DC Government

As if the world weren’t absurd enough – D.C. edition

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Phil

Well this is just bonkers.

The Washington Post reported:

“Gray, 75, “basically told the guy to chill out,” and was shoved out the door, said the adviser, Chuck Thies. Thies said Gray was at the club for “Art All Night,” a city wide arts festival.”

NBC Washington reported:

“[Sheila Bunn, Gray’s chief of staff] Bunn told News4 that Gray, 75, had said, “Don’t I look old enough?”

The DC Eagle gave News4 the following statement: (more…)

“Welcome to Mount Pleasant – Slow the Hell Down”

By Prince Of Petworth

The following was written by PoPville contributor David McAuley, founder of Short Articles about Long Meetings.


detail from documents DDOT handed out at the meeting

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1D/Mount Pleasant voted to endorse a plan to repave and restripe a section of Park Road NW, from the bridge over Piney Branch Road in Rock Creek Park to just past the intersection with Walbridge Place. The plan, as presented at the September 25 ANC meeting by a representative of the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), would eliminate several on-street parking spaces in the neighborhood, which brought some local residents to the meeting to object.

The ANC’s resolution to urge DDOT to proceed with the plan includes a suggestion to refrain from putting a “Stop” sign and a “No parking” sign at the corner of Park Road and Pierce Mill Road, which would create a new 40-foot long area (about 2-3 car lengths) where parking would be unambiguously not allowed. Apparently, parking occurs there now, but Emily Dalphy, DDOT Transportation Engineer, said that parking in this area might already be “technically illegal”. (more…)

Should the D.C. Council Repeal Initiative 77? (raising the minimum wage for tipped workers)

By Prince Of Petworth

Yesterday WAMU reported:

“The D.C. Council will vote next Tuesday on a bill repealing Initiative 77, the ballot measure approved by D.C. voters in June that would gradually raise the minimum wage paid to tipped workers.

The bill repealing Initiative 77 already has seven co-sponsors, the exact number needed to pass the Council. But because it is being considered as an emergency measure, it will need nine votes to pass, and would only remain in effect for 90 days. The Council would eventually have to vote on a permanent repeal bill.”

So should the Council repeal the bill completely, not at all or work on some sort of compromise?

To the polls!!


“Emergency Legislation Will Make It More Difficult for Producers and Suppliers of K2 and Other Synthetic Drugs to Evade Law Enforcement”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

Last Friday, a week ago, I exited the Petworth metro – about 1.5 blocks from my house – and found a woman overdosing right outside the exit on the east side of Georgia Ave. She was writhing and screaming and frothing at the mouth and smashing her hands on the concrete. I called 911. Some other folks and I tried to roll her over and hold her until the paramedics arrived. They eventually did and did so fairly quickly, to their credit. Thanks to them. I got home covered in blood and showered before touching my young son. I suspect she was overdosing on spice/K2 which is clearly becoming a big(ger) issue in this city. The woman killed at 11th and P recently was, reports appear to suggest, the result of someone on the synthetic drug. The massive overdoses in front of schools (Mundo Verde is a big recent example) is due to bad batches of the drug, likely cut with fentanyl or worse. What does it take to get the DC council to respond? It’s clear that it is tough to regulate the synthetic drug but DC police know *exactly* where it is being sold and used and do nothing about it.”

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Mayor Bowser announced she will be introducing legislation to simplify enforcement against producers and suppliers of dangerous synthetic drugs – often referred to as K2, spice, and Scooby Snax – by broadening the classification of what constitutes a prohibited synthetic drug. The emergency legislation will update the existing drug classification system to enhance the ability of law enforcement and prosecutors to go after synthetic drug dealers. The “Revised Synthetics Abatement and Full Enforcement Drug Control Emergency Act of 2018” bans chemical compounds often found in synthetic drugs based on the class of the chemical compound, rather than the individual compound. (more…)

“Mayor Bowser Implements Policy to Reduce Number of People Taken into Custody for Public Consumption of Marijuana”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Tim Brown

From the Mayor’s Office Friday night:

“Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Peter Newsham announced a policy change that will reduce the number of people taken into custody for “Public Consumption of Marijuana.” Under the new policy, all arrests made for “Public Consumption of Marijuana” must be noncustodial if the arrestee is considered eligible. In the past, a citation (or noncustodial arrest) for “Public Consumption of Marijuana” was an option, but not mandatory procedure. (more…)

“New OAG Special Victims Unit to Prosecute Crimes Against Vulnerable Residents”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Lorie Shaull

From a press release:

“Attorney General Karl A. Racine today announced that the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has launched a Special Victims Unit (SVU) to focus on prosecuting crimes against some of the most vulnerable people in the District: sexual assault victims, young children, elders, people with disabilities, and children at risk for human trafficking. The unit will also provide specialized training to OAG prosecutors on forensic interviewing and forensic science, gathering evidence, litigating cases, and providing victims with the necessary services to prevent additional trauma during a case.

“This unit will help us seek justice for vulnerable victims of abuse and violent crimes and provide them with the special services they need to cope with trauma,” said Attorney General Racine. “We’ve learned from the best practices of other prosecutors around the country that specialized training is necessary to investigate and pursue these cases while being sensitive to victims’ needs. SVU is our latest effort to keep District residents safe and provide our community with dedicated resources to address the needs of both victims and offenders.”

OAG has authority to prosecute all offenses committed by juveniles in the District as well as certain adult misdemeanors. Prior to the unit’s establishment, OAG prosecutors who handle a wide variety of offenses also prosecuted crimes committed against special victims. After careful study of current practices by other nationally respected prosecutors and stakeholders, AG Racine established SVU to address the special circumstances in cases involving sexual assault and other vulnerable victims.

Special Victims Unit

The new SVU is composed of three dedicated prosecutors who report directly to the head of OAG’s Public Safety Division, Deputy Attorney General Mina Malik. The prosecutors will handle crimes involving: (more…)

“The proposals call on the Mayor to declare a state of emergency for homelessness in Columbia Heights.”

By Prince Of Petworth


14th Street, NW between Columbia and Irving

“Dear PoPville,

MuralsDC put up a sign in front of Unity Health Care in Columbia Heights announcing a new mural project. Lots of artists working together to put up some murals.

In the process they’ve put caution tape up in the place where there was a shooting earlier this year, and more where earlier this week I walked past someone who was (unconscious?) from K2. It seems kind of heavy handed but at the same time, I’ve had four blessed days in a row of no street harassment here.

Before you ask, no, that’s Einstein holding spray paint on the alley wall, the lineart that defines his features is hard to see from far away.”

Somewhat related, Geovanny writes:

“I wanted to share this proposal for readers to sign to help ease the burden of homeless in the Columbia Heights neighborhood.

The proposals calls on Mayor Muriel Bowser declare a state of emergency for homelessness in Columbia Heights. With additional funding and community resources, one of the vacant DC USA spaces can serve the needs of homeless, including serving healthy meals, offering medical assistance, public restrooms and showers, and safe storage spaces.

I encourage the community to review the proposal and sign if you agree, and also leave feedback to continue this important discussion.”

“Does D.C. Recycle?!”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Kate Conradt

“Dear PoPville,

This week the trash truck came down our street today in Park View and clearly emptied both the trash and recycling bins into the same trash truck. When they went around the corner I got a video of it – as I didn’t want to ask/confront them about it in front of my house for obvious reasons.

My neigbor and I were/are both bummed about it, as we are avid recyclers. Some people do not recycle because they think that it all ends up getting mixed up and thrown away anyhow. I know that happened years ago and the city caught heat for it, but I figured they had it all sorted (pun intended) by now. (more…)

Legislation introduced to Ban “Ghost Guns” in D.C.

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Tim Brown

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Mayor Bowser introduced legislation that will make it illegal to possess undetectable 3D-printed plastic guns and other “ghost guns” in Washington, DC. The “Ghost Guns Prohibition Emergency Amendment Act of 2018” amends the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 to prohibit the registration and possession of ghost guns–firearms that, after the removal of all parts other than a receiver, cannot be detected by a metal detector–in the District of Columbia.

“From requiring stronger background checks to raising the purchase age, Americans want common-sense gun reform that makes it more difficult – not easier – for guns to fall into the wrong hands,” said Mayor Bowser. “As technology around the production of undetectable guns advances, our federal government must take action to protect Americans from senseless gun violence.” (more…)

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