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DC Council to hold public safety hearing

It's the second oversight hearing for the Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, which is now chaired by Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto.

WASHINGTON — The DC Council is talking public safety in Wednesday's oversight committee hearing.

And it's one of the first of these Judiciary & Public Safety Committee hearings that Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto will chair.

“I feel a huge sense of responsibility and obligation with this committee. Public safety is top of mind for D.C. residents in every one of our eight wards," Pinto said. "And it's really important that we engage in proper coordination and oversight to make sure that the investments that we have made as the city are working, and that they're working in concert. And that's one of my key focuses for chairing this committee.”

The departments that will be presenting to the committee Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m. are:

  • Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department
  • Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
  • Criminal Code Reform Commission
  • Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
  • Judicial Nomination Commission
  • Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure
  • D.C. Sentencing Commission

The council passed criminal code reform, but are hitting road blocks in Congress, after the House voted to block its passage.

Pinto said D.C. is in a holding pattern until the Senate votes, but she's focused now on making sure people who live in D.C. understand why the reforms were written the way they were.

Related

'We will hold you accountable' | Mayor Bowser offers changes to DC Criminal Code while Congress vows to strike it down

Another highlight Pinto said she hopes to learn more about is the nurse triage line.

That's a relatively new system where people are supposed to be able to call in case of an emergency, and the dispatcher can help determine if they need an ambulance, mental health services or urgent care.

She said another big focus is on data sharing – so each agency is working from the same information as they figure out where to invest city funds.

“If we stay just focused on each silent agency, we're never going to make a dent here. And so that's really where we're focusing on is remembering that we are all on the same team to have a community that is supportive, and that is safe," Pinto said. "And when we keep that in mind, and we ensure that everybody is working together to share information to a common goal not for common credit, for a common goal, I believe we can make a difference.”

Pinto said another priority for her is addressing the gun violence epidemic.

On March 3, 4 and 6, Pinto is hosting a three-day emergency public roundtable on gun violence.

You can find out more information and sign up to testify here.

You can watch Wednesday's hearing live here.

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