Democrat mayor Muriel Bowser, who originally called for defunding the police, announced a new bill, the Addressing Crime Trends Now Act. It includes policies clarifying what qualifies as an illegal neck restraint and efforts to tackle drug crime and retail thefts.
All that the neck restraint portion does is differentiate it from putting a hand on the back of a suspect’s neck, like when the officer is trying to get him/her into a squad car. However, it does make police less fearful of touching suspects.
The new plan would also allow officers to engage in a car chase in specific situations.
Washington, DC, defunded police at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement after George Floyd died. As a result, violent crime is up 41%, robberies are up 70%, and homicides are up 33%. This is data released by the city’s crime data website. Also up are sex abuse reports, assault with dangerous weapon reports, and property crimes.
There were 225 murders in DC this year, putting the district on track to beat its record of 2021.
The DC City Council cut $32 million from her proposed police budget and redirected $9.6 million dollars from police to violence interruption, which obviously isn’t working. Mayor Bowser doesn’t want any more cuts to police.
Bowser’s proposal would reinstate the ability of the police chief to declare temporary drug-free zones to disrupt loitering around open-air drug markets, reports Daily Mail.
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.
She needs to get rid of the ski masks during these “protests.” Many of these “demonstrators” are dangerous.
People in DC fear for their lives just walking the streets.
Council Chairman Phil Mendelson is disappointed because he says it does not address gun [gang] violence, robberies, and carjackings. He also claims that while he likes the idea, drug-free zones are unconstitutional. [Gun-free zones must be, too, then, right?]
He added, “The mayor needs to focus on deterrence, and the biggest deterrent of violent crime is closing cases, locking up repeat offenders, and prosecuting aggressively.”
This is the nation’s capital, and it certainly says something about what’s going on in America today.
DC PRESCHOOL TEACHERS ATTACKED: This Ring video shows some of the terrifying moments yesterday when a man attacked two DC preschool teachers, as they were out walking with the toddlers. In the video, you can hear the kids screaming and crying @nbcwashington https://t.co/9wnXvBEnoN pic.twitter.com/jTQwqFlnGb
— Aimee Cho (@AimeeCho4) October 24, 2023
