CRIME Bowser and Pinto Move to Stem D.C. Car Thefts and Gun Violence

BY CHRISTOPHER JONES

The District’s crime problems are once again in the national spotlight.

President Biden announced he won’t veto a Republican-sponsored measure making its way through Congress to block the D.C. Council’s controversial Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022, passed over Mayor Bowser’s veto in January 2023. Conservative Members of Congress are asking whether the District is being “too soft on crime” by lowering maximum penalties for burglaries, carjackings and robberies, and allowing violent youth offenders to petition sentencing.

High crime in “Democratic areas” is often used as a wedge issue by Republicans, as politicians eyeing the 2024 elections are keenly aware. Even Democratic senatorial candidates pressured President Biden not to look wobbly on crime.

While Mayor Bowser (D) and Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto (D) are opposed to such federal “interference with D.C.’s home rule” and would like to see the D.C. Council reconcile its own jurisdiction’s updated criminal code, each elected leader says she agrees with approximately 95 percent of the revised code designed to update and rationalize sentencing and other guidelines according to contemporary practice both in the nation’s capital and around the country.

D.C.’s criminal code was originally constructed in 1901 and has not been systematically revised since. Painstaking revisions to the code have taken more than a decade to hash out. For the mayor and D.C. Council members, the issue is therefore a matter of sunk costs as well as politically fraught.

It should be no surprise, therefore, that both Bowser and Pinto have taken well-publicized recent steps to address crime-related issues in the District.

To stem the epidemic of car thefts, Mayor Bowser joined with MPD on Feb. 23 to offer free steering wheel locks to District residents. Starting on Feb. 24, residents who own a 20112021 Kia or Hyundai vehicle became eligible to receive a carlock from a nearby MPD District station, as part of a partnership agreement with Kia and Hyundai. The move followed a social media challenge that encouraged car thieves to use a USB cable to steal these types of cars, leading to a significant upswing in such thefts.

“Car theft is a serious problem – it’s incredibly stressful and often costly and timeconsuming for the victims, and it’s dangerous to have these stolen cars on the road,” said Mayor Bowser. “I encourage all D.C. residents who own a 2011-2021 Kia or Hyundai to pick up their free steering wheel locks as soon as possible from a District station to prevent theft. As MPD and our public safety partners work together to prevent car theft and hold accountable those who are stealing cars in our city, this is one way we can work together to proactively prevent crime.”

Qualifying residents can pick up their car locks on a first come, first serve basis at 3320 Idaho Avenue NW, at MPD’s Second District station.

Council member Pinto, now serving on the D.C. Council as the Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety – with primary responsibility for re-examining revisions to D.C.’s criminal code – has also taken proactive steps to address gun violence in the District by hosting a three-day public roundtable on gun violence prevention on March 3, 4, and 6. The roundtables allowed public testimony and were designed to “bring together community, government agencies, and experts to discuss gun violence in the District and develop actionable solutions to this epidemic,” Pinto said.

“Gun violence is the greatest crisis facing the District. We cannot accept the level of violence and trauma that residents in D.C. are facing every day,” said Council member Pinto in a press release. “That is why I am holding an emergency three-day public roundtable on gun violence prevention. The goal of this event is to hear directly from residents about how gun violence is impacting their lives, to hear ideas for more effective interventions, and to bring our government partners and experts to the table to focus on immediate solutions.” Unless the D.C. Council moves more proactively as well to address the District’s crime problems, more federal intervention into the city’s legislation appears likely.

Sign up for the free Georgetowner newsletter for the latest updates on Crime in your area at www.georgetowner.com.

Community Calendar

PHOTOGRAPHER NANCY LENSENTOMASSON PHOTO EXHIBITION

March 8-22, Noon-6 p.m., Mon.-Fri.

Balfour Palisades Leasing Center 4418 MacArthur Blvd. NW.

TUDOR NIGHTS, THE FEMININE TOUCH

March 9, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Celebrating Women’s Works of Art, Tudor Place, 1644 31 St. NW.

BURLEITH CENTENNIAL GALA

March 10, 6-10:00 p.m. Copley Formal Lounge on GU campus. For info go to Burleith.org.

PHOTOGRAPHER NANCY LENSEN-TOMASSON AT A MEET THE AUTHOR BOOK SIGNING

March 11, 12:30-2 p.m. Books available for purchase. Balfour Palisades Leasing Center, 4418 MacArthur Blvd. NW

COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS

March 16, 10:00 a.m. 401 F. Street NW, Suite 312. Filing deadline: March. 2.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY AT PINSTRIPES

March 17, 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. 1064 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

GEORGETOWN WALKING TOUR: PUBLIC ART AND MURALS

March 18, 12-2:00 p.m.

Dumbarton House, 2715 Q St. NW. After seeing the most Instagramable spots in the neighborhood, end your tour with a sweet treat from Georgetown Cupcake.

ANNUAL MEETING: GEORGETOWN MAIN STREET

March 22, 6-7:30 p.m. Fathom Gallery, 1351 Wisconsin Ave. NW. For info see georgetownmainstreet.com.

PEAK CHERRY BLOSSOM DAYS

March 22 – 25

Per National Park Service.

CULTURAL POWER BREAKFAST

March 23, 8:30-9:30 a.m. Four Seasons Hotel. Tickets $35. For info see Georgetowner.com.

TAVERN NIGHT AT THE CITY TAVERN PRESERVATION FOUNDATION

March 24, 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. City Tavern Club, 3206 St. NW. For an historically reenacted tavern evening.

CARPE LIBRUM GEORGETOWN

April 3, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Georgetown Main Street. Books, CDs and more, all for under $6.

VIRTUAL ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION ANC 2E

April 3, 6:30 p.m.

For agenda go to anc2e.com. Benefitting Turning the Page DC.

OLD GEORGETOWN TOWN MEETING

April 6, 9:00 a.m. 401 F. Street NW, Suite 312. Filing deadline: March 16.