Dear Neighbor,
New legislation along with rigorous oversight will propel the improvements in public safety residents are asking for and deserve.
As Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, my focus this fall is on ensuring improved public safety for all District residents, operational and staffing improvements at our 911 call-center and for all our first responders, reviewing and evaluating our violence interruption programs, advancing gun control legislation, and protecting women and children. The schedule for the Committee reflects these important priorities.
New Legislation
The four new bills I am introducing this fall include:
- Transparency in Emergency Response Amendment Act of 2024,
- Childcare for First Responders Act of 2024,
- Child Marriage Prohibition Amendment Act of 2024, and
- Voluntary Firearm Non-Transfer Act of 2024 also known as “Donna’s Law.”
I join residents in expressing deep concern around continued errors and challenges at our Office of Unified Communications 911 call center operations. The standard for our emergency response must be 100% accuracy. My Transparency in Emergency Response bill and oversight interventions I will be focused on this fall target improved performance, transparency, and public trust in our 911 operations to provide residents the emergency response they deserve.
The Transparency in Emergency Response Amendment Act builds upon the mandated public dashboard and transparency measures I introduced and the Council unanimously passed as part of my Secure DC Omnibus to provide greater insight into concerning trends related to below-minimum staffing levels and errors at OUC. The new bill will:
- Require the public release of After-Action Reports within 45 days of any incident for which there is reason to believe errors led to serious injury or death.
- Require the public release of the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) report, transcripts and recording of the 911 calls, and any other documents describing possible errors or concerns regarding the emergency response.
As we continue to drive improvements in performance at our 911 call center, recruitment and retention of our call-takers is critical. My Childcare for First Responders Act of 2024, would provide childcare for 911 call-takers as well our police and firefighters as one way we can offer an important and attractive benefit that also supports families and recognizes the great importance of our first responders in our community.
I will be holding hearings on those four bills as well as the following bills this Fall: Establishment of Reasonable Controls for the Firearm Industry Amendment Act, Safe and Supported Pregnancy and Delivery for Incarcerated Individuals Amendment Act of 2024, and Secure Apartments for Everyone (SAFE) Regulation Amendment Act, among others.
Oversight of 911 Call Center and Violence Interruption Programs
Oversight of our agencies ensures that legislation passed by the Council is being implemented with fidelity and that our agencies are performing at the highest level. Oversight is especially critical for our agencies that are charged with saving lives and preventing violence, like our 911 Call Center and Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE).
This fall I am holding a series of oversight hearings on OUC that will include a review of recent operational failures and accidents, performance and transparency metrics, and technology and multi-agency coordination. In addition to these hearings my committee, will conduct routine unannounced visits to OUC’s 911 call center this fall. These unannounced visits aim to increase insights and transparency into day-to-day operations, publicly reported metrics, and opportunities for improvements in emergency response.
Integrity is not something that we can take for granted; it must be affirmatively maintained each and every day. I am deeply troubled by the federal allegations leveled against Councilmember White that undermine the public’s and my confidence in the provision of impartial and fair public contracting and good governance in the District. The Council has voted to remove Councilmember White’s Chairmanship from the Committee on Recreation and Youth Affairs and has established an ad hoc committee to investigate any violations of the DC Code of Conduct related to residency or bribery. You can read my full statement on the charges here.
As Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, I am particularly concerned by the connection between this alleged impropriety and the provision of government services and contracts for our violence intervention programs. Our violence intervention programs must operate at the highest level of efficacy to save lives and heal communities across the District, and an alleged pay-for-play scheme severely undermines these efforts. I believe in our community based violence interruption models and believe with the right support and structures in place they can be more effective. I will be holding rigorous public hearings this fall on ONSE to review performance and outcomes, guardrails to safeguard integrity in grants being issued, and needed improvements and changes.
There is a lot of critical work to be done this fall before the end of the Council period in December and I will be sure to keep you apprised of all that is happening in the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety.
Yours in Service,
Brooke
Washington Post: D.C. bill seeks more oversight of beleaguered 911 call center “We’re hearing loud and clearly from District residents in all eight wards. I hear so regularly from people that they are nervous about the call center, that they need improvements and they want to see what’s happening,” Pinto said. “I take that call very seriously.”
NBC 4: DC 911 leaders to face monthly council questions amid push for answers “We have to have a 911 call center that is filled with transparency, with accuracy and with speed. D.C. residents and visitors deserve that.”
DC News Now: New oversight for DC’s 911 center; Pinto proposes more transparency legislation. “If you are a resident or visitor to Washington, D.C., you have a right to have a 911 call center that is 100% fast and accurate and transparent, and we are going to be working every single day with this agency to make sure that we get there,” Pinto said.
Fox 5 DC: Council to review 911 call center failures in Fall oversight hearings "I think one of the most important things to keep in mind is how important oversight is to this. Solutions aren’t always built into a new law or a new idea. It also requires daily follow-up and oversight and making sure the agency is holding up their end of the bargain and following the law as implemented and intended," Pinto said.
Washington Informer: Increased Accountability Measures for 911 Dispatch on the Way “I’m focused on transparency and rigorous, continuous oversight,” Pinto continued. “Visiting OUC every other week and doing it unannounced leads to a transparent process.
WTOP: DC Council member says she will start making surprise visits to the city’s embattled 911 call center “We are the nation’s capital, we absolutely have to have a 911 call center that every resident and every visitor can rely on when they … dial 911; (that) someone’s going to pick up quickly, that they’re going to get help,” Pinto said.
Washingtonian: A New Bill Could Make DC’s Dysfunctional 911 System More Transparent. Legislation announced this week by DC Council member Brooke Pinto would require the city’s embattled Office of Unified Communications, which handles 911 calls and dispatch, to publicly release audio recordings and other documents related to possible emergency response errors.
NBC 4: DC Council member wants better oversight of DC inmates serving in federal prisons "When we look at recidivism rates of people coming back and recommitting a crime, one of the most key markers that we know that can tamp that down is relationships maintained with your family, with your community," Pinto said. "So, when you serve a sentence, you can come back and reenter society more smoothly."
Telemundo Washington DC: Líderes del 911 podrían enfrentar preguntas mensuales del Concejo de DC Al anunciar las medidas, Pinto dijo: “Tenemos que tener un centro de llamadas al 911 que esté lleno de transparencia, precisión y velocidad. Los residentes y visitantes de DC se lo merecen”.