DC Police Union hired lobbyists to push Congress to overturn city’s crime bill
Cami Mondeaux
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The D.C. Police Union hired a group of lobbyists to push members of Congress to vote in favor of repealing an overhaul of Washington, D.C.’s century-old criminal code that sought to soften the punishment for some violent crimes.
The police union, which represents more than 3,600 members of the Metropolitan Police Department, entered into a lobbying contract with Modern Cartographers on Feb. 4 to boost Republicans’ efforts to overturn the revised criminal code, according to a registration filing submitted to the Senate. Union members opposed the rewritten code, arguing its provisions would lead to “exploding” crime rates.
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Days later, on Feb. 9, the House voted to overturn the legislation — setting up a showdown in the Senate as Democrats were faced with the decision of whether to back Washington’s legislative independence or avoid politically sensitive opposition ahead of the 2024 elections.
The Senate then overwhelmingly voted to overturn the code, marking the first time in 30 years that Congress has repealed a local law passed by the D.C. Council. President Joe Biden has said he will sign the measure into law.
Now, the D.C. Police Union is renewing its efforts to boost another piece of legislation targeting a local crime bill.
Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) introduced a resolution last week seeking to overturn recent reforms to the Metropolitan Police Department and the district’s justice system in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death at the hands of law enforcement in 2020. Several of those reforms focused on prohibiting the use of neck restraints, increasing access to body camera footage, and revising officer discipline procedures.
“As the Metropolitan Police Department grapples with the district’s ongoing crime crisis amidst a historic staff shortage, the D.C. Council is determined to enact a deeply flawed bill that prevents officers from effectively protecting and serving Americans in Washington,” Clyde told the Washington Examiner last week. “Alarmingly, this misguided law will inevitably jeopardize the MPD’s ongoing efforts to recruit and retain officers — worsening an already serious problem.”
The D.C. Police Union praised Clyde’s bill, calling it necessary to preserve public safety.
“This Act is a dangerous law that destroys collective bargaining rights of MPD officers, eviscerates due process, reduces less lethal options for law enforcement during a riot, and further contributes to the critical staffing crisis that is plaguing the MPD today,” said Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton. “This Act is laced with bad policies with real-world consequences that delay justice for families and victims.”
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The most recent legislation seeking to overturn the city’s police reform law builds on broader efforts by Clyde to crack down on the district’s autonomy granted through the D.C. Home Rule Act. The act allows Washington, D.C., to operate as an independent city government despite not having statehood. The only caveat is that all laws are subject to congressional approval before being enacted, occasionally setting up showdowns between Congress and local lawmakers.
Clyde has repeatedly pushed back against this limited autonomy, indicating plans to propose legislation that would seek to eliminate the rule altogether and put the district under Congress’s control.