Friend –

We deserve to be safe from crime and abuse of power.

But the D.C. Council is now considering a bill that puts both our safety and our rights at risk. Council members need to hear from you.

Tell At-Large Councilmembers Christina Henderson and Anita Bonds to say YES to safety and NO to abuse of power.

Among other measures, the Secure DC Act would:

• Establish ineffective and failed "drug-free zones" – So-called "drug-free" zones do not prevent crime; instead, they allow police officers to harass people and violate our rights. The Council should reject unconstitutional anti-loitering provisions.
• Expand pretrial detention – In a free society that respects the presumption of innocence, jailing people before a trial should be rare. Just three days in jail can upend a person's life. If preventing crime and violence is the goal, pretrial detention is not the way.
• Make harmful changes to how police use body-worn cameras – This legislation would allow officers to view body-worn cameras (BWC) footage prior to writing initial reports in cases that do not involve police use of force. The D.C. Police Reform Commission even recommended permanently prohibiting officers from reviewing their BWC recordings before writing initial reports.

Allowing officers to escape accountability and harass people in designated zones will not make D.C. safer. Locking more people up before they are found guilty will not make D.C. safer. These types of provisions are not "public safety" solutions; they are measures that open the door for abuse of power.

To truly enhance public safety, District leaders should build a comprehensive public safety system that focuses on prevention, effectiveness, and accountability.

Tell Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto to say YES to safety and NO to abuse of power.

Thank you for taking action, and stay tuned for more ways to get involved.

ACLU of the District of Columbia