Kenyan R. McDuffie (Courtesy Photo)
In the first judiciary session since the summer recess, councilmembers from all eight wards joined chairman Kenyan R. McDuffie (D-Ward 5) for a public hearing to address violent crime.
As of Sept. 21, 115 homicides have been reported compared to 80 last year in the city, a 43.8 percent increase. “These homicides and other violent crimes have devastated families and communities across the city,” McDuffie said. “The purpose of this hearing is to involve and discuss the steps that the city is taking to prevent and respond to violent crime, to address the underlying causes, and prioritize community responses to what we must view as a public health crisis.”
The public hearing at the John A. Wilson Building in Northwest concentrated on two themes; “ Beyond 100 Homicides: Violent Crime in the District of Columbia” and “Bill 21-0261, The ‘Sale of Synthetic Drugs Amendment Act of 2015.’”
Seventy witnesses signed up to testify with many more showing on the day.
“This has been an extremely difficult summer for all of us in every neighborhood across the city,” said McDuffie. “As for the residents we talked about their grief and fear, their helplessness. How so many families have been scarred by the involvement in our criminal justice system and frankly by the lack of respect of value of human life.”
“We are here, all of us, and we will stay until late into the night on this first day back from recess because we care; because we want results, and because we have many of the answers,” McDuffie added.
Other council members suggested possible solutions to lower the wave of crime. Council members Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) and David Grosso (At-Large) believe the best approach is public health.
Allen said his residents have voiced their fear, frustration and anger. Grosso said the public health approach should replace the law enforcement approach. “Each time a resident is subject to violence in the city, I am disturbed,” he said.
LaRuby May (D-Ward 8), Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), and Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) also addressed the rising crime. May named 35 people who were murdered in her ward. “I challenge all of my councilmembers to think more creatively. To do more, we must honestly look at the root of our problems,” she said.
We also need to focus on other types of crime as well, such as robbery,” said Cheh. “It does and can result in death in some cases.”
Alexander thinks that the person’s environment, family situation, and history should also be looked at more closely to answer why they commit such crimes.
“I truly believe that when people commit crimes it could be for a survival purpose, there are some people that commit crimes because of lack of hope and they just don’t care anymore,” she said. “There are some people that commit crimes due to mental illness, or maybe drugs that altered their mind; there are some that commit crime for protection, or because they have to survive in the neighborhoods in which they live. There are different reasons why people commit crimes. Are we looking at the entire scenario as to why they committed the crime?”