July 23, 2021
Dear Washingtonians,
I have said it before, and I will continue to say it: we will never accept gun violence as normal. No matter where it occurs, when it occurs, or why it occurs – we will not accept gun violence as the answer to anything.
We know that nationwide, Americans are desperate for change. Gun violence is a public health crisis, and, in DC, we are committed to treating it as such. The solutions must address our short-term and long-term needs and be focused on prevention, opportunity, and accountability.
In the short-term, I have directed the Metropolitan Police Department to use any overtime necessary to increase their presence in neighborhoods most affected by gun violence. Every resident, in every part of our city, deserves to feel safe walking to the bus, going to the store, or letting their children play outside.
In the short- and long-term, we are making significant investments in a whole-of-government approach to reducing gun violence. This means asking every DC Government agency to find their role. With local and federal funding, we are investing more than $214 million in gun violence prevention and related services over the next four years. This funding will be directed toward violence interruption; better access to mental and behavioral health care; alternatives to police responses; housing for individuals involved in violence; better supports for our family members and neighbors returning to the community after incarceration; longer hours at some of our recreation centers; dedicated employment opportunities for individuals at-risk of gun violence; and grant funding for individuals and community organizations who are taking their own initiative to combat gun violence.
We also know that DC is unique in the American criminal justice system. Because we are not a state, the federal government plays an outsized role in our ability to hold people accountable and deliver justice. The Metropolitan Police Department can investigate cases and make arrests, but then, overwhelmingly, the ability to deliver justice is in the hands of our federal partners.
I want to share with you the same concerns we have repeatedly shared with our federal partners over the last several months.
At this time, we know that because our federal partners are not operating at full capacity, there is a lag in case processing that is creating its own public safety crisis in Washington, DC. In January 2020, there were 5,707 criminal cases pending in DC Superior Court. As of June 2021, there are 10,199 criminal cases pending. This is justice delayed for victims, defendants, and the District of Columbia as a whole.
In practical terms, what does this lag in case processing mean for our community? It means more people are arrested and then immediately released. And not only are more people in the community on pretrial release, the average stay is 134% longer than pre-COVID and supervision caseloads are nearly double pre-COVID levels. And for individuals who are both in the community and those who are already detained, there is a 102% increase in cases where people have been arrested and are still awaiting formal charges. At the local Department of Corrections, the average length of stay has increased from 178 days in 2019 to 260 days in 2021.
All around, the current status of our justice system is untenable. Every person arrested or detained deserves to have their case disposed of in a timely manner. Every resident and every person who comes in contact with our criminal justice system deserves for the system to be fully functioning.
We will continue to do everything within our local control to expand opportunity, to get illegal guns off our streets, and to hold people accountable when they bring violence to our neighborhoods. But we need the entire system operating at full capacity – not just pre-COVID capacity, but the necessary capacity to clear backlogs and end the crisis in our court system.
Sincerely,
 Mayor Bowser and DC Health are reminding families to schedule well-child visits and ensure students are caught up on required immunizations. Currently, the COVID-19 vaccine is strongly recommended for all students 12 and older, but is not considered a required immunization.
Beginning next month, students and families will be able to schedule appointments to receive their required immunizations through vaccinate.dc.gov. Appointments will be at participating DC Public Schools (DCPS) and public charter school locations, and families can make an appointment regardless of a student’s school of enrollment. Participating school sites will be partnered with pharmacies and hospital-based providers. While many sites will offer walk-up COVID-19 vaccination opportunities, families will be asked to make an appointment for required immunizations so that providers have time to access a child’s immunization history. Families can go to vaccinate.dc.gov to sign up to receive updates about immunization appointments.
Families are still encouraged to call their child’s doctor now to schedule an appointment for their vaccines and annual physicals.
Learn more HERE.
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 Help is available if you’re behind on rent and utility payments. Visit stay.dc.gov/events to sign up for a STAY DC workshop near you or call 1-833-478-2932 to schedule an appointment.
Upcoming STAY DC In-Person Workshops
- Tuesday, July 27 | Starburst Plaza (1501 Maryland Ave NE), 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, July 29 | Petworth Library (4200 Kansas Ave NW), 12:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
- Friday, July 30 | DHS Service Center (2100 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE), 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
- Saturday, July 31 | Anacostia High School (1601 16th St SE) DC Health Vaccination Event, 12:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Learn more about the program at stay.dc.gov
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 Anyone 12 and older can claim their free COVID-19 vaccine at the District's walk-up vaccination sites.
- Anacostia High School*, Tuesday-Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Ida B. Well Middle School, Wednesday – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Dorothy Height/Benning Library*, Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Thursday from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m
*DC residents who are 12 and older, show proof of residency, and receive their first dose of the vaccine at Anacostia HS or Benning Library can receive a $51 VISA gift card.
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 This July, DC is celebrating 16 years of DC Circulator connecting DC residents and visitors to many of the District's main attractions and liveliest corridors of business, culture, and entertainment. Since 2015, the DC Circulator has upgraded over half of its fleet to state-of-the-art 100% electric vehicles; by 2030, the full fleet will consist entirely of buses that run solely on clean energy.
In February 2019, the Mayor made DC Circulator free for riders as part of #FairShotFebruary. Since then, in response to increased ridership and to promote the use of convenient and accessible public transportation, she extended free rides multiple times. Most recently, the DC Circulator became free at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and has remained free since March 2020. In the Mayor's Fiscal Year 2022 Fair Shot Budget proposal, she invested $6.5 million to keep DC Circulator free, and to support ongoing investments to maintain the reliability of the bus system and acquire electric charging stations for the fleet. However, this week, the Council voted to eliminate free rides on the DC Circulator.
DC Circulator riders have an opportunity to share their experience riding the system through the annual DC Circulator survey, which helps the District improve and deliver great service. Take the survey HERE.
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