The 2026 Public Safety Agenda reflects the voices, experiences, and priorities of those most impacted by the criminal legal system and offers clear, actionable steps to reduce harm, strengthen accountability, and invest in what works. It is a collaboratively developed, community-informed roadmap to address the urgency of the issues during a shifting landscape that will include a new Mayor and DC Council. 

Public safety can not and will not be achieved through reliance on the same systems and ways of thinking that have inflicted harm for generations. The disproportionate rates of arrests, convictions, and incarceration among DC’s Black residents are evidence of a system that is racist and ineffective.

The primary purpose of this agenda is to put forward clear, community-informed recommendations on urgent public safety issues. These priorities come at a pivotal moment for the District, as the city prepares for new leadership amid a constantly shifting landscape.

This is an opportunity to stand up for the community and set the record straight on what actually drives safety. The agenda serves as both a roadmap and a call to action, and should encourage candidates, policymakers, and the public to commit to evidence-based solutions that make our communities safer.