Press Release: Councilmember Vincent C. Gray’s Statement on the DC Police Reform Commission’s Release of Its Final Report

News Release — Ward 7 DC Council member Vincent Gray

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 1, 2021  

Contact: Takiyah “T.N.” Tate

Washington, DC – In 2020, while justice reform protests were happening in the District and across the nation, the D.C. Council approved the “Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2020.”  This legislation advanced several important public safety and policing reform measures including restrictions on chemical irritants and force used against protesters.  Former Mayor and current Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent C. Gray, along with Councilmember Anita Bonds, included an amendment to the legislation which established a Police Reform Commission tasked with developing recommendations for policies and systemic improvements to policing and public safety. Today, that report has been delivered to the Council and Mayor and made public.

Councilmember Gray issued the following statement in response to the Police Reform Commission’s final report:

“I want to thank Commission Co-chairs Robert Bobb and Christy Lopez for their leadership and diligence to bring forth these recommendations.  Public safety and police reform are of utmost importance. It is also an emotionally and politically charged issue.  The Commission held numerous community meetings and carefully listened to concerns from residents across the District,” said Gray.

“Councilmember Bonds and I created the Commission to ensure deliberate, evidence-based recommendations on police reform measures that value and respect the concerns of residents.  Our objective is to transform policing in the District into a best practice model that ensures all our neighborhoods are protected and respected. The Commission has fulfilled those objectives,” said Gray.

“An enormous amount of work and thoughtfulness has been invested in this report. There will no doubt be alternative suggestions and debate about police reform and public safety. The report is a framework around which those discussions can now take place. My goal is to ensure safety, protect rights and foster goodwill between law enforcement and the community it serves. The Commission has aided us in taking a big step in that direction,” said Gray.

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