For Immediate Release
December 17, 2019
Contact
Matthew Nocella, mnocella@dccouncil.us
202.724.8105
Analysis of D.C. police reforms shows progress, need for more action
Washington, D.C. – The District of Columbia could be doing more to reform police practices and increase accountability, according to a new report released today by Local Progress, a network of local elected officials across the country, that analyzed 12 similar jurisdictions across the country.
Using the Reform / Transform: Policing Policy Tool, the evaluation of 12 cities shows that there is still a need for significant improvements to the use of force and independent oversight measures. D.C. stands out among the other eleven jurisdictions evaluated, scoring high marks for its work to end cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
“While D.C. has made more progress than some other places when it comes to reforming our police practices, we still have plenty more to do,” said Councilmember David Grosso, who is an active member of the Local Progress coalition. “Reform / Transform offers D.C. leaders and community members a simple, visual tool that shows us where we can make the most effective improvements and provides us a metric by which we can hold ourselves accountable for implementing real policing reforms.”
The tool itself was launched in 2018 to provide local elected officials, policymakers, and organizers with a resource on how to evaluate policing reforms on a set of standardized best practices across jurisdictions. Over the past year, the group has engaged local elected officials and community leaders to evaluate their localities’ policing practices.
The analysis–which was completed in Chicago, Dallas, Durham, Louisville, Madison, Minneapolis, New York City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, and the District of Columbia–evaluates four areas of policing practices: use of force, independent oversight, co-optation of local law enforcement for federal immigration enforcement, and investment in public safety beyond policing.
D.C. got one of the best scores on limiting local law enforcement involvement with immigration enforcement, due in part to a policy change earlier year: ending the Department of Corrections’ practice of notifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when residents with immigration detainers were being released from the jail, a policy Councilmember Grosso had been pushing for years. D.C. also got credit for having an independent, civilian oversight body for the Metropolitan Police Department, putting restrictions and reporting in place regarding police use of force, and investing in violence prevention efforts that are not dependent on police.
“Reforming the criminal legal system is an on-going effort and has been one of my highest priorities as a Councilmember. I’m proud of the District’s progress toward a more community-focused, accountable police force, but more action is needed. I look forward to using this report as a tool to continue that work,” said Grosso. “I plan to introduce legislation in the coming months that closes the gaps in our policies that this report identifies. We need policies that place a greater emphasis on de-escalation training, make our police oversight body stronger and more independent, and deepen our commitment to our sanctuary city status.”
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Reform / Transform is a project of Local Progress, the movement of local elected officials advancing a racial and economic justice agenda through all levels of local government. We are elected leaders who build power with underrepresented communities, share bold ideas and policy among our network, and fight to reshape what is possible in our localities all across the country.