinely agencies are

9093
08:52:03,298 --> 08:52:06,235
overspending. Now I get why mpd is paying

9094
08:52:06,235 --> 08:52:10,573
overtime and overspending, but it I would love to see more

9095
08:52:10,573 --> 08:52:14,578
internal controls to in fact ensure that that is the last

9096
08:52:14,578 --> 08:52:19,782
resort that we're looking to paying overtime and not better

9097
08:52:19,782 --> 08:52:23,190
strategizing around coverage and or patrols or what have you.

9098
08:52:23,190 --> 08:52:24,753
so I look forward to following up on that.

9099
08:52:24,753 --> 08:52:27,323
but thank you for your testimony today.

9100
08:52:27,323 --> 08:52:31,590
yes, sir. Thank you very much, counselor

9101
08:52:31,590 --> 08:52:33,995
parker. Thanks for being here, chief.

9102
08:52:33,995 --> 08:52:37,833
is any of the $90 million allocation that we receiving for

9103
08:52:37,833 --> 08:52:40,336
emergency services from the federal government able to be

9104
08:52:40,336 --> 08:52:43,336
spent on local overtime? No.

9105
08:52:43,506 --> 08:52:45,975
so my understanding. And, patricia, you can jump in

9106
08:52:45,975 --> 08:52:47,777
here is that's related to the ipsf funds.

9107
08:52:47,777 --> 08:52:53,816
so the the federal federal side, which drives a lot of overtime

9108
08:52:53,816 --> 08:52:57,286
to but because it drives so much overtime, is that not a

9109
08:52:57,286 --> 08:52:57,886
permissible use. No.

9110
08:52:57,886 --> 08:53:01,158
so we use it for overtime. We use the that that funding

9111
08:53:01,158 --> 08:53:03,626
stream we do use for overtime. But there's got to be a federal

9112
08:53:03,626 --> 08:53:08,300
nexus related to it. So things like potus overtime

9113
08:53:08,300 --> 08:53:11,330
president moves, things like that or special events.

9114
08:53:11,330 --> 08:53:14,603
july 4th or some of these events that are coming up, this, this,

9115
08:53:14,603 --> 08:53:18,207
this summer's america, 250 events, things like that.

9116
08:53:18,207 --> 08:53:21,744
those can be charged back to those types of sources.

9117
08:53:21,744 --> 08:53:25,748
so maybe asked a different way, is all of the $90 million being

9118
08:53:25,748 --> 08:53:29,348
spent to cover federally connected overtime?

9119
08:53:29,719 --> 08:53:32,788
I don't know if I don't I don't think all 90 of it's coming just

9120
08:53:32,788 --> 08:53:36,126
to mpd. So I can't speak to what it's

9121
08:53:36,126 --> 08:53:39,127
all being used for. I'm sure a portion will be to

9122
08:53:39,127 --> 08:53:41,530
help out with the events associated with the summer, but

9123
08:53:41,530 --> 08:53:46,435
I don't know is all the money that mpd is receiving from that

9124
08:53:46,435 --> 08:53:49,435
fund going towards overtime coverage?

9125
08:53:50,339 --> 08:53:54,710
yeah, it is. So we determine what is eligible

9126
08:53:54,710 --> 08:53:57,546
for ipsf reimbursement, and that is submitted through the office

9127
08:53:57,546 --> 08:54:01,160
of the chief financial officer. And then they transfer that to

9128
08:54:01,160 --> 08:54:04,387
ep0. But of what you get for mpd is

9129
08:54:04,387 --> 08:54:06,423
that all from overtime. Receive it.

9130
08:54:06,423 --> 08:54:08,324
we get reimbursed for it. Okay.

9131
08:54:08,324 --> 08:54:10,759
all of your reimbursement through ipsf.

9132
08:54:10,759 --> 08:54:11,527
yes. Yeah.

9133
08:54:11,527 --> 08:54:16,927
it's for overtime, not no. Sometimes we have some

9134
08:54:18,334 --> 08:54:21,871
non-personnel costs very minimal that also get reimbursed if

9135
08:54:21,871 --> 08:54:23,573
there's a federal nexus. Yes.

9136
08:54:23,573 --> 08:54:26,509
like the vans ct for example, we have large activations.

9137
08:54:26,509 --> 08:54:29,578
we may have to get additional vans or something like that.

9138
08:54:29,578 --> 08:54:31,847
that would be for that special event.

9139
08:54:31,847 --> 08:54:34,350
state of the union. Full activation vans.

9140
08:54:34,350 --> 08:54:36,385
that could also because there's a federal nexus to that.

9141
08:54:36,385 --> 08:54:42,858
like last night okay, okay. So returning to the task force,

9142
08:54:42,858 --> 08:54:48,364
we have federal agents who are here who are not trained by mpd,

9143
08:54:48,364 --> 08:54:53,350
who are not familiar with our laws, our customs, our

9144
08:54:53,350 --> 08:54:59,350
community, how we operate. Has mpd trained any of these

9145
08:54:59,108 --> 08:55:04,880
agents on mpd best practices? We have not changed them on our

9146
08:55:04,880 --> 08:55:07,783
best practices. No, we haven't.

9147
08:55:07,783 --> 08:55:10,519
is that something that you think we should start doing?

9148
08:55:10,519 --> 08:55:13,489
there's been conversations within the task force to start

9149
08:55:13,489 --> 08:55:16,558
joint training between the agencies to in areas of focus or

9150
08:55:16,558 --> 08:55:18,160
areas of that. So that's definitely an area we

9151
08:55:18,160 --> 08:55:19,629
can look at. It's something that they

9152
08:55:19,629 --> 08:55:23,132
started, I think about a couple weeks ago to try to look at some

9153
08:55:23,132 --> 08:55:24,800
joint training. So that may be an area we can

9154
08:55:24,800 --> 08:55:27,750
leverage, especially some of the cons, to reinforce some of the

9155
08:55:27,750 --> 08:55:30,852
community concerns that we've already had related to their

9156
08:55:30,852 --> 08:55:32,656
deployment. So yeah, it's definitely an area

9157
08:55:32,656 --> 08:55:34,890
we can look at. Okay.

9158
08:55:34,890 --> 08:55:38,995
and I know it's always hard to to prove what could have

9159
08:55:38,995 --> 08:55:42,398
happened in a different scenario, but with the philip

9160
08:55:42,398 --> 08:55:49,505
brown case, I would posit that if that had been an mpd officer,

9161
08:55:49,505 --> 08:55:54,810
perhaps they wouldn't have fired their gun because your training

9162
08:55:54,810 --> 08:55:57,980
is different than the training, right?

9163
08:55:57,980 --> 08:56:00,182
I'm not. I would imagine our training is

9164
08:56:00,182 --> 08:56:03,419
definitely different. Level of repetition is

9165
08:56:03,419 --> 08:56:05,154
definitely different. Our officers are trained to be

9166
08:56:05,154 --> 08:56:07,891
police officers on the street, but they also go out and take

9167
08:56:07,891 --> 08:56:10,126
hundreds and hundreds of calls a year every officer.

9168
08:56:10,126 --> 08:56:12,394
so again, the there's there's one level which you learn

9169
08:56:12,394 --> 08:56:14,430
through training. There's actual like field

9170
08:56:14,430 --> 08:56:15,232
training that we do on the street.

9171
08:56:15,232 --> 08:56:18,334
when you get to the academy, you ride with another mpd officer.

9172
08:56:18,334 --> 08:56:21,838
so again, you reinforce and learn the nuances of what you

9173
08:56:21,838 --> 08:56:24,400
were taught in the academy. And then just from responding

9174
08:56:24,400 --> 08:56:25,975
from calls, I mean, you're always, you know, just like how

9175
08:56:25,975 --> 08:56:27,911
laws are always changing. You're always trying to improve

9176
08:56:27,911 --> 08:56:29,178
your training. But yeah, I mean, as you go to

9177
08:56:29,178 --> 08:56:32,181
calls, you learn things too. So experience helps as well.

9178
08:56:32,181 --> 08:56:36,520
okay. So in the case of philip brown

9179
08:56:36,520 --> 08:56:42,458
where mpd was on the scene with agents and an agent shot into

9180
08:56:42,458 --> 08:56:48,397
his car, and luckily he was not killed, but the the bullet went

9181
08:56:48,397 --> 08:56:53,102
right through his jacket. There was an mpd investigation.

9182
08:56:53,102 --> 08:56:56,500
you referred that case to the u.s. Attorney's office.

9183
08:56:56,500 --> 08:56:58,774
they declined to prosecute the case.

9184
08:56:58,774 --> 08:57:01,944
why was that body worn camera footage not released to the

9185
08:57:01,944 --> 08:57:02,445
public? Sure.

9186
08:57:02,445 --> 08:57:04,414
so it's like we spoke about. It's like we spoke about

9187
08:57:04,414 --> 08:57:06,315
earlier. So the way the d.c. Code is

9188
08:57:06,315 --> 08:57:10,186
written is relates to relates to the bwc is it has to be an mpd

9189
08:57:10,186 --> 08:57:12,455
member using the serious use of force.

9190
08:57:12,455 --> 08:57:15,558
there was no mpd member using serious use of force.

9191
08:57:15,558 --> 08:57:18,940
therefore, for us to release it would not be in compliance with

9192
08:57:18,940 --> 08:57:21,964
the law. Okay, so as you know, yesterday

9193
08:57:21,964 --> 08:57:27,570
I introduced a bill that would clarify that if mpd officers are

9194
08:57:27,570 --> 08:57:31,240
on a scene and have body worn camera footage and they're with

9195
08:57:31,240 --> 08:57:35,243
a federal agent who uses a serious use of force, then that

9196
08:57:35,243 --> 08:57:39,480
release would have to be made public within five days.

9197
08:57:39,480 --> 08:57:41,985
I am familiar with that. There is another way right now

9198
08:57:41,985 --> 08:57:44,653
under the law, that if there is a great public interest, the the

9199
08:57:44,653 --> 08:57:48,190
mayor, the executive has the ability to release bwc as well.

9200
08:57:48,190 --> 08:57:51,427
so that is another method that could be used if there was a

9201
08:57:51,427 --> 08:57:54,263
great public interest. And I know there's the law,

9202
08:57:54,263 --> 08:57:56,965
there's some collaboration between the mayor, the u.s.

9203
08:57:56,965 --> 08:57:59,135
attorney, the oag, the investigating agencies that are

9204
08:57:59,135 --> 08:58:01,603
related with that. But but there is another way

9205
08:58:01,603 --> 08:58:03,672
that it could be. But based in this case, there

9206
08:58:03,672 --> 08:58:06,342
wasn't a determination of a great public interest.

9207
08:58:06,342 --> 08:58:09,378
but I am familiar. I did hear that there was some

9208
08:58:09,378 --> 08:58:11,480
you introduced some some legislation.

9209
08:58:11,480 --> 08:58:15,684
well, I think this case is an example of why that is so

9210
08:58:15,684 --> 08:58:19,621
concerning, because I would say there is a great public interest

9211
08:58:19,621 --> 08:58:24,893
in reviewing that footage. A serious public interest, and

9212
08:58:24,893 --> 08:58:28,464
it hasn't been released. And so.

9213
08:58:28,464 --> 08:58:32,635
to just say, well, she could if she needed to, it doesn't really

9214
08:58:32,635 --> 08:58:34,703
apply. I was just giving you the two

9215
08:58:34,703 --> 08:58:35,137
options. Yeah.

9216
08:58:35,137 --> 08:58:38,737
I wasn't making a judgment. Yeah.

9217
08:58:39,108 --> 08:58:43,746
okay. I mean, you talked about some of

9218
08:58:43,746 --> 08:58:45,648
the limitations that we have with federal agencies.

9219
08:58:45,648 --> 08:58:50,520
do you think that exposure to that bwc, in the event of a

9220
08:58:50,520 --> 08:58:52,589
serious use of force, would improve public transparency and

9221
08:58:52,589 --> 08:58:57,359
trust with mpd? I mean, I think the the easy

9222
08:58:57,359 --> 08:58:59,928
answer is yes, but I think the real answer is it depends on

9223
08:58:59,928 --> 08:59:01,797
what it shows and what's out there.

9224
08:59:01,797 --> 08:59:04,467
the police reports released out there is another piece of

9225
08:59:04,467 --> 08:59:06,468
evidence that's out there. In this case.

9226
08:59:06,468 --> 08:59:09,271
I haven't seen that bwc, so I don't know what it looks like.

9227
08:59:09,271 --> 08:59:12,675
I know some people have seen it. I personally haven't, but again,

9228
08:59:12,675 --> 08:59:15,344
I know there are some folks that that would like to have that

9229
08:59:15,344 --> 08:59:17,413
that's not what's currently in the law.

9230
08:59:17,413 --> 08:59:21,613
and that's why we didn't release it.

9231
08:59:21,617 --> 08:59:25,817
okay. You spoke earlier with me about

9232
08:59:28,490 --> 08:59:31,293
and I don't want to put words in your mouth, but the message I

9233
08:59:31,293 --> 08:59:35,363
received you saying was, it's actually better for d.c. To be

9234
08:59:35,363 --> 08:59:38,834
working with these federal agents so that they're not kind

9235
08:59:38,834 --> 08:59:41,970
of roaming the streets without without mpd.

9236
08:59:41,970 --> 08:59:44,940
they're kind of advising on deployment and other things.

9237
08:59:44,940 --> 08:59:48,309
so do you have cooperative agreements with all of these

9238
08:59:48,309 --> 08:59:49,878
agencies? No.

9239
08:59:49,878 --> 08:59:53,382
so, so I, I think it's better that we're there in trying to

9240
08:59:53,382 --> 08:59:54,817
guide them to the areas that we need.

9241
08:59:54,817 --> 08:59:59,154
obviously, we can't make them or control them, but I do think our

9242
08:59:59,154 --> 09:00:02,725
input and our our information to try to, to, to, to mold that, I

9243
09:00:02,725 --> 09:00:04,927
think is important. There are not cooperative

9244
09:00:04,927 --> 09:00:06,528
agreements with these federal agencies.

9245
09:00:06,528 --> 09:00:09,865
we do have cooperative agreements with with agencies in

9246
09:00:09,865 --> 09:00:11,533
most cases. Those are small agencies that

9247
09:00:11,533 --> 09:00:15,136
have a limited jurisdiction. So what those are is by engaging

9248
09:00:15,136 --> 09:00:17,272
in a cooperative agreement, it gives them the authority to

9249
09:00:17,272 --> 09:00:19,342
usually it's expanding to a larger area outside their

9250
09:00:19,342 --> 09:00:21,610
building. So I think something like like

9251
09:00:21,610 --> 09:00:24,813
the police and they want to be able to patrol outside of their

9252
09:00:24,813 --> 09:00:27,150
confines of their property. The sidewalks and roadways

9253
09:00:27,150 --> 09:00:29,918
around that. That's what almost all of their

9254
09:00:29,918 --> 09:00:33,422
cooperative agreements are. The other agencies don't need

9255
09:00:33,422 --> 09:00:35,357
mpd authority to do what they do.

9256
09:00:35,357 --> 09:00:37,393
they have their own authority to do that.

9257
09:00:37,393 --> 09:00:40,562
so they don't need usually an example like for example, the

9258
09:00:40,562 --> 09:00:43,365
police, they need us to provide them that authority to be able

9259
09:00:43,365 --> 09:00:45,100
to do that. They don't have that within

9260
09:00:45,100 --> 09:00:46,635
themselves. The other agencies have their

9261
09:00:46,635 --> 09:00:48,504
own authorities under federal law.

9262
09:00:48,504 --> 09:00:51,573
some under d.c. Law, like the park police, to allow them to do

9263
09:00:51,573 --> 09:00:54,760
what they do without a cooperative agreement.

9264
09:00:54,760 --> 09:00:57,846
do you think it would be better to have a cooperative agreement

9265
09:00:57,846 --> 09:01:00,115
with all these agencies who are on the task force?

9266
09:01:00,115 --> 09:01:03,850
I don't think it would be helpful to us because there's no

9267
09:01:03,850 --> 09:01:05,655
there's no benefit to them to engage in a cooperative

9268
09:01:05,655 --> 09:01:07,656
agreement. They don't need the authorities.

9269
09:01:07,656 --> 09:01:10,759
most people that we have them with like they they are looking

9270
09:01:10,759 --> 09:01:12,794
for that because they need those authorities.

9271
09:01:12,794 --> 09:01:14,630
they don't need these authorities.

9272
09:01:14,630 --> 09:01:17,866
so it doesn't really benefit them to to come to us to engage

9273
09:01:17,866 --> 09:01:20,350
with that. But I mean, would it benefit us?

9274
09:01:20,350 --> 09:01:22,204
I don't I don't know if it would benefit us.

9275
09:01:22,204 --> 09:01:23,940
I think and I'm sure you're probably trying to think under

9276
09:01:23,940 --> 09:01:26,675
the lens of our ability to control them under the

9277
09:01:26,675 --> 09:01:28,977
cooperative. The cooperative agreement, or

9278
09:01:28,977 --> 09:01:32,140
try to to kind of mold what what they're doing.

9279
09:01:32,140 --> 09:01:35,584
I don't know if it would actually really do that, or they

9280
09:01:35,584 --> 09:01:37,832
would engage in something that would limited the authorities.

9281
09:01:37,832 --> 09:01:40,301
they have under federal law already.

9282
09:01:40,301 --> 09:01:42,350
so I don't know how realistic it is.

9283
09:01:42,350 --> 09:01:44,205
it might be a better way to put it.

9284
09:01:44,205 --> 09:01:47,108
I get the concept and I get the idea of trying to help to get

9285
09:01:47,108 --> 09:01:49,430
them underneath the kind of doing the same kinds of things

9286
09:01:49,430 --> 09:01:50,512
that we're doing the way that we do.

9287
09:01:50,512 --> 09:01:52,647
I get the idea. I don't think that it would be

9288
09:01:52,647 --> 09:01:55,317
beneficial to them to try to do that, because they don't need

9289
09:01:55,317 --> 09:01:57,185
that. And if anything, it could be

9290
09:01:57,185 --> 09:01:58,653
seen as limiting the authorities.

9291
09:01:58,653 --> 09:02:01,923
they have. That's just my opinion.

9292
09:02:01,923 --> 09:02:05,927
okay. So I need to ask you about this

9293
09:02:05,927 --> 09:02:11,927
washington post story from today where the man, argueta, alleges

9294
09:02:12,166 --> 09:02:16,904
that mpd called him and said that they found his stolen car.

9295
09:02:16,904 --> 09:02:22,744
and then when he got to the district station, ice was there

9296
09:02:22,744 --> 09:02:25,613
and said that they had found out his immigration status.

9297
09:02:25,613 --> 09:02:27,616
sure. So again, I haven't read the

9298
09:02:27,616 --> 09:02:28,583
article. I did hear about it.

9299
09:02:28,583 --> 09:02:31,486
I think several council members have mentioned it.

9300
09:02:31,486 --> 09:02:34,423
there could be a lot of reasons. Again, anything that I try to

9301
09:02:34,423 --> 09:02:36,891
explain or say why it could be would be conjecture, and we have

9302
09:02:36,891 --> 09:02:38,426
to investigate it and to look into it.

9303
09:02:38,426 --> 09:02:41,329
was it an np member that called them like all those things?

9304
09:02:41,329 --> 09:02:42,965
obviously it's it's out there. It's an allegation.

9305
09:02:42,965 --> 09:02:45,433
I don't know if there's a lawsuit associated or if it's

9306
09:02:45,433 --> 09:02:48,170
just a news story, but we'll have to look into it to see

9307
09:02:48,170 --> 09:02:52,574
exactly what happened. Those facts, as I just presented

9308
09:02:52,574 --> 09:02:55,476
them. Does that sound like something

9309
09:02:55,476 --> 09:02:57,278
that could have happened with mpd?

9310
09:02:57,278 --> 09:02:59,446
like what? It doesn't sound like something

9311
09:02:59,446 --> 09:03:00,748
that we would do. No.

9312
09:03:00,748 --> 09:03:02,650
is it outside the realm of possibility?

9313
09:03:02,650 --> 09:03:06,187
I mean, things can happen. Would it be a violation of our

9314
09:03:06,187 --> 09:03:07,454
policy? Kind of on the surface, what it

9315
09:03:07,454 --> 09:03:08,922
sounds like. Yeah, it sounds like it would

9316
09:03:08,922 --> 09:03:10,825
be. But again, was it a mpd officer?

9317
09:03:10,825 --> 09:03:14,429
was it a voice on the phone? There's a lot of nuances that an

9318
09:03:14,429 --> 09:03:16,931
investigation will have to dig into to determine, like what it

9319
09:03:16,931 --> 09:03:19,400
really was. Was it whenever the initial

9320
09:03:19,400 --> 09:03:21,201
incident happened, there were other agencies there, so they

9321
09:03:21,201 --> 09:03:23,404
knew about it. And then they decided to call

9322
09:03:23,404 --> 09:03:25,840
and have this person come in under a ruse.

9323
09:03:25,840 --> 09:03:26,941
there's lots of things that are there.

9324
09:03:26,941 --> 09:03:28,675
but again, all that's just conjecture.

9325
09:03:28,675 --> 09:03:31,345
I don't have the specifics. I don't want to try to tinge it

9326
09:03:31,345 --> 09:03:33,381
one way or the other. Okay.

9327
09:03:33,381 --> 09:03:36,917
but if that was an mpd officer, based on what it sounds like in

9328
09:03:36,917 --> 09:03:40,870
that in that case, would that be a violation of mpd?

9329
09:03:40,870 --> 09:03:42,390
again, it sounds like it would be, but it's something we'd have

9330
09:03:42,390 --> 09:03:44,225
to investigate and to ferret out.

9331
09:03:44,225 --> 09:03:46,494
we have anytime there's an allegation of misconduct, we

9332
09:03:46,494 --> 09:03:49,960
have to investigate it to get all the angles and look at it

9333
09:03:49,960 --> 09:03:51,332
and make a determination with the available evidence.

9334
09:03:51,332 --> 09:03:53,100
is there an active investigation?

9335
09:03:53,100 --> 09:03:54,569
literally, I heard about the story.

9336
09:03:54,569 --> 09:03:56,604
I think it came out while we were in here or just before we

9337
09:03:56,604 --> 09:03:58,306
came in here. So it's something we'll have to

9338
09:03:58,306 --> 09:04:00,308
look into. It sounds like maybe there's two

9339
09:04:00,308 --> 09:04:01,709
incidences. So it's something that our

9340
09:04:01,709 --> 09:04:03,978
internal affairs folks will have to look into.

9341
09:04:03,978 --> 09:04:06,881
okay. I would appreciate that if we

9342
09:04:06,881 --> 09:04:08,850
could look and we could follow, we'll follow back up with you,

9343
09:04:08,850 --> 09:04:11,952
get some more information, because I imagine and again, I

9344
09:04:11,952 --> 09:04:15,723
don't know this, but that by the time it got to a news story,

9345
09:04:15,723 --> 09:04:20,594
there may have already been a complaint made would be my

9346
09:04:20,594 --> 09:04:22,596
guess. There could be.

9347
09:04:22,596 --> 09:04:25,266
there could be. Again, there's a lot of

9348
09:04:25,266 --> 09:04:26,467
conjecture. There could be a lawsuit, there

9349
09:04:26,467 --> 09:04:30,710
could be a complaint, there could be a lot of things.

9350
09:04:30,710 --> 09:04:32,206
sometimes people go to the news and report things, and maybe

9351
09:04:32,206 --> 09:04:34,410
they haven't filed a complaint yet too.

9352
09:04:34,410 --> 09:04:35,843
so it depends. Okay.

9353
09:04:35,843 --> 09:04:39,647
well, I appreciate you looking into that.

9354
09:04:39,647 --> 09:04:44,618
now I want to ask you about mr. Bailey's shooting.

9355
09:04:44,618 --> 09:04:49,223
so I heard you speak earlier about the hcy canvas on site.

9356
09:04:49,223 --> 09:04:53,761
can you just walk me through again exactly what happened.

9357
09:04:53,761 --> 09:04:58,990
who was called, and when mpd arrived to the scene, then why

9358
09:04:58,990 --> 09:05:01,235
were u.s. Marshals involved in that incident at all?

9359
09:05:01,235 --> 09:05:03,971
yes, I think I think we're referring to the incident that

9360
09:05:03,971 --> 09:05:06,240
happened at the convenience store case.

9361
09:05:06,240 --> 09:05:09,176
I wasn't involved in that. February 11th us marshals.

9362
09:05:09,176 --> 09:05:11,646
yeah, park police and the marshals were were involved.

9363
09:05:11,646 --> 09:05:13,448
at my understanding. Again, this is under

9364
09:05:13,448 --> 09:05:15,549
investigation. So the actual officer involved

9365
09:05:15,549 --> 09:05:16,950
shooting pieces. You know, we'll have to kind of

9366
09:05:16,950 --> 09:05:19,530
be part of that in the parking lot.

9367
09:05:19,530 --> 09:05:21,550
the information we have initially is the call came out

9368
09:05:21,550 --> 09:05:23,324
for an individual armed with a gun.

9369
09:05:23,324 --> 09:05:26,660
mpd officers were dispatched. They responded to that location

9370
09:05:26,660 --> 09:05:30,464
where they then talked to the complainant who who filed the

9371
09:05:30,464 --> 09:05:33,367
report at some point while they were on scene, individuals from

9372
09:05:33,367 --> 09:05:35,202
park police, the marshal showed up.

9373
09:05:35,202 --> 09:05:37,672
there was some sort of dialog and then they left.

9374
09:05:37,672 --> 09:05:40,608
but hold on, just pause. At some point they showed up.

9375
09:05:40,608 --> 09:05:42,677
yes. Why did that happen?

9376
09:05:42,677 --> 09:05:44,790
well, they came on their own as my understanding.

9377
09:05:44,790 --> 09:05:46,947
so park police have access to mpd radio channels.

9378
09:05:46,947 --> 09:05:49,483
they have for many, many years. It's nothing new or related to

9379
09:05:49,483 --> 09:05:52,286
the task force so they can hear calls for service.

9380
09:05:52,286 --> 09:05:55,790
what about the us marshals? I don't think they have access

9381
09:05:55,790 --> 09:05:58,158
to district radio zones. There are mutual aid channels

9382
09:05:58,158 --> 09:05:59,326
that they that they share with us.

9383
09:05:59,326 --> 09:06:01,162
right. But I don't think they have

9384
09:06:01,162 --> 09:06:04,331
access to our district radio zones that are out there.

9385
09:06:04,331 --> 09:06:07,350
how would they have known to show up there with the park

9386
09:06:07,350 --> 09:06:08,703
police? They were physically they were

9387
09:06:08,703 --> 09:06:09,771
together. They weren't in the same car,

9388
09:06:09,771 --> 09:06:11,905
but they were together. They were working together.

9389
09:06:11,905 --> 09:06:14,207
I don't know if they were on a team together or what that looks

9390
09:06:14,207 --> 09:06:17,778
like, but they were together. So do you think?

9391
09:06:17,778 --> 09:06:20,881
and I know you're investigating this, but do you think that the

9392
09:06:20,881 --> 09:06:23,984
park police heard over the radio that mpd was called, and then

9393
09:06:23,984 --> 09:06:27,322
the park police called the us marshal and said, we need backup

9394
09:06:27,322 --> 09:06:29,557
for a call. We weren't even called to know.

9395
09:06:29,557 --> 09:06:32,126
and this is all an assumption. I have no factual basis.

9396
09:06:32,126 --> 09:06:34,528
this my assumption is the marshals and the park police

9397
09:06:34,528 --> 09:06:36,597
were already together. They heard the call for a man

9398
09:06:36,597 --> 09:06:38,766
with a gun in the area and they went to it.

9399
09:06:38,766 --> 09:06:43,700
that would be my assumption. And is that common?

9400
09:06:43,700 --> 09:06:45,239
it is. I mean, it is for law

9401
09:06:45,239 --> 09:06:48,142
enforcement agencies that if they hear a call for an armed

9402
09:06:48,142 --> 09:06:49,811
individual, a shooting, something serious, if they were

9403
09:06:49,811 --> 09:06:54,548
in the area, it wouldn't be unusual for them to come in

9404
09:06:54,548 --> 09:06:57,510
typical normal two years ago with the marshals, be with the

9405
09:06:57,510 --> 09:06:59,153
park police. Usually not.

9406
09:06:59,153 --> 09:07:06,353
but in this case they were the us marshals trained in policing.

9407
09:07:07,261 --> 09:07:10,297
I'm I'm not specifically I don't know what they're trained in.

9408
09:07:10,297 --> 09:07:12,166
I know they're trained law enforcement officers.

9409
09:07:12,166 --> 09:07:16,604
I know that they generally do investigations and apprehend

9410
09:07:16,604 --> 09:07:18,873
fugitives is one of the many things they also do.

9411
09:07:18,873 --> 09:07:23,511
you know, there's a variety of functions they have as far as

9412
09:07:23,511 --> 09:07:25,713
federal courthouses and federal prisons and things like that.

9413
09:07:25,713 --> 09:07:29,316
I know that they are, of course, lead the the fugitive task force

9414
09:07:29,316 --> 09:07:31,819
that that handles serious cases that are here.

9415
09:07:31,819 --> 09:07:35,389
but again, what their specific training is, I can't say on the

9416
09:07:35,389 --> 09:07:38,893
fugitive task force side, the cases that they're handling,

9417
09:07:38,893 --> 09:07:42,863
though, on the back end in investigations, not engaging

9418
09:07:42,863 --> 09:07:46,133
with an individual who so usually they're they're looking

9419
09:07:46,133 --> 09:07:48,212
for an individual that has a warrant out for their arrest.

9420
09:07:48,212 --> 09:07:51,160
so a person who may have committed usually it's serious

9421
09:07:51,160 --> 09:07:54,552
cases, murders, serious individuals that may be very

9422
09:07:54,552 --> 09:07:57,489
dangerous, things like that. And do they in those cases do

9423
09:07:57,489 --> 09:08:00,759
they usually call mpd to come with them for those cases?

9424
09:08:00,759 --> 09:08:03,928
no. So mpd park police, it's a it's

9425
09:08:03,928 --> 09:08:07,499
a fugitive task force. So all these area agencies, pg

9426
09:08:07,499 --> 09:08:09,834
county, they're all already on the task force together as they

9427
09:08:09,834 --> 09:08:11,690
go out. Right?

9428
09:08:11,690 --> 09:08:14,906
I guess what I'm trying to get at is in that, in that example

9429
09:08:14,906 --> 09:08:17,508
that you're talking about, the fugitive task force, and there's

9430
09:08:17,508 --> 09:08:20,311
a warrant out for someone's arrest, would it be common that

9431
09:08:20,311 --> 09:08:24,716
the us marshals would call mpd to come with them to make the

9432
09:08:24,716 --> 09:08:26,652
arrest? We'd already be there from from

9433
09:08:26,652 --> 09:08:29,688
the beginning when they're going to look for the person, they

9434
09:08:29,688 --> 09:08:33,458
work as a standing task force that report together, not just

9435
09:08:33,458 --> 09:08:35,927
mpd, park police. All the agencies work as a

9436
09:08:35,927 --> 09:08:38,830
standing task force because the warrants are ones that are held

9437
09:08:38,830 --> 09:08:42,401
by mpd, held by the marshals, held by a variety of agencies,

9438
09:08:42,401 --> 09:08:45,936
but isn't part of the benefit of you being there because you are

9439
09:08:45,936 --> 09:08:48,205
trained in how to make an arrest, how to deescalate?

9440
09:08:48,205 --> 09:08:54,212
we have our body worn cameras on us to ensure that that is

9441
09:08:54,212 --> 09:08:56,949
carried out in a safe and just manner.

9442
09:08:56,949 --> 09:08:58,483
yeah, I mean, I would say that that's part of it.

9443
09:08:58,483 --> 09:09:00,952
and the same thing, I mean, the marshals portion of the

9444
09:09:00,952 --> 09:09:02,486
marshals. And again, I don't know what

9445
09:09:02,486 --> 09:09:04,823
this looks like, had body worn cameras in many of the other

9446
09:09:04,823 --> 09:09:07,825
agencies that are on the task force to do as well.

9447
09:09:07,825 --> 09:09:11,296
again, you know how a pg county officer is trained versus mpd

9448
09:09:11,296 --> 09:09:13,865
officer or park police officer. They're a little different.

9449
09:09:13,865 --> 09:09:16,500
there's similarities that are in there, but the nuances are

9450
09:09:16,500 --> 09:09:18,368
different, right? Just like with we were going

9451
09:09:18,368 --> 09:09:21,305
into pg county or virginia or somewhere like that, right.

9452
09:09:21,305 --> 09:09:24,142
the home agency officers know that area.

9453
09:09:24,142 --> 09:09:27,110
you know, they have the information to be more helpful

9454
09:09:27,110 --> 09:09:31,282
than officers from other like us, from another jurisdiction.

9455
09:09:31,282 --> 09:09:34,786
so your officers stayed on scene at the convenience store.

9456
09:09:34,786 --> 09:09:37,588
so, yeah, again, my understanding is initially they

9457
09:09:37,588 --> 09:09:40,910
got the call, they got the information, they go there, they

9458
09:09:40,910 --> 09:09:42,590
make contact with the individual that called.

9459
09:09:42,590 --> 09:09:44,662
at some point the marshals and park police come by there.

9460
09:09:44,662 --> 09:09:49,267
they leave shortly thereafter. Our officers leave and they hear

9461
09:09:49,267 --> 09:09:50,334
gunshots. And then shortly after the

9462
09:09:50,334 --> 09:09:53,304
shooting, they arrive on the scene where the marshals and the

9463
09:09:53,304 --> 09:09:55,940
park police are at. And what did the marshals say to

9464
09:09:55,940 --> 09:09:57,809
you? I don't have that information.

9465
09:09:57,809 --> 09:09:59,877
that's that's the part that's part of the officer involved

9466
09:09:59,877 --> 09:10:02,547
shooting, which obviously still is under investigation and part

9467
09:10:02,547 --> 09:10:05,417
of a criminal investigation. So those details are part of

9468
09:10:05,417 --> 09:10:07,352
that. We can't I can't talk about it

9469
09:10:07,352 --> 09:10:09,288
publicly. And frankly, in a normal

9470
09:10:09,288 --> 09:10:12,924
scenario, I'm a big truster in the process that there would be

9471
09:10:12,924 --> 09:10:15,126
an investigation and then there would be a prosecution if

9472
09:10:15,126 --> 09:10:20,310
someone violated the law. But we just saw in the case from

9473
09:10:20,310 --> 09:10:23,334
a couple of months ago where you all conducted your

9474
09:10:23,334 --> 09:10:25,370
investigation, referred the case to the u.s. Attorney's office,

9475
09:10:25,370 --> 09:10:30,975
and they declined to prosecute. And so I don't have the level of

9476
09:10:30,975 --> 09:10:35,313
trust that I normally would that this federal government is

9477
09:10:35,313 --> 09:10:37,882
actually going to investigate and pursue charges.

9478
09:10:37,882 --> 09:10:44,655
if somebody did violate the law or did shoot a man without

9479
09:10:44,655 --> 09:10:48,255
justification. So from mpd's perspective, how

9480
09:10:48,693 --> 09:10:53,197
do we ensure the community's safety if we have agents who are

9481
09:10:53,197 --> 09:10:57,368
not trained in our laws, who are not wearing body worn cameras,

9482
09:10:57,368 --> 09:11:00,739
and we don't have insight into the status of the investigation?

9483
09:11:00,739 --> 09:11:02,774
yeah. I mean, from perspective, that's

9484
09:11:02,774 --> 09:11:05,409
why as much as we can do to try to work and collaborate with

9485
09:11:05,409 --> 09:11:07,879
them, I think it's better for the community because things

9486
09:11:07,879 --> 09:11:10,348
like this can happen again. They were with park police.

9487
09:11:10,348 --> 09:11:13,151
park police is in the city. I mean, they police the city all

9488
09:11:13,151 --> 09:11:15,153
the time. But I think that goes back to

9489
09:11:15,153 --> 09:11:18,823
the benefit of us trying to work together with them versus, you

9490
09:11:18,823 --> 09:11:20,292
know, just want to be a separation.

9491
09:11:20,292 --> 09:11:22,794
but again, at the end of the day, they're independent law

9492
09:11:22,794 --> 09:11:24,228
enforcement officers. They have their own training,

9493
09:11:24,228 --> 09:11:27,632
they have their own authorities that we can't control with that.

9494
09:11:27,632 --> 09:11:30,169
so it's a it's a situation that we're in.

9495
09:11:30,169 --> 09:11:32,270
it's a situation that always was there before.

9496
09:11:32,270 --> 09:11:35,390
this isn't new for the marshals or for park police, but it's a

9497
09:11:35,390 --> 09:11:37,975
situation that now it comes to the forefront of everyone's

9498
09:11:37,975 --> 09:11:41,790
minds as this task force is in operation.

9499
09:11:41,790 --> 09:11:42,913
okay, I'm over time, so I'm going to move on.

9500
09:11:42,913 --> 09:11:48,586
but I think this example and this tragedy really speaks to

9501
09:11:48,586 --> 09:11:52,156
the gaps here, because on one hand, if you're saying we have

9502
09:11:52,156 --> 09:11:54,926
this benefit, if we're coordinating in this case, we

9503
09:11:54,926 --> 09:11:56,794
didn't even have mpd officers on site.

9504
09:11:56,794 --> 09:12:01,632
so it kind of feels like on some areas there's a benefit, but

9505
09:12:01,632 --> 09:12:04,680
then if it's not actually happening with the deployment,

9506
09:12:04,680 --> 09:12:07,605
it's hard to see. But I'm going to turn to my

9507
09:12:07,605 --> 09:12:09,540
colleague, ward 3 colleague, councilmember matt frumin, for a

9508
09:12:09,540 --> 09:12:12,478
15 minute round. Thank you very much,

9509
09:12:12,478 --> 09:12:13,244
chairperson. Yes, sir.

9510
09:12:13,244 --> 09:12:16,280
nice to see you. Well, I'm going to I'm going to

9511
09:12:16,280 --> 09:12:21,119
stay on this just for a second because on the philip brown

9512
09:12:21,119 --> 09:12:26,900
case, when there's a referral, that means the mpd internal

9513
09:12:26,900 --> 09:12:29,961
investigation determined that there was a basis for a criminal

9514
09:12:29,961 --> 09:12:31,830
prosecution, and therefore it's referred to.

9515
09:12:31,830 --> 09:12:33,164
is that right? No.

9516
09:12:33,164 --> 09:12:35,466
so any officer involved shooting, regardless of what it

9517
09:12:35,466 --> 09:12:38,370
is, it's always referred to us attorney to make the final

9518
09:12:38,370 --> 09:12:42,400
determination. Is there a what is what do you

9519
09:12:42,400 --> 09:12:45,576
send to the us attorney's offices at a recommendation?

9520
09:12:45,576 --> 09:12:47,440
does it include a recommendation?

9521
09:12:47,440 --> 09:12:48,646
no. So it's a full outline of all

9522
09:12:48,646 --> 09:12:50,248
the information that's been discovered.

9523
09:12:50,248 --> 09:12:54,218
may there be video evidence, statements that are provided by

9524
09:12:54,218 --> 09:12:56,487
the officers, statements that are provided by witnesses, the

9525
09:12:56,487 --> 09:13:00,580
same thing that we would have in in any other criminal situation

9526
09:13:00,580 --> 09:13:02,459
we present to them. They have a public corruption

9527
09:13:02,459 --> 09:13:04,729
section of the us attorney's office that then reviews that,

9528
09:13:04,729 --> 09:13:06,131
and then they make a determination.

9529
09:13:06,131 --> 09:13:09,401
do they want to move forward with prosecution or do they not

9530
09:13:09,401 --> 09:13:11,969
want to move forward with prosecution?

9531
09:13:11,969 --> 09:13:14,738
so whenever you do this, it doesn't involve a

9532
09:13:14,738 --> 09:13:17,342
recommendation. It just involves a report of

9533
09:13:17,342 --> 09:13:19,544
what you determined were the facts.

9534
09:13:19,544 --> 09:13:21,747
that's correct. We present them with the facts

9535
09:13:21,747 --> 09:13:23,481
and then they make a determination.

9536
09:13:23,481 --> 09:13:24,883
they evaluate the information that's there.

9537
09:13:24,883 --> 09:13:28,420
so then there was a conversation about the body worn camera

9538
09:13:28,420 --> 09:13:30,254
footage. But what about that report?

9539
09:13:30,254 --> 09:13:35,660
are those reports made public our our body worn cameras.

9540
09:13:35,660 --> 09:13:40,598
know your report to the to the us attorney upon which they make

9541
09:13:40,598 --> 09:13:42,700
a determination to decline or pursue prosecution.

9542
09:13:42,700 --> 09:13:44,570
no, that's that's a criminal investigation.

9543
09:13:44,570 --> 09:13:46,370
so of course that's not a public investigation.

9544
09:13:46,370 --> 09:13:49,507
just like any other criminal. Criminal investigation is out

9545
09:13:49,507 --> 09:13:51,776
there. Any video that's in there, we

9546
09:13:51,776 --> 09:13:54,245
would be the same as any other criminal investigation, a

9547
09:13:54,245 --> 09:13:57,845
homicide or anything else that's presented.

9548
09:13:57,915 --> 09:14:04,298
so how how does the I mean, this is an event that is of deep

9549
09:14:04,298 --> 09:14:08,134
concern to people in the community, to folks in the

9550
09:14:08,134 --> 09:14:09,870
community. They don't have the opportunity

9551
09:14:09,870 --> 09:14:14,208
to see the report that you provided to the us attorney.

9552
09:14:14,208 --> 09:14:17,477
they don't have the opportunity to see the footage that might

9553
09:14:17,477 --> 09:14:20,140
have been included in that report.

9554
09:14:20,140 --> 09:14:22,549
all we know is a report was done.

9555
09:14:22,549 --> 09:14:25,319
we don't know what the it wouldn't have had a

9556
09:14:25,319 --> 09:14:27,353
recommendation, but it would have had a description of the

9557
09:14:27,353 --> 09:14:29,489
facts. And the us attorney's

9558
09:14:29,489 --> 09:14:31,725
determination not to pursue a prosecution.

9559
09:14:31,725 --> 09:14:33,494
and the police report that was taken.

9560
09:14:33,494 --> 09:14:35,929
if we in general, in these cases, we take a police report

9561
09:14:35,929 --> 09:14:38,131
of whatever the initial thing is.

9562
09:14:38,131 --> 09:14:42,469
sometimes another agency may take that initial police report.

9563
09:14:42,469 --> 09:14:45,706
and is that document public? I mean, if there's if there's a

9564
09:14:45,706 --> 09:14:48,841
police report that's taken for like a discharge of a service

9565
09:14:48,841 --> 09:14:50,911
pistol or things like that, that mpd takes, it is a public

9566
09:14:50,911 --> 09:14:51,712
report. Yes.

9567
09:14:51,712 --> 09:14:55,182
so many times, I don't know, in this case, if I can't tell you

9568
09:14:55,182 --> 09:14:57,517
right now, off the top of my head, if we took the report or

9569
09:14:57,517 --> 09:14:59,653
not, because the investigation is still there, we can follow up

9570
09:14:59,653 --> 09:15:01,154
and let you know. I don't know if we took the

9571
09:15:01,154 --> 09:15:04,725
report or if the marshals took a report, or if park police took a

9572
09:15:04,725 --> 09:15:06,893
report, because we got to this scene afterwards.

9573
09:15:06,893 --> 09:15:09,960
it wasn't like we were there when it happened.

9574
09:15:09,960 --> 09:15:11,798
internal affairs did respond out and they are investigating that

9575
09:15:11,798 --> 09:15:16,803
aspect of it. I mean, you can I think you do

9576
09:15:16,803 --> 09:15:20,700
appreciate the frustration in the community about this

9577
09:15:20,700 --> 09:15:23,607
terrible thing happened. There's precious little

9578
09:15:24,511 --> 09:15:27,747
information that's available that there's information that is

9579
09:15:27,747 --> 09:15:30,951
out there, but there's precious little information that's

9580
09:15:30,951 --> 09:15:34,555
available. There is not, shall we say, not

9581
09:15:34,555 --> 09:15:38,525
a high degree of confidence in the u.s. Attorney's office,

9582
09:15:38,525 --> 09:15:41,762
willingness to pursue any kind of case like this.

9583
09:15:41,762 --> 09:15:44,264
and so we feel naked to the wind.

9584
09:15:44,264 --> 09:15:46,500
and so how do we get out of that?

9585
09:15:46,500 --> 09:15:49,503
no, I understand that. And so everyone looks to mpd to

9586
09:15:49,503 --> 09:15:52,105
try to provide that information. But again, we have to be bound

9587
09:15:52,105 --> 09:15:53,540
by the law and what we can provide.

9588
09:15:53,540 --> 09:15:58,244
I understand mpd has high expectations of the community,

9589
09:15:58,244 --> 09:16:01,480
100% understand that, but they are their own agency.

9590
09:16:01,480 --> 09:16:02,716
they have their own internal processes.

9591
09:16:02,716 --> 09:16:05,786
once the criminal aspect is done, either they'll be a

9592
09:16:05,786 --> 09:16:08,588
criminal prosecution which will go through the regular public

9593
09:16:08,588 --> 09:16:11,692
process, or if a declination is determined, then there'll be

9594
09:16:11,692 --> 09:16:14,461
whatever administrative process, however they do that within that

9595
09:16:14,461 --> 09:16:16,229
agency. That's not something that mpd

9596
09:16:16,229 --> 09:16:22,269
can control or has control of. I hear you, and we're all in an

9597
09:16:22,269 --> 09:16:25,472
incredibly difficult situation, and part of what you're saying

9598
09:16:25,472 --> 09:16:31,712
is, in some ways, it's better if mpd is approximate, because mpd

9599
09:16:31,712 --> 09:16:34,548
can maybe play some kind of role to try to influence.

9600
09:16:34,548 --> 09:16:37,351
yes. And in some ways, the

9601
09:16:37,351 --> 09:16:43,351
convenience store story makes that point at the, the, the

9602
09:16:43,423 --> 09:16:45,959
firearms are discharged when mpd is not there.

9603
09:16:45,959 --> 09:16:49,696
and so and maybe this is the case in both situations that the

9604
09:16:49,696 --> 09:16:53,233
firearm is discharged when mpd is not there.

9605
09:16:53,233 --> 09:16:58,500
but we have these operations happening inside of our city,

9606
09:16:58,500 --> 09:17:05,205
out of our control, out of your control, and with very limited

9607
09:17:06,913 --> 09:17:08,415
information and transparency about it.

9608
09:17:08,415 --> 09:17:11,251
so you can I don't envy. Absolutely.

9609
09:17:11,251 --> 09:17:13,286
no, I do like I said, we don't we don't want to be in this

9610
09:17:13,286 --> 09:17:15,155
position, in this position at all.

9611
09:17:15,155 --> 09:17:17,570
it's a position that we find ourselves in.

9612
09:17:17,570 --> 09:17:19,593
and it's very challenging because a lot of people are

9613
09:17:19,593 --> 09:17:21,528
looking. I mean, in my opinion, we have a

9614
09:17:21,528 --> 09:17:22,596
good relationship with the community.

9615
09:17:22,596 --> 09:17:25,399
so people come to us for that information and the ability for

9616
09:17:25,399 --> 09:17:27,234
us to be in a situation where we don't have it.

9617
09:17:27,234 --> 09:17:29,269
it's not our agency, it's not our officers.

9618
09:17:29,269 --> 09:17:30,738
we don't have that. It is challenging.

9619
09:17:30,738 --> 09:17:35,408
I do understand the frustration, though, and I know I'm I'm late.

9620
09:17:35,408 --> 09:17:39,613
there's a lot of different big things happening today and and

9621
09:17:39,613 --> 09:17:42,883
I'm sure I'm treading territory that's already been tread.

9622
09:17:42,883 --> 09:17:46,319
but on the immigration side, here's the way that I understand

9623
09:17:46,319 --> 09:17:50,389
it, is that all federal law enforcement has been deputized

9624
09:17:50,389 --> 09:17:55,789
to do immigration. And so the task force includes

9625
09:17:56,430 --> 09:18:01,230
mpd and representatives of all federal law enforcement.

9626
09:18:01,501 --> 09:18:05,500
mpd is not doing immigration enforcement.

9627
09:18:05,500 --> 09:18:07,474
ice isn't part of the task force.

9628
09:18:07,474 --> 09:18:12,179
so mpd is not working with ice. But all of the federal agencies

9629
09:18:12,179 --> 09:18:16,379
have the capacity to do immigration enforcement.

9630
09:18:16,450 --> 09:18:23,500
and then the question becomes, to what extent is mpd actively

9631
09:18:24,858 --> 09:18:26,360
facilitating immigration enforcement?

9632
09:18:26,360 --> 09:18:28,895
that's what worries d.c. Residents.

9633
09:18:28,895 --> 09:18:34,469
and that's why this story about an mpd officer calling someone,

9634
09:18:34,469 --> 09:18:37,604
it may not be an mpd officer, it could be somebody else who's

9635
09:18:37,604 --> 09:18:44,945
doing it, but it it underscores to what extent is mpd an active

9636
09:18:44,945 --> 09:18:49,950
facilitator of this, and to what extent is mpd trying to moderate

9637
09:18:49,950 --> 09:18:54,721
it? And it puts everybody in a very

9638
09:18:54,721 --> 09:18:58,692
challenging situation. But I wonder if you can speak to

9639
09:18:58,692 --> 09:19:02,292
that. And including what kind the

9640
09:19:03,563 --> 09:19:08,363
challenge comes up doubly again because of transparency.

9641
09:19:08,568 --> 09:19:11,471
when you answer the question, how often does it happen?

9642
09:19:11,471 --> 09:19:15,175
so so part of what's out there is it used to be that ice was

9643
09:19:15,175 --> 09:19:19,179
operating on its own in the city and doing warrantless arrests,

9644
09:19:19,179 --> 09:19:22,517
and that got stopped. And so that has not happening in

9645
09:19:22,517 --> 09:19:24,918
the same way as it was happening in the fall.

9646
09:19:24,918 --> 09:19:29,222
and I actually am not hearing about immigration enforcement as

9647
09:19:29,222 --> 09:19:33,794
much today as I was a month or two ago.

9648
09:19:33,794 --> 09:19:40,199
but we don't have any data. And are you in any way tracking

9649
09:19:40,199 --> 09:19:43,199
with the crime suppression units?

9650
09:19:43,403 --> 09:19:48,141
how often has it happened that one of the other federal

9651
09:19:48,141 --> 09:19:52,412
partners arrested somebody, even if it's not in the database, are

9652
09:19:52,412 --> 09:19:55,548
you tracking it in even an informal sort of way?

9653
09:19:55,548 --> 09:19:57,818
no, we're not. And this has come up again in a

9654
09:19:57,818 --> 09:20:00,954
kind of a variety of ways. And I understand there's a want

9655
09:20:00,954 --> 09:20:03,356
for mpd to be able to provide what the federal government is

9656
09:20:03,356 --> 09:20:05,292
doing, but we don't have that ability.

9657
09:20:05,292 --> 09:20:07,994
and for our officers to try to go around and figure out what

9658
09:20:07,994 --> 09:20:10,438
they're doing when they're doing it.

9659
09:20:10,438 --> 09:20:12,440
I mean, it doesn't make much sense.

9660
09:20:12,440 --> 09:20:13,842
I definitely understand the concerns.

9661
09:20:13,842 --> 09:20:16,510
and you're absolutely right. We are in a precarious

9662
09:20:16,510 --> 09:20:19,113
situation. Mpd is not trying to facilitate

9663
09:20:19,113 --> 09:20:21,916
immigration enforcement. There is no benefit to mpd to

9664
09:20:21,916 --> 09:20:23,584
facilitate immigration enforcement.

9665
09:20:23,584 --> 09:20:25,520
all this conversation does even that story.

9666
09:20:25,520 --> 09:20:28,623
if it turns out that the person that called was not mpd, that

9667
09:20:28,623 --> 09:20:30,125
will not ever make the headlines.

9668
09:20:30,125 --> 09:20:32,160
that will never be a big talking point.

9669
09:20:32,160 --> 09:20:35,931
that will the the interpretation from many people will be,

9670
09:20:35,931 --> 09:20:37,965
regardless if it's true or not, that mpd did that.

9671
09:20:37,965 --> 09:20:39,634
and that's what hurts us. Right.

9672
09:20:39,634 --> 09:20:42,370
and the fact to your point about the credibility.

9673
09:20:42,370 --> 09:20:45,874
so I definitely understand that, you know, for us it's a big

9674
09:20:45,874 --> 09:20:47,775
concern. We don't want to be in those

9675
09:20:47,775 --> 09:20:50,244
situations, but it is a precarious situation because to

9676
09:20:50,244 --> 09:20:52,814
your point, just about every federal agency could.

9677
09:20:52,814 --> 09:20:56,918
and if we go out to make an arrest for whatever and a u.s.

9678
09:20:56,918 --> 09:21:00,121
marshal decides to all of a sudden try to do some

9679
09:21:00,121 --> 09:21:02,230
immigration enforcement, then we're there and it's going to

9680
09:21:02,230 --> 09:21:04,459
look like we are, and things will be.

9681
09:21:04,459 --> 09:21:06,694
mpd took them there for this. Like all these things will come

9682
09:21:06,694 --> 09:21:08,763
up, and that's not the purpose of it.

9683
09:21:08,763 --> 09:21:12,500
but again, it paints us in a bad light.

9684
09:21:12,500 --> 09:21:19,340
I mean, do you are you thinking about ways to try to not be

9685
09:21:19,340 --> 09:21:23,311
painted in such a bad light, to be able to provide information

9686
09:21:23,311 --> 09:21:26,847
so that you can ameliorate some of the concerns?

9687
09:21:26,847 --> 09:21:30,851
I mean, I, I don't think there's any easy solutions, and I know

9688
09:21:30,851 --> 09:21:34,222
there's a want for like try to have mpd to figure out what the

9689
09:21:34,222 --> 09:21:36,590
federal government is doing. I don't think that's the

9690
09:21:36,590 --> 09:21:38,193
solution. I don't think having our

9691
09:21:38,193 --> 09:21:39,527
officers don't know what they're doing.

9692
09:21:39,527 --> 09:21:41,795
they don't know what they've done before the officers get

9693
09:21:41,795 --> 09:21:43,698
there. It's the same conversation about

9694
09:21:43,698 --> 09:21:46,201
our officers trying to determine what types of force they're

9695
09:21:46,201 --> 09:21:47,535
doing and what they aren't doing.

9696
09:21:47,535 --> 09:21:49,536
like we don't have that information.

9697
09:21:49,536 --> 09:21:51,806
and do you really want to mpd officer trying to second guess

9698
09:21:51,806 --> 09:21:54,676
what happened there? That just puts us even farther

9699
09:21:54,676 --> 09:21:57,811
into that situation than it is. And looks like we're even more

9700
09:21:57,811 --> 09:21:59,647
trying to facilitate or get into that.

9701
09:21:59,647 --> 09:22:02,483
so like, I understand the want and I know if there is an easy

9702
09:22:02,483 --> 09:22:05,888
solution, either mpd or the council or somebody else would,

9703
09:22:05,888 --> 09:22:08,880
would have come up with that solution because it takes it

9704
09:22:08,880 --> 09:22:09,624
away from a lot of us. Right.

9705
09:22:09,624 --> 09:22:15,290
but I don't think that it's quite there yet, and I don't I

9706
09:22:15,290 --> 09:22:20,868
don't have the solution for you today, but I guess I do want the

9707
09:22:20,868 --> 09:22:26,240
council and mpd and the mayor to be partners in trying to find a

9708
09:22:26,240 --> 09:22:30,450
path to a solution where these concerns, because I think it's

9709
09:22:30,450 --> 09:22:32,580
going to it. You've said it, they're going to

9710
09:22:32,580 --> 09:22:38,353
be gone and you're you're going to have to operate and

9711
09:22:38,353 --> 09:22:43,291
rebuilding confidence in the community is going to be a giant

9712
09:22:43,291 --> 09:22:46,394
project. That sort of has to be starting

9713
09:22:46,394 --> 09:22:49,630
now, even as you're in this conundrum.

9714
09:22:49,630 --> 09:22:54,569
so I, I'd encourage let's we should all be looking for what's

9715
09:22:54,569 --> 09:22:59,540
the path. I am sensitive to the fact that

9716
09:22:59,540 --> 09:23:02,410
hammers have come down and they were worse.

9717
09:23:02,410 --> 09:23:04,946
and we don't want a hammer to come down.

9718
09:23:04,946 --> 09:23:08,583
like I think you allude to this. Do you want these?

9719
09:23:08,583 --> 09:23:13,210
do you want many more of these people on our streets, on their

9720
09:23:13,210 --> 09:23:15,424
own? Is that a better outcome for the

9721
09:23:15,424 --> 09:23:18,526
district? That's a legitimate question and

9722
09:23:18,526 --> 09:23:23,798
a legitimate fear. But how we navigate through this

9723
09:23:23,798 --> 09:23:27,101
process, that's the challenge. And we should be working

9724
09:23:27,101 --> 09:23:28,870
together to try to find that solution.

9725
09:23:28,870 --> 09:23:36,700
no, I agree with you 100%, sir. There was the reference to I'm

9726
09:23:36,512 --> 09:23:38,880
going to move to what I think is more mundane.

9727
09:23:38,880 --> 09:23:44,786
I think frankly, that's the giant challenge in front of the

9728
09:23:44,786 --> 09:23:46,921
agency. And for you personally, here you

9729
09:23:46,921 --> 09:23:49,757
are in this really difficult moment.

9730
09:23:49,757 --> 09:23:56,197
and so that's the big question. But back to some of the overtime

9731
09:23:56,197 --> 09:23:59,300
things. I guess when I think about those

9732
09:23:59,300 --> 09:24:03,537
numbers, 26 million in overtime, that's that's overtime for local

9733
09:24:03,537 --> 09:24:07,740
purposes. And then last year it was 76

9734
09:24:07,740 --> 09:24:09,878
million for the whole year. We're we're a third of the way

9735
09:24:09,878 --> 09:24:11,813
through the year. We're on the exact same track.

9736
09:24:11,813 --> 09:24:15,150
we have not increased overtime nor have we decreased it.

9737
09:24:15,150 --> 09:24:17,418
how could we decrease it? Well, I don't know if that's

9738
09:24:17,418 --> 09:24:19,421
actually a fair comparison, because since last year there

9739
09:24:19,421 --> 09:24:21,723
has been an increase in the collective bargaining.

9740
09:24:21,723 --> 09:24:23,991
the officers get paid more now than they did last year.

9741
09:24:23,991 --> 09:24:25,250
so that just to put that out there.

9742
09:24:25,250 --> 09:24:28,162
so even though regardless if he worked the same amount of hours,

9743
09:24:28,162 --> 09:24:31,666
we would still have a higher price versus this year.

9744
09:24:31,666 --> 09:24:34,569
you know me, how I look at the lens is what are ways that we

9745
09:24:34,569 --> 09:24:39,207
can cut down, especially now as things are, you know, calmer out

9746
09:24:39,207 --> 09:24:41,609
there because there may come a time when we need to increase

9747
09:24:41,609 --> 09:24:44,512
some of our initiatives that we have out there.

9748
09:24:44,512 --> 09:24:47,281
some of our standing initiatives are thrive, which is our

9749
09:24:47,281 --> 09:24:48,783
homicide reduction plan is out there.

9750
09:24:48,783 --> 09:24:52,186
and those overtime is used to help give additional resources

9751
09:24:52,186 --> 09:24:56,124
in those areas, because we know that those areas drive a

9752
09:24:56,124 --> 09:24:59,593
majority or not majority. A large portion of violent

9753
09:24:59,593 --> 09:25:01,663
crime. And by keeping crime down those

9754
09:25:01,663 --> 09:25:04,232
areas, it has an impact in safety in the overall city.

9755
09:25:04,232 --> 09:25:07,168
so there's initiatives that are initiatives that we have, like

9756
09:25:07,168 --> 09:25:10,270
the thrive robbery suppression initiative, where we focus on

9757
09:25:10,270 --> 09:25:13,541
areas where there's pattern robberies to deploy resources.

9758
09:25:13,541 --> 09:25:17,378
again, back to plans and metrics and putting resources out there.

9759
09:25:17,378 --> 09:25:20,281
but no, it's definitely an area that we're looking at of how can

9760
09:25:20,281 --> 09:25:23,218
we work to cut down. With that being said, if crime

9761
09:25:23,218 --> 09:25:25,886
spikes up or we need to deploy additional resources because

9762
09:25:25,886 --> 09:25:28,756
we're seeing a trend, we're going to have to shift shift

9763
09:25:28,756 --> 09:25:31,492
resources and use over time. I mean, for us, the challenge is

9764
09:25:31,492 --> 09:25:35,960
we are down so many officers. It drives so much overtime, and

9765
09:25:35,960 --> 09:25:37,298
overtime gets paid at a much higher rate than regular

9766
09:25:37,298 --> 09:25:40,567
officer's salary. So and I thought I heard I have

9767
09:25:40,567 --> 09:25:44,105
been listening in and out. Did you say we're down 638?

9768
09:25:44,105 --> 09:25:47,908
how many officers? So we have 31 I think 44 or 47

9769
09:25:47,908 --> 09:25:52,780
as of this week. And, you know, somewhere between

9770
09:25:52,780 --> 09:25:53,581
3800 and 4000 is where we should be.

9771
09:25:53,581 --> 09:25:55,249
I think when I came on the police department, we were

9772
09:25:55,249 --> 09:25:58,552
closer to 3900. You know, almost 24 years ago.

9773
09:25:58,552 --> 09:26:00,855
with that being said. But I believe the amount of

9774
09:26:00,855 --> 09:26:03,724
overtime that we use we looked at could be almost like 800

9775
09:26:03,724 --> 09:26:05,192
officers. I think we somewhere in the

9776
09:26:05,192 --> 09:26:08,950
response to the questions, we give an estimate of how many

9777
09:26:08,950 --> 09:26:11,198
officers like that would be the difference of because back to I

9778
09:26:11,198 --> 09:26:15,703
mean, we talk about root causes, the lack of officers brings in

9779
09:26:15,703 --> 09:26:18,338
federal people trying to, quote unquote, help us, brings in

9780
09:26:18,338 --> 09:26:19,913
driving up overtime, things like that.

9781
09:26:19,913 --> 09:26:23,917
so a lot of these challenges also have a link back to our

9782
09:26:23,917 --> 09:26:27,454
staffing challenge. And what's what's happening in

9783
09:26:27,454 --> 09:26:31,991
terms of trends. Were we a year ago, were we if

9784
09:26:31,991 --> 09:26:36,696
we're 3150 now a year ago, where we 3150 or were we a higher

9785
09:26:36,696 --> 09:26:37,431
number? No, we were a higher number.

9786
09:26:37,431 --> 09:26:40,633
we're a little less, I think, from this year versus last year.

9787
09:26:40,633 --> 09:26:43,770
it's about a hundred, maybe a little, a little less than 100

9788
09:26:43,770 --> 09:26:44,972
people. We have less this year than we

9789
09:26:44,972 --> 09:26:48,408
have last year, last year where we had the least amount of

9790
09:26:48,408 --> 09:26:50,543
retirements and resignations that we had, like in the past

9791
09:26:50,543 --> 09:26:53,460
ten years. So on that aspect, we're seeing

9792
09:26:53,460 --> 09:26:55,582
less people leaving. But as far as the actual number

9793
09:26:55,582 --> 09:26:58,250
of people getting in the classes, we aren't seeing a huge

9794
09:26:58,250 --> 09:27:00,487
uptick. And now with the task force,

9795
09:27:00,487 --> 09:27:04,357
there's agencies that are part police is offering $70,000

9796
09:27:04,357 --> 09:27:07,594
hiring bonus, are offering a 25% retention bonus.

9797
09:27:07,594 --> 09:27:10,997
so not only are they getting a lot of officers, some from mpd

9798
09:27:10,997 --> 09:27:13,933
are leaving to go to park police because of these things.

9799
09:27:13,933 --> 09:27:16,135
they're also pulling in a lot of other folks who may be looking

9800
09:27:16,135 --> 09:27:18,537
to come to this area to be law enforcement.

9801
09:27:18,537 --> 09:27:21,307
when they see things like that, you know, they go there versus

9802
09:27:21,307 --> 09:27:25,145
coming to mpd because policing at park police is is not

9803
09:27:25,145 --> 09:27:31,484
anywhere near like policing mpd chairperson pinto, can I go for

9804
09:27:31,484 --> 09:27:34,421
thank you very much. I mean, I had not thought about

9805
09:27:34,421 --> 09:27:39,793
it that way in terms of the competition for resources and

9806
09:27:39,793 --> 09:27:42,793
that's another incredibly corrosive impact.

9807
09:27:43,363 --> 09:27:50,437
so we we are left more dependent because our numbers go down and

9808
09:27:50,437 --> 09:27:55,237
they're able to pay much more. Very troubling.

9809
09:27:57,644 --> 09:28:01,182
the and I'm sure this has been tried before, but there's there

9810
09:28:01,182 --> 09:28:04,718
had been the controversy around the data on reporting crimes.

9811
09:28:04,718 --> 09:28:08,621
and I wonder where things stand on that.

9812
09:28:08,621 --> 09:28:14,270
and in that process, I had folks reach out and say, well, why

9813
09:28:14,270 --> 09:28:18,227
doesn't mpd publicize data like chicago does?

9814
09:28:18,565 --> 09:28:22,502
which is a very complete set of data.

9815
09:28:22,502 --> 09:28:27,907
so how are you thinking about the controversy around crime

9816
09:28:27,907 --> 09:28:32,178
statistics, and how are you thinking about changing the data

9817
09:28:32,178 --> 09:28:35,883
that is made available, or are you thinking about changing the

9818
09:28:35,883 --> 09:28:41,870
data that is made available to the public so that it tells an

9819
09:28:41,870 --> 09:28:42,689
irrefutable story? No, no.

9820
09:28:42,689 --> 09:28:45,958
so on that topic, obviously there were investigations that

9821
09:28:45,958 --> 09:28:49,929
that came from both congressional inquiry, us

9822
09:28:49,929 --> 09:28:53,100
attorney, the mayor asked the the office of the inspector

9823
09:28:53,100 --> 09:28:55,935
general to look into the crime data.

9824
09:28:55,935 --> 09:28:58,638
so that investigation continues there at that.

9825
09:28:58,638 --> 09:29:00,874
so, you know, while we're waiting for some of those

9826
09:29:00,874 --> 09:29:03,110
recommendations, we're not just sitting waiting for

9827
09:29:03,110 --> 09:29:04,711
recommendations. There's some areas that have

9828
09:29:04,711 --> 09:29:07,380
been quickly identified. Things like we've already pushed

9829
09:29:07,380 --> 09:29:10,500
out training to our officers about classification crimes to

9830
09:29:10,500 --> 09:29:13,120
make sure that they're to reinforce the classifications of

9831
09:29:13,120 --> 09:29:16,156
crimes in the elements thereof. What does that mean?

9832
09:29:16,156 --> 09:29:19,793
there are elements are certain requirements that make a a

9833
09:29:19,793 --> 09:29:22,929
charge underneath d.c. Co code. Some can be very similar.

9834
09:29:22,929 --> 09:29:25,533
so making sure that our officers have clarity, especially on some

9835
09:29:25,533 --> 09:29:29,690
of those charges that are that are challenging, pushing out

9836
09:29:29,690 --> 09:29:31,805
circulars on how we reconcile report numbers to make sure

9837
09:29:31,805 --> 09:29:34,740
we're accounting for all that moving forward.

9838
09:29:34,740 --> 09:29:37,812
we pull together a team within the agency to look at

9839
09:29:37,812 --> 09:29:40,246
recommendations. Some of the things longer term,

9840
09:29:40,246 --> 09:29:42,615
pushing forward outside of whatever recommendations we get

9841
09:29:42,615 --> 09:29:46,419
from the inspector general and our our other investigations are

9842
09:29:46,419 --> 09:29:49,222
instituting a staff review model or an independent group within

9843
09:29:49,222 --> 09:29:52,158
the department that's not associated with patrol

9844
09:29:52,158 --> 09:29:55,695
operations or any bureau that will not only review all the

9845
09:29:55,695 --> 09:29:57,831
reports they'll review to make sure they're completed

9846
09:29:57,831 --> 09:30:01,234
accurately, to make sure that the elements of the of the crime

9847
09:30:01,234 --> 09:30:03,503
match the classification that's there.

9848
09:30:03,503 --> 09:30:05,271
this is something that we had years ago.

9849
09:30:05,271 --> 09:30:09,275
and then when we switched to a newer records management system,

9850
09:30:09,275 --> 09:30:13,213
it was made much more automated so that that staff review

9851
09:30:13,213 --> 09:30:15,648
portion, the manual portion was taken out for efficiency.

9852
09:30:15,648 --> 09:30:18,151
but I think an unintended consequence was that as you

9853
09:30:18,151 --> 09:30:20,654
didn't have the the human eyes looking at those elements.

9854
09:30:20,654 --> 09:30:24,491
so having that that independent look at there to make sure that

9855
09:30:24,491 --> 09:30:26,993
the reports are complete, that they're accurate, that it meets

9856
09:30:26,993 --> 09:30:29,462
their if not, they can be flagged to be addressed with

9857
09:30:29,462 --> 09:30:31,564
that. That's going to be key.

9858
09:30:31,564 --> 09:30:35,168
just regardless of kind of where we get to the actual stats.

9859
09:30:35,168 --> 09:30:38,938
now, when we talk about looking at crime stats and how we report

9860
09:30:38,938 --> 09:30:42,609
stats, there was a shift from the fbi about how they report

9861
09:30:42,609 --> 09:30:46,280
stats in 2021. They moved from the the ucr srs

9862
09:30:46,280 --> 09:30:49,315
system, which is a system that was developed in the 1960s.

9863
09:30:49,315 --> 09:30:51,418
I won't bore you with the details, but the methodology and

9864
09:30:51,418 --> 09:30:54,288
kind of how that work is different than to the system,

9865
09:30:54,288 --> 09:30:58,458
they call it nibrs that they now use to report data.

9866
09:30:58,458 --> 09:31:03,463
when we migrated to that system, we are reporting data to the fbi

9867
09:31:03,463 --> 09:31:07,400
under the nibrs category monthly as required.

9868
09:31:07,400 --> 09:31:11,270
but we still continue to use dcr, the district's crime

9869
09:31:11,270 --> 09:31:14,708
reporting index for crime deployment strategies.

9870
09:31:14,708 --> 09:31:17,430
one of the things that I want to look at as we kind of look

9871
09:31:17,430 --> 09:31:18,912
through and look at some of the recommendations that come out of

9872
09:31:18,912 --> 09:31:23,116
this report, is, is there a way to leverage nibrs classifies all

9873
09:31:23,116 --> 09:31:24,884
crime types that are out there and put them in there.

9874
09:31:24,884 --> 09:31:27,920
there's, I believe, 50. There's two categories.

9875
09:31:27,920 --> 09:31:30,256
I think it's a and b, but there's like 50 and one and ten

9876
09:31:30,256 --> 09:31:34,527
the other, which gives a, I think, a more holistic view of

9877
09:31:34,527 --> 09:31:36,795
what that looks like. So looking at how we can

9878
09:31:36,795 --> 09:31:39,800
leverage that data. So we do have more information

9879
09:31:39,800 --> 09:31:42,935
that's out there, I think that will put us more in line with

9880
09:31:42,935 --> 09:31:46,874
the best practices that are is used in the nibrs methodology.

9881
09:31:46,874 --> 09:31:49,676
so we're looking at like, what does that look like, what

9882
09:31:49,676 --> 09:31:51,944
impacts will that have a challenge with.

9883
09:31:51,944 --> 09:31:55,348
that is if we were to go to fully to nibrs comparison under

9884
09:31:55,348 --> 09:31:58,151
the old crime systems would not really be there because it's a

9885
09:31:58,151 --> 09:32:00,486
whole different methodology of how you do it.

9886
09:32:00,486 --> 09:32:04,123
so you lose that benefit, right? That hindsight of data.

9887
09:32:04,123 --> 09:32:07,226
so we're looking at like, what is the best, the best way to

9888
09:32:07,226 --> 09:32:09,762
make sure that we're being transparent and we have the best

9889
09:32:09,762 --> 09:32:12,831
data for deployment. We use this crime data for

9890
09:32:12,831 --> 09:32:14,299
deployment of resources officers.

9891
09:32:14,299 --> 09:32:17,838
we talked a little earlier about, you know, our district

9892
09:32:17,838 --> 09:32:18,571
realignments and things like that.

9893
09:32:18,571 --> 09:32:21,841
so the data is very important to how we deploy resources.

9894
09:32:21,841 --> 09:32:24,677
so our team is together kind of looking at that and to push the

9895
09:32:24,677 --> 09:32:26,746
best path forward. And then of course we'll take

9896
09:32:26,746 --> 09:32:29,582
any recommendations that come out of these reports and marry

9897
09:32:29,582 --> 09:32:33,856
that in there to the path. Okay, I'm way, way over.

9898
09:32:33,856 --> 09:32:35,224
sorry. No no no, no.

9899
09:32:35,224 --> 09:32:37,193
I'm very appreciative of the answer.

9900
09:32:37,193 --> 09:32:40,463
I would tell you my gut is going to the more complete set of

9901
09:32:40,463 --> 09:32:43,899
data, even if it undermined the ability to do backward looks for

9902
09:32:43,899 --> 09:32:47,737
a period of time. I think it would be valuable.

9903
09:32:47,737 --> 09:32:52,537
but just one person's not that informed view.

9904
09:32:52,775 --> 09:32:55,311
so thank you for your testimony and thank you for your service.

9905
09:32:55,311 --> 09:32:58,481
yes, sir. Thank you, councilmember frumin,

9906
09:32:58,481 --> 09:33:02,681
I find you very informed. So okay.

9907
09:33:03,850 --> 09:33:06,322
thank you for being here. Councilmember crawford, are you

9908
09:33:06,322 --> 09:33:10,260
still on? Yes, but I don't have any other

9909
09:33:10,260 --> 09:33:11,327
questions. Thanks.

9910
09:33:11,327 --> 09:33:16,127
okay, great. Okay, so, chief, talk to me

9911
09:33:18,501 --> 09:33:22,505
about where we are with violent crime, how the trends have been

9912
09:33:22,505 --> 09:33:24,174
going. What has been working?

9913
09:33:24,174 --> 09:33:27,309
you talked a little bit about in your pre-hearing responses, your

9914
09:33:27,309 --> 09:33:31,547
change of methodology, of identifying hotspots and how

9915
09:33:31,547 --> 09:33:33,181
you're tracking gun violence data.

9916
09:33:33,181 --> 09:33:36,252
how has that worked in practice? What's been effective?

9917
09:33:36,252 --> 09:33:38,988
yeah, I mean, I think overall hotspot policing, I mean, it's

9918
09:33:38,988 --> 09:33:42,125
proven to be effective to drive down crime in some areas without

9919
09:33:42,125 --> 09:33:45,127
having too much displacement of crime that's out there.

9920
09:33:45,127 --> 09:33:48,664
so right now, as we sit today, violent crime is down 29%.

9921
09:33:48,664 --> 09:33:51,567
I believe property crime is also down 29%.

9922
09:33:51,567 --> 09:33:54,704
and overall crime is an area that we are starting to see a

9923
09:33:54,704 --> 09:33:56,539
challenge in is as it relates to domestic violence.

9924
09:33:56,539 --> 09:34:00,900
and I think some of the other folks that testified today

9925
09:34:00,900 --> 09:34:02,412
mentioned domestic violence. We are starting to see an

9926
09:34:02,412 --> 09:34:06,820
increase in domestic violence related assaults and crimes.

9927
09:34:06,820 --> 09:34:09,850
so for us, you know, those are real challenges because it's a

9928
09:34:09,850 --> 09:34:12,154
lot of times, a lot of times the violence is underreported, we

9929
09:34:12,154 --> 09:34:15,892
know, but also the ability to connect and to get resources and

9930
09:34:15,892 --> 09:34:19,128
to help people that are in those situations can be challenging.

9931
09:34:19,128 --> 09:34:21,897
so again, you know, we partner with dc safe and other other

9932
09:34:21,897 --> 09:34:25,101
agencies, but ways to really try to address that, to drive down

9933
09:34:25,101 --> 09:34:29,305
those, those assaults as an area that we're continuing to look

9934
09:34:29,305 --> 09:34:33,242
at. Overall, why do you think that

9935
09:34:33,242 --> 09:34:35,778
domestic violence cases are not going down the same way?

9936
09:34:35,778 --> 09:34:38,948
we're seeing across all other categories?

9937
09:34:38,948 --> 09:34:40,250
well, it's a really good question.

9938
09:34:40,250 --> 09:34:43,518
I don't have any complete answer to why that's happening.

9939
09:34:43,518 --> 09:34:45,654
again, I think there's there's probably a few things going on

9940
09:34:45,654 --> 09:34:47,690
there. I would say some could be

9941
09:34:47,690 --> 09:34:49,792
weather related, especially with we have the cold and people

9942
09:34:49,792 --> 09:34:51,761
being kind of more inside over that.

9943
09:34:51,761 --> 09:34:54,931
but I don't think there's a there's a great, complete

9944
09:34:54,931 --> 09:35:00,236
understanding of why that is, at least from my perspective.

9945
09:35:00,236 --> 09:35:04,206
okay. Do you serve on the dv task

9946
09:35:04,206 --> 09:35:06,943
force with ccdc? I do not serve on the dv task

9947
09:35:06,943 --> 09:35:08,911
force. We do have an mpd representative

9948
09:35:08,911 --> 09:35:09,979
that's serving on the on the task force.

9949
09:35:09,979 --> 09:35:14,550
now, I believe it's captain hallahan is on there.

9950
09:35:14,550 --> 09:35:18,150
okay, okay. Your pre-hearing responses in

9951
09:35:18,688 --> 09:35:22,692
regard to my questions around case closure identified that

9952
09:35:22,692 --> 09:35:25,961
violent crimes have a much higher case closure for 2025

9953
09:35:25,961 --> 09:35:29,632
than we did in 24 2025. The closure rate for homicide

9954
09:35:29,632 --> 09:35:33,232
was the highest it's been since 2011.

9955
09:35:33,436 --> 09:35:36,639
dcs closure rate is better than comparably sized cities on

9956
09:35:36,639 --> 09:35:39,775
almost all categories of violent crime, and I want to note that

9957
09:35:39,775 --> 09:35:43,846
it's a huge accomplishment and level of progress.

9958
09:35:43,846 --> 09:35:47,750
what do you attribute some of those main factors to having a

9959
09:35:47,750 --> 09:35:50,787
higher closure rate, and can we learn some of those lessons to

9960
09:35:50,787 --> 09:35:52,788
apply to the domestic violence space?

9961
09:35:52,788 --> 09:35:55,191
I think the ability to have a higher closure rate, especially

9962
09:35:55,191 --> 09:35:57,527
in the homicide area, a lot of that is the breathing room

9963
09:35:57,527 --> 09:35:59,395
that's building. By having less homicides, it

9964
09:35:59,395 --> 09:36:04,100
gives the detectives more time to focus on those cases and to

9965
09:36:04,100 --> 09:36:06,203
move forward. You know, if there's multiple

9966
09:36:06,203 --> 09:36:09,272
homicides in a night or there's multiple in a shorter time

9967
09:36:09,272 --> 09:36:11,675
frame, those are more cases that have to continue to be

9968
09:36:11,675 --> 09:36:13,642
investigated. So it takes away time for other

9969
09:36:13,642 --> 09:36:15,778
cases that they're on. So I think that's one area where

9970
09:36:15,778 --> 09:36:19,548
it really the reduction not only benefits, obviously the lives

9971
09:36:19,548 --> 09:36:23,618
saved, but it also helps us to be able to move forward faster

9972
09:36:23,618 --> 09:36:26,155
in those cases. And then I will say I will

9973
09:36:26,155 --> 09:36:28,900
acknowledge the u.s. Attorney's office.

9974
09:36:28,900 --> 09:36:30,960
they have really there was, you know, a lot of cases that were

9975
09:36:30,960 --> 09:36:32,496
in review warrant applications with them.

9976
09:36:32,496 --> 09:36:35,831
they really worked to drive those numbers down much lower

9977
09:36:35,831 --> 09:36:37,366
than they have been in prior years.

9978
09:36:37,366 --> 09:36:40,236
so again, that allows us to to date, these violent offenders

9979
09:36:40,236 --> 09:36:42,871
that have killed people off the street.

9980
09:36:42,871 --> 09:36:46,742
thank you. And yeah, I can see it

9981
09:36:46,742 --> 09:36:49,678
continuing to kind of beget more progress because then as the

9982
09:36:49,678 --> 09:36:53,114
case closure rate goes up, hopefully crime goes down even

9983
09:36:53,114 --> 09:36:54,450
further. People knowing that there will

9984
09:36:54,450 --> 09:36:55,250
be. Absolutely.

9985
09:36:55,250 --> 09:36:57,686
and we know there's usually a small group of folks that are

9986
09:36:57,686 --> 09:36:59,822
engaged in a majority of criminal activity.

9987
09:36:59,822 --> 09:37:02,958
yeah. The case closure rate for

9988
09:37:02,958 --> 09:37:06,396
robbery was the lowest in the violent crimes that you all

9989
09:37:06,396 --> 09:37:08,263
listed. Can you speak to why you think

9990
09:37:08,263 --> 09:37:10,331
that is? And what more we can do to

9991
09:37:10,331 --> 09:37:13,134
ensure that robberies are investigated and that those

9992
09:37:13,134 --> 09:37:14,370
cases are closed? Yeah.

9993
09:37:14,370 --> 09:37:17,720
and so it's not there's not it's not I don't want there to be an

9994
09:37:17,720 --> 09:37:19,942
appearance that's not we're not not that we're not investigating

9995
09:37:19,942 --> 09:37:22,770
and we are. But that being said, a lot of

9996
09:37:22,770 --> 09:37:24,880
times, especially robberies and the circumstances around them

9997
09:37:24,880 --> 09:37:28,551
can be challenging. A lot of folks that conduct

9998
09:37:28,551 --> 09:37:29,985
robberies, they they're they're target selection.

9999
09:37:29,985 --> 09:37:32,321
they're victim selection. They may pick people that are in

10000
09:37:32,321 --> 09:37:34,691
nightlife areas or areas where they've been in bars and

10001
09:37:34,691 --> 09:37:37,626
restaurants. So their ability to identify

10002
09:37:37,626 --> 09:37:41,196
individuals or crowded areas, it may be more challenging than for

10003
09:37:41,196 --> 09:37:43,899
them to do identification as related to that, or even know

10004
09:37:43,899 --> 09:37:45,434
what happened to them in some cases.

10005
09:37:45,434 --> 09:37:48,337
so there are challenges that some things that help us, that

10006
09:37:48,337 --> 09:37:51,400
are very helpful. A lot of times in the robbery

10007
09:37:51,400 --> 09:37:53,509
cases is video. You know, we talk a lot about

10008
09:37:53,509 --> 09:37:55,978
the things that we do and we haven't touched on it as much,

10009
09:37:55,978 --> 09:37:57,445
especially in this hearing as we have in prior years.

10010
09:37:57,445 --> 09:38:00,983
but the real time crime center and the camera connecting the

10011
09:38:00,983 --> 09:38:03,719
ability for folks to get cameras and provide that information to

10012
09:38:03,719 --> 09:38:06,322
us is very helpful. When we do have these robberies,

10013
09:38:06,322 --> 09:38:09,658
it allows us to go back to investigate those and

10014
09:38:09,658 --> 09:38:12,561
potentially identify suspects that are in those cases.

10015
09:38:12,561 --> 09:38:15,130
so in that aspect of it. But a lot of times there is a

10016
09:38:15,130 --> 09:38:17,599
lot of legwork that has to go in there.

10017
09:38:17,599 --> 09:38:21,700
sometimes, especially in robbery situations, there may be a delay

10018
09:38:21,700 --> 09:38:23,710
in reporting for a variety of reasons.

10019
09:38:23,710 --> 09:38:25,608
maybe they're not from the area. Maybe they robbed them of a cell

10020
09:38:25,608 --> 09:38:28,544
phone, so their ability to immediately call 911 and get

10021
09:38:28,544 --> 09:38:30,120
officers there is delayed to some level.

10022
09:38:30,120 --> 09:38:32,947
so there can be factors that are in there that also play into

10023
09:38:32,947 --> 09:38:34,883
that. Okay.

10024
09:38:34,883 --> 09:38:39,173
so speaking of technology and using data to drive down crime,

10025
09:38:39,173 --> 09:38:42,643
we heard from a number of our public witnesses a serious

10026
09:38:42,643 --> 09:38:46,581
concern about the use of flock cameras and other technology.

10027
09:38:46,581 --> 09:38:50,218
and I want to ask you about your contract with flock safety.

10028
09:38:50,218 --> 09:38:53,988
and in a letter, in response to councilmember henderson's

10029
09:38:53,988 --> 09:38:59,327
questions, you stated that you, quote, asked mpd's policy and

10030
09:38:59,327 --> 09:39:02,230
standards division to review the department's current policy to

10031
09:39:02,230 --> 09:39:05,500
ensure it adequately addresses the capabilities of the new

10032
09:39:05,500 --> 09:39:08,736
technology and that you would direct mpd's risk management

10033
09:39:08,736 --> 09:39:13,700
division to begin to audit its use before assessing the program

10034
09:39:13,700 --> 09:39:15,877
to determine how mpd would move forward with it.

10035
09:39:15,877 --> 09:39:19,280
so can you provide an update on how those audits have gone, and

10036
09:39:19,280 --> 09:39:22,150
if there have been any changes based on your review?

10037
09:39:22,150 --> 09:39:23,451
sure. So let me provide a little

10038
09:39:23,451 --> 09:39:26,287
context, because people may not be like, why all of a sudden

10039
09:39:26,287 --> 09:39:28,990
now? So the flock cameras were used

10040
09:39:28,990 --> 09:39:33,270
to replace legacy lprs that we had that were from a different

10041
09:39:33,270 --> 09:39:35,496
vendor. So some of those lpr a license

10042
09:39:35,496 --> 09:39:37,432
plate reader. So flock is a license plate

10043
09:39:37,432 --> 09:39:40,100
reader is what they are. They they read license plates on

10044
09:39:40,100 --> 09:39:41,502
vehicles. And there's legislation in the

10045
09:39:41,502 --> 09:39:45,390
district about information and policy, about how long we can

10046
09:39:45,390 --> 09:39:48,108
retain reads from from vehicles that are not associated with

10047
09:39:48,108 --> 09:39:49,677
crime. So a 90 day time frame and then

10048
09:39:49,677 --> 09:39:52,146
those reads are no longer kept. Right.

10049
09:39:52,146 --> 09:39:55,717
but that being said, the flock system is a new system.

10050
09:39:55,717 --> 09:40:00,254
so we got those along with motorola as another vendor

10051
09:40:00,254 --> 09:40:04,593
that's out there to replace legacy or older systems of lpr

10052
09:40:04,593 --> 09:40:06,462
to get out there. There's great value.

10053
09:40:06,462 --> 09:40:08,929
in lpr. We talk about robberies and

10054
09:40:08,929 --> 09:40:11,934
crimes and things like that. The ability to especially when

10055
09:40:11,934 --> 09:40:14,268
there's vehicles involved to track vehicles that are in the

10056
09:40:14,268 --> 09:40:17,105
area or see a vehicle that's fleeing from the area, and also

10057
09:40:17,105 --> 09:40:19,607
immediately grab an image from that push out through a real

10058
09:40:19,607 --> 09:40:22,877
time crime center to officers on the street has been very

10059
09:40:22,877 --> 09:40:26,681
successful in helping to apprehend and locate individuals

10060
09:40:26,681 --> 09:40:28,949
you know, that are engaged in criminal activity.

10061
09:40:28,949 --> 09:40:31,219
so with this being said, you know, me being new to coming

10062
09:40:31,219 --> 09:40:34,689
into the seat, our policy that we have as it relates to lpr was

10063
09:40:34,689 --> 09:40:37,725
written when we had the older system, the from the older

10064
09:40:37,725 --> 09:40:39,894
venue, our vendor that provided lpr.

10065
09:40:39,894 --> 09:40:44,465
so since we now are using a variety of vendors and the old

10066
09:40:44,465 --> 09:40:47,634
system was, you know, different, it didn't go to it wasn't cloud

10067
09:40:47,634 --> 09:40:49,637
based. There's different considerations

10068
09:40:49,637 --> 09:40:51,840
with that. So just making sure that for me

10069
09:40:51,840 --> 09:40:54,575
being new, coming in the seat, doing a full review of our

10070
09:40:54,575 --> 09:40:57,778
policy to make sure that whatever new technologies are

10071
09:40:57,778 --> 09:41:00,480
built in this lpr that may be different than our old ones

10072
09:41:00,480 --> 09:41:02,150
we've addressed in our policy addresses that.

10073
09:41:02,150 --> 09:41:05,530
so we have the appropriate safeguards and civil liberties

10074
09:41:05,530 --> 09:41:07,789
as it relates to that in there. There's not anything that hasn't

10075
09:41:07,789 --> 09:41:10,391
changed or been missed since the policy was put out.

10076
09:41:10,391 --> 09:41:13,428
and then having risk management, just look at look at the the

10077
09:41:13,428 --> 09:41:17,732
logs to see making sure that we are doing routine audits of the

10078
09:41:17,732 --> 09:41:19,801
lpr files. When you use lpr you have to log

10079
09:41:19,801 --> 09:41:22,271
into it. So it's a unique individual

10080
09:41:22,271 --> 09:41:24,505
identifier. We know who's running the tags.

10081
09:41:24,505 --> 09:41:26,674
there's a space to indicate why you're doing it.

10082
09:41:26,674 --> 09:41:28,877
maybe it relates to an investigation or something else.

10083
09:41:28,877 --> 09:41:32,460
you can't just run lpr tags to run lpr reads.

10084
09:41:32,460 --> 09:41:35,160
that's not what we do. And then as I said, there's no

10085
09:41:35,160 --> 09:41:37,719
nexus. There's not a hit, a hit being

10086
09:41:37,719 --> 09:41:40,922
maybe the tag is related to a stolen vehicle.

10087
09:41:40,922 --> 09:41:44,492
officers go out to that area, they locate the vehicle and they

10088
09:41:44,492 --> 09:41:46,760
make an arrest associated that. That would be what we call a

10089
09:41:46,760 --> 09:41:48,596
hit. In that case, that data could be

10090
09:41:48,596 --> 09:41:50,765
retained for prosecution later on.

10091
09:41:50,765 --> 09:41:53,534
so just making sure that we do take, especially from me being

10092
09:41:53,534 --> 09:41:55,969
new, coming to the seat, making sure we take a fresh look at

10093
09:41:55,969 --> 09:41:58,573
this. We also have a new cio at the

10094
09:41:58,573 --> 09:42:00,800
agency who's been on for about 2 or 3 months.

10095
09:42:00,800 --> 09:42:02,810
so I think it's another good opportunity for us just to take

10096
09:42:02,810 --> 09:42:06,470
a full review of our policies, procedures, just to make sure

10097
09:42:06,470 --> 09:42:08,549
that we are following the best practices.

10098
09:42:08,549 --> 09:42:14,222
so when you say it's helpful in apprehending suspects who are

10099
09:42:14,222 --> 09:42:17,558
violating the law, how can district residents be sure that

10100
09:42:17,558 --> 09:42:21,796
their private information is not being utilized or caught up in

10101
09:42:21,796 --> 09:42:24,699
this system as they go about their daily lives?

10102
09:42:24,699 --> 09:42:27,768
yeah, so the lpr system, it captures images of tags.

10103
09:42:27,768 --> 09:42:30,400
it doesn't it doesn't do anything else other than that.

10104
09:42:30,400 --> 09:42:35,176
and then it compares it against stolen vehicle files, hot files.

10105
09:42:35,176 --> 09:42:37,477
and obviously it could you could check it through registration.

10106
09:42:37,477 --> 09:42:41,482
so there's no cjis compliant, which is the fbi's criminal

10107
09:42:41,482 --> 09:42:43,150
justice information system compliance.

10108
09:42:43,150 --> 09:42:46,787
so the appropriate safeguards as identified by the fbi have to be

10109
09:42:46,787 --> 09:42:50,491
in play to make sure individuals information is safeguarded

10110
09:42:50,491 --> 09:42:51,892
appropriately. So again, as part of the review,

10111
09:42:51,892 --> 09:42:55,696
I think it's just a good a good once over the contract actually

10112
09:42:55,696 --> 09:42:58,466
references the safeguards in the data that we provided with a

10113
09:42:58,466 --> 09:43:02,403
letter as well. But that seems to speak to

10114
09:43:02,403 --> 09:43:04,939
safeguards once the data has already been collected.

10115
09:43:04,939 --> 09:43:08,309
but how about what data itself is being collected at the front

10116
09:43:08,309 --> 09:43:10,311
end? Lpr's collect license plate data

10117
09:43:10,311 --> 09:43:13,147
from vehicles, so the tags that are on cars is what?

10118
09:43:13,147 --> 09:43:16,350
so any vehicle in the district of columbia could be if it

10119
09:43:16,350 --> 09:43:18,920
passes an lpr on public space. Yeah, they're on public space.

10120
09:43:18,920 --> 09:43:21,254
so if it passes it. But again that data can't be

10121
09:43:21,254 --> 09:43:24,580
retained more than 90 days. So after 90 days it has to be

10122
09:43:24,580 --> 09:43:26,761
offloaded. It's not kept forever or for

10123
09:43:26,761 --> 09:43:28,863
years or things like that. It's not allowed.

10124
09:43:28,863 --> 09:43:33,300
and how long has mpd been using this technology?

10125
09:43:33,300 --> 09:43:34,803
lpr that's a great, great question.

10126
09:43:34,803 --> 09:43:39,603
I would probably venture to say shortly thereafter.

10127
09:43:39,674 --> 09:43:41,542
2001 2002 I can get you an exact time frame.

10128
09:43:41,542 --> 09:43:43,944
we've been using it for for a very long time now.

10129
09:43:43,944 --> 09:43:47,114
our other jurisdictions across the country using this most, I

10130
09:43:47,114 --> 09:43:50,170
would venture to say, most jurisdictions across the country

10131
09:43:50,170 --> 09:43:53,387
are using the lp's. Like I said, they're they're a

10132
09:43:53,387 --> 09:43:55,623
great tool, especially after a crime occurs.

10133
09:43:55,623 --> 09:43:58,226
so I would say there's probably very few jurisdictions that

10134
09:43:58,226 --> 09:44:02,426
don't have some level of lpr usage.

10135
09:44:08,502 --> 09:44:12,105
so when you said it's a good time to review the safeguards,

10136
09:44:12,105 --> 09:44:14,641
when when will you have that review completed?

10137
09:44:14,641 --> 09:44:19,280
I would imagine probably within the next month or two, fully.

10138
09:44:19,280 --> 09:44:21,749
okay. And are the flock cameras

10139
09:44:21,749 --> 09:44:23,818
integrated into the real time crime center?

10140
09:44:23,818 --> 09:44:28,789
yes, they are. And then does flock safety have

10141
09:44:28,789 --> 09:44:30,991
access to our real time crime center footage?

10142
09:44:30,991 --> 09:44:32,760
no. My understanding is they do not

10143
09:44:32,760 --> 09:44:34,795
have access to air video footage.

10144
09:44:34,795 --> 09:44:37,666
we can. Only the data is our data to

10145
09:44:37,666 --> 09:44:39,866
have. So we can only share with other

10146
09:44:39,866 --> 09:44:42,470
agencies if we so choose to do so.

10147
09:44:42,470 --> 09:44:44,400
but mpd can share with other agencies.

10148
09:44:44,400 --> 09:44:46,774
if we choose to do so, we could share with other other law

10149
09:44:46,774 --> 09:44:49,259
enforcement agencies. And do you share with federal

10150
09:44:49,259 --> 09:44:51,729
law enforcement agencies? We do not share with federal law

10151
09:44:51,729 --> 09:44:54,231
enforcement agencies. There is a what's called a

10152
09:44:54,231 --> 09:44:58,103
national lookup tool. We were sharing information and

10153
09:44:58,103 --> 09:44:59,937
there are some agencies that are in there.

10154
09:44:59,937 --> 09:45:02,372
I don't believe any of them are federal law enforcement

10155
09:45:02,372 --> 09:45:05,409
agencies, but I don't I don't think we have a full list of all

10156
09:45:05,409 --> 09:45:08,512
the agencies that are in there. So again, that's another reason

10157
09:45:08,512 --> 09:45:10,581
why it's a good time to take a look at that as I come in, due

10158
09:45:10,581 --> 09:45:12,116
to the seat. Okay.

10159
09:45:12,116 --> 09:45:15,987
well, I will ask you if we can relook at that file and make

10160
09:45:15,987 --> 09:45:19,587
sure we're not sharing that information.

10161
09:45:21,725 --> 09:45:24,795
okay. So last year we passed a

10162
09:45:24,795 --> 09:45:27,970
resolution. The sense of the council on

10163
09:45:27,970 --> 09:45:30,234
supporting humane and trauma informed responses to behavioral

10164
09:45:30,234 --> 09:45:32,634
health crisis resolution of 2025.

10165
09:45:34,938 --> 09:45:38,342
and we made several recommendations to multiple

10166
09:45:38,342 --> 09:45:42,542
agencies, including mpd, to include assigning co-response

10167
09:45:42,746 --> 09:45:46,946
teams to relevant behavioral mental health crises.

10168
09:45:49,553 --> 09:45:52,656
do you think that there are sufficient staffing numbers in

10169
09:45:52,656 --> 09:45:56,827
the co-response teams to be able to respond to behavioral health

10170
09:45:56,827 --> 09:45:59,530
crises and calls? I'd like to see there.

10171
09:45:59,530 --> 09:46:02,566
I would like to see there be more more partnerships.

10172
09:46:02,566 --> 09:46:04,401
I think there's value in the program.

10173
09:46:04,401 --> 09:46:08,239
so I think that from what we've seen, as far as the usefulness

10174
09:46:08,239 --> 09:46:13,510
of it, I think it would be good to have more teams.

10175
09:46:13,510 --> 09:46:17,382
okay, I agree, so thank you and we'll hope to fund more of that

10176
09:46:17,382 --> 09:46:21,851
in this year's budget. So we talked to director cross

10177
09:46:21,851 --> 09:46:24,188
from the office of police complaints about some of the

10178
09:46:24,188 --> 09:46:28,580
trends that he's seeing and complaints that have come in.

10179
09:46:28,580 --> 09:46:35,258
how often do you have retraining for officers on body worn camera

10180
09:46:35,465 --> 09:46:36,633
footage? Noncompliance?

10181
09:46:36,633 --> 09:46:40,204
that was an area that he spoke to as being a common trend.

10182
09:46:40,204 --> 09:46:45,944
and he also shared that there's this period of two minutes where

10183
09:46:45,944 --> 09:46:51,348
the sound is off on body worn camera footage that generally

10184
09:46:51,348 --> 09:46:54,885
has then kind of missed some information in the review.

10185
09:46:54,885 --> 09:46:58,389
so what is your message to officers around training of

10186
09:46:58,389 --> 09:47:01,492
turning on bwc? And then when we're finding that

10187
09:47:01,492 --> 09:47:03,794
officers are in noncompliance, how do you deal with retraining.

10188
09:47:03,794 --> 09:47:06,530
yeah. So so a couple of things.

10189
09:47:06,530 --> 09:47:09,833
so bwc is have to be activated when officers either

10190
09:47:09,833 --> 09:47:12,503
self-initiated or dispatched to a call, they're required to

10191
09:47:12,503 --> 09:47:14,105
activate. When they activate that's when

10192
09:47:14,105 --> 09:47:17,374
the video starts with the audio. Prior to them doing that.

10193
09:47:17,374 --> 09:47:20,440
that's where that two minute buffer that director crowe

10194
09:47:20,440 --> 09:47:21,245
speaks about. That's the area where before

10195
09:47:21,245 --> 09:47:23,982
they've actually pushed the button, it's always recording,

10196
09:47:23,982 --> 09:47:26,384
just not the audio. And my understanding is it has

10197
09:47:26,384 --> 09:47:29,252
something to do with the amount of data as it relates to that.

10198
09:47:29,252 --> 09:47:32,390
so there's two minutes before you push the button that's

10199
09:47:32,390 --> 09:47:34,925
always there. That's that window that's there.

10200
09:47:34,925 --> 09:47:38,194
as far as actual training, when the officers are in the academy,

10201
09:47:38,194 --> 09:47:41,733
as part of the recruit training, we've integrated the bwc into

10202
09:47:41,733 --> 09:47:44,200
their their training. So just as they're going through

10203
09:47:44,200 --> 09:47:46,400
as part just like if you're doing a traffic stop, it's not

10204
09:47:46,400 --> 09:47:48,205
you're just learning about how to do a traffic stop.

10205
09:47:48,205 --> 09:47:51,410
part of that is getting dispatched to call activating

10206
09:47:51,410 --> 09:47:54,278
your bwc, going up there, learning how to tag the bwc.

10207
09:47:54,278 --> 09:47:56,613
so those are things that officers are taught in the

10208
09:47:56,613 --> 09:47:58,882
academy. With that being said, there's

10209
09:47:58,882 --> 09:48:00,685
always reminders and things that are needed like that.

10210
09:48:00,685 --> 09:48:05,122
so, for example, last year in january and january, we put out

10211
09:48:05,122 --> 09:48:09,192
a bwc training reminder. These are what that is is we'll

10212
09:48:09,192 --> 09:48:12,362
do roll call training, which is every day in roll call.

10213
09:48:12,362 --> 09:48:16,266
officers have a training topic that's out there, and the topic

10214
09:48:16,266 --> 09:48:18,168
usually repeats 4 or 5 times a month.

10215
09:48:18,168 --> 09:48:21,380
so there's usually I believe it's 6 or 7 topics.

10216
09:48:21,380 --> 09:48:23,173
and then they repeat. So they're getting it multiple

10217
09:48:23,173 --> 09:48:25,643
times a month. Again to kind of reinforce that.

10218
09:48:25,643 --> 09:48:28,111
we use that as an opportunity when we start to see issues or

10219
09:48:28,111 --> 09:48:30,715
problems or just things that we think we need a quick reminder

10220
09:48:30,715 --> 09:48:33,650
roll call, you know, take five minutes to talk about just to

10221
09:48:33,650 --> 09:48:35,218
keep those reminders that are out there.

10222
09:48:35,218 --> 09:48:37,454
so that's something that we did in january.

10223
09:48:37,454 --> 09:48:39,322
we also did it last year in april.

10224
09:48:39,322 --> 09:48:41,458
and it's something else that we'll continue to push forward

10225
09:48:41,458 --> 09:48:43,560
with that. With that being said, if there

10226
09:48:43,560 --> 09:48:48,465
are cases that are where there's a bwc violation, members fail to

10227
09:48:48,465 --> 09:48:51,368
activate those activations, those are investigated.

10228
09:48:51,368 --> 09:48:55,738
and then, of course, depending on, you know, the situation, is

10229
09:48:55,738 --> 09:48:59,910
it their first, first delayed activation or is it their 10th,

10230
09:48:59,910 --> 09:49:02,213
for example? Depends on what the outcome is

10231
09:49:02,213 --> 09:49:04,749
as far as discipline. So there is an investigation.

10232
09:49:04,749 --> 09:49:08,685
if it is sustained, then they receive the appropriate

10233
09:49:08,685 --> 09:49:10,488
discipline as appropriate. Depending on the circumstances

10234
09:49:10,488 --> 09:49:12,488
of it. Okay.

10235
09:49:14,725 --> 09:49:18,495
well I appreciate you kind of looking into that as it sounded

10236
09:49:18,495 --> 09:49:24,495
like that trend is continuing around noncompliance for bwc and

10237
09:49:25,535 --> 09:49:28,739
especially in this state of affairs where we have so much

10238
09:49:28,739 --> 09:49:33,577
additional presence in the city, that footage is just very

10239
09:49:33,577 --> 09:49:35,445
important to us and to the public.

10240
09:49:35,445 --> 09:49:38,782
no, I mean, I personally, I think bwc is is one of the most

10241
09:49:38,782 --> 09:49:41,318
valuable tools we've had in recent times for the officers,

10242
09:49:41,318 --> 09:49:43,787
for the community. I think it helps to to take

10243
09:49:43,787 --> 09:49:45,254
things that are alleged out of the way.

10244
09:49:45,254 --> 09:49:47,958
and if there are things that need to be retrained or areas to

10245
09:49:47,958 --> 09:49:51,928
be identified, it allows us to do that.

10246
09:49:51,928 --> 09:49:55,432
well, thank you. So one of the areas that you and

10247
09:49:55,432 --> 09:49:59,360
I and the former chief have worked closely together on for

10248
09:49:59,360 --> 09:50:01,204
many years is our staffing challenges.

10249
09:50:01,204 --> 09:50:05,404
at mpd. We are now at around 3150

10250
09:50:05,709 --> 09:50:10,347
officers, which I think is a crisis and a huge problem.

10251
09:50:10,347 --> 09:50:16,860
we have to have more local mpd officers who are here and can

10252
09:50:16,860 --> 09:50:20,230
handle our policing efforts, and we've tried a lot of different

10253
09:50:20,230 --> 09:50:21,758
things over the last couple of years.

10254
09:50:21,758 --> 09:50:25,620
we've increased bonuses and tuition and housing assistance.

10255
09:50:25,620 --> 09:50:28,499
we. Just, you know, last week

10256
09:50:28,499 --> 09:50:32,369
changed the retirement age, eliminated the retirement age.

10257
09:50:32,369 --> 09:50:34,838
we worked with you all on changing the college credit

10258
09:50:34,838 --> 09:50:37,838
requirements and partnering with udc.

10259
09:50:38,608 --> 09:50:43,280
what has been working because the numbers keep going in the

10260
09:50:43,280 --> 09:50:46,650
wrong direction. Hopefully my drop bill will pass

10261
09:50:46,650 --> 09:50:48,218
soon. It's in the committee of the

10262
09:50:48,218 --> 09:50:52,189
whole which will, as you know, allow officers to earn their

10263
09:50:52,189 --> 09:50:55,125
retirement benefits but still stay on the force.

10264
09:50:55,125 --> 09:51:01,725
but how can we make a deeper impact on recruitment and

10265
09:51:01,876 --> 09:51:05,713
retention and rebuilding our local police force, which needs

10266
09:51:05,713 --> 09:51:08,283
more officers to handle our local policing?

10267
09:51:08,283 --> 09:51:09,952
no. And to your point, we've done a

10268
09:51:09,952 --> 09:51:10,885
lot of things to try to address it.

10269
09:51:10,885 --> 09:51:14,655
and it's almost like as we as we move things, the goalposts keep

10270
09:51:14,655 --> 09:51:17,392
moving or the things that we do. Other people, for lack of a

10271
09:51:17,392 --> 09:51:19,561
better word, steal our ideas and then they implement them.

10272
09:51:19,561 --> 09:51:22,230
things like when we initially put out the bonus, we started to

10273
09:51:22,230 --> 09:51:24,499
see an increase and it didn't take very long at all for

10274
09:51:24,499 --> 09:51:26,601
everybody else to either do the same thing.

10275
09:51:26,601 --> 09:51:29,636
so again, this this region is one of the most competitive when

10276
09:51:29,636 --> 09:51:32,674
it comes to law enforcement. So looking at what we can do, I

10277
09:51:32,674 --> 09:51:36,440
know last year we were able to make some movement on the

10278
09:51:36,440 --> 09:51:37,712
educational requirement. But at this point and I

10279
09:51:37,712 --> 09:51:41,116
mentioned in my testimony the only agency that is now has that

10280
09:51:41,116 --> 09:51:43,685
as a requirement. When you come into the

10281
09:51:43,685 --> 09:51:45,919
department is arlington county, and they're getting ready to go

10282
09:51:45,919 --> 09:51:51,125
up to $90,000 a year as a starting salary, where we start

10283
09:51:51,125 --> 09:51:52,994
at $75,000. So there's challenges with that,

10284
09:51:52,994 --> 09:51:54,930
right? I think an area where we can

10285
09:51:54,930 --> 09:51:58,399
make some ground out with that is to look at the the education

10286
09:51:58,399 --> 09:52:00,935
requirement. And, you know, we kind of have

10287
09:52:00,935 --> 09:52:03,738
proffered this idea last year. We got a little ground with it.

10288
09:52:03,738 --> 09:52:06,206
but the ability there's a program that's out there through

10289
09:52:06,206 --> 09:52:08,676
one of the community colleges, and I think there's others we

10290
09:52:08,676 --> 09:52:12,547
could look at that would give the ability for individuals to

10291
09:52:12,547 --> 09:52:14,481
enter the academy without any college credit.

10292
09:52:14,481 --> 09:52:17,618
and through the police academy and some additional classes to

10293
09:52:17,618 --> 09:52:21,423
leave before graduation, they would achieve the 60 college

10294
09:52:21,423 --> 09:52:23,158
credits. I think that would be a way for

10295
09:52:23,158 --> 09:52:27,950
us to open the window to to another applicant pool that

10296
09:52:27,950 --> 09:52:29,231
would be out there. I know last year, the, you know,

10297
09:52:29,231 --> 09:52:32,233
chief smith worked very hard on getting the additional the

10298
09:52:32,233 --> 09:52:34,635
credits down for the 15. But the challenge with that is

10299
09:52:34,635 --> 09:52:37,705
we haven't seen at this point anyone who's in that area where

10300
09:52:37,705 --> 09:52:41,943
they have 45 or more and just need 15 to get in, I hope, I

10301
09:52:41,943 --> 09:52:45,146
think on our end was potentially was it a tool where we could get

10302
09:52:45,146 --> 09:52:47,315
some cadets in that program earlier?

10303
09:52:47,315 --> 09:52:50,517
but with that, the cadets are in like a cohort program through

10304
09:52:50,517 --> 09:52:51,853
udc. So the credits that they would

10305
09:52:51,853 --> 09:52:54,756
get through the academy, they're already getting through their

10306
09:52:54,756 --> 09:52:57,291
their program, so it doesn't allow them to pull out there.

10307
09:52:57,291 --> 09:53:01,929
I think that's an area where we're going to we could see some

10308
09:53:01,929 --> 09:53:03,931
some, some benefit to that because again, at the end of the

10309
09:53:03,931 --> 09:53:05,600
day, they're still going to have the college credits.

10310
09:53:05,600 --> 09:53:07,535
they still have to pass those courses.

10311
09:53:07,535 --> 09:53:09,537
and if they don't, then they won't meet the requirements and

10312
09:53:09,537 --> 09:53:12,540
they won't be able to be a police officer.

10313
09:53:12,540 --> 09:53:15,677
but you know, again, I said it earlier, but there are so many

10314
09:53:15,677 --> 09:53:18,913
other opportunities out there and things like the $70,000

10315
09:53:18,913 --> 09:53:20,616
hiring bonus, the retention bonus.

10316
09:53:20,616 --> 09:53:22,830
it's your point. I think the drop program would

10317
09:53:22,830 --> 09:53:25,686
be very beneficial in keeping people similar to what park

10318
09:53:25,686 --> 09:53:27,822
police is doing with their retention bonus to keep people

10319
09:53:27,822 --> 09:53:30,691
for a few more years. We really need to stabilize if

10320
09:53:30,691 --> 09:53:33,562
we can keep people for a few more years and then push up

10321
09:53:33,562 --> 09:53:35,162
that. That will give us some breathing

10322
09:53:35,162 --> 09:53:36,297
room. If we can get more people in

10323
09:53:36,297 --> 09:53:38,966
that door to really make that up, because you're spot on.

10324
09:53:38,966 --> 09:53:41,769
I mean, you know, these the federal folks that are here, if

10325
09:53:41,769 --> 09:53:45,400
we can get our numbers back up, that allows us to get rid of

10326
09:53:45,400 --> 09:53:47,141
them. And then we have we as a city

10327
09:53:47,141 --> 09:53:50,344
have full control over the policing in the city, the police

10328
09:53:50,344 --> 09:53:52,980
department, how what we want the mpd officers to do here in the

10329
09:53:52,980 --> 09:53:55,649
city. So it's just beneficial overall.

10330
09:53:55,649 --> 09:53:57,685
and then aside from all that, the officers.

10331
09:53:57,685 --> 09:53:59,186
right? I mean, the officers, we talk a

10332
09:53:59,186 --> 09:54:01,788
lot about overtime and overtime. It's very expensive.

10333
09:54:01,788 --> 09:54:05,193
but there is a human toll on the officers as it relates to that.

10334
09:54:05,193 --> 09:54:07,595
and I know people say, oh, officers love to overtime.

10335
09:54:07,595 --> 09:54:09,930
yeah, to a point they do. But this has an impact.

10336
09:54:09,930 --> 09:54:12,500
when we have these events, they have to be staffed.

10337
09:54:12,500 --> 09:54:14,736
and it's not like they have the option to do that.

10338
09:54:14,736 --> 09:54:18,500
so I mean, there's an impact on the officers personally, their

10339
09:54:18,500 --> 09:54:20,841
well-being, their families, and that doesn't go lightly on me

10340
09:54:20,841 --> 09:54:24,780
because we continue to ask more and more as our numbers go down.

10341
09:54:24,780 --> 09:54:27,548
so it really is an area we just have to continue to work on

10342
09:54:27,548 --> 09:54:30,484
because, as I said, everybody else is moving what they're

10343
09:54:30,484 --> 09:54:33,354
doing, which then pushes us to have to try to move, to continue

10344
09:54:33,354 --> 09:54:35,556
to be inventive and think of different things, to get people

10345
09:54:35,556 --> 09:54:39,293
in the door, to get us where we need to be to keep the city

10346
09:54:39,293 --> 09:54:43,493
safe. Well, I certainly don't want to.

10347
09:54:43,597 --> 09:54:48,569
create a promo for any of the federal agencies that are that

10348
09:54:48,569 --> 09:54:52,600
are hiring, but just as a reference check, like where are

10349
09:54:52,600 --> 09:54:56,100
our our our bonuses across the board, just much lower than all

10350
09:54:56,100 --> 09:54:57,430
of the. So yeah.

10351
09:54:57,430 --> 09:55:02,382
so we're we're 25,000 and they range from 50,000 to $70,000 is

10352
09:55:02,382 --> 09:55:07,922
where the region at right now. And if we provided a higher

10353
09:55:07,922 --> 09:55:11,926
bonus, do you think we would save time over on overtime?

10354
09:55:11,926 --> 09:55:14,928
I do, I think overall because it's an initial I think if we

10355
09:55:14,928 --> 09:55:17,865
hire, if we offered more as an initial bonus, and I think that

10356
09:55:17,865 --> 09:55:20,668
if we were to also marry that with looking at that, the

10357
09:55:20,668 --> 09:55:22,603
requirement as far as the college, because I think that

10358
09:55:22,603 --> 09:55:27,174
opens a window of other people that could then could then be in

10359
09:55:27,174 --> 09:55:31,479
there with, again, not letting us actually overall reduce our

10360
09:55:31,479 --> 09:55:32,947
requirements because they still will have those credits.

10361
09:55:32,947 --> 09:55:36,551
I mean, it's a benefit for them. They come in, they leave with 60

10362
09:55:36,551 --> 09:55:38,919
credits of college, you know, through our tuition

10363
09:55:38,919 --> 09:55:41,555
reimbursement program, they can continue on the department and

10364
09:55:41,555 --> 09:55:43,791
work that all the way to bachelor's or master's or

10365
09:55:43,791 --> 09:55:45,293
whatever as they're on the department.

10366
09:55:45,293 --> 09:55:48,563
so I think for for someone who may not have any level of

10367
09:55:48,563 --> 09:55:51,932
college for them to come to the department, get a good job, get

10368
09:55:51,932 --> 09:55:54,101
college credit while learning a skill set, and then continue

10369
09:55:54,101 --> 09:55:56,570
that on and build that up to a bachelor's or master's through

10370
09:55:56,570 --> 09:55:59,400
our other programs. I think that's where you look at

10371
09:55:59,400 --> 09:56:02,400
the benefit. Continuing from that.

10372
09:56:02,276 --> 09:56:04,245
well, absolutely. And, you know, you have my

10373
09:56:04,245 --> 09:56:06,446
support with that. We tried to move that last year,

10374
09:56:06,446 --> 09:56:10,317
but we had some disagreement among colleagues about the right

10375
09:56:10,317 --> 09:56:12,653
level. So we we ended in this piecemeal

10376
09:56:12,653 --> 09:56:15,423
fashion. I think that's very interesting

10377
09:56:15,423 --> 09:56:19,727
information that nobody has been eligible in that category.

10378
09:56:19,727 --> 09:56:22,329
that's a big problem. So we were hoping that would

10379
09:56:22,329 --> 09:56:26,367
move the numbers. And so I invite you to be part

10380
09:56:26,367 --> 09:56:29,804
of kind of a reconsideration with, with my colleagues around

10381
09:56:29,804 --> 09:56:34,750
making sure that we can get people into this field and

10382
09:56:34,750 --> 09:56:36,210
recognizing that a college degree is not for everybody.

10383
09:56:36,210 --> 09:56:39,146
I think we're seeing that shift across a lot of different

10384
09:56:39,146 --> 09:56:43,718
industries across the country. So happy to continue working

10385
09:56:43,718 --> 09:56:45,180
with you on that. Absolutely.

10386
09:56:45,180 --> 09:56:51,920
in terms of the bonuses. So putting aside this may be a

10387
09:56:51,920 --> 09:56:55,663
question for you on the budget side, but putting aside the

10388
09:56:55,663 --> 09:56:59,266
overtime spent that we can get reimbursed through the federal

10389
09:56:59,266 --> 09:57:04,305
government, how much local overtime are we spending a year

10390
09:57:04,305 --> 09:57:07,905
or this past year, local overtime?

10391
09:57:11,721 --> 09:57:15,321
local overtime last year was 76 million.

10392
09:57:16,325 --> 09:57:18,494
was 76 million. And how much is the average

10393
09:57:18,494 --> 09:57:23,320
recruit class over the last six months of this fiscal year?

10394
09:57:23,320 --> 09:57:25,868
that's something like how many officers were in there in each

10395
09:57:25,868 --> 09:57:28,710
recruit class on average. Yeah.

10396
09:57:28,710 --> 09:57:29,606
and again, this is kind of off the top.

10397
09:57:29,606 --> 09:57:31,641
my head I would say average maybe 12 or 13.

10398
09:57:31,641 --> 09:57:34,677
we have some that go higher, some that come lower.

10399
09:57:34,677 --> 09:57:36,512
our goals right now currently 16.

10400
09:57:36,512 --> 09:57:40,249
but we're we're not quite there at class that's in right now is

10401
09:57:40,249 --> 09:57:45,490
ten okay. And I'm just thinking out loud

10402
09:57:45,221 --> 09:57:48,925
here. But you know, if we were to

10403
09:57:48,925 --> 09:57:53,529
provide $100,000 bonus, beating all of the other federal agents

10404
09:57:53,529 --> 09:57:57,835
for a short period of time, that would be so much less than all

10405
09:57:57,835 --> 09:58:00,103
of the overtime we're spending, right?

10406
09:58:00,103 --> 09:58:02,639
yes. I mean, getting officers in and

10407
09:58:02,639 --> 09:58:05,575
I mean, the amount the rate they're paid at on overtime.

10408
09:58:05,575 --> 09:58:09,450
and again, when we have to shift, change, make shifts to

10409
09:58:09,450 --> 09:58:11,447
not only working the hours, but we changed our tours and things

10410
09:58:11,447 --> 09:58:13,490
like that. There's additional penalties

10411
09:58:13,490 --> 09:58:14,851
associated with it. So yeah, I mean, getting people

10412
09:58:14,851 --> 09:58:18,210
in the door overall would save the overtime.

10413
09:58:18,210 --> 09:58:20,723
okay. I want to ask you about kind of

10414
09:58:20,723 --> 09:58:23,723
systems upgrades. One of the.

10415
09:58:24,660 --> 09:58:28,531
concerns that I've heard from officers is just some of the

10416
09:58:28,531 --> 09:58:34,270
kind of rudimentary way that we're dealing with some staffing

10417
09:58:34,270 --> 09:58:37,440
and overtime issues. Have you all thought about any

10418
09:58:37,440 --> 09:58:42,120
other ai technology that could help with deployment decisions

10419
09:58:42,120 --> 09:58:45,280
and staffing and making sure that to your point of someone

10420
09:58:45,280 --> 09:58:49,170
being burnt out with overtime, that, you know, we're not

10421
09:58:49,170 --> 09:58:52,488
putting the same person over and over and over on the shifts and

10422
09:58:52,488 --> 09:58:55,158
kind of managing a little bit more fairly, taking out some of

10423
09:58:55,158 --> 09:58:56,592
the human error. Yes.

10424
09:58:56,592 --> 09:58:58,761
so since I've been in the seat, we've been looking at some

10425
09:58:58,761 --> 09:59:01,960
different technologies that I think that potentially could

10426
09:59:01,960 --> 09:59:05,168
help us with, with not only crime data, but deployment

10427
09:59:05,168 --> 09:59:07,870
providing a different variety of data sources in there and using

10428
09:59:07,870 --> 09:59:11,108
technology to do that. Obviously, before we we actually

10429
09:59:11,108 --> 09:59:12,775
implemented the ai. You know, there's a whole ai

10430
09:59:12,775 --> 09:59:13,910
values and group that looks at that.

10431
09:59:13,910 --> 09:59:16,445
and we want to have conversations because we know

10432
09:59:16,445 --> 09:59:18,981
that ai, there are concerns from the community also about the

10433
09:59:18,981 --> 09:59:20,916
implementation of ai and what that looks like.

10434
09:59:20,916 --> 09:59:23,486
so before we do that, I definitely think we want to have

10435
09:59:23,486 --> 09:59:25,855
that conversation. But I do think anything we can

10436
09:59:25,855 --> 09:59:29,910
do to leverage the technology and some of our scheduling

10437
09:59:29,910 --> 09:59:31,160
aspects and some of the districts, we are using a

10438
09:59:31,160 --> 09:59:33,196
technology over there. Some of the things we're looking

10439
09:59:33,196 --> 09:59:35,730
at, is there a way to leverage that department wide, which I

10440
09:59:35,730 --> 09:59:38,601
think would be beneficial? We did upgrade our time and

10441
09:59:38,601 --> 09:59:40,200
attendance system about 2 or 3 years ago.

10442
09:59:40,200 --> 09:59:43,720
I think that's been very helpful overall in that.

10443
09:59:43,720 --> 09:59:47,409
so again, since we are down resources as far as staffing,

10444
09:59:47,409 --> 09:59:49,145
looking at how we can we leverage that.

10445
09:59:49,145 --> 09:59:51,981
you know, a lot of the a lot of the issues with that is they

10446
09:59:51,981 --> 09:59:54,817
cost money. So again, it's not it's not

10447
09:59:54,817 --> 09:59:57,419
going to be free. But but again, in the long run I

10448
09:59:57,419 --> 09:59:59,889
think it would the value would push forward with that.

10449
09:59:59,889 --> 10:00:01,957
so it's definitely an area we're looking at.

10450
10:00:01,957 --> 10:00:04,694
chief robinson, his team kind of looking at different

10451
10:00:04,694 --> 10:00:07,196
technologies and how that can help us.

10452
10:00:07,196 --> 10:00:10,310
what are you hearing from officers or that you're seeing

10453
10:00:10,310 --> 10:00:14,831
on the policy side of things, and how?

10454
10:00:16,372 --> 10:00:20,572
how we're supporting them or supporting retention?

10455
10:00:20,576 --> 10:00:25,147
you know, it's a mixed bag. I definitely think that the

10456
10:00:25,147 --> 10:00:27,950
overtime conversations, the force details, when I say force

10457
10:00:27,950 --> 10:00:30,619
details, things like state of the union was yesterday, we have

10458
10:00:30,619 --> 10:00:34,123
to have a full activation because of some of the things

10459
10:00:34,123 --> 10:00:36,125
that are going on, the resources that are needed.

10460
10:00:36,125 --> 10:00:38,727
again, that goes back to morale. Those are force details.

10461
10:00:38,727 --> 10:00:42,640
so when you start looking at people where things like I could

10462
10:00:42,640 --> 10:00:45,701
leave dc and I could go to arlington county and I could

10463
10:00:45,701 --> 10:00:48,437
make $90,000 out of the gate, and my workload is completely

10464
10:00:48,437 --> 10:00:51,607
less. And my, my work life balance is

10465
10:00:51,607 --> 10:00:53,342
better. Those are things, especially as

10466
10:00:53,342 --> 10:00:54,443
officers. Come on, you know, years ago,

10467
10:00:54,443 --> 10:00:58,147
kind of the the thought was within the agency after about

10468
10:00:58,147 --> 10:00:59,949
five years, kind of people are going to leave, they're going to

10469
10:00:59,949 --> 10:01:02,151
leave. But we see officers now that are

10470
10:01:02,151 --> 10:01:05,870
farther along in their career that do look and take those

10471
10:01:05,870 --> 10:01:06,889
options to leave where we haven't seen that.

10472
10:01:06,889 --> 10:01:10,260
so I think again, it's, you know, a lot of these things are

10473
10:01:10,260 --> 10:01:12,895
interconnected, but that that plays on that, you know, morale,

10474
10:01:12,895 --> 10:01:16,799
the amount of hours the officers have to work, play a role into

10475
10:01:16,799 --> 10:01:20,837
all that. What else do you think could be

10476
10:01:20,837 --> 10:01:24,974
done to ensure that more of our officers are district residents?

10477
10:01:24,974 --> 10:01:31,574
we have now only 18% of sworn officers live in the district.

10478
10:01:35,651 --> 10:01:37,920
have there been any programs that have been effective in

10479
10:01:37,920 --> 10:01:39,922
moving that? How could we make sure that it's

10480
10:01:39,922 --> 10:01:42,570
more district residents representing?

10481
10:01:42,570 --> 10:01:44,600
yeah, this is this is an area that we've talked a lot about

10482
10:01:44,600 --> 10:01:46,962
over the years about how can we get people in the city that I

10483
10:01:46,962 --> 10:01:49,465
think the elf in the room is the cost of living in the city is

10484
10:01:49,465 --> 10:01:51,634
expensive, right? Especially when most new

10485
10:01:51,634 --> 10:01:53,402
officers coming in from the area.

10486
10:01:53,402 --> 10:01:56,938
so they're looking at the cost. So is there a way to subsidize

10487
10:01:56,938 --> 10:01:58,740
housing? You know, we have some short

10488
10:01:58,740 --> 10:02:00,509
term housing things. When people first come in the

10489
10:02:00,509 --> 10:02:02,770
agency to help them get here and look at that.

10490
10:02:02,770 --> 10:02:05,213
but are there things we can do on the housing front, incentives

10491
10:02:05,213 --> 10:02:07,284
we can provide? I don't know what that looks

10492
10:02:07,284 --> 10:02:08,885
like. If it's a tax incentive or other

10493
10:02:08,885 --> 10:02:11,554
things that may be beneficial to help officers come in, because

10494
10:02:11,554 --> 10:02:13,222
there is a benefit to being in the city.

10495
10:02:13,222 --> 10:02:15,725
but then when you start outweighing that with the cost

10496
10:02:15,725 --> 10:02:18,427
of housing and families and things like that, it's a lot.

10497
10:02:18,427 --> 10:02:23,827
so, you know, officers, they're always weighing those benefits.

10498
10:02:24,867 --> 10:02:28,137
yes. And I think all many roads lead

10499
10:02:28,137 --> 10:02:32,174
to cost of housing. And is certainly important to

10500
10:02:32,174 --> 10:02:35,611
make sure we're continuing to build more housing in the city

10501
10:02:35,611 --> 10:02:37,380
and have more affordable housing available.

10502
10:02:37,380 --> 10:02:42,118
so we'll keep working on that and thinking about ways,

10503
10:02:42,118 --> 10:02:46,550
especially as we see more and more vacancies with these gsa

10504
10:02:46,550 --> 10:02:48,990
buildings, would love those to be additional opportunities to

10505
10:02:48,990 --> 10:02:53,129
provide more housing in the city, especially to our first

10506
10:02:53,129 --> 10:02:56,532
responders and people across d.c.

10507
10:02:56,532 --> 10:02:59,602
one of the things I'm concerned about is once we get people in

10508
10:02:59,602 --> 10:03:03,739
the door, like if we, you know, we've got them with the bonuses

10509
10:03:03,739 --> 10:03:07,943
or the tuition assistance, making sure that they stay.

10510
10:03:07,943 --> 10:03:11,882
and I know we have long term retention challenges, but your

10511
10:03:11,882 --> 10:03:16,180
response is recorded that 10% of recruits that were hired in fy

10512
10:03:16,180 --> 10:03:19,618
2025 are no longer active at mpd.

10513
10:03:19,628 --> 10:03:23,365
that feels like a large number that didn't make it through the

10514
10:03:23,365 --> 10:03:25,235
year. What do you think is happening

10515
10:03:25,235 --> 10:03:26,769
there? I think there's a lot of pulls

10516
10:03:26,769 --> 10:03:29,371
with that. There are some people who decide

10517
10:03:29,371 --> 10:03:31,740
that policing are for them. There's some people that get

10518
10:03:31,740 --> 10:03:34,643
wooed away by other law enforcement agencies for some of

10519
10:03:34,643 --> 10:03:37,247
these other bonuses and things like that that we talked, talked

10520
10:03:37,247 --> 10:03:39,115
about. There's some folks, once they

10521
10:03:39,115 --> 10:03:41,716
get the training here, they look to return to whatever.

10522
10:03:41,716 --> 10:03:44,853
if they're not from the area to what other area they may be.

10523
10:03:44,853 --> 10:03:47,589
so I think there's there's a lot of things that go in there, but

10524
10:03:47,589 --> 10:03:49,926
I think a lot of it also goes back to some of the

10525
10:03:49,926 --> 10:03:52,594
competitiveness of this area. We had some folks that didn't

10526
10:03:52,594 --> 10:03:54,998
have very much time on probably under two years that recently

10527
10:03:54,998 --> 10:03:57,866
left and went to park police again, back to some of the

10528
10:03:57,866 --> 10:03:59,501
incentives. You've already been trained how

10529
10:03:59,501 --> 10:04:02,138
to police in the district. You know the area.

10530
10:04:02,138 --> 10:04:05,942
you know what park police do, and they're offering all these

10531
10:04:05,942 --> 10:04:07,876
incentives. You have two years on, a year on

10532
10:04:07,876 --> 10:04:10,546
out of the academy, other than repaying a portion of that.

10533
10:04:10,546 --> 10:04:13,481
but if they're going to give you $70,000, that's not really, you

10534
10:04:13,481 --> 10:04:16,218
know, that big of a concern. So I think that there's, again,

10535
10:04:16,218 --> 10:04:18,654
a lot of options that are out there for them.

10536
10:04:18,654 --> 10:04:21,223
and the work of mpd is very unique, that's for sure.

10537
10:04:21,223 --> 10:04:22,624
it's different than any other agency.

10538
10:04:22,624 --> 10:04:25,493
and a good way, I think, because you can do so many different

10539
10:04:25,493 --> 10:04:29,998
things and we have so many different opportunities.

10540
10:04:29,998 --> 10:04:35,700
all right. So I think two years ago was we

10541
10:04:35,700 --> 10:04:39,708
tried something new with mpd, with these community safety

10542
10:04:39,708 --> 10:04:42,544
ambassadors. And last year you all said the

10543
10:04:42,544 --> 10:04:45,580
community safety ambassador program was not successful and

10544
10:04:45,580 --> 10:04:48,483
has been disbanded. Can you elaborate a little on

10545
10:04:48,483 --> 10:04:51,119
what happened there? Why didn't it work and what ever

10546
10:04:51,119 --> 10:04:53,422
happened to that money? Sure.

10547
10:04:53,422 --> 10:04:56,570
so we'll start with the money. As far as my understanding, the

10548
10:04:56,570 --> 10:04:58,327
money is the the money was reallocated to other positions

10549
10:04:58,327 --> 10:05:00,329
within the agency. And when I get down, I miss

10550
10:05:00,329 --> 10:05:02,330
campbell can probably talk a little bit about that.

10551
10:05:02,330 --> 10:05:04,666
some of the folks that were community safety ambassadors

10552
10:05:04,666 --> 10:05:07,268
were placed inside other positions across the agency.

10553
10:05:07,268 --> 10:05:10,539
as the program was disbanded. Some of the challenges that we

10554
10:05:10,539 --> 10:05:13,476
saw with that, I think the initial idea was, was good,

10555
10:05:13,476 --> 10:05:16,478
right? I mean, it sounded like a way to

10556
10:05:16,478 --> 10:05:17,646
potentially have some duties that were there.

10557
10:05:17,646 --> 10:05:21,490
but when we really got down to the operationalizing of it, what

10558
10:05:21,490 --> 10:05:25,620
the duties they were able to do, what they weren't able to do,

10559
10:05:25,620 --> 10:05:27,956
the deployment of them, the supervision of them, there was a

10560
10:05:27,956 --> 10:05:30,560
lot of challenges that because a lot of times, you know, you

10561
10:05:30,560 --> 10:05:32,561
think you're going as a police officer, you think you're going

10562
10:05:32,561 --> 10:05:34,896
to the call for x, and when you get there, there's y.

10563
10:05:34,896 --> 10:05:37,365
and when it's something that's outside of their scope, then you

10564
10:05:37,365 --> 10:05:40,235
run to these challenges of what they can do.

10565
10:05:40,235 --> 10:05:42,770
so, you know, we had some areas that they were they were helpful

10566
10:05:42,770 --> 10:05:45,640
with, you know, for increased visibility and presence.

10567
10:05:45,640 --> 10:05:48,310
but I think the initial concept of kind of what they could do

10568
10:05:48,310 --> 10:05:50,912
and then what they turned out to be were not one and the same.

10569
10:05:50,912 --> 10:05:53,782
so the folks that we did have we did have some challenges with

10570
10:05:53,782 --> 10:05:57,585
retention and, and. Concerns with some of the folks

10571
10:05:57,585 --> 10:06:00,822
that were hired. So some separated through

10572
10:06:00,822 --> 10:06:02,191
natural processes. And then, patricia, do you know

10573
10:06:02,191 --> 10:06:06,991
how many we re allocated within the agency?

10574
10:06:07,929 --> 10:06:11,660
I would actually have to get back on the number and to what

10575
10:06:11,660 --> 10:06:13,670
positions that they were converted to, if that's okay.

10576
10:06:13,670 --> 10:06:14,670
okay. Sure.

10577
10:06:14,670 --> 10:06:17,720
that would be great. But please do, because I asked

10578
10:06:17,720 --> 10:06:20,343
this last year at performance oversight and we never got heard

10579
10:06:20,343 --> 10:06:22,343
back. Thank you.

10580
10:06:24,479 --> 10:06:28,417
so one of the pieces of thinking about this new program at the

10581
10:06:28,417 --> 10:06:33,755
time was that let's have officers do policing and let's

10582
10:06:33,755 --> 10:06:37,993
have other people be these community ambassadors who can.

10583
10:06:37,993 --> 10:06:40,620
maybe they don't have police training and they're not

10584
10:06:40,620 --> 10:06:42,931
traditional sworn officers, but they can answer phones and help

10585
10:06:42,931 --> 10:06:45,867
with paperwork and take off some of that burden.

10586
10:06:45,867 --> 10:06:50,305
so just substantively, like, why did that model not work?

10587
10:06:50,305 --> 10:06:53,509
so what they were what they were doing was more of forward

10588
10:06:53,509 --> 10:06:55,110
facing. So some of the positions that we

10589
10:06:55,110 --> 10:06:57,780
did move them into, I know, were more of our customer service

10590
10:06:57,780 --> 10:07:00,150
representatives. So our folks that are at

10591
10:07:00,150 --> 10:07:02,751
districts that take reports and do things like that, so not so

10592
10:07:02,751 --> 10:07:06,922
far from, I think what the what the idea was potentially, but

10593
10:07:06,922 --> 10:07:11,590
what they were was a uniform, a uniform presence that were going

10594
10:07:11,590 --> 10:07:12,794
out on the street. And then when they got out

10595
10:07:12,794 --> 10:07:15,997
there, their actual ability to do a lot of the functions that

10596
10:07:15,997 --> 10:07:19,534
people expected them to be able to do were challenging.

10597
10:07:19,534 --> 10:07:24,139
so I do know the community service csas that we have in the

10598
10:07:24,139 --> 10:07:25,673
districts were some of them went, I think there might have

10599
10:07:25,673 --> 10:07:29,478
been some cell block tech positions, civilian professional

10600
10:07:29,478 --> 10:07:32,514
staff positions that they migrated into as well.

10601
10:07:32,514 --> 10:07:36,351
but we'll get you the full breakdown.

10602
10:07:36,351 --> 10:07:39,321
thank you. Are there any new initiatives

10603
10:07:39,321 --> 10:07:42,758
that you think we should be prioritizing this year?

10604
10:07:42,758 --> 10:07:46,628
the budget, you know, right now I you know, you highlight

10605
10:07:46,628 --> 10:07:48,730
technology. Always looking at technology is

10606
10:07:48,730 --> 10:07:51,500
something for us. You know the cameras is an area

10607
10:07:51,500 --> 10:07:55,700
we're continuing to work on to build up the cctv cameras on

10608
10:07:55,700 --> 10:07:57,239
that aspect of it. As I mentioned, the value that

10609
10:07:57,239 --> 10:07:59,909
that has, we talked a little bit about lpr, but cameras have that

10610
10:07:59,909 --> 10:08:02,911
value too of something happens. The ability to get an image,

10611
10:08:02,911 --> 10:08:05,814
push it out to the force. If we can identify and locate

10612
10:08:05,814 --> 10:08:08,550
that person quicker, obviously to get things down.

10613
10:08:08,550 --> 10:08:12,120
so looking those areas, there is another another spot that we're

10614
10:08:12,120 --> 10:08:14,990
continuing to push forward with because as our numbers are down,

10615
10:08:14,990 --> 10:08:18,193
as we talked about, what can we do to try to leverage or take

10616
10:08:18,193 --> 10:08:20,729
away things that officers don't have to do to make it more

10617
10:08:20,729 --> 10:08:22,164
efficient. So we looked at some different

10618
10:08:22,164 --> 10:08:24,399
products, even as it comes to like how we write reports.

10619
10:08:24,399 --> 10:08:27,468
and would that be beneficial just to think about giving

10620
10:08:27,468 --> 10:08:30,500
officers more time to do policing activities?

10621
10:08:30,500 --> 10:08:32,500
okay. Thank you.

10622
10:08:32,207 --> 10:08:36,611
let's talk a little bit about interactions that you all have

10623
10:08:36,611 --> 10:08:38,413
with young people and training around there.

10624
10:08:38,413 --> 10:08:41,950
first, I want to check in on the juvenile investigative response

10625
10:08:41,950 --> 10:08:46,488
unit or the jiru, which seeks to prevent youth crime, reduce

10626
10:08:46,488 --> 10:08:49,825
recidivism, and foster stronger community partnerships.

10627
10:08:49,825 --> 10:08:53,729
and your pre-hearing responses. You noted that the giro has

10628
10:08:53,729 --> 10:08:57,198
advanced adoption of pattern based investigation,

10629
10:08:57,198 --> 10:09:00,200
strengthened school partnerships, and implemented

10630
10:09:00,200 --> 10:09:03,438
rapid re-engagement strategies for absconded youth.

10631
10:09:03,438 --> 10:09:07,542
what is adoption of pattern based investigations mean, and

10632
10:09:07,542 --> 10:09:09,845
how has that been effective? Sure.

10633
10:09:09,845 --> 10:09:12,380
so like a lot of crimes, juvenile crime is not that much

10634
10:09:12,380 --> 10:09:13,583
different. There's a lot of pattern crimes,

10635
10:09:13,583 --> 10:09:16,185
you know, small group of folks that are engaged in criminal

10636
10:09:16,185 --> 10:09:18,720
activity. So looking at that, you know,

10637
10:09:18,720 --> 10:09:21,560
why are they engaged? Are there other resources or

10638
10:09:21,560 --> 10:09:23,992
other agencies we can connect them in with?

10639
10:09:23,992 --> 10:09:26,862
so reassigning those investigations from typically

10640
10:09:26,862 --> 10:09:28,967
criminal investigations division within a district, let's just

10641
10:09:28,967 --> 10:09:31,470
say might handle it if it was robberies or things like that.

10642
10:09:31,470 --> 10:09:34,506
and they may be spread across different districts by assigning

10643
10:09:34,506 --> 10:09:37,542
to giro, letting them to look at it, especially when we if we

10644
10:09:37,542 --> 10:09:40,346
know from the outset there's juveniles involved with that,

10645
10:09:40,346 --> 10:09:43,480
you know, it helps them to identify those patterns, bring

10646
10:09:43,480 --> 10:09:45,451
those together and bring those closures and they work.

10647
10:09:45,451 --> 10:09:49,288
they're part of our youth investigations division that's

10648
10:09:49,288 --> 10:09:51,560
over there. So they you know, they have sros

10649
10:09:51,560 --> 10:09:54,828
and other youth facing folks that are there with them to help

10650
10:09:54,828 --> 10:09:57,280
work on that and get some strategies.

10651
10:09:57,280 --> 10:10:00,320
also working with absconders, getting those back into custody

10652
10:10:00,320 --> 10:10:02,101
with doctors and kind of working on that area as well.

10653
10:10:02,101 --> 10:10:05,505
so it's an area where, you know, we stood up last year trying to

10654
10:10:05,505 --> 10:10:06,904
evaluate kind of its effectiveness.

10655
10:10:06,904 --> 10:10:09,574
we see some effectiveness. So that's another area where I'm

10656
10:10:09,574 --> 10:10:11,844
trying to look at, you know, some more protocols and

10657
10:10:11,844 --> 10:10:14,579
procedures. So how can we again try to

10658
10:10:14,579 --> 10:10:17,416
enhance what we can get out of them to, to address some of

10659
10:10:17,416 --> 10:10:21,186
these, mitigate some of these things on the front end?

10660
10:10:21,186 --> 10:10:23,488
okay. Well thank you for that update.

10661
10:10:23,488 --> 10:10:28,259
and I think we'll be important as we head into the spring to

10662
10:10:28,259 --> 10:10:33,398
think about what is working, especially as we see the trends

10663
10:10:33,398 --> 10:10:37,769
not not resulting as as an as much success as we're seeing on

10664
10:10:37,769 --> 10:10:41,173
the adult side. And so I want to make sure we're

10665
10:10:41,173 --> 10:10:45,100
continuing to lean into what is working, but try new things if

10666
10:10:45,100 --> 10:10:48,880
if we need to. On the juvenile curfew zones,

10667
10:10:48,880 --> 10:10:52,351
how many of these zones have been established since you

10668
10:10:52,351 --> 10:10:54,486
gained authority to do so? Sure.

10669
10:10:54,486 --> 10:10:58,724
so if memory serves, we've had, I don't want to 15.

10670
10:10:58,724 --> 10:11:01,724
yeah, we have 15, 15 total. Okay.

10671
10:11:02,694 --> 10:11:07,232
and are you finding that the more effective piece of this

10672
10:11:07,232 --> 10:11:10,569
authorization is from the establishment of a zone itself

10673
10:11:10,569 --> 10:11:15,407
or the earlier curfew time? In my opinion, I think it's the

10674
10:11:15,407 --> 10:11:16,575
establishment of the zone itself.

10675
10:11:16,575 --> 10:11:18,310
I think it's the posting of the zone.

10676
10:11:18,310 --> 10:11:21,847
it's putting it out publicly. When we do these zones, we don't

10677
10:11:21,847 --> 10:11:23,682
just do them to do them. There's usually a reason why

10678
10:11:23,682 --> 10:11:27,519
there's a someone's going on social media posting whatever.

10679
10:11:27,519 --> 10:11:30,522
so as we're still doing the curfew zone and working through

10680
10:11:30,522 --> 10:11:32,824
that part of it, we're also, as I talked about earlier,

10681
10:11:32,824 --> 10:11:35,127
investigative services bureau, trying to identify who's the

10682
10:11:35,127 --> 10:11:36,795
poster. Can we get back to them?

10683
10:11:36,795 --> 10:11:40,865
can we get them to take it down? You know, parental involvement

10684
10:11:40,865 --> 10:11:42,868
in that. What does that look like to try

10685
10:11:42,868 --> 10:11:44,936
to address it so it doesn't happen.

10686
10:11:44,936 --> 10:11:47,906
and we have been successful in several cases with that.

10687
10:11:47,906 --> 10:11:51,309
but I do think with the zones, the ability for a it to be

10688
10:11:51,309 --> 10:11:54,479
clearly defined where it's at, to push it out publicly and to

10689
10:11:54,479 --> 10:11:57,749
have those additional resources in the area, I think it's

10690
10:11:57,749 --> 10:12:00,786
helpful with those. From what we've seen.

10691
10:12:00,786 --> 10:12:03,786
okay. Our officers trained differently

10692
10:12:07,492 --> 10:12:11,930
on how to interact appropriately with young people versus adults.

10693
10:12:11,930 --> 10:12:14,366
I wouldn't say they're overall trained how to act differently.

10694
10:12:14,366 --> 10:12:17,302
I mean, they are trained on some of the nuances of young people.

10695
10:12:17,302 --> 10:12:20,272
there are certain people within the department or sros that have

10696
10:12:20,272 --> 10:12:22,842
more specific training because their interactions is more with

10697
10:12:22,842 --> 10:12:24,375
that. But we put out training of how

10698
10:12:24,375 --> 10:12:28,513
to interact with juveniles as things change, like when our

10699
10:12:28,513 --> 10:12:31,450
curfew zones came out, pushing out, you know, the curfew

10700
10:12:31,450 --> 10:12:33,785
enforcement, making sure people are aware of it and how to

10701
10:12:33,785 --> 10:12:35,987
implement it. So as things change, like we

10702
10:12:35,987 --> 10:12:38,190
talked about earlier with the roll call training, or if we

10703
10:12:38,190 --> 10:12:41,527
start to see issues or areas of improvement put in that kind of

10704
10:12:41,527 --> 10:12:44,496
training inside of our roll call training, our professional

10705
10:12:44,496 --> 10:12:48,734
development training that we push out to the force, don't you

10706
10:12:48,734 --> 10:12:52,671
think that officers should be trained on interactions with

10707
10:12:52,671 --> 10:12:55,540
young people and how those differ or should differ than an

10708
10:12:55,540 --> 10:12:58,900
interaction with an adult? No, I think there is some value

10709
10:12:58,900 --> 10:12:59,745
with that. Obviously, there's a lot of

10710
10:12:59,745 --> 10:13:02,413
there's a lot of things that we have to train people on, and

10711
10:13:02,413 --> 10:13:05,150
some of the basic things about how we interact with the young

10712
10:13:05,150 --> 10:13:07,152
person, although there could be some nuances, some things like

10713
10:13:07,152 --> 10:13:09,887
being respectful, engaging them, those are no different with an

10714
10:13:09,887 --> 10:13:12,357
adult or a young person. Like we should be respectful.

10715
10:13:12,357 --> 10:13:14,959
we should be treating them within the constitutional

10716
10:13:14,959 --> 10:13:16,562
guidelines. There are some nuances with

10717
10:13:16,562 --> 10:13:19,363
that. So it's not an area I'm against,

10718
10:13:19,363 --> 10:13:22,768
you know, enhancing training on. But there are a lot of competing

10719
10:13:22,768 --> 10:13:24,570
interests that are there. So it is something in the

10720
10:13:24,570 --> 10:13:27,205
academy you get specific training about how to interact

10721
10:13:27,205 --> 10:13:30,175
with juveniles, about how to interact with juveniles that's

10722
10:13:30,175 --> 10:13:31,510
out there. So it's not that they don't get

10723
10:13:31,510 --> 10:13:34,846
it, but, you know, there are special areas like the sros that

10724
10:13:34,846 --> 10:13:39,510
get even more enhanced training as it relates to that.

10725
10:13:39,510 --> 10:13:40,520
okay. And I know you all go through a

10726
10:13:40,520 --> 10:13:43,288
lot of training, but it just strikes me as an area that

10727
10:13:43,288 --> 10:13:45,123
should be specifically trained for.

10728
10:13:45,123 --> 10:13:48,627
I mean, of course, in all contexts, officers should be

10729
10:13:48,627 --> 10:13:52,664
respectful and constitutional, but young people's minds are not

10730
10:13:52,664 --> 10:13:57,135
fully developed yet. There's an added, you know, fear

10731
10:13:57,135 --> 10:14:00,500
around authority or could be a lack of understanding your

10732
10:14:00,500 --> 10:14:03,605
rights. And so, especially with an

10733
10:14:04,343 --> 10:14:09,948
agency that has so much exposure to young people and with the

10734
10:14:09,948 --> 10:14:13,885
continuation possibly of these zones, it feels like a

10735
10:14:13,885 --> 10:14:15,987
worthwhile, specific training area.

10736
10:14:15,987 --> 10:14:17,489
absolutely. Okay.

10737
10:14:17,489 --> 10:14:19,489
thank you. Okay.

10738
10:14:19,524 --> 10:14:24,663
so one of the capital projects that I'm really worried about is

10739
10:14:24,663 --> 10:14:28,263
the state of the mpd substations.

10740
10:14:30,769 --> 10:14:34,606
and I hear this a lot from our officers.

10741
10:14:34,606 --> 10:14:40,946
I see this myself and I visit our mpd facilities, and these

10742
10:14:40,946 --> 10:14:43,480
are facilities that need to be up to date and functional.

10743
10:14:43,480 --> 10:14:45,884
24 over seven. And, you know, we talked a

10744
10:14:45,884 --> 10:14:49,388
little bit about the pay, but I also think it demonstrates our

10745
10:14:49,388 --> 10:14:52,624
value to our officers and recognizing that we want them to

10746
10:14:52,624 --> 10:14:56,862
be working in habitable places that are, you know, warm in the

10747
10:14:56,862 --> 10:15:00,465
winter and cool in the summer and don't have leaks.

10748
10:15:00,465 --> 10:15:05,804
and last year, when I asked the chief about this, I believe she

10749
10:15:05,804 --> 10:15:09,541
told me that all of the substations were on track to be

10750
10:15:09,541 --> 10:15:12,541
modernized. It now looks like.

10751
10:15:13,445 --> 10:15:19,840
so we added an enhancement of $1.6 million last year and

10752
10:15:19,840 --> 10:15:22,553
$950,000 over the financial plan for building renovations and

10753
10:15:22,553 --> 10:15:26,625
construction for renovating the training academy facility.

10754
10:15:26,625 --> 10:15:30,495
so I guess, what's the status of of that facility?

10755
10:15:30,495 --> 10:15:34,466
but also, are there plans in the pipeline to renovate and update

10756
10:15:34,466 --> 10:15:37,969
all of our substations? So a couple of things with that.

10757
10:15:37,969 --> 10:15:40,775
so there is a so the seventh district is their closest

10758
10:15:40,775 --> 10:15:42,443
facility. That's that's to be fully

10759
10:15:42,443 --> 10:15:45,450
renovated. And actually it's a it's a tear

10760
10:15:45,450 --> 10:15:47,480
and rebuild. My understanding with that is on

10761
10:15:47,480 --> 10:15:49,650
the latest timeline sometime later this year.

10762
10:15:49,650 --> 10:15:51,485
there should be a groundbreaking.

10763
10:15:51,485 --> 10:15:53,921
obviously it's a multi year project where they'll build a

10764
10:15:53,921 --> 10:15:57,924
new station and then tear down the the older station there.

10765
10:15:57,924 --> 10:16:00,728
so that is in the pipeline. It's been in the pipeline for

10766
10:16:00,728 --> 10:16:02,162
several years. We've seen designs and things

10767
10:16:02,162 --> 10:16:04,698
like that. So that's that is moving along

10768
10:16:04,698 --> 10:16:06,267
with that. The training academy.

10769
10:16:06,267 --> 10:16:08,602
I understand that's a joint training academy with the the

10770
10:16:08,602 --> 10:16:11,873
fire and ems. I know that that conversation is

10771
10:16:11,873 --> 10:16:12,873
there. I think it was pushed out

10772
10:16:12,873 --> 10:16:16,473
another year. Patricia, do you know?

10773
10:16:16,610 --> 10:16:18,779
I can follow up on the schedule of that?

10774
10:16:18,779 --> 10:16:22,616
I do know that it is in collaboration with them, so that

10775
10:16:22,616 --> 10:16:25,919
that is probably the next one that's closest with that.

10776
10:16:25,919 --> 10:16:29,156
but all their facilities outside the first district and the sixth

10777
10:16:29,156 --> 10:16:31,825
district, they've been there. They're newer, they're

10778
10:16:31,825 --> 10:16:35,290
refurbished, buildings are in need of improvements.

10779
10:16:35,290 --> 10:16:37,865
with that being said, our fourth district is just wrapping up in

10780
10:16:37,865 --> 10:16:41,101
a renovation specifically for its cellblock.

10781
10:16:41,101 --> 10:16:45,539
the fifth district is cellblock is closed now for improvements

10782
10:16:45,539 --> 10:16:47,808
and renovations. As it relates to that.

10783
10:16:47,808 --> 10:16:51,612
so they will continue to to work to improve those areas.

10784
10:16:51,612 --> 10:16:54,882
but outside of that, all of our facilities have challenges that

10785
10:16:54,882 --> 10:16:56,249
we're continuing to work with. Dgs.

10786
10:16:56,249 --> 10:16:59,186
when I took over in the seat, one of the the tasks, the

10787
10:16:59,186 --> 10:17:01,588
challenges I gave to assistant chief robinson that oversees

10788
10:17:01,588 --> 10:17:04,291
their technical services bureau is to he's been working with

10789
10:17:04,291 --> 10:17:08,195
dgs, you know, just to identify do a full walkthrough involving

10790
10:17:08,195 --> 10:17:13,334
the the fop union folks, dgs and us to get a full overlay of each

10791
10:17:13,334 --> 10:17:14,801
of the facilities and the challenges.

10792
10:17:14,801 --> 10:17:18,138
and what can we do to try to get some, even some quick hits to

10793
10:17:18,138 --> 10:17:19,140
improve some of the minor things?

10794
10:17:19,140 --> 10:17:22,760
to your point, we go back to morale, money and all those

10795
10:17:22,760 --> 10:17:24,812
kinds of things are one aspect, but making sure that the

10796
10:17:24,812 --> 10:17:27,816
facilities that you report to are up to par is important as

10797
10:17:27,816 --> 10:17:29,216
well. So that's an area to just

10798
10:17:29,216 --> 10:17:32,553
continue to work with dgs to try to prioritize those areas.

10799
10:17:32,553 --> 10:17:35,222
important. But many of our facilities are

10800
10:17:35,222 --> 10:17:38,559
in need of, you know, full replacement in the future for

10801
10:17:38,559 --> 10:17:40,127
sure. Okay.

10802
10:17:40,127 --> 10:17:43,364
and I'm happy to hear that seventh district is on track.

10803
10:17:43,364 --> 10:17:48,903
I was there a couple weeks ago and it just it's the worst of

10804
10:17:48,903 --> 10:17:52,172
all. Certainly needs an update and

10805
10:17:52,172 --> 10:17:55,750
upgrade. But I'll also just just point

10806
10:17:55,750 --> 10:17:59,314
out 2d and 3d where I recently was was at 2d, 3d 5040.

10807
10:17:59,314 --> 10:18:01,315
yeah, they all have. They all have challenges.

10808
10:18:01,315 --> 10:18:03,317
they all have challenges. They really all do.

10809
10:18:03,317 --> 10:18:07,588
and so just as you know, I want to support your priorities for

10810
10:18:07,588 --> 10:18:09,790
the budget. But as we talk about technology

10811
10:18:09,790 --> 10:18:12,192
and staffing, I just want to make sure we're all on the same

10812
10:18:12,192 --> 10:18:17,798
page of working together on on leaning on dgs and making sure

10813
10:18:17,798 --> 10:18:22,598
that those renovations are prioritized in the budget.

10814
10:18:23,804 --> 10:18:25,804
yes, ma'am. Okay.

10815
10:18:28,442 --> 10:18:32,379
all right. Well, I know you must be bummed,

10816
10:18:32,379 --> 10:18:39,586
but I think we are nearing the end of our time together today.

10817
10:18:39,586 --> 10:18:41,756
chief, as always, I want to give you an opportunity.

10818
10:18:41,756 --> 10:18:45,292
if you have any closing thoughts you want to share or anything

10819
10:18:45,292 --> 10:18:47,428
you want to highlight that we didn't get a chance to talk

10820
10:18:47,428 --> 10:18:49,960
about today? No, I just want to thank.

10821
10:18:49,960 --> 10:18:51,999
thank you. Chairwoman, and thank the

10822
10:18:51,999 --> 10:18:54,134
council members that were able to join us today.

10823
10:18:54,134 --> 10:18:56,203
and again, some of these these conversations are tough and

10824
10:18:56,203 --> 10:18:58,372
they're challenging. And hopefully I was able to

10825
10:18:58,372 --> 10:19:01,241
provide some clarity or some insight and some of those areas,

10826
10:19:01,241 --> 10:19:03,244
they're topics I know that will continue to come up and will

10827
10:19:03,244 --> 10:19:05,246
continue to work together collaboratively on as we move

10828
10:19:05,246 --> 10:19:06,848
forward. So I look forward to working

10829
10:19:06,848 --> 10:19:08,649
with the council, with the community, and again, trying to

10830
10:19:08,649 --> 10:19:11,118
work together as we get through these challenging times.

10831
10:19:11,118 --> 10:19:13,987
so thank you very much for the invitation to to go over

10832
10:19:13,987 --> 10:19:15,856
performance. And I just want to leave with

10833
10:19:15,856 --> 10:19:17,792
saying thank you to the metropolitan police department.

10834
10:19:17,792 --> 10:19:20,600
at the end of the day, it's the women and men of the

10835
10:19:20,600 --> 10:19:22,329
metropolitan police department that come in day in and day out.

10836
10:19:22,329 --> 10:19:25,132
they work the details, they go in the area, they respond to

10837
10:19:25,132 --> 10:19:28,102
nine one one calls. They're interacting with their

10838
10:19:28,102 --> 10:19:29,938
federal partners and trying to do what they can in those

10839
10:19:29,938 --> 10:19:31,538
situations. And it's a tough situation.

10840
10:19:31,538 --> 10:19:34,608
but the work that they do every day is what makes the city

10841
10:19:34,608 --> 10:19:35,943
safer. So I just want to thank them for

10842
10:19:35,943 --> 10:19:40,481
what they do. Well, thank you very much,

10843
10:19:40,481 --> 10:19:42,549
chief, and thank you for all that you do.

10844
10:19:42,549 --> 10:19:46,153
I want to just go over a couple of our follow ups, just to make

10845
10:19:46,153 --> 10:19:48,922
sure we're on the same page, because there were a number of

10846
10:19:48,922 --> 10:19:52,526
things that we talked about following up with.

10847
10:19:52,526 --> 10:19:56,797
one was the incident with jose argueta and benito lopez from

10848
10:19:56,797 --> 10:19:59,933
the washington post article requesting an investigation into

10849
10:19:59,933 --> 10:20:03,871
those two incidents and identification of whether any

10850
10:20:03,871 --> 10:20:08,809
mpd officers involved violated mpd law or district law.

10851
10:20:08,809 --> 10:20:12,546
the us marshal shooting of julian bailey.

10852
10:20:12,546 --> 10:20:14,848
additional information like what happened at the convenience

10853
10:20:14,848 --> 10:20:19,386
store when mpd was on the scene, was mpd instructed to canvass?

10854
10:20:19,386 --> 10:20:23,257
how did the us marshals and u.s. Park police find out about it?

10855
10:20:23,257 --> 10:20:25,526
no, to be on the lookout. Did they get it through apb or

10856
10:20:25,526 --> 10:20:31,231
were they on the scene with mpd? And why were they responding?

10857
10:20:31,231 --> 10:20:35,431
without mpd? An update on the shootings.

10858
10:20:37,300 --> 10:20:40,641
you know, the the body worn camera footage.

10859
10:20:40,641 --> 10:20:46,613
I do think as the chief, it is footage that you should review

10860
10:20:46,613 --> 10:20:49,750
yourself. I, I think there have only been

10861
10:20:49,750 --> 10:20:55,122
three shootings from federal agents that I know about.

10862
10:20:55,122 --> 10:20:59,126
so hopefully anytime there's a federal agent who shoots someone

10863
10:20:59,126 --> 10:21:02,228
in d.c., I think it should rise to the level of our chief

10864
10:21:02,228 --> 10:21:03,364
reviewing. I agree I wasn't the chief at

10865
10:21:03,364 --> 10:21:05,866
the time. Yes, I have reviewed the one

10866
10:21:05,866 --> 10:21:11,304
since I've been in the seat. A follow up around overtime for

10867
10:21:11,304 --> 10:21:17,304
the top overtime earners. We had that one report that

10868
10:21:18,110 --> 10:21:21,110
their 30,000 salary. Yep, the 38,106 hours.

10869
10:21:23,500 --> 10:21:26,987
why the number of patrol officers was so reduced for

10870
10:21:26,987 --> 10:21:29,322
street patrols. So we have the breakdown between

10871
10:21:29,322 --> 10:21:32,922
street patrolling versus administrative coverage, a

10872
10:21:33,527 --> 10:21:38,165
review of the lpr policy with cloud based technology, and a

10873
10:21:38,165 --> 10:21:41,601
confirmation of who is getting that data.

10874
10:21:41,601 --> 10:21:46,540
a look at the bwc noncompliance. And if we should get rid of that

10875
10:21:46,540 --> 10:21:51,262
two minute gap period, and then a follow up around the community

10876
10:21:51,262 --> 10:21:53,764
safety ambassadors and what happened there and where that

10877
10:21:53,764 --> 10:22:00,204
funding was reallocated to. But I want to I want to thank

10878
10:22:00,204 --> 10:22:05,976
you all again for being here. Everyone from the public, we had

10879
10:22:05,976 --> 10:22:10,147
110 witnesses today from the public, which I think really

10880
10:22:10,147 --> 10:22:15,187
speaks to the concern that so many in dc have over the

10881
10:22:15,187 --> 10:22:18,255
increase in federal presence in the city.

10882
10:22:18,255 --> 10:22:21,826
what that means for immigration enforcement, and what it means

10883
10:22:21,826 --> 10:22:26,731
to public access to transparency and justice in our city.

10884
10:22:26,731 --> 10:22:30,668
and so I really appreciate you all being here for sharing your

10885
10:22:30,668 --> 10:22:35,468
experiences, your concerns, your ideas, where moving legislation

10886
10:22:36,675 --> 10:22:39,100
that I introduced yesterday around the body worn camera

10887
10:22:39,100 --> 10:22:41,145
footage. There's other pieces of

10888
10:22:41,145 --> 10:22:44,915
legislation on a permanent basis that we're considering in the

10889
10:22:44,915 --> 10:22:47,819
committee, and we'll continue to work with the community and

10890
10:22:47,819 --> 10:22:51,689
with. Mpd and all of our colleagues

10891
10:22:51,689 --> 10:22:55,526
and everybody else to try to ensure we're doing everything we

10892
10:22:55,526 --> 10:22:59,497
can every day to keep everyone in dc safe.

10893
10:22:59,497 --> 10:23:03,367
that is, as I've always said, is our greatest responsibility and

10894
10:23:03,367 --> 10:23:06,637
obligation as a government. And that means that everybody

10895
10:23:06,637 --> 10:23:09,908
has to be safe. And so we will stay laser

10896
10:23:09,908 --> 10:23:13,411
focused on that. I also want to thank you, chief

10897
10:23:13,411 --> 10:23:17,810
carroll, for your leadership over the police department and

10898
10:23:17,810 --> 10:23:19,483
everybody who works at mpd every single day.

10899
10:23:19,483 --> 10:23:24,722
it feels like every year we say these are not easy times.

10900
10:23:24,722 --> 10:23:29,590
and again, we're here again saying these are not easy times

10901
10:23:29,590 --> 10:23:31,195
and we appreciate all that you do every day.

10902
10:23:31,195 --> 10:23:34,265
we know it's hard. We know you hear it from a lot

10903
10:23:34,265 --> 10:23:40,865
of different perspectives, but I know that mpd officers who work

10904
10:23:41,772 --> 10:23:45,609
in all of our districts care deeply about our city, about

10905
10:23:45,609 --> 10:23:49,280
serving our city, and about doing right by our city.

10906
10:23:49,280 --> 10:23:52,183
and so we're going to continue working together to ensure that

10907
10:23:52,183 --> 10:23:56,190
we can bolster our staffing numbers of our local police

10908
10:23:56,190 --> 10:23:58,756
department, and to follow up on these measures to ensure that

10909
10:23:58,756 --> 10:24:03,627
everybody can be accountable, as I also often say, we all have to

10910
10:24:03,627 --> 10:24:07,198
follow the law, even those of us who enforce the law.

10911
10:24:07,198 --> 10:24:10,534
and so that will continue to be an important value to all of us

10912
10:24:10,534 --> 10:24:14,772
moving forward as we head through this spring and today.

10913
10:24:14,772 --> 10:24:20,811
brought to light some gaps. I think that there are in both

10914
10:24:20,811 --> 10:24:23,381
information and access to justice around some of these

10915
10:24:23,381 --> 10:24:25,500
cases. So I look forward to continuing

10916
10:24:25,500 --> 10:24:28,585
to work with you, chief, to fill some of those gaps and seeing

10917
10:24:28,585 --> 10:24:30,387
what more we can do. But thank you all again.

10918
10:24:30,387 --> 10:24:34,580
thank you to my team and the building team for being here all

10919
10:24:34,580 --> 10:24:36,427
day. I know it's a late night and

10920
10:24:36,427 --> 10:24:39,864
really appreciate the huge effort that you all put in as

10921
10:24:39,864 --> 10:24:43,934
well. So with that, the time is 8:32

10922
10:24:43,934 --> 10:24:47,534
p.m. And we are adjourned.