Police reforms remain a key concern among elected leaders in the Washington area, 12 months after the death of George Floyd, who died in the custody of Minnesota police last year on May 25.
His death spurred protests and a national movement to address police violence and brutality, especially in communities of color, including many throughout the National Capital Region.
In the District, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced last week that unarmed teams of behavioral health experts will soon be dispatched to certain 911 calls instead of police.
In nearby Montgomery County, Council Member Will Jawando introduced a bill the same day that would require officers to complete a training course on racial equity, social justice and de-escalation tactics.
A few days prior, officials in Prince William County, Virginia, greenlighted additional funds for a police department pilot program in which officers and behavioral health clinicians co-respond to certain 911 calls.
The changes are part of ongoing efforts to reshape the role of policing.
The District’s six-month pilot program begins in June and is one of the 90 recommendations included in the city’s police reform commission report titled “Decentering Police to Improve Public Safety.”
On Thursday, more than 60 people testified during a D.C. Council public hearing on the commission’s suggestions which include reducing the Metropolitan Police Department’s [MPD] budget, size and responsibilities.
The report suggests the number of sworn police officers should be reduced by at least the rate of attrition over the next five years and more personnel should be added to community-building and alternative public safety programs.
Moreover, commissioners recommend the MPD School Safety Division should be eliminated and its nearly $14 million budget funds should be reallocated through a community-led process. Police overtime should also be reduced “to the fullest extent possible.”
The hearing comes as homicides in the District are up 35%, from 55 killings to 74 over the same period last year.
While many of those who testified urged the council to move faster on passing police reforms, D.C. Police Union President Gregg Pemberton said the recent “increase in crime can be attributed to the irresponsible, unfounded, dangerous rhetoric coming out of these nonsensical hearings.
“The manpower in the police department has dropped to a record low and is below 3,600 total sworn members and less than 3,300 rank-and-file,” Mr. Pemberton said in a press release. “Nearly 350 officers have left the agency since June 1st of last year, many citing these legislative attacks on police officers.”
In Montgomery County, Mr. Jawando hopes his bill to require more training for officers would help “evaluate whether they’re the right people — the right guardians — to be protecting and serving our community.”
The at-large Democrat said during a press conference Tuesday that “[i]n 2018, Black folks made up 18% of the county’s population. They were over half of the arrests and over 55% who had force used against them in interactions with police.”
The councilman’s proposal comes one month after Maryland legislators passed sweeping police reforms.
The statewide changes include: restricting use of force policies, limiting “no-knock” warrants, allowing public access to unsubstantiated police complaints and removing the Officers’ Bill of Rights which outlines safeguards for police facing misconduct allegations.
Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed several measures which he said would “result in great damage to police recruitment and retention,” but the Democrat-controlled General Assembly overrode the Republican governor.
In Virginia, the co-responder program in Prince William that pairs police and mental health experts for certain 911 responses “has been quite successful so far,” according to First Sergeant Jonathan Perok.
Between January through March, the co-responder teams were sent to 240 calls and they helped 25 people avoid criminal charges, Mr. Perok said in an email statement last week.
The commonwealth is also working on a statewide “mental health awareness response” dispatch system and at least five regional mobile mental health crisis teams will be in place by the end of the year.
Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, signed off on the legislation and more than a dozen other police reform bills at the end of October.
The new laws were approved by the state’s Democrat-controlled Legislature during a special session prompted by the nationwide protests over Floyd’s death.
The reforms include a ban on no-knock warrants, restrictions on the use of neck restraints, and the ability for local jurisdictions to appoint citizen review boards to weigh in on allegations of officer misconduct.
“Too many families, in Virginia and across our nation, live in fear of being hurt or killed by police,” Mr. Northam said in a press release. “These new laws represent a tremendous step forward in rebuilding trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
• Emily Zantow can be reached at ezantow@washingtontimes.com.
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