June 8, 2020

Ward 3 Update: Policing Reform & Coronavirus Resources

Dear Neighbors,

Tomorrow, the Council will consider emergency legislation to make immediate
changes to policing practices in the District. The most expansive of the
bills before the Council is the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform
Emergency Amendment Act. An outline of this bill, of which I am a
co-introducer, is available further on in this newsletter. In the outline
you will see a number of critical and much-needed changes to the
Metropolitan Police Department's (MPD) operations and policing policies,
but there is a bigger picture in front of us, a bigger opportunity that we
must pursue with permanent legislation.

In the past decade, MPD has made great strides as a department, but a
system and framework remains that enables violence and abuses to occur.
Emergency legislation is a temporary solution, and the opportunity exists
for us to push even further when considering the permanent counterpart to
Tuesday's legislation. [1]As I've mentioned before, I'm eager to see
permanent legislation address such things as a requirement that MPD refuse
military-style policing equipment, limiting qualified immunity, and for the
District to undergo a comprehensive review and reduction of low-level
misdemeanors. The District is poised to serve as a model for the nation,
and I hope that you'll lend your expertise, your ideas, and your voices to
the process as we pursue meaningful policing reform in our community.

An area where you can immediately lend your voice is in this year's budget
process. The Council is taking a close look at MPD's budget for the
upcoming fiscal year, and I'm hopeful that we will be able to identify
funding to restore cuts made to vital community violence prevention
programs. And, to allow for strong public engagement in this process, the
Judiciary Committee has reorganized its hearing schedule to accommodate
public witnesses. For anyone interested in participating, please see the
sign-up instructions and schedule below:

Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety: Budget Oversight Hearing on
MPD

Tuesday, June 16th, from 12:00 to 6:00 pm

To testify live: to sign-up as a public witness,
email [2][email protected] and provide your name, phone number,
organizational affiliation, and title (if any), by close of business on
Thursday, June 11th.

To submit testimony:
* By voicemail - submit oral testimony by leaving a voicemail to (202)
350-1362
* By email - email written testimony to [3][email protected]
* By video - upload a 3-minute video to the Committee's [4]Dropbox Folder

Regards,

Mary

Please see [5]coronavirus.dc.gov for the latest District updates &
resources on COVID-19

If you know someone who would like to receive these updates directly, he or
she may sign up through [6]marycheh.com or by
emailing [7][email protected]

COVID-19 Testing Now Available at DC Firehouses

Expanded Testing- Free walk-up COVID-19 testing is now available for
residents at firehouses across the District.

Ward 3's firehouse testing site is open from 4-8 pm on Thursdays at
[8]Engine Co. 31

(4930 Connecticut Ave NW)

Emergency Legislation on Policing Reform

The "Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Emergency Amendment Act of
2020" - Tomorrow, June 9th, the Council will consider emergency legislation
to enact immediate policing reform in the District. Led by Councilmember
Allen, Chair of the Committee on Judiciary & Public Safety, this bill
introduces new reforms and codifies existing MPD practices. The draft
legislation's main provisions are summarized below:

Prohibiting the Use of Neck Restraints
* Neck restraints are already prohibited by MPD policy, but the current
statute permits them in some circumstances. This provision makes the use of
neck restraints (also known as “chokeholds”) unlawful

Improving Access to Body-Worn Camera Video Recordings
* Prohibits MPD officers from reviewing body-worn camera (“BWC”) footage
to assist in writing initial reports
* Requires the Mayor to release the BWC footage and name of any officer
who committed or contributed to an officer-involved death or serious use of
force within 72 hours after the incident

Office of Police Complaints Reforms
* Requires that all members of the Police Complaints Board, the Office of
Police Complaints’ governing body, be unaffiliated with law enforcement
* Allows the Office of Police Complaints to investigate evidence of abuse
or misuse of police powers they identify, even though it may not have been
specifically alleged in a complaint; this expanded authority expressly
includes circumstances in which an officer failed to (1) intervene in or
subsequently report any use of force incident in which they observe another
officer —including an MPD officer— using excessive force or engaging in any
type of misconduct, or (2) immediately report to their supervisor any
violations of rules and regulations committed by another MPD officer

Limitations on “Consent” Searches
* Strengthens procedural justice in cases where a police officer’s search
of a person or their vehicle, home, or property is based only on the
person’s consent to the search (also known as a “consent” search); under
this provision, the officer would have to explain that the person is being
asked to consent and that they can refuse the search

Mandatory Continuing Education Expansion; Reconstituting the Police
Officers Standards and Training Board
* Requires continuing education for MPD officers on: racism and white
supremacy; limiting the use of force; de-escalation tactics; prohibiting
the use of neck restraints; obtaining consent from subjects of police
consent searches; and the duty to report and information on how to report
suspected misconduct by another law enforcement official or MPD officer
* Revives the long-dormant Police Officers Standards and Training Board
(POST Board), the District board that establishes minimum application and
appointment criteria for MPD officers and reviews MPD’s initial training
and continuing education programs
* Expands the POST’s membership to include the Director of the Office of
Police Complaints and community representatives appointed by the Mayor with
expertise in police oversight, juvenile justice reform, criminal defense,
gender-based violence, LGBTQ services, policy, or advocacy, and violence
prevention or intervention
* Requires the POST to establish minimum application and appointment
criteria for MPD that includes, for applicants with prior service in
another law enforcement or public safety agency, a review of any alleged or
sustained misconduct or discipline imposed by their prior employer

Identification of MPD Officers during First Amendment Assemblies as Local
Law Enforcement
* Requires the uniforms and helmets of MPD officers policing First
Amendment assemblies to identify the officers as local law enforcement

Repeal of Law Enforcement Reporting Requirement for Crime Victims
Compensation
* Promotes survivor-centered decision-making by repealing the requirement
that crime survivors must report the crime they experienced to law
enforcement in order to apply for compensation

Enfranchisement for Individuals Serving Felony Sentences in the Care of the
Department of Corrections
* Enfranchises individuals currently incarcerated for felonies who are in
the Department of Corrections’ (DOC) care
* Requires the Board of Elections to provide every eligible DOC resident
with a voter registration form, voter guide, and mail-in ballot for the
November 3 General Election

Additional Ways to Support the Protests

Black Lives Matter- Many might not be able to join the protests in person
because of age and/or a medical history that puts them at high risk during
COVID-19, but there are many other ways to support the efforts.

For a list of local resources and ways to contribute, please see the
following message from the staff of the Washington City Paper:

[9]Read the Full Story

Seeking Accountability from the Board of Elections

Primary Day Failure - Amid worldwide protests and a global pandemic, the
District also experienced an unacceptable potentially dangerous primary
election day. Residents endured long wait times, [10]in some cases more
than 5 hours, to exercise their right to vote. The very crowding and public
exposure at the polls that we hoped to avoid, happened. These long lines
may have been the the result of some residents waiting until election day
to vote, but it appears that much of it occufred from the Board of
Election's (BOE) own failure to execute the ballot request process in
advance of the primary.

It is likely that the November 3rd election will also be conducted
primarily by mail, and these operational issues must be addressed.
Councilmember Cheh is seeking accountability from BOE and is requesting an
investigation into each incident that is identified to her office.

If you would like your experience, such as requesting but never receiving a
mail-in ballot, to be included in Councilmember Cheh's list to BOE, please
email her [11]Director of Constituent Services Dee Smith with the following
information: full name, address, and information about how the mail-in
ballot was requested (online, phone, mail, etc.).

Upcoming Hearing on Board of Elections Performance - On Friday, June 29th,
at 10:00 am the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety will hold an
oversight roundtable on the Board of Elections’ Performance in conducting
the June 2nd Primary Election.
* Anyone wishing to testify should contact the Committee via email at
[12][email protected] and provide their name, telephone number, and
organizational affiliation by close of business Monday, June 15th.

Clarity on DPR Summer Camps

Summer Camps - Due to safety concerns, the Department of Parks & Recreation
(DPR) is unable to provide summer camps during the District's Phase 1 of
reopening. Should the District enter into Phase 2 during the summer months,
DPR is ready to provide the following summer child programming:

Seven "Slow Streets" Selected

Slow Streets - Today, Mayor Bowser and the District Department of
Transportation (DDOT) announced the first seven locations for the new Slow
Streets initiative to provide residents with additional space to social
distance while outside. Slow Streets are restricted to local traffic only,
with a speed limit set to 15 miles per hour to support neighborhood-based
safe social distancing while walking, running, or cycling.

The first seven slow zones will be implemented in the following locations:
* Wards 1 and 2: 19th Street, NW (between Dupont Circle and Biltmore
Street, NW; plus most of Biltmore and Cliffbourne)
* Ward 3: 36th Street, NW (between Connecticut Avenue and Reno
Avenue/Warren Street, NW)
* Ward 4: 8th Street, NW (between Piney Branch/Whittier Street and
Missouri Avenue, NW)
* Ward 5: Newton Street, NE (between 12th Street and South Dakota Avenue,
NE)
* Ward 6: 12th Street, NE (from East Capitol Street to K Street, NE)
* Ward 7: Grant Street, NE (between Minnesota Avenue and 46th Street, NE)
* Ward 8: 15th Street, SE (from Mississippi Avenue to Savanah Street, SE)
and 15th Place, SE (from Alabama Avenue to Bruce Place, SE)

For additional details, please see: [13]Slow Streets DC.

NAACP Resource: Support Black Businesses in DC

Support Local Businesses -

The NAACP DC Branch has put together a directory of local black-owned
businesses that have remained open and operating during the coronavirus
public health emergency.

This directory features local restaurants, retail stores, fitness and
beauty businesses, legal services, and more:

[14]NAACP Black Business Directory

Ending this Update on a Happy Note:

Local Teen Runs 200 Miles for COVID-19 Relief

Ward 3's Tess Weinreich has run 200 miles to raise money in support of the
Capital Area Food Bank's coronavirus response efforts.

Tess is incredibly close to her $10,000 goal and needs our help for the
final push! To donate, please see: [15]Tess' 200 Miles for COVID-19 Relief.

Our Office is Open!

Connect with our staff - While Councilmember Cheh's physical office is
closed during the public health emergency, she and her staff are
teleworking and will remain accessible for residents.

You may continue to [16]email the office directly or reach us via phone
through our main line at (202) 724-8062 with legislative ideas, budget
requests, and constituent services requests.

[17]Facebook [18]Twitter

FOLLOW MARY

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Mary Cheh
Mary Cheh Ward 3
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NWSuite 108
Washington, DC 20004
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