On the recordFebruary 9, 2023
I stand here today in staunch opposition to the disastrous new criminal justice reform act passed by the D.C. Council. If enacted, the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022 would effectively prevent the local justice system from keeping criminals off of our streets, all while D.C. grapples with a crime wave. You see, sir, this is not a lecture. As a matter of fact, I spent a career proudly wearing the uniform. I have stood the line between good and evil. I have interrogated criminals. I have consoled victims. In Washington, D.C., from February 2022 to February 2023, homicides have increased 17 percent; motor vehicle theft is up 76 percent; total property crime is up 24 percent. Every crime has a victim. Every victim has a story. Instead of working to stop crime, the D.C. Council chooses to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for all crimes, except first degree murder, as part of the RCCA. This misguided legislation also reduces maximum penalties for violent crimes such as burglaries, carjackings, and robberies. The D.C. Council is empowering criminals, empowering criminals at the expense of the public, which is why I stand in absolute opposition to their newest soft-on-crime plan. To say that we are targeting the people of D.C., using them as ``pinatas,'' how do you think the victims feel? Sadly, this procriminal agenda has found its way into many other American cities and States, including my home State of New York. In fact, the D.C.…
