Democratic Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled a crime bill Monday that would walk back police reforms the city enacted in the wake of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in 2020.
The “Addressing Crime Trends Now Act” would reinstate several regulations that had been removed by the D.C. City Council previously, including allowing certain types of chokeholds and establishing more guidelines to allow police to chase after suspects in cars, according to a press release. Residents have begged for more police presence as neighborhoods that were once viewed as safe have become swallowed by an increase in crime.
“This legislation reflects what our community is telling us: they want appropriate accountability for those who choose to commit crimes and inflict fear in our neighborhoods,” Bowser said in the press release. “At a time when we’re dealing with historically low staffing levels at MPD, we’re making common-sense changes that recognize the day-to-day operational challenges our officers experience and that will better support safe and effective policing.”
