Legislation

Young people in D.C. deserve policies that consider their wellbeing, that truly address the challenges they and their communities are facing, and that de-center policing and carceral-centric strategies. D.C.’s Black youth, in particular, deserve to not only be heard, but be protected like anybody else; not further criminalized in the place they call home.

Among other things, ACLU-D.C. urges the Council to put pressure on MPD to implement all recommendations from the Office of the D.C. Auditor (Auditor) and Office of Police Complaints (OPC); pass legislation prohibiting all District government entities, including all entities designated as law enforcement, from collaborating with any federal agency for the purpose of carrying out immigration enforcement; and taking a more compassionate approach to concerns about youth misbehavior, by investing in proven crime prevention strategies, rather than punitive ones, like the youth curfew.

The current occupation of D.C. and overzealous policing we are witnessing from federal law enforcement agencies alongside officers of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD, the Department) are not new for some communities. Black, immigrant, and other marginalized people, who have long been over policed and used as scapegoats for policy failures or political fodder, have always been the canaries in the coal mine. And they have also been at the forefront of movements fighting to make this society one that truly protects and keeps all of us safe.

Imagine how different D.C. could look if communities currently fighting for survival were actually thriving. If young people had caring adults they trusted and opportunities that set them up for a brighter future. These things cannot, and will not, occur with harmful policing.

The Council must take bold actions to combat the recent narratives around crime in the District and continue towards a path that will actually make D.C. communities feel and be safer.

Improving public safety in the District involves restricting harmful police practices, creating more transparency around police misconduct, and holding police accountable for their misconduct.

The ACLU-DC supports these two bills, and further encourages the decriminalization of unlicensed street vending and reducing police interactions with street vendors—ensuring that vendors can feel safe while pursuing their livelihoods without threats to their safety and wellbeing.