Washington, DC – Yesterday, Councilmember Christina Henderson issued the following statement on the Council’s first vote on the Secure DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024.  

“In regard to public safety, I support policies that provide law enforcement and residents tools to prevent & deter crime, and also hold accountable those who choose to harm others within the community. There is not a singular action or event that led to this moment, and all of us on the DC Council have been working to address crime through a variety of different approaches via funding, legislation, and oversight of agencies charged with law enforcement and public safety.

“I want to highlight a few things in the Secure DC omnibus that have been overlooked like the reasonable and necessary adjustments to our data-sharing laws; enhancing penalties for certain gun-related crimes; requiring transparency from the Office of Unified Communications regarding 911 operations; and establishing grants for safety-enhancing interventions in commercial corridors. Some of the changes in Secure DC account for the changes in the ways people commit crimes and intimidate our neighbors, such as through the use of switches that are used to make firearms comparable to automatic weapons.  

“Secure DC is but one piece of the puzzle to combat crime in the District. In the 3 years since I’ve been a Councilmember, the Council has done things like establish a new hospital-based violence interruption program to intercede immediately following an incident and try to stop the cycles of retaliation. We’ve expanded the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, and our violence interruption programs, including taking our ONSE Leadership Academies down to middle school grades. We’ve expanded the MPD cadet program and funded new CCTV cameras at locations around the city. This type of work will continue.  

“Public safety isn’t a static phenomenon. Behaviors change, situations change, and we cannot allow our understanding of policies that promote safety to be static. Responses by all government partners must be dynamic. For laws to be meaningful, investigations, charges, and trials must be swift and just, to show victims, communities, and those engaging in unlawful behavior that there are consequences for violating our laws and community bonds.  

“I look forward to bringing back accountability for criminal behavior and continuing to support efforts to enhance public safety in the District, which is why I voted in favor of the Secure DC Omnibus.”

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