A series of important events affecting our communities

Representation for Ward 8 residents is under attack.  As you may have heard, Councilmember Trayon White (D, Ward 8) was arrested on a criminal complaint of bribery on August 18th.  The claim alleges that White accepted payments in exchange for the extension of contracts with the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE).  The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI, the D.C. Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Washington Field Office. 

Not unlike many other council members who have been involved in scandals and/or criminally charged, Trayon White is not perfect. The violence interruption programs that he supports are being credited for reducing crime and violence in Ward 8. If fully supported, they could transform policing to one that is more community-based. An increase in the number of violence interrupters may also result in a decrease in the need for the current number of patrol officers in the areas, something that the Office of the DC Auditor’s MPD audit suggests is needed. Trayon White’s involvement in a potential bribery case could jeopardize those programs.  What's more consequential, is that the case could leave Ward 8 without DC council representation, in a city filled with residents who are not given equal representation in congress.

On Monday, September 9th at 7pm many residents of Ward 8 and the city at-large signed into a virtual community town hall hosted by Harriet’s Wildest Dreams (HWD) titled “What’s at Stake for Ward 8”.  The meeting was facilitated by HWD’s Co-Founder and Executive Director, NeeNee Taylor and HWD Policy Organizer, Jillian Burford.  Who, after grounding the meeting in the organization's principles, gave the virtual floor to Councilmember Robert White (D, At-large) to go over what will and may happen next in regards to Trayon White’s seat on the DC Council and several committees. 

...

Many mainstream media outlets are reporting as though Trayon is sure to be found guilty but during the community town hall many called for reminders that we are all innocent until proven guilty in this country.  As an elected official, he continues to represent Ward 8 until voters decide otherwise. Federal charges don't change that immediately, and with an upcoming election, we'll soon find out who Ward 8 residents choose to represent them.

As of March 2024 there have been 140 Black people killed by D.C. police since 2013. The department has been accused of using other racially biased tactics such as stop and frisk, and jump out units. Jump-Out squads aren’t the only police units committing brutal acts against Washingtonians. A mandated MPD report revealed that Black people made up the majority of people who were stopped, frisked, arrested, and violated by special units in 2019 and 2020. These units are a part of the Narcotics and Specialized Investigations Division; officers usually wear plain clothes, and their duties are to remove illegal guns from the streets and handle investigations dealing with narcotics.

After the launch of the Law Enforcement Exchange programs, U.S. Law enforcement continues to intensify the militarization of its agencies, most notably through the 1033 Program. This program was created to supply U.S. police departments with surplus military equipment ranging from weapons to uniform gear. In the last decade, protestors have been met with local police agencies dressed in riot gear. MPD is among the many U.S. police departments that have had to settle large sum civil lawsuits against its officers for misconduct, excessive force, unlawful arrests, and unjust murders. In 2021, D.C. chose to settle two lawsuits in the amount $1.6 million dollars for police misconduct during the infamous 2017 Inaugural protests aka J-20. Wards 7 & 8 are often referred to as police “occupied territories”, similar to Gaza and the West Bank being occupied by IDF soldiers and Israel Border Patrol agents.

The IDF (Israel Defense Force) is a military style unit within the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza. The atrocities committed by the IDF against Palestinians have been well documented since its inception. This same unit is one of the security entities responsible for training U.S. Law Enforcement agencies. The IDF is also referred to as “IOF: Israel Occupying Forces” by its critics, Palestinians, and activists. The INP (Israel National Police), is the police force that was established the same year as the beginning of the Nakaba.

In the beginning half of 2023, the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement and Black Lives Matter D.C. hosted several hybrid “Cop Watch'' trainings, one was held at the Black Worker Wellness Center located in Southeast, D.C. Impacted communities are becoming more experimental with creating alternatives to policing that are grounded in love, community self-defense, and autonomy. Providing a glimmer of hope in a world of doom.

When a young black man in Washington, D.C., lost his life to violence, Charnal Chaney felt the tragedy was preventable. “We had two government agencies in that neighborhood, over a billion dollars in resources. I feel like he should still be here.”

This conviction led Chaney, founder of Bold Yoga, and Katherine Russell, founder of Transformative Justice Solutions, to create The Healing Outlet. “We realized that there’s already a lot of great work being done, it’s just that it’s not being coordinated and we’re not working together,” Chaney said in a video with Russell in which they describe their vision for the app.

“People need resources now, so another big part of this app is being able to instantly connect people to others who are grieving and resources on how to cope with the losses that neighborhoods are feeling, that schools are feeling…the effects and the trauma [of gun violence] impact everybody in the vicinity,” Russell states.

On Feb 6, the DC Council had their first vote on the Crimnibus aka Councilmember Pinto and Mayor Bowser’s “Secure DC” Omnibus in their legislative meeting. While this hyper-racist crime bill passed the first vote, HUNDREDS of you called & emailed and PACKED the Council meeting, resulting in some critical harmful provisions being removed from the bill!

These harm reduction amendments are an important win. Unfortunately, many dangerous provisions still remain and the second and FINAL vote is coming up on March 5th. But we know the community pressure is working!

So, please join us and take action to stop the crimnibus!

Because of a long history of racist policies and practices, DC’s Black and brown residents experience more job discrimination, inadequate access to health care, and a lack of affordable housing. Using the budget to prevent evictions, adequately fund all public schools, and get health care and cash to those who need it are just a few ways lawmakers can transform DC into a more equitable community where everyone can live well.

“The immense power at the core of policing offers impunity that leads to questions of its legitimacy. There cannot be a solution without acknowledging the force, history, and scale of policing. “

It is quite easy to be apprehended, despite what most people may believe. This is because police do not have to be “convinced” that you are guilty. If there is sufficient evidence for the police, regardless of the situation, you can be arrested and convicted…

The logic often applied to Body Worn Cameras when people call for this reform is that the threat of having misconduct recorded will prevent police from carrying out said misconduct. Unfortunately, this has not been the case…

Following the murder of George Floyd and the mass protests that he inspired, DC passed the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2020. The act includes the following provisions…

For years now, police reform has been a mainstay in public discourse... In the almost 10 years since the inception of BLM, what reforms have been happening here in DC? And have those reforms been effective in reducing, if not ending, police brutality?…