Councilmember Sharon Ambrose
A BILL IN THE
COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Councilmember Sharon Ambrose introduced the following bill, which was referred to the
Committee on ______
To establish a Citizens’ Public Safety Advisory Commission to work with citizens and
officials to decrease crime and violent behavior as well as promote citizen education and
involvement in improving the conditions of neighborhoods; to monitor and report on
services and programs operating in the community that affect and provide for public
safety; to advise officials making policy and administrative decisions affecting public
safety in the District of Columbia; to maintain a channel of communication as well as
promote cooperation and collaboration between citizens and those officials policy and
administrative decisions affecting public safety in the District of Columbia; to act as a
clearinghouse on problem solving and community outreach; and to advise the legislative
entities impacting public safety in the District of Columbia.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as
the "Citizens’ Public Safety Advisory Commission Act of 1998".
Sec. 2. Definitions.
For the purpose of this act, the term:
(1) "Police Service Area" or "PSA" means the Metropolitan Police
Department’s division of the District into distinct geographic areas that are served by a
specific group of officers assigned to the area.
Sec. 3. Citizens’ Public Safety Advisory Committee.
(a) There is hereby established a Citizens’ Public Safety Advisory Committee
("CPSAC") to be comprised of no more than 7 voting members. The CPSAC shall be
comprised as follows:
(1) The chairs of each Metropolitan Police Districts’ Citizen Advisory Councils, which
chairs are duly elected by the members of those advisory councils;(2) Members of other designated groups, including governmental entities affecting
public safety, who shall be invited to join in a non-voting capacity by the CPSAC’s
members. Such a non-voting member shall be selected, upon nomination by one of the voting
CPSAC members, by a 2/3rd vote of the CPSAC and a report to the Council for approval if
not disapproved in 45 days.
(b) Members of the CPSAC shall serve for terms of 2 years. No member shall serve for
more than 4 years in any 6-year period. The Police Districts’ Citizen Advisory Councils,
as set out in subsection (a)(l ) and (2) of this section, shall identify their CPSAC
representatives within 45 days after the effective date of this act. To create staggered
terms, the initial members shall determine by lot that half shall serve for one year.
(c) All members of the CPSAC shall serve without compensation.
(d) Each member of the CPSAC, voting or non-voting, shall reside within the boundaries
of the District of Columbia.
(e) The members of the CPSAC shall meet no later than 90 days of the effective date of
this act and shall establish suitable bylaws governing its operations, including
provisions for the election of a Chair. Vice-Chair and other offices as deemed necessary,
and to consider selection of the non-voting member(s), as identified in subsection (a)(2)
of this section.
(f) The CPSAC shall have the following responsibilities:
(1)(A) The CPSAC shall work with citizens and officials to decrease crime and violent
behavior as well as to promote citizen education and involvement in improving the
conditions of their neighborhoods.(B) The CPSAC shall monitor and report on services and programs operating in the
community that affect public safety.(2) The CPSAC shall advise officials making policy and administrative decisions
affecting public safety and crime in the District of Columbia.(3) The CPSAC shall receive, review and comment on crime data, crime prevention, and
related matters.(4) The CPSAC shall maintain a channel of communication as well as promote cooperation
and collaboration between citizens and the officials making policy and administrative
decisions affecting public safety in the District of Columbia.(5) The CPSAC shall act as a clearinghouse on problem solving and community outreach.
(6) The CPSAC shall advise the legislative entities affecting public safety in the
District of Columbia.(7) The CPSAC shall meet at least quarterly.
Sec. 4. Police District Public Safety Advisory Committees.
(a) Each Police District shall have Public Safety Advisory Committee
("PDPSAC") which shall be comprised of:
(1) An officer and an alternate selected from each Police Service Area (PSA) that the
District serves;(2) Other members selected by the PDPSAC Committee who represent business and other
communities served by the police district, provided that no PDPSAC shall have more than 21
voting members.
(b) The PDPSACs shall have the following responsibilities:
(l) Each PDPSAC shall develop a mission statement, establish bylaws and elect officers
that include a chair, vice chair and secretary.(2) Each PDPSAC shall meet monthly.
(3) The Chief of the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department
("MPD") shall provide each PDPSAC at least monthly information, in writing,
detailing:(i) Part I criminal reporting code (detailing Federal Bureau of Investigation violent
crime reports) by PSA boundaries;(ii) Part II criminal reporting code of drug and quality of life crime against property
and persons; and(iii) Number 251 reports providing monthly arrest data for Part I and Part II crimes
indicating perpetrators, their home addresses and location and type of crime and all vice
arrests report data indicating perpetrators, their home addresses and location and type of
crime.(4) By December 31, 1999, the information referred to in subsection (b)(3) of this
section shall be available to the public electronically, either through a web site or by
electronic mail. It shall be kept current electronically on a daily basis.(5) A minimum of 2 MPD officers shall be assigned by each District Commander to serve
as liaison to the PDPSAC.
Sec. 5. Fiscal authority.
(a) Except as specified in this section, the CPSAC is not entitled to financial support
from the District of Columbia.
(b) The Chief of Police for the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department
shall provide the CPSAC with adequate meeting and office space, secretarial support of at
least one full time staff person, and adequate copying services.
(c) The CPSAC is authorized to apply for and receive grants from government, not-for-
profit, and private sector entities or otherwise raise funds and may create a
not-for-profit subsidiary to receive and administer such funds. All such funds shall be
used for the sole purpose of carrying out the statutory goals of this act.
(d) The CPSAC shall prepare and submit to the Council by September 30th of each year an
annual audited financial report.
Sec. 6. Fiscal Impact.
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal
impact statement required by section 602(c)(3) of the District of Columbia
Self-Governmental Reorganization Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Code
§1-233(c)(3)).
Sec. 7.
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by
the mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), approval by the Financial
Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority as provided in section 203(a) of the
District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Act of 1995,
approved April 17, 1995 (109 Stat. 116; D.C. Code §47-3392.3(a)), a 30-day period of
Congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia
Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat.
813; D.C. Code §1-233(c)(1)), and publication in the District of Columbia Register.