Public Safety

Safe Streets Make Great Streets

Providing public safety is one of the most important tasks of our government. District residents have the right to live comfortably in their neighborhoods, and our visitors must know that our streets are safe for their stays. Safe streets foster community involvement, spur economic development and create better environments for our children. Simply put, safe streets make great streets.

Reducing crime will require more than improving the police department. I have begun the essential work of collaborating with the leadership of the MPD in all seven police districts, as well as with the Chief of Police, community leaders and organizations such as the Peaceoholics to develop creative ways to address these challenges. As a military reserve officer, I know what it takes to secure the safety of District residents. As we create safe streets, we can make great streets and build a world-class city, neighborhood by neighborhood.

The Clampitt Plan

• Cut the paperwork and let police officers walk the beat
• Provide comprehensive community policing
• Decrease illegal gun trafficking
• Increase violence prevention efforts for youth
• Significantly reduce domestic violence
• Lead the way in homeland security

Cut the paperwork and let police officers walk the beat

Anytime MPD officers make an arrest, they must spend hours filling out paperwork before appearing in federal court to meet with prosecutors prior to filing charges. This is because DC lacks judicial autonomy and cannot have arrests processed as quickly as in other states. This is called “papering.”

This costly federal process takes hundreds of police officers off the street and costs the District nearly $5 million in overtime each year, money that could pay for at least 52 extra officers. The result is that too many criminals are released because the police do not have the time to uphold this outdated and costly bureaucracy. I have lobbied for the 21st century solution - an electronic papering system or “night papering.” As a result of those efforts, along with other key stakeholders, we now have a task force working to reverse this faulty system. On the Council, I will continue this partnership with federal and local law enforcement to develop real and practical solutions to keep our streets safe.

Provide comprehensive community policing

Our safest neighborhoods are those that foster enduring relationships between community members and the police. The Metropolitan Police Department has made great strides in recent years to build these relationships with community stakeholders and neighborhood organizations across the city, but we must work to ensure that these relationships continue and become stronger.

Many residents have developed positive working relationships with police officials, only to hear that the officers have been redeployed to another neighborhood. As your next Councilmember – at Large, I will develop an incentive program to allow good officers to be promoted and to keep them in their current neighborhoods.

Until every block in our city is truly safe and secure, I will advocate for new and effective community policing strategies. Only together will we make our neighborhoods safer, stronger and more vibrant.

Decrease illegal gun trafficking

I will spearhead legislation on the Council to reduce the illegal trafficking of guns. The District’s ban on handguns hasn’t been as effective as it should have been in reducing the crime rate or shootings. This is because small arms continue to seep in through the District’s borders. We must act now to decrease this illegal access. The District’s message must be clear and enforced: lawful possession of fire arms will be observed, but we will have zero tolerance for those who skirt the system and smuggle arms from neighboring jurisdictions.

If the Supreme Court rules against the District’s gun laws, I will lead efforts in ensuring compliance with their decision to make sure it doesn’t make DC a less safe place to live and work.

Increase violence prevention efforts for youth

No child wants a life of crime. Our youth long for the safety, support and structure that only we can provide them. As a volunteer and fundraiser for Peaceoholics, I know first hand the difference that such programs can make by encouraging our youth to make the responsible choices now that will spare them the hardships of a life of crime. Violence prevention must play a role both in and out of school. On the Council, I will work to incorporate violence prevention efforts into education legislation and create lasting and meaningful public-private partnerships with not-for-profits and schools to ensure that we stop crime before it starts.

Reduce domestic violence

Domestic violence and sexual assault are among the most devastating crimes in our city and our country. It is critical that our policymakers and government agencies work together with service providers, advocates and not-for-profit organizations to increase the reporting of these special crimes and provide rapid support to victims and full prosecution of offenders. The MPD’s efforts in this have , but we must work to ensure that every police officer knows and appreciates the intricacies of working with victims and their families when these crimes occur so that we can effectively prosecute offenders.

As your next Councilmember - at Large, I will be an unrelenting voice on this issue and work with my colleagues and other partners to thoroughly examine the complexities of our current system and research the best practices required to make it better.

Lead the way in homeland security

The special nature of Washington makes homeland security vitally important. Here again, we can lead through innovation in such public policies. On the Council, I will work to ensure that our technological capacity and first-responder training is state of the art. This means replacing and upgrading outdated equipment and facilities. We must also work to respect the federal government’s security needs in this city while protecting District residents.

I will ensure that our security efforts work in tandem with the federal government, but I will not hesitate to challenge the federal government when the security needs of District residents are brushed aside. On issues such as the transportation of hazardous materials through our city, I will work with my colleagues on the Council, the Mayor and the federal government to develop sensible solutions to such safety challenges. Working with the administration, I will ensure that the District is duly compensated for its services.