The D.C. Council enacted the Secure DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024 with a unanimous vote. The District’s increasing crime problem and the “gaps in the system” that Mayor Muriel Bowser has mentioned time and time again are the targets of the proposed legislation.
The bill, introduced by Brooke Pinto of Ward 2, is a package of measures that, among other things, would make misdemeanor arrest warrants extraditable, extend the statute of limitations for certain serious crimes, make sure that those responsible for carjacking can be prosecuted appropriately, and eliminate or extend the statute of limitations for certain other serious crimes.
“We know that driving down crime requires us to send a clear message that if you make our city less safe, if you bring violence to our community, you will be held accountable,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement earlier this month. “I look forward to signing this bill into law and urge the Council to move with urgency to unanimously pass this legislation.”
Along with making it a crime to direct retail theft, making it easier for police to apprehend offenders who constitute an immediate threat to the public, and instituting new intervention programs for prisoners in an effort to reduce recidivism rates, the measure would also strengthen the city’s firearms restrictions.
“In 2023 we saw a devastating 39% increase in violent crime, a 26% increase in crime overall in the District, 274 people lost their lives to homicide,” Pinto said during Tuesday’s council meeting. “Residents are in fear of carjacking, thefts and falling victim to crime across our city. This is unacceptable today. By approving my Secure DC omnibus, the council has the opportunity to take decisive and comprehensive action to make the district safer and more secure.”
The legislation would also strengthen safeguards for children, the elderly, and victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.