Dear Ward 8 Residents:

I am aware of the disturbing video that went viral showing a man being detained by several Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers and being punched repeatedly in the face by one of the officers involved. 

On Monday, August 9th,  MPD Police Chief Robert Contee III held a press conference regarding the incident. In his statement, he told the community that the incident is now in the hands of the US Attorney's Office for them to conduct a criminal investigation in the matter. Three of the MPD officers involved in detaining the individual have had their police powers revoked and placed on a no-contact status pending a criminal and administrative investigation. 

I applaud Chief Contee for taking swift action to address these officers' conduct and ensure the safety of the public. The removal of illegal firearms from our community remains a priority, but the conduct and behavior of these officers are not consistent with MPD's training. We must continue to call for police accountability. 

It is a pleasure to serve the residents of Ward 8. When we have more information related to this matter, we will keep you informed. 


Peace & Love, 


Trayon White, Sr.

To participate in this event, residents must:

• Be a ward 8 resident.
• Present photo ID/Drivers license.
• Present a current utility bill (no older than 3 months) or lease with a Ward 8 address.
• Present a copy of a birth certificate for each participating child.

Even before the pandemic, tens of thousands of District families were impacted by a lack of access to food. DPR is offering free grab-and-go breakfast and lunch meals for children 18 and under at the following recreation centers in Ward 8:

WARD 8
Bald Eagle Rec Center (100 Joliet Street, SW)
Barry Farm Rec Center (1230 Sumner Road, SE)
Fort Stanton Rec Center (1800 Erie Street, SE)
Southeast, Tennis & Learning Center Rec Center (701 Mississippi Avenue, SE)

Check the DPR Youth Summer Meals website for a full list of locations throughout DC.

In addition, DPR has partnered with DC Central Kitchen to provide mobile grab-and-go meals to children 18 and under at the following DPR Outdoor Pool locations:

Anacostia Pool (1800 Anacostia Drive, SE)
Meal Service Time June 29 - August 13 (Tuesday - Friday) 11 am – 12 pm

Oxon Run Pool (501 Mississippi Avenue, SE)
Meal Service Time June 29 - August 14 (Tuesday - Saturday) 2 pm – 3 pm

Randall Pool (25 I Street, SW)
Meals Service Time June 28 - August 13 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday) 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Ridge Road Pool (830 Ridge Road, SE)
Meal Service Time July 3 - August 14 (Saturday only) 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Rosedale Pool (1701 Gales Street, NE)
Meal Service Time July 3 - August 14 (Saturday only) 11 am – 12 pm

Theodore Hagans Pool (3201 Fort Lincoln Drive, NE)
Meal Service Time June 29 - August 13 (Tue - Fri) 2 pm – 3 pm

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a traffic ticket amnesty program in the Spring, which runs through September. During the amnesty period, the city has waived all additional penalties and fees for drivers who can pay the initial obligation.  

But the program requires those with outstanding tickets to enter a settlement agreement, not a payment plan, that must be completed by the end of September. Once the amnesty period has ended, the penalties and additional charges will be added back to the account of any driver who did not resolve their debt.

City Council Member Trayon White Sr. told Harden the traffic enforcement system “is crippling the finances of poor and working-class Black and Brown families.” White has long been an advocate of reforming the city’s traffic enforcement system.  

While not the first outlet to examine the burden of traffic debt on Black communities, the Post’s new analysis highlights an ongoing issue at a time when financial stability is increasingly a struggle for many. As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, Black communities bear the burden of a battle fought on multiple fronts. 

CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT NEWSONE.COM

District leaders have had enough of the increasing homicide rate and are asking residents to get more involved in fighting crime and to seek solutions to the violence.

“We keep seeing our babies … getting shot,” D.C. Council member Trayon White (D-Ward 8) said at a news conference on July 17 in the aftermath of the killing of 6-year-old Nyiah Courtney at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X avenues in Southeast on July 16. “Innocent kids are getting shot. We are seeing this over and over again. It’s not just the mayor, or the council members or the police but it’s on everybody to get involved to stop this. This ain’t nothing new for us. It’s been going on far too long, and it’s on us to save us. Nobody’s coming to save us but us.”

CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM