NEAR Act - Safer Stronger DC

The Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results (NEAR) Act seeks to use public health approaches to prevent violence and reduce incarceration. In Fiscal Year 2017-2018, Mayor Bowser fully funded all 20 different provisions of the NEAR Act. Each of the 20 provisions has either been fully implemented or are in the process of being put into place. In October 2017, Mayor Bowser launched the Safer Stronger DC Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.

The NEAR Act covers a wide range of public safety initiatives designed to reduce violent crime, reform criminal justice provisions, and improve community-police relations. The table below displays the Bowser Administration’s progress on fully implementing all 20 provisions.

Bowser Administration Progress on NEAR Act Implementation

Title	Name	Description	Status	Progress
Title 1A	Establishment of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement	Create an office to identify and engage at least 50 violent individuals by providing them with services to help them make different choices and provide them with a financial incentive for participating in the program.	Fully funded by the Mayor in the FY18 Budget Office opened October 2017 Del McFadden hired as Executive Director $5.5M budget 27 employees Community-based violence intervention program staff focusing on priority neighborhoods in Wards 4, 5, 7 and 8 Pathways Program identifying, recruiting, and engaging participants most at risk of being involved in, or impacted by, violence Community Stabilization Program responding to every homicide and attempted homicide to connect families with wraparound social services	Implemented
Title 1B	Establishment the Office of Violence Prevention and Health Equity	Fund social workers at emergency rooms to connect trauma victims to services Create a DOH office to focus on health equity	Mayor expanded funding in the FY18 Budget for Hospital-based Violence Intervention Program Currently operational at Howard University, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, and Prince George’s County Hospital Expanded the Hospital-based Violence Intervention Program to Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative at United Medical Center in 2018 DOH Office of Health Equity focuses on addressing the root causes of health disparities beyond healthcare and health behaviors	Implemented
Title 1C	Community Crime Prevention Team	MPD-Department of Behavioral Health pilot program on arrest diversion for repeat mental health consumers better served by treatment than incarceration	Fully funded by the Mayor in the FY18 Budget Pilot program launching Spring 2018 Anthony Hall hired as Executive Director $1.5M budget 8 employees More than 200 resident contacts since launch	Implemented
Title 2A	Community Policing Working Group	Working group to make recommendations around improving police-community relations	Implemented in 2017	Implemented
Title 2B	Establishment of the Homicide Elimination Strategy Task Force	Task force of community members to advise the government on public health approach to violence	Mayor appointed members in 2016-17 Council appointed members in late 2017 Meets monthly at Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement	Implemented
Title 2C	Police-Community Relations Survey	Survey of police community relations	Criminal Justice Coordinating Council conducting survey Survey to be released Spring 2019	In Progress
Title 2D	Assault on a Police Officer	Narrows the definition of assault on a police officer	Implemented in 2016	Implemented
Title 2E	Officer Training	Codified existing MPD training in: (1) community policing; (2) recognizing bias; (3) use of force; (4) Limitations on the use of chokeholds and neck restraints; (5) Mental and behavioral health awareness; and (6) Linguistic and cultural competency.	Implemented in 2016-17 and required training topics covered annually	Implemented
Title 2F	Office of Police Complaints Independent Review Authority	Expands the authority of the Office of Police Complaints	Implemented in 2016	Implemented
Title 2G	Stop & Frisk and Use of Force Data Collection	Requires collection of demographic data for all uses of force & police stops	New policy and officer training to improve stop data collection implemented Data system improvements in development for Summer 2019 implementation	In Progress
Title 2H	Crime Data Collection	Requires collection and reporting of data about crime victims, suspects, and court outcomes	Implemented in 2017	Implemented
Title 2I	Officer Retention & Recruitment	Streamlines experience requirements for new recruits from military and other law enforcement agencies	Implemented in 2016	Implemented
Title 2J	Rehiring of Retired MPD Officers by DFS	Allows DFS to hire retired MPD officers	Implemented in 2016	Implemented
Title 2K	Private Security Camera System Incentive Program	Creates rebate program for security cameras installed at homes and businesses	Implemented in 2016	Implemented
Title 3	Traffic Citation Modernization Program	Eliminates items hanging on car’s rear-view mirror from being a moving violation	Implemented in 2016	Implemented
Title 4	DC Jail Work Release Program	Allows pre-trial detainees held on misdemeanors to be released from the DC Jail for work while awaiting trial	Implemented in 2017	Implemented
Title 5	DC Jail Good Time Credits	Increased the credits for early release from the DC Jail for inmates participating in reentry programming	Implemented in 2016	Implemented
Title 6	Firearms Control Boundaries Clarification	Expands boundaries of where a person licensed to conceal carry a firearm cannot be located while armed	Implemented in 2016	Implemented
Title 7	Firearms Ammunition Microstamping Implementation	Requires all registered firearms to include microstamping when the technology is available	Implemented in 2016	Implemented
Title 8	Swift and Certain Sanctions	Allows person under supervised release to be held for up to 72 hours for a dangerous violation of the terms of their release	Implemented in 2016	Implemented

 

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