While substantial resources go into policing, public trust in their fairness and effectiveness has reached an all-time low. Most voters doubt police can treat Black and white individuals equally, feel they lack proper use-of-force training, and see police violence as a problem. Research shows police encounters can cause lasting trauma and health issues, sometimes leading to tragic outcomes.
These issues disproportionately affect Black communities in DC. In 2022, 87% of all DC arrests were Black, and about nine out of ten of use-of-force incidents involved Black individuals.
While the DC Police Reform Commission has developed hundreds of policy proposals to change this picture, the city has only adopted a few of the recommendations offered in a near year-long review.
In this section, the DC Justice Lab provides a series of ready made legislative and policy solutions that would reduce the role of the police in safety policy, curb the tactics that cause the most harm, and grow the solutions that are proven to increase safety.
Issues
Qualified Immunity
Qualified immunity emboldens police violence and impedes accountability.
Consent Searches
Consent searches are never consensual when compliance is a survival tactic.
Special and Campus Police
Cosmetologists have more specialized training than armed special police officers in DC.
Repeat Arrests
Reducing repeat arrests by expanding treatment would increase safety and reduce harm.
Body Searches
Invasive body searches strip people of their dignity, privacy, and cause trauma.
tools
Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia
Metropolitan Police Department
Police Complaints Board – Office of Police Complaints
Office of the District of Columbia Auditor
ACLU of DC
ACLU of DC
National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.
Police Executive Research Forum
