News & Updates

With multiple shootings at 15th and Independence over the weekend, I’m alarmed by the increase in violent crime in our neighborhood. I know neighbors feel the same way, so I wanted to share more about my plans to promote public safety if elected your next ANC Commissioner.

As an ANC Commissioner, I think it’s critically important to focus on where I could make a tangible difference for my neighbors. My top priorities related to public safety are to: 

• Facilitate better communication between law enforcement and constituents.

• Track the status of cases in our neighborhood and write community impact statements in coordination with neighbors who are victims of crime. 

• Advocate for a more permanent MPD presence at hot spots like 15th and Independence SE where there were multiple shootings over the weekend. 

• Push for additional CCTV cameras. 

• Increase awareness of the District’s security camera rebate program. 

I’ve heard that constituents don’t always receive updates from law enforcement about their cases, whether it’s stolen property, or a more serious violent crime. I would prioritize communicating between neighbors and law enforcement to ensure neighbors are getting the information and updates they need from police. 

I would also track the status of cases in our neighborhood to monitor how many investigations have led to arrests and prosecutions. In cases where neighbors are victims of crime, I would work with those neighbors to write community impact statements advocating for appropriate accountability for the specific crime. I believe that keeping the spotlight on open cases in my neighborhood is one of the biggest impacts a commissioner can have. 

During the course of my door knocking, I met a neighbor whose car wheels have been stolen three times. Her personal security camera was not able to capture the license plate of the getaway vehicle. She advocated for additional neighborhood CCTV cameras for these situations. The locations of neighborhood CCTV cameras are determined in part by ANC recommendations. There are currently cameras at 15th and East Capitol and 17th and Independence in our district. I would push for additional neighborhood cameras. 

The shootings over the weekend remind us that particular locations are hot spots for violent crime. I support more permanent MPD presence at locations like 15th and Independence SE.  

In addition, I will work to increase awareness about the city's security camera rebate program, which could provide useful information to help close cases and deter violent crime. I bought a personal security camera six years ago, and received about $300 back from the city. I then had a package stolen and provided our security camera footage to the police. Some months later I received a follow up call that they had made an arrest in the case thanks in part to our footage. The suspect had been caught on camera stealing packages throughout the neighborhood. We also shared footage with the police following the recent shooting at the Stadium-Armory Metro entrance. So, I want to make sure constituents know they can be helpful by participating in this program, and the city will help offset the cost.

While this is a much broader issue than ANCs, I am also concerned about MPD clearance rates and prosecutions with respect to gun crimes. Where there are opportunities to talk about how we can help get illegal guns off the street, that would be a specific area of crime I would be involved in. This could include endorsing specific Council legislation or MPD initiatives as they are proposed.