Judiciary & Public Safety Public Hearing

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY AND PUBLIC SAFETY BROOKE PINTO, CHAIR NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING on THE STRUCTURE OF VIOLENCE INTERVENTION AGENCIES IN THE DISTRICT and BILL 25-695, THE SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS AMENDMENT ACT OF 2024 Friday, April 5, 2024 10:00 a.m. In the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Room 120 and virtually via Zoom To watch live: Councilmember Pinto’s YouTube Page (www.youtube.com/@cmbrookepinto) DC Council Website (dccouncil.gov) Office of Cable Television Website (entertainment.dc.gov) On Friday, April 5, 2024, Councilmember Brooke Pinto, Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, will hold a hearing on the Structure of Violence Intervention Agencies in the District and Bill 25-695, the Safe Neighborhoods Amendment Act of 2024. Chairwoman Pinto invites the public to testify with ideas regarding how violence intervention in the District should be governed. Currently, the District’s violence intervention programming is split between multiple agencies, primarily the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and the “Cure the Streets” program within the Office of the Attorney General. The Hospital-based Violence Intervention Program (HVIP) funded by the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants also plays a role, as does as the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice’s Safe Passage Program, among other programs. The services provided by these agencies are vital to the District’s public safety ecosystem, as they provide targeted support to those most likely to commit or become victims of a gun crime. In recent years, as both Cure the Streets and ONSE have grown in size and breadth, concerns have been raised about potential inefficiencies caused by the organization of different violence intervention programs within distinct agencies. The DC Auditor’s June 2022 report on the implementation of the NEAR Act noted concerns from several government officials and community leaders that “it is inefficient and ill-advised for the D.C. government to operate separate violence intervention programs.” Given the need for a coordinated and strategic approach to violence intervention, the Committee seeks to glean insight from community and government stakeholders on what the best structure may be for the District’s violence intervention programs and agencies. The Committee also seeks testimony on Bill 25-695, the Safe Neighborhoods Amendment Act of 2024. That legislation would establish as an independent agency the Office of Neighborhood Engagement and Safety Agency, comprising the existing ONSE programs along with the Cure the Streets program. The legislation would also establish a special fund used to provide stipends to program participants and cover administrative expenses. Unrelated to the District’s violence intervention programs, the legislation would also require the Deputy Mayor of Public Safety and Justice to prepare a report identifying modern recruitment tactics for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), change the education level required to join MPD from an associate degree to a high school degree or GED, and enhance the First Responder benefits in the Employee-Assisted Housing Program. The Committee invites the public to testify. Those who wish to do so must register using the Council’s Hearing Management System at https://lims.dccouncil.gov/hearings by 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 4, 2024. Those who represent organizations will have 5 minutes to speak. All other witnesses will have 3 minutes to speak. Witnesses will have the option to testify in person or virtually; witnesses should specify which option they are electing at the time they sign up to testify. Witnesses who anticipate needing spoken language interpretation, or who require sign language interpretation, are requested to inform the Committee office of the need as soon as possible, but no later than 5 business days before the proceeding. We will make every effort to fulfill timely requests, although alternatives may be offered. Requests may be submitted via the Hearing Management System during registration or by contacting Ms. Aukima Benjamin, Committee Manager to the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, at (202) 724-8058 or via e-mail at judiciary@dccouncil.gov. Requests received less than 5 business days before the proceeding may not be fulfilled. Witnesses will receive instructions on how to participate by Zoom prior to the hearing. If you have additional questions, please contact the Committee Manager at the phone number or e-mail listed above. If you are unable to testify at the public hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record; written testimony should be submitted through the Council’s Hearing Management System at https://lims.dccouncil.gov/hearings. Testimony will be publicly accessible following Committee review. The public may also leave voicemail testimony for the Committee by calling (202) 630-7585, which will be transcribed and made part of the hearing record. Members of the public leaving voicemail testimony should speak slowly and clearly, state their full name and the organization they represent, if any, and note the bill, hearing, or agency that they are submitting testimony on. For privacy purposes, members of the public are asked to not provide an e-mail, phone number, or other personal contact information in voicemail testimony. The record will close at 5:00 p.m. on April 19, 2024.