{"id":2332694,"date":"2024-08-28T15:10:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T19:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dc-police-ramp-up-traffic-safety-prevalence-after-years-of-enforcement-decline-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-28T15:21:55","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T19:21:55","slug":"dc-police-ramp-up-traffic-safety-prevalence-after-years-of-enforcement-decline-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dc-police-ramp-up-traffic-safety-prevalence-after-years-of-enforcement-decline-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"DC police ramp up traffic safety prevalence after years of enforcement decline &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdc-police-ramp-up-traffic-safety-prevalence-after-years-of-enforcement-decline-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2332694&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Washington, D.C. police are increasing their\u200b focus on traffic safety by forming a new dedicated unit amid a significant drop in enforcement over the\u2064 past \u2063four years. This comes after a 2023 report highlighted that the police recorded less \u200bthan half the traffic encounters compared to 2019. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nashville-pd-releases-photo-of-rv-that-exploded-christmas-morning-asks-the-public-for-help\/\" title=\"Nashville PD Releases Photo of RV That Exploded Christmas Morning, Asks the Public For Help\">police department<\/a> is reallocating five officers \u200bto \u2064this unit to enhance traffic law \u200denforcement, which \u2062had previously been limited due to restrictions that required officers to witness violations firsthand before acting.<\/p>\n<p>Mayor Muriel Bowser&#8217;s \u200cVision Zero initiative aimed to eliminate traffic fatalities, but 2023 saw a notable increase in deaths, with 34 fatalities reported in \u20632024. \u2064The decline\u2062 in police traffic enforcement \u200bcorrelates with \u200cthe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and\u200b the\u2064 societal focus on racial equity following \u200bevents like the George Floyd protests. In response to these societal concerns, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/legislation-in-south-dakota-seeks-to-nullify-biden-executive-orders\/\" title=\"Legislation In South Dakota Seeks To Nullify Biden Executive Orders\">legislation introduced<\/a>\u200c in\u200c 2020 restricted police pursuits and required additional training on racial bias, leading to criticism about its effect\u200b on crime rates.<\/p>\n<p>Recent amendments to \u200bthis legislation\u2062 now allow police to\u2062 pursue suspects posing \u200dan imminent threat, but challenges remain. City officials emphasize the need for a balance between effective traffic enforcement and equitable policing strategies, suggesting a complex interplay between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-administration-limits-arrest-of-illegal-immigrants-at-courthouses\/\" title=\"Biden Administration Limits Arrest of Illegal Immigrants at Courthouses\">law enforcement practices<\/a> and community safety.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">DC police ramp up traffic safety prevalence after years of enforcement decline<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1230802\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Police in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/washington-dc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Washington, D.C.,<\/a> are launching a new unit dedicated to traffic safety after a precipitous decline in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/police\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>law enforcement<\/a> activity over the past four years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Five full-time officers will be reassigned from other units to patrol the streets of the district and &ldquo;save lives,&rdquo; according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/dc-md-va\/2024\/08\/27\/dc-police-traffic-safety-unit\/?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_dc&amp;stream=top\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>report<\/a> from the<em> Washington Post.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Prior to the announcement, police were only allowed to pursue charges against traffic violators if they had directly observed the incident occur and were not responding to another call.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;To make a traffic stop, an officer must observe the violation and not otherwise be on a call,&rdquo; a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department said earlier this year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Last year, Washington police recorded fewer than half the street traffic encounters the department logged in 2019, marking 55,306 instances in which law enforcement gave suspects notices of violation, warnings, and arrest charges.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A procession departs George Washington University Hospital in Washington on Friday, April 2, 2021. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser launched Vision Zero, an initiative designed to &ldquo;transform&rdquo; the city&rsquo;s roadway safety, a decade ago. Although she pledged to eliminate all traffic deaths by this year, 2023 saw a 16-year high in traffic fatalities, and 34 deaths have happened in the city in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, twin forces emerged that contributed to a steep drop in street traffic enforcement as police activity declined during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.<\/p>\n<p>Worries about racial bias in traffic stops and &ldquo;equitable&rdquo; policing heightened during BLM protests and riots in Washington. The district&rsquo;s law enforcement told the<em> Washington Post <\/em>that &ldquo;officers are &lsquo;resistant to doing traffic enforcement&rsquo; because of &lsquo;mixed messages&rsquo; &hellip; about how to balance racial equity concerns and traffic safety goals.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In the wake of the chaos and tensions caused by George Floyd&rsquo;s death while in police custody, a Democratic D.C. councilman spearheaded legislation in 2020 that overhauled the city&rsquo;s criminal justice system. Charles Allen&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesallenward6.com\/councilmember_charles_allen_circulates_omnibus_emergency_bill_with_policing_reforms_will_be_introduced_and_voted_on_tuesday\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Emergency Act<\/a> introduced sweeping restrictions on law enforcement, including the ability to pursue criminal suspects on the streets, and required additional training for officers on racism and white supremacy. The law was widely criticized by law enforcement, including D.C. Police Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton, who <a href=\"https:\/\/riponsociety.org\/2024\/01\/pemberton-decries-2020-law-passed-by-dc-city-council-saying-it-has-fueled-crime-crisis-in-our-nations-capital\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said<\/a> the legislation &ldquo;shut down all of policing in the city.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We had almost 1,000 carjackings, which was a 109% increase over the prior year &mdash; doubling the number of carjackings that went on in the city,&rdquo; Pemberton said in January 2024.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, the city council passed <a href=\"https:\/\/code.dccouncil.gov\/us\/dc\/council\/code\/sections\/5-365.02\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>emergency legislation<\/a> to amend Allen&rsquo;s bill, relaxing some restrictions on police pursuit. Police are still only allowed to pursue suspects in cases in which it is the only remaining option, but they are now allowed to chase someone who presents an &ldquo;imminent,&rdquo; as well as an &ldquo;immediate,&rdquo; threat of death or serious bodily injury to another person. Under the new policy, police are no longer required to consider whether the chase would seriously injure the suspect.<\/p>\n<p>Rick Birt, director of the city&rsquo;s Highway Safety Office, confirmed some restrictions hold back police from pursuing fleeing vehicles that can contribute to violent crashes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Birt continued to worry about treating Washington residents &ldquo;equitably&rdquo; in comments to the <em>Washington Post<\/em>, saying that using the right strategies would allow police to &ldquo;do traffic enforcement&rdquo; without bias.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>While widespread enthusiasm for progressive police reform appears to have dropped since the BLM movement sparked in 2020, another factor could help explain a decline in police activity in patrolling the streets.<\/p>\n<p>A recent <a href=\"https:\/\/manhattan.institute\/article\/doing-less-with-less-crime-and-punishment-in-washington-dc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>report<\/a> conducted by the Manhattan Institute on policing in Washington found that &ldquo;demands that they respond to mass protests&rdquo; in the capital were contributing to a decline in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/secret-service-director-clarifies-role-in-securing-trump-rally-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Secret Service director clarifies role in securing Trump rally - Washington Examiner\">law enforcement &#038;ldquo<\/a>;staffing and activity.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Officers of the Metropolitan Police Department encounter pro-Palestinian demonstrators at George Washington University in Washington on May 8, 2024. (Sage Russell\/GW Hatchet via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The district has seen numerous large-scale pro-Palestinian demonstrations over the past eight months as thousands of activists take to the streets to protest against U.S. support for Israel&rsquo;s fight against Hamas in Gaza.<\/p>\n<p>Multiple mass demonstrations against Israel in October, November, January, and July turned violent at times, with Washington police arresting hundreds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1230802\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1230802\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, D.C. police are establishing a new unit focused on traffic safety following a significant drop in enforcement over the last four years. According to a report from the Washington Post, five full-time officers will be transferred from other departments to monitor the streets and &#8220;save lives.&#8221; Previously, officers could only pursue charges against traffic offenders if they witnessed the violation firsthand and were not responding to another incident. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department noted that an officer must see the infraction occur and not be engaged in another call to make a traffic stop.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, law enforcement recorded less than half of the street traffic incidents compared to 2019, with only 55,306 instances of violations issued through notices or warnings. Mayor Muriel Bowser initiated Vision Zero ten years ago with aims to improve roadway safety and eliminate all traffic fatalities by this year; however, 2023 marked a 16-year high in such deaths with 34 fatalities reported in early 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The decline in street enforcement can be attributed partly to two factors: reduced police activity during the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened concerns about racial bias amid Black Lives Matter protests. Law enforcement officials indicated that officers have been hesitant about conducting traffic stops due to conflicting messages regarding balancing racial equity issues with public safety goals.<\/p>\n<p>In response to tensions following George Floyd&#8217;s death while in custody, D.C. Councilman Charles Allen introduced legislation that significantly reformed policing practices in 2020. This included restrictions on pursuing criminal suspects and mandated additional training for officers on racism and white supremacy\u2014changes criticized by law enforcement leaders who claimed it hampered policing efforts.<\/p>\n<p>In January 2024, Pemberton highlighted an alarming rise in carjackings as evidence of increased crime linked to these reforms. In light of this situation, emergency legislation was passed by city council members in 2023 that eased some restrictions on police pursuits; now officers can chase suspects posing an imminent threat without needing prior consideration of potential harm during chases.<\/p>\n<p>Rick Birt from the Highway Safety Office expressed concern over how certain limitations hinder effective pursuit strategies while emphasizing equitable treatment for residents during traffic enforcement efforts without bias.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, recent findings from a Manhattan Institute report suggested that demands placed on law enforcement due to mass protests have also contributed significantly toward decreased staffing levels and overall police activity within Washington D.C., particularly amidst ongoing large-scale pro-Palestinian demonstrations related to U.S.-Israel relations which have sometimes turned violent<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2332695,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/DC-police.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[39567,5052,39568,32076],"class_list":["post-2332694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-dc-police","tag-enforcement","tag-traffic-safety","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/DC-police.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2332694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2332694"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2332694\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2332695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2332694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2332694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2332694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}