Anti Crime Emergency Dec Draft

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__________________________ Councilmember Muriel Bowser

__________________________ Councilmember Jack Evans

__________________________ Councilmember Jim Graham

__________________________ Councilmember Kwame Brown

__________________________ Councilmember Tommy Wells

__________________________ Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr.

__________________________ Councilmember David Catania

__________________________ Councilmember Mary Cheh

A PROPOSED RESOLUTION ___________ IN THE COUNCIL OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ___________

To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to approve the “ Summer of 2009 Crime Prevention Emergency Amendment Act of 2009”. RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this

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resolution may be cited as the “Summer of 2009 Crime Prevention Amendment Act

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Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2009”.

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Sec. 2. The Council finds that:

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(a) On October 6, 2008, Bill 17-951, the “Omnibus Anti-Crime Emergency

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Amendment Act of 2008” was introduced at the Council on behalf of Mayor Adrian M.

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Fenty. The legislation is the result of a partnership between the Fenty Administration and

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the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. The bill is intended to strengthen

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penalties for possession of illegal guns, improve enforcement options against gangs,

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modernize various provisions of the criminal code, and give law enforcement more tools to

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fight crime, especially those crimes committed by chronic, repeat offenders.

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(b) The Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary held a public hearing on Bill 17-951 on December 5, 2008.

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(c) A new version of the legislation, Bill 18-138, the “Omnibus Anti-Crime

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Emergency Amendment Act of 2009,” which incorporated improvements and feedback from

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public testimony and the community, was introduced on behalf of the Mayor on February 6,

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2009.

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(d) The Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary held hearings on Bill 18-138

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on March 18, 2009 and May 18, 2009. Despite having held three public hearings on the

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legislation and receiving extensive input from stakeholders and the public, the Committee

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has not-yet marked-up Bill 18-138.

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(e) While progress has been made in reducing crime thus far in 2009, communities

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across the District continue to suffer the negative effects of violent crime, often committed

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by repeat offenders. Most of this violent crime is committed with guns: four out of five

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homicides, nearly half of robberies, and one-fifth of assaults with a dangerous weapon in the

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District are committed with guns.

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(f) Typically a higher number of these same crimes of violence – homicides,

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robberies, and assaults with a dangerous weapon – occur during the summer months than in

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any other season of the year.

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(g) Since criminal acts approved by the Council are subject to a 60-day Congressional

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review period, even if Bill 18-138 were approved by the Council on a permanent

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basis in June or July, it would not become law until sometime in late 2009, well past the

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summer months.

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(h) The “Omnibus Anti-Crime Emergency Amendment Act of 2009,” which was

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given to the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary at the May 18, 2009 hearing, was

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further revised to reflect comments of the Council and stakeholders. Bill 18-138 will protect

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the well-being and safety of the residents of the District of Columbia and should be approved

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by the Council as soon as possible.

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(i) The “Summer of 2009 Crime Prevention Emergency Amendment Act of 2009”

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includes only those sections of Bill 18-138 that are intended to prevent and address violent

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crime and includes revised language incorporating feedback from hearing testimony and

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stakeholders.

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Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances

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enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the

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Summer of 2009 Crime Prevention Emergency Amendment Act of 2009 be adopted after a

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single reading.

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Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.

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