On Monday, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) unveiled new legislation aimed at cracking down on crime in the city.
The Addressing Crime Trends Now Act, known as the “ACT Now” plan, will bring back policies that were terminated in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (via Fox 5 DC):
In Bowser's new ACT Now plan, the act of being masked while committing a crime would be illegal again. Bowser is bringing that law back after it was terminated at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
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The ACT Now plan would create criminal penalties making it illegal to organize or direct anyone in a theft-for-profit scheme, including many of the smash-and-grab rings seen recently.
Other measures introduced Monday allow the police chief to declare temporary "Drug-Free Zones" to address open-air drug markets and loitering.
Another portion reverses some police reform passed by the D.C. Council after George Floyd’s death and the 2020 summer of social unrest. This includes clarifying the language around banning chokeholds, which the police chief said makes officers hesitant to be hands-on even in necessary situations. In the new language, officers would be allowed to make contact with a person's neck – but not with the throat.
The new plan would also allow officers to engage in a car chase in specific situations.
"Residents have expressed loud and clear to me in every venue you can imagine across this city that they are looking for solutions to help fill the gaps in our public safety ecosystem,” Bowser said on Monday.
“We promise to leave no stone unturned, but we need to act now, and we need to send the strong message that violence is not acceptable in our city," she continued. "And this perception that people have that you can commit a brazen crime and get away with it has got to stop. This legislation will help change that,” she added, stating that some of the legislation surrounds “current crime trends.”
Today, I announced new legislation that will address recent crime trends and give law enforcement more tools to hold criminals accountable and keep neighborhoods safe.
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) October 23, 2023
Learn more about the Addressing Crime Trends Now Act (ACT Now) in our letter to the community.
Reportedly, violent crime in the District of Columbia is up 41 percent, robberies are up 70 percent, and homicides are up 33 percent. Compared to last year, crime is up 27 percent.
According to Daily Mail, Bowser opted to increase spending for the police in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, when the Black Lives Matter riots ensued. However, the city council cut the police department’s budget.
“This legislation reflects what our community is telling us: they want appropriate accountability for those who choose to commit crimes and inflict fear in our neighborhoods,” Bowser said in a published statement. “At a time when we’re dealing with historically low staffing levels at MPD, we’re making common-sense changes that recognize the day-to-day operational challenges our officers experience and that will better support safe and effective policing.”
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